GAMESPEAK FHL NEWSLETTER

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1 October 18, 2015 Vol. 6, No. 1 Welcome to the FHL new season! Gamespeak Vol. 6, No. 1 - The FHL 2015 Preview Edition is now released. Get ready to take the ice for the 6th season of the FHL! Table of Contents: P. 1 Table of Contents P. 1 - FHL 6 th Season Preview Analysis Team by Team Luc (Lucky) Savard P. 9 - FHL Preseason Preview Howard Cossell, Jr. P FHL Trade Spreadsheet Chad Pridemore (Asst. Commissioner) P. 23 Commissioner Comments FHL 2015 Preview Analysis Team by Team By Luc (Lucky) Savard I hope you all had a great summer. We had new owners on some really solid teams. Let s see how those teams will do under new management. As a reminder, nobody should take this personally, there is no perfect formula. It is only one man analysis. Let s have fun. A = Excellent B = Very Good C = Above Average D = Needs Work East Division Boston Whalers Owner/Manager Doug Shirley Offense A Power Play B Defence C Short Handed B Goaltenders A Overall B+ Jamie Benn and Jakub Voracek have more than 80 points. Patrick Kane has a point a game and will be a player to watch. Five players have more than 50 points and seven scored more than 20 goals. This gives them good depth up front. The defense is not the best but not the worst, it is decent with guys that can play both ways. It is led by Trevor Daley. Corey Schneider will play a lot in net and he is very good, Boston will be a good team to watch. 1

2 East Division New York Dolphins Owner/Manager Cliff Dolgins Offense B Power Play B Defence A Short Handed C Goaltenders D Overall B Henrik Sedin, Steven Stamkos and Corey Perry should lead this team on offense. However, I am concerned with three of the six top forwards having bad defense. Luckily, the team has some others good defensive forwards to provide depth. The defense is very good, Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson leads the way with Mark Giordano and Mark Streit. In net, with Halak and Niemi, the team is average at best. I am sure New York will address any shortcomings has they have done so many times. The multiple time champions always make the appropriate adjustments. Exton Igloos Owner/Manager Trader Jeff Murray Offense B Power Play C Defence A Short Handed B Goaltenders B Overall B The offense is decent and lead by 70 points man Evgeny Malkin. Five forwards have more than 50 points. Ryan Kesler will help the defensive side of the game as the team maybe lacking two way forwards, Only Radim Vrbata surpassed the 30 goals mark. The defense is very solid with Kris Letang and Ryan Suter as leaders. In net Corey Crawford should play all his 57 games with Jonathan Quick as the backup. Exton should do well again this season. Montreal Canadians Owner/Manager Bill Kay Offense B Power Play A Defence C Short Handed C Goaltenders B Overall C This team is rebuilding and looking toward the future. They should be proud of their young players as the top offensive player is Filip Forsberg. The team has 9 forwards with more than 20 goals. Very balanced offense. Keith Yandle and Dougie Hamilton will provide offense from the back end. Not much defensively but that formula worked very well for New York, the eternal champions. Sergei Varlamov and Andrew Hammond will be solid in net and they will be counted on. 2

3 East Division Florida Everblades Owner/manager Bryan Sakolsky Offense D Power Play D Defence C Short Handed D Goaltenders D Overall D The Everblades are in rebuilding mode with only three forwards with more than 40 points and none have more than 20 goals. The future will be bright once Nathan Mackinnon achieve is potential. Aaron Ekblad is the leader on defense. Sami Vatanen will complete that young and exciting duo. In net, Ryan Miller and Mike Smith don't really fit on that young team but will be counted on to provide leadership. They are a strong contender in the Connor McDavid race. Mid West Division Kansas City Ice Twisters Owner/manager Joshua Pohl Offense A Power Play B Defence C+ Short Handed B Goaltenders C Overall B+ Kansas City has always had really good seasons and we should expect the same. John Tavares (86 pts.) and Nicklas Backstrom (78 pts.) is an excellent 1-2 duo down the middle. They can count on five wingers with more than 20 goals, one being Daniel Sedin (76 pts.) and another being Johnny Hockey (Gaudreau) (64 pts.). Six forwards have more than 60 points. The top three on D is very good. Alex Goligoski will be counted on in all aspect of the game. If there is one issue, it is in net Eddie Lack and Calvin Pickard are good for 57 games but then who plays the other games? That will need to be addressed. It is not a rush, they are not in the strongest division. Cincinnati Swords Owner/Manager Francois Lessard Offense C Power Play D Defence B Short Handed C Goaltenders B Overall C Derrick Brassard (60pts) is the top forward. Only two more have more than 50 points. Brandon Saad is the best goal scorer at 23. Five defense have more than 30 points. Dustin Byfuglien being the leader of them all. Two defense have a rating above 8.0. There is a good mix of offense and defense. Henrik Lundqvist and Brian Elliott will share the duty in net. There GAA is about 2.25, Francois always managed is team with success. 3

4 Mid West Division Rye Seahawks Owner/manager Craig Musselman Offense D Power Play D Defence B Short Handed C Goaltenders C Overall C This young franchise will need time. No forwards have more than 50 points or 20 goals. Roman Josi is the top offensive player and he plays D. Jake Muzzin and Jacob Trouba are also looking real good back there. They can play with the best of them. I like where this defense is going. In net, Marc Andre Fleury will play a lot. He will need to be solid. This team has done well with the talent it had in the past so they could surprise. Cleveland Barons Owner/manager Scott Kalman Offense D Power Play D Defence B Short Handed C Goaltenders C Overall C Cleveland offense is not where it was. No forwards have more than 20 goals and only two have more than 50 points. The defense is also not where it was but it can still count on Dennis Wideman and Tyson Barrie to support the offense. They both have more than 50 points. Jonas Hiller will be the starter in net with Craig Anderson as the backup. They should do ok. Detroit Bandits Owner/manager Chad Pridemore Offense D Power Play D Defence C Short Handed C Goaltenders D Overall D+ Gabriel Landeskog is the leader, offensively and in the room. He had a very good season. He will play on a line with Brendan Gallagher on RW. The center position is open. There is no real first liner at that position. Travis Hamonic should play the most on defense. He can provide some offense with his 33 pts and some defense. Ron Hainsey is the best defensive D with a very good 8.1 rating. In net, Jimmy Howard and Karri Ramo have 6.5 ratings. 4

5 West Central Division Chesapeake Bay Hawks Owner/Manager Wayne Pulley Offense B Power Play A Defence A Short Handed A Goaltenders C Overall B+ Indianapolis Checkers is no longer in existence. It will be known as the Chesapeake Bay Hawks. The team still looks as before, pretty solid. Nick Foligno and Joe Pavelski scored more than 30 goals. Pavelski scored 19 on the PP. He will also provide the team with very strong defensive play as well. Pat Bergeron will do the same for the Hawks. Only four forwards had more than 50 points, so they will have to manufacture points. Brent Burns on defense collected 60 points and Kevin Shatenkirk had 44. Pretty good defense here, no doubt. They can play at both end of the ice. Ben Bishop had an average year for Tampa and it shows in his 7.0 rating. However, with the solid defense, they should fare well. Minnesota North Stars Owner/manager Rob Gallamore Offense B+ Power Play B Defence B Short Handed B+ Goaltenders B+ Overall B+ The North Stars are very strong on the wings and lead by 25 PP goal scorer Alex Ovechkin. He will be one to watch with 53 goals total. Max Pacioretty had 37 and three more wingers had over 25. Mikko Koivu is the top center and his pass rating is a 6. The team will most probably look for a centerman at some point. On defense, Nick Kronwall will be counted on offensively and defensively. Jay Bouwmeester will help as well defensively. Cam Fowler and Jeff Schultz will provide the offensive support. Tuukka Rask will play 70 games and his well rated at 7.6. McGregor Condors Owner/manager Jesse W. Cheng Offense C+ Power Play D Defence B Short Handed B Goaltenders B Overall B Top point man Ryan Getzlaf (70 pts) will center the first line while the more defensive oriented Anze Kopitar will center the second unit. With only three players on the team, including Getzlaf, who scored more than 20 goals, I am not sure who will benefit from Ondrej Palat and Kopitar excellent passing. Three defensemen had more than 40 points including John Carlsson who accumulated 55. This defense is about supporting the offense and that may be just what this team needs. Pekka Rinne will play a lot and that is all good. McGregor is an intriguing team and will be one to watch if they can score. 5

6 West Central Division Columbia Lightning Owner/manager Roger Pittiglio Offense B Power Play C Defence D Short Handed C Goaltenders A Overall C The offense will come from the center and RW. Vladimir Tarasenko (37 goals, 73 pts), the Russian speedster, will be in heaven playing with his good friend Pavel Datsyuk. Joe Thornton and Marrian Hossa will also be an excellent duo. Some LW did score over 20 goals so they will be to watch as well. Matt Carle is the best defenseman so there is a lot of work to be done there. Devan Dubnyk and Roberto Luongo is an excellent duo, they will be counted on heavily. Spokane Bombers Owner/manager Ken Perry Offense D+ Power Play D Defence C Short Handed D+ Goaltenders D+ Overall D+ Spokane is on the right track, they made some pretty good trades in the summer to try to solidify their future. Matt Duchene and Milan Lucic are two very good examples of players brought in to solidify the offense. The team has five forwards who scored more than 20 goals. Torey Krug and Danny Dekeyser are two young defensemen that can support the offense with lots of potential moving forward in their career. Having the Anaheim duo of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson in net is very smart. This team will be a strong one eventually, not this year. West Division Quebec Nordiques Owner/manager Pat Crews Offense B+ Power Play B Defence A Short Handed B+ Goaltenders A Overall A Pat took over a great crew (I know bad joke). The Nordiques can count on six forwards with more than 50 points including Jiri Hudler (76 pts) and Rick Nash (42 goals). With team captain Jonathan Toews, the offense is in great hand. What to say about the defense, four players with more than 40 points, this defense is top notch with players such as Subban, Keith, Markov and Weber. In net, Carey Price is the starter and Cam Talbot will back him up. This is a great team and a strong contender. 6

7 \ GAMESPEAK FHL NEWSLETTER West Division Gatineau City Bulldogs Owner/manager Lucky Luc Savard Offense B+ Power Play A Defence B+ Short Handed B+ Goaltenders B Overall B+ The Bulldogs offense is all about balance, the team can count on nine forwards with more than 50 points, eight of which have scored more than 20 goals. Only one of them is rated under 4.1 defensively. Other than Claude Giroux and Tyler Johnson who will center the first two lines, the rest is yet to be set with so many possibilities. On defense the trio of Doughty, Pietrangelo and Ekman-Larsson (10 PP goals) is comparable to Quebec, however, the team is not as deep and can't claim to have a real fourth one. In net, Braden Holtby will play over 70 games and that in itself is an improvement on last year. California Zephyrs Owner/manager Kent Gray Offense B+ Power Play A Defence C Short Handed B Goaltenders C+ Overall B Sidney Crosby, Tyler Seguin and Ryan Johansson, what can I say, all excellent centermen. The Zephyrs are heavy down the middle and will patch things up on the wings. They have no 40 goals scorer but eight that accumulated more than 20. On defense, they are not as good as rival Quebec (no one is) but they can count on some very decent players such as Nick Leddy and Brent Seabrook. In net, Sergei Brobovsky is not as good as last year and that may hurt in this very strong division. Kent may adress this during the season if they want a shot at the title. Los Angeles Monarchs Owner/manager David Sayles Offense C Power Play D Defence C Short Handed C Goaltenders B Overall C Nikita Kucherov and Patrick Hornqvist are the top forwards. They had decent year and they will have some support from the remaining forwards. The PP will not be a concern for anyone. The top forward has only 6 goals in this special situation. Jason Klingberg and Hampus Lindholm are two excellent young defensemen. What is concerning is the lack of very good stay at home type defensemen. Steve Mason should play over 50 games in net, Antti Raanta will play 14 but then who will play the reminder? This is a developing team on the right track, they will suffer from being with three of the top teams in the league. 7

8 West Division Toledo Goaldiggers Owner/manager Stan Skawinski Offense C Power Play B Defence D+ Short Handed D+ Goaltenders D Overall D+ This young team is lead offensively by young star Sean Monahan who had a very good year. He is the only one with more than 50 point, 62 to be precise. Jonathan Drouin and Leon Draisaitl were great pick-ups in the rookie draft. On defense, TJ Brodie is great both offensively and defensively. After him, the team may lack defensive support. In net, it is a committee which should see Jake Allen play more games than others, with Petr Mrazek playing a good share as well. This team is clearly in development and looking good moving forward. Playoffs Playoffs predictions, especially who will win the cup, are so hard to make given so much can happen during the season. For the fun of it here they are: Republic Conference Boston Whalers New York Dolphins Exton Igloos Kansas City Ice Twisters Montreal Canadians Cincinnati Swords National Conference Chesapeake Bay Hawks Minnesota North Stars McGregor Condors Quebec Nordiques Gatineau City Bulldogs California Zephyrs Crystal Final Looking at the current roster, it will be between Boston Whalers and Kansas City Ice Twisters and I will go with the first one as the Republic Conference representative. The National Conference is very strong. All teams could be in the final. I will bet that new comer Pat Crew will take the Nordiques to the show. Boston Whalers vs Quebec Nordiques For the Crystal Finals Crystal Finals Winner: Quebec Nordiques. 8

9 FHL Season Preview By Howard Cosell, Jr. It s that time again, time to look into the muck of a crystal ball in an effort to see who has the best shot of raising the Crystal. At the end of each Conference, I will provide a brief summary of the conference and the teams and how things look as we get ready to start the season. Otherwise, much is the same as last season. Each team is rated as to how they will finish in their division, then they are ranked where they will finish in their conference (in parenthesis), and finally I have given a probability grade as a percentage chance to make the Crystal playoffs. Teams are graded in various aspects with a C+ being average. The lone exception is the grade regarding the team s future. B- is looking up, though only slightly, and C+ is slipping down, though again only slightly. This looks out over the next 3 to 5 years and is based on age, particularly the age of primary players. A primary player in his late 20 s can be expected to maintain his abilities over the next 3 to 5 years. However, primary players that are 33 or 34 are expected to see a decline in the coming years. Obviously, primary players in their early to mid-20s are expected to maintain, even possibly improve. Additionally, teams are looked at for prospects, players who have the ability to develop into primary players. I ll be using the same basic formula as last season. I grade each team in a number of areas. Forwards get grades for both offense and defense. Likewise, the defensemen also get grades for defense and offense. There is a goalie grade, a grade for both the power play and penalty kill. Again there is a grade for construction, which is how well a team is put together. The last two grades have less to do with the upcoming season and more a look into the even more blurry future of multiple years. These grades are for drafting and just the future. Construction is probably the most subjective grade handed out. Without coaching strategies, one can only guess at how players will be used. Additionally, one trade can change the makeup of a team, either filling a hole, or creating one. By definition, rebuilding teams are lower in the construction because they are more focused on future seasons and not this particular season. Rating for Future have no effect on this season s results. This is a subjective look at the team from a farm system to age. A B is average. This holds its own, neither moving up nor down, with the + and - being a leaning. An A is moving up or if already a top team, chances are they will continue to hold that position. A C or lower is on the down side of the hill. The time to win is now because things are only going to get worse. This system is for the original 18 teams. For the two expansion teams, it is just plain hard to define where they are going when they ve only had significant rosters for less than two months. I gave both a B because I saw a plan in their drafting and trading and for a first year expansion club, things can only get better. 9

10 After the grades is a brief write up of each team, which can touch on their offense, defense, goaltending, special teams, injuries or other notable aspects for better or for worse. As always, this is prefaced with the point that this is one person s view of the teams. People do things differently and there is more than one way to win with this hockey game. Additionally, trades always have an impact as some teams make the move to add a critical piece and become a serious contender, while another team can throw in the towel and trade away assets in search of a better tomorrow. One thing is clear having reviewed this year s teams. No team is without a hole or weakness. While there are always top contenders, no teams aren t without a challenge of some sort. This makes not only the trading, but the way teams are played even more important. A coach who can maximize a team s strengths while minimizing its weaknesses will have a distinct advantage. For the most part, this preview doesn t and never has looked at coaching. REPUBLIC CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION Boston Whalers - 1 st (1st) 100% Owner/Manager Doug Shirley Forwards Off- A- Def- B Defense Def- A- Off- B+ Goalie- B+ Power Play- A- Penalty Kill- B+ Construction- B+ Future- C+ Notes: Boston has made the moves and the time is now. A strong, deep team. Yet, no one really jumps out. Jamie Benn is the NHL leading scorer, but this year that only means 87 points. Patrick Kane is dynamic, but misses a quarter of the season. Schneider is a rock in net. This is a good team which won t beat itself. If you want a win against Boston, you have to come and take it. And there are only a few teams this season with the ability to take a win from Boston. It s a long season and Boston is built for it. 10

11 Exton Igloos - 2 nd (3rd) 100% Owner/Manager Trader Jeff Murray Forwards Off- A- Def- B Defense Def- A Off- B+ Goalie- B Power Play- A- Penalty Kill- B+ Construction- B+ Future- B- Notes: Exton is loaded up again and ready to make another run. Exton possesses some high impact players and reasonable depth (not as much as Boston). The addition of a playmaking center (Spezza) brings a piece which has been missing for a few seasons. Crawford is a solid goalie, in fact he is very good, which has relegated Quick to a backup role. This is another high quality team which looks to win a lot of games this season. New York Dolphins - 3 rd (4th) 100% Owner/Manager Cliff Dolgins Forwards Off- A Def- B Defense Def- B Off- A- Goalie- C+ Power Play- A Penalty Kill- B Construction- B Future- B- Notes: A three-peat? Not this time. This is still a good team which is going to score a lot of goals. But time is catching up and it lacks the depth that made the team so fearsome. Stamkos and Karlsson are leading candidates for MVP and the top defender. This team will score, it won t score the way it has in the past and it s going to give up more goals than it has previously as well. The goalie tandem of Halak and Niemi are average at best. Years of trading away picks and prospects has rewarded the franchise with three titles, but there is a price. The team has shown a willingness to make bold moves, but this order may be too tall. Montreal Canadians - 4 th (5th) 100% Owner/Manager Bill Kay Forwards Off- B+ Def- B+ Defense Def- D- Off- B+ Goalie- B+ Power Play- B+ Penalty Kill- C Construction- C- Future- A- Notes: In computer sim games with ratings, sometimes the ratings gods are good to you and sometimes they are not. They haven t been very kind to Montreal. A deep and solid group of forwards that will score and score from all directions. 11

12 The defense will let the opponents potentially score from all directions too. Varlamov is solid and accounts for the B ; Hammond is the + and provides a chance to steal some games despite the blueline. This is a young team which is starting to see its players develop. It is also just the start. A competitive team which will win some games and give away some others. It will be a fun and exciting season in Montreal with still more to look forward to in seasons to come. Florida Everblades - 5 th (10th) 0% Owner/Manager Bryan Sakolsky Forwards Off- D Def- C Defense Def- C+ Off- B Goalie- D Power Play- C- Penalty Kill- C- Construction- C- Future- B+ Notes: What to talk about for this season? No 20 goal scorers (Florida isn t the only team in that boat). The defense loses a ton of games to injury. Miller is really below average in a league this size and only plays 45 games. And they are in a tough division. That adds up to a lot of losses. Start talking about the future and things get brighter. A very young team, but also a team loaded with high end young talent, particularly at forward (MacKinnon, Huberdeau, E. Kane, Kadri, Stepan, Skinner and Couturier). The future is bright, but it s going to be a tough season until that future arrives. East Division Round Up: Three contenders in one division. Boston gets the nod. It is going to be very close between Boston and Exton, only a few points will separate them. More Schneider and less Crawford might be the difference in who wins the division. New York is still out there, but they are a step behind and will have to make some magic to close the gap. New York Stamkos and Karlsson must be respected. Montreal won t slip into the playoffs this season, they will be in because they deserve to be. Florida finishes last. And because this division is so tough and they have to play the other teams so many times, the Everblades are likely headed for the bottom of the conference one more time. MID WEST DIVISION Kansas City Ice Twisters - 1 st (2nd) 100% Owner/Manager Joshua Pohl Forwards Off- B+ Def- B Defense Def- B Off- B Goalie- C+ Power Play- B Penalty Kill- B Construction- C+ Future- B- 12

13 Notes: Tavares, it begins and ends with him. He has some support, but this team goes as far as he takes them. It s a solid if unspectacular defense, but that s not a bad thing. However, key players have to miss a significant number Cincinnati- of games. Lack 2nd is (5th) a solid 80% goalie for 41 games. Pickard is an excellent back up for 16 games. Lehner is below average Forwards: and will Off- have B-, Def- to be D+ in net for 23 games. Kansas City better hope that its starter doesn t get the hook too Defense: many times Def- as C-, there Off- are B only 83 total games between the 4 goalies. A decent and competitive team with a dynamic Goaltending: player, too many B- injuries and not enough depth spells their downfall in the playoffs. Power Play: B Penalty Kill: C+ Cincinnati Construction: Swords - 2 nd B- (6th) 50% Owner/Manager Drafting: C+ Francois Lessard Forwards Future: Off- C B Def- C Defense Def- B+ Off- B Goalie- B Cincinnati has 12 forwards who score 15 goals or more. One of those is Hertl, who only Power Play- has C+ 37 games. That is nearly 4 lines of scoring. The team lacks a true dominant scorer, Penalty Kill- though C+ Ryan O Reilly s 28 goals are nothing to sneeze at, but it is the depth that makes Construction- it a hard C+ team to play against. Additionally, their defense contains the like of Dustin Future- B Byfuglien and Mike Green to help support the attack. Byfulein is one of 3 defenders with 20 or more goals and one of 2 defenders with an offense rating in the 5s. The defense Notes: An is a injury different to Lundqvist story. Russell can t help is the but only take its d-man toll. Two with 20 a 7 goal rating scorers and puts who them plays a step more up than on several 20 of their divisional minute foes. per game; A solid and defense he misses which can a dozen also add games. goals itself. Regehr Brian is good Elliott and will even serve better for the on nearly half a season that the Lundqvist penalty kill. is out, Harrold which provides is a good 33 back games up, but of a good lot of defense games. No too, real but depth after or that impact it falls players off leaves very average and they special get teams. almost In no a weak help division, from the Cincinnati forwards, may which have overall just enough are the to sneak lowest into rated the group playoffs. in the league. Lundqvist is the netminder. In seasons past, that has been enough to make up for deficiencies in the defense. But this season Lundqvist is an above average Cleveland to good Barons goalie. - 3 rd (7th) Additionally, 45% Budaj is the back up and will need to start 17 games. Owner/Manager There s no Scott way Kalman around it, Budaj is well below average. The question becomes how Forwards much Off- D team Def- scoring A- can Cincinnati get to offset the troubled defense. Defense Def- B Off- B Goalie- B Kansas City- 3rd (6th) 80% Power Play- Forwards: D+ Off- B, Def- C Penalty Kill- Defense: B+ Def- B, Off- D+ Construction- Goaltending: C+ B- Future- C Power Play: B- Penalty Kill: C+ Notes: A Construction: year older, but D no closer. This is another team without any 20 goal scorers. However, there is some very good defense, Drafting: particularly A- among the forwards. A solid bullion that will miss Chara for 17 games. Anderson is a good goalie, Future: but only B- for 35 games. Hiller will play the reminder and is solid, but won t steal many for Cleveland. Both goalies will benefit from good defense and Anderson can steal some games. The question is can they score enough goals Alex Steen to let the scored defense 33, do and its thing. Jagr and While Taveres the old saying each added is defense 24. The wins team championships, also brings the 6 fact is that goals win good games. secondary If Cleveland scorers falls including behind, they playmaker are hard pressed Nicklas to Backstrom catch up and who there certainly are still makes plenty of teams in the FHL those who can around score, him though better. not necessarily However, there in this is division. no forward scoring after that and Steen misses a dozen games with Taveres missing a quarter of the season. Gologoski and Campbell help out offensively from the back, but that s it. Defensively it starts out very well, Beauchemin along with Gologoski and Campbell are excellent. Plus Salvador is just as good defensively for half the season. Scandella holds his own and even Michalek is solid especially in the 3rd pairing. After that is where some trouble starts. 13

14 Rye Seahawks - 4 th (8th) 5% Owner/Manager Craig Musselman Forwards Off- F Def- B Defense Def- B Off- B+ Goalie- B Power Play- D Penalty Kill- B Construction- C Future- B Notes: Third season for Rye and still waiting. Top expansion picks Josi and Fleury continue to lead the way. There is very little offense from the forwards and what there is is injured and misses large chunks of games. The defense is strong and would have gotten even higher ratings, but injuries have snuck up and bitten the blueline too. Fleury is solid in net and plays 64 games, just enough to hold a B rating. Kincaid is average at best for the remaining games. It s a bad luck season in Rye, too many injuries to really take the step forward the time has been lining up. Most of the players injured will bounce back giving Rye a legitimate shot at bouncing back next season. So why the 5% playoff chance. This team has performed well with minimal talent and this is a very weak division, stranger things have happened. Detroit Bandits - 5 th (9th) 0% Owner/Manager Chad Pridemore Forwards Off- D Def- B- Defense Def- B- Off- D Goalie- C- Power Play- D- Penalty Kill- C+ Construction- C Future- B Notes: This is a season preview, so let us start there. There is one competitive line, after that there is little to no offense. A fair defense that only get s D for its offensive contribution because of Harmonic. Below average goaltending as Howard has an off year with another injury and Ramo plays the remaining games at about the same level. In short, another tough season in Detroit. However, let us take a moment to discuss the future. As recently as a year ago this very person gave this team a D for the future. It was old, going no where, and despite being in the top 5 in the draft for numerous seasons, didn t have much to show. There is a light in Detroit. Current leading scorers Gallagher and Landeskog are only 22. Many of the 30+ crowd are gone. Now there are names like Barkov, Reinhart, Pouliout to name a few. Young players with lots of talent and potential are appearing in Detroit now. It will be a long road, but Detroit has put its feet on that road and begun its journey. 14

15 Mid West Division Round Up: Kansas City can go ahead and hang another division title banner right now. There is no one in the division to challenge them this season. It s just that simple. Someone from this division is going to get the #6 seed in the playoffs. It comes down to Cincinnati or Cleveland and the slight edge goes to Cincinnati because of its better offense comparatively. Rye is too decimated by injuries to be a real factor in the chase for the final playoff spot and Detroit has embraced a rebuild rather than chasing the fleeting hope of a playoff birth followed by a very quick exit. Republic Conference Reflections: Boston and Exton are the class of the conference and both are legitimate contenders for the title. New York can still make noise, but it s not as intimidating as it used to be. Kansas City makes the playoffs, but it ends there. Montreal deserves the playoff berth it will get. It could even pull another first round upset. But a long playoff run is still a year or two away. The rest of the conference isn t in it, though one more team will make the playoffs. This is the weaker conference, but don t be little Boston and Exton s chances because of it. They are for real. NATIONAL CONFERENCE: WEST CENTRAL DIVISION Minnesota North Stars - 1 st (2nd) 100% Owner/Manager Rob Gallamore Forwards Off- B+ Def- A- Defense Def- B Off- B- Goalie- B Power Play- A- Penalty Kill- B+ Construction- B Future- B+ Notes: Ovechkin is the only 50 goal scorer in the league. But he is well supported by a good group of top 6 forwards. After that, the offense sort of vanishes up front. While only the top 6 or so can score, most of the forwards can play good defense. The defense is solid with stalwarts Bouwmeester and Kronwall and if they use Ellis, there is enough offense on the blueline to keep opponents honest. Goal: Rask, a good goalie with 70 games. All in all a solid team with a good shot at a long playoff run. Only thing holding Minnesota back from being a top contender is the lack of a #1 center. Still, a team with the parts to make noise and see how far they can go this season. 15

16 Chesapeake Bayhawks - 2 nd (5th) 95% Owner/Manager Wayne Pulley Forwards Off- B Def- B- Defense Def- B- Off- B+ Goalie- C+ Power Play- B+ Penalty Kill- B+ Construction- C+ Future- C Notes: Indianapolis solid their soul for a title they never even got to play for and then left town. Chesapeake has to pick up the pieces. The top 4 or 5 forwards are some of the best in the league, but after them, there s nothing. The defense is good, really very good except injuries to Hedman and Shattenkirk will limit them this season. Bishop is average and plays 62 games. However, Khudobin is well below average and will have to be in net for 18 games. A good defense helps, but not for that many games. There are still good pieces and it is a team that can compete and win games. But the lack of depth will also give games away. The playoffs are easily in reach, but any kind of a run would be miraculous. The tough part for Chesapeake is that Indianapolis sold its future. The Bay Hawks will need to look to rebuild their farm before being able to take another run in this highly competitive conference. Columbia Lightning - 3 rd (6th) 95% Owner/Manager Roger Pittiglio Forwards Off- B Def- B Defense Def- D Off- D+ Goalie- A- Power Play- C+ Penalty Kill- C Construction- C- Future- C- Notes: The emergence of Tarasenko has brought new life to an old team. The top 6 forwards are good, keeping opponents from focusing on just one line. However, the defense is problematic. What defense is found misses a lot of games and with the exception of Yannick Weber there is no significant offensive support in the back. Dubnyk is one of the top goalies this year and Luongo makes a strong back up. The goalies will have to steal games because the defense is porous. Injuries will also sit some important players for a decent number of games. A competitive team with top goaltending and some good forwards, the lack of both defense and overall depth make for a limited life in the post season. The other challenge is that while Tarasenko is an emerging star, a lot of the team is getting long in the tooth. 16

17 McGregor Condors - 4 th (7th) 10% Owner/Manager Jesse W. Cheng Forwards Off- C+ Def- B Defense Def- B Off- B+ Goalie- B- Power Play- B- Penalty Kill- B Construction- B- Future- B Notes: The lack of offense is what will hold McGregor back from the playoffs. Only three 20 goal scorers, the team lacks the punch to go toe to toe with the top teams in the conference. The defense is good and the emergence of Justin Faulk into a true #1 defender only makes the team stronger. Rinne is a good goalie, but Tokarski is below average for 16 games. And like Kansas City, there is no margin for error in net as the two goalies provide only 81 games. The lack of depth is a symptom of a young team which is still developing. And that may well be the point because as McGregor edges closer to a playoff spot this season, the future is bright for them to make many trips to the post season. Spokane Bombers - 5 th (10th) 0% Owner/Manager Ken Perry Forwards Off- D+ Def- D+ Defense Def- C+ Off- C+ Goalie- C Power Play- C Penalty Kill- C Construction- C Future- B Notes: There s a little more life in Spokane and a lot of prospects on the farm. The team does feature five 20 goal scorers, about 20 goals each. However, only one player has 30 or more assists. The defense is average at best with a couple of players who can help the forwards net a few more goals. A three headed goalie is led by Frederik Andersson and is average at best. In its third season now, Spokane continues to put the pieces together. There is only one player aged 30 on the team and some good young talent. The other side of that coin is the youth takes time to develop. A quirky line up will produce some likewise quirky results as Spokane can sneak up and steal some games now. However, for the most part, it will be another long season as the kids continue to develop. West Central Division Round Up: Minnesota isn t quite the team it was last season, a human Rask, instead of the monster from a year ago, can have that affect. They still have more than enough weapons and talent to grab the division and make a long run into the playoffs. Chesapeake and Columbia are playoff caliber teams, but that s as far as it goes. There s always room for an upset, but that just gets them to the second round. Neither are a contender for the conference finals, let alone the the title. McGregor s lack of offense and depth make the post season doubtful this year, but teams will have to work to beat the Condors. Spokane continues the slow and painful building process, but there are more wins this season and many more wins further in the future. 17

18 WEST DIVISION Quebec Nordiques - 1 st (1st) 100% Owner/Manager Pat Crews Forwards Off- B+ Def- B Defense Def- A- Off- A- Goalie- A+ Power Play- A- Penalty Kill- A Construction- B+ Future- B- Notes: The top 6 forwards are as good as any in the league. The other six are okay. The top 4 defenders are also as good as any in the league, better even when considering their offensive prowess as well. The other 2 are okay. And Price is the best goalie available this year. And Talbot and Darling are now slouches as backups. The top end talent on this team is among the best of any team this season. The lack of depth isn t that big of a deal. Quebec returns as a legitimate contender once again. Gatineau City Bulldogs - 2 nd (3rd) 100% Owner/Manager Luc Lucky Savard Forwards Off- A- Def- B+ Defense Def- A- Off- B+ Goalie- B+ Power Play- A- Penalty Kill- B+ Construction- B+ Future- B- Notes: Where other teams the have been about the top 6 forwards, Gatineau City features a top 9. The depth of scoring can even be found on the 4th line. The defense is deep as well featuring the likes of Doughty and Pietrangelo along with the 23 goals of Ekman-Larsson. Holtby is very good and very durable playing 73 games. The simplest way to put it is the Bulldogs are back. The playoffs are a cinch and the team is likely bound for a deep run. California Zephyrs - 3 rd (4th) 95% Owner/Manager Kent Grey Forwards Off- B+ Def- B Defense Def- B+ Off- B- Goalie- C+ Power Play- B+ Penalty Kill- B Construction- B- Future- B 18

19 Notes: More than a top 6, but not quite a top 9, key injuries slow the vaunted California offense. The defense is strong, but lacking a true #1. There is just enough offense on the backline to keep the opposition honest. Then there s the fall off in net. Bobrovsky is solid but only has 51 games, very average backups McElhinney and Neuvirth will cover the nearly 30 missing games. Still a strong team with lots going for it, this is not the California team that made back to back appearances in the finals. Injuries and off seasons will take their toll and while the playoffs should be expected any kind of playoff run is a long shot this season. Los Angeles Monarchs - 4 th (8th) 5% Owner/Manager David Sayles Forwards Off- C+ Def- C+ Defense Def- C- Off- C+ Goalie- B Power Play- C+ Penalty Kill- C Construction- C Future- B Notes: There is a decent #1 line, but after that the offense fades quickly. The defense would get a better grade, but only 2 defenders can play over 65 games. The netminders run the gambit with Mason being among the best, but a lack of depth will require a below average goalie to make at least 15 starts. Mason, in concert with the handful of solid forwards, will likely steal a few games and keep things honest. But there is no depth to speak of once you get past those highlights. The upside is that lack of depth is because of a youth movement. The farm system is being refilled and some talented young players are biding their time to make the jump and push Los Angeles back toward the post season. Toledo Goaldiggers - 5 th (9th) 0% Owner/Manager Stan Skawinski Forwards Off- C Def- C+ Defense Def- B- Off- C Goalie- C Power Play- C Penalty Kill- C Construction- C- Future- A- Notes: There is a 30 goal scorer and other bits and pieces to give the offense a little pizzazz. The defense would be lower if not for TJ Brodie. The combination of Mrazek and Allen are average at best for 66 games. There are some really good pieces in Toledo to keep things interesting. However, in the end, it s going to be a long season. Toledo fans should take heart. There are a lot more pieces on the horizon as Toledo has one of the deepest and most talented farm systems in the FHL. It may take a couple of seasons, but Toledo could be setting course for future playoff berths and more importantly, long playoff runs in pursuit of championships. 19

20 West Division Round Up: Quebec is a powerful team with top impact players at all positions. While Gatineau City is a deep and powerful team in their own right, they don t have the punch of Quebec this season. Both are real contenders. California has lost a step or even two. Injuries take too much away in a division that is too strong. Los Angeles combines a top goalie with some forwards to make trips to Los Angeles more challenging, but there isn t enough depth or defense to make a real run at the playoffs. Toledo is rebuilding and as such has some interesting parts, but not really a cohesive team. National Conference Reflections: Quebec is the top of the mountain and the team to beat. Minnesota and Gatineau City will likely battle it out for a trip to the conference finals. California, Chesapeake, and Columbia are all strong teams, but none of them can match up with the top three. All are legitimate playoff teams and one will make it into the second round, but that s it. McGregor and Los Angeles could fight for a post season spot if one of the top six melts down. Spokane and Toledo are looking to the future. Crystal Playoffs: Where does this all lead? Here are the percentage breakdowns for who is a contender and who is a pretender? Here are the probabilities (in percentages) for each team to win their respective conferences. Republic Conference winner: Boston: 45% Exton: 40% New York: 10% Kansas City: 3% All others: 2% National Conference winner: Quebec: 45% Gatineau City: 25% Minnesota: 20% California: 5% Chesapeake: 3% All others: 2% 20

21 Here are the overall probabilities (in percentages) for each team to win the coveted Crystal! Crystal Champions: Quebec: 35% Boston: 28% Exton: 22% Gatineau City: 6% Minnesota: 5% New York: 2% All others: 2% 21

22 FHL Trades, Claims, and Taxi Squads for start of the SeasonBy Asst. Commissioner Chad Pridemore Free Agent Claims Season Taxi Squads

23 The Winners of the FHL End of Season Awards are (bold faced/underlined): 1. Coaches Award (FHL Regular Season MVP): a. Sidney Crosby (California Zephyrs) 14 votes b. Semyon Varlomov (Montreal Canadians) 3 votes c. Alexander Ovechkin (Minnesota North Stars) 2 votes. 2. Back Stop Award (FHL Regular Season best goalie): a. Semyon Varlamov (Montreal Canadians) 12 votes b. Carey Price (Quebec Nordiques) 3 votes c. Tuuka Rask (Minnesota North Stars) 3 votes 3. Blueliner Award (FHL Best Defenseman): a. Duncan Keith (Quebec Nordiques) 12 votes b. Erik Karlsson (New York Dolphins) 7 votes The FHL Schedule of Events: Start of FHL regular season Block 1 (October games) - 10/18/2015 Deadlines for playing all block 1 games 11/8/2015 (Sunday) at 7 PM EST COAs for block 2 (November games) are due 11/11/2015 (Wednesday) 10 PM EST To access the complete FHL Schedule consult the FHL Webpage. 4. Manager s Award (Manager/Coach of the Year): a. Cliff Dolgins (New York Dolphins) 12 votes b. Kent Gray (California Zephyrs) 4 votes c. Andrew Smith (Indianapolis Checkers) 2 votes d. Brian Hicks (Quebec Nordiques) 1 vote 5. Reporter Award (Best Game Write Ups and Press Releases): a. Rob Gallamore (Minnesota North Stars) 8 votes b. Joshua Pohl (Kansas City Ice Twisters) 5 votes c. Doug Shirley (Boston Whalers) 2 votes d. Scott Kalman (Cleveland Barons) 2 votes 6. Blogger/Gamespeak Award (Best participation in Gamespeak, Best team press releases and comments): a. Lucky Luc Savard (Gatineau City Bulldogs) 9 votes b. Howard Cossel, Jr. (at large reporter) 5 votes c. Chad Pridemore ( Asst. Commissioner) 3 votes The FHL wishes to extend the warmest of congratulations to the winner and nominees for excellence in their fields. 23