Despite being a hockey-mad nation with a long history in the sport, up until now the years of isolationism led to Cotdelapoms' non-participation in the Hockey World Cup. Thankfully, with our entrance into the rest of the world, there are now opportunities for the Pommes de Glace to show off their skills to the world, and what better way to remind everybody we really do have hockey heritage than by wearing awesome throwback sweaters to remind everybody of the 1974 Cotdelapoms' Cup, a tournament for the current and former commonwealths of
French Albion hosted here in Cotdelapoms, which we famously won. This year's team features a wide array of players and talents, all of whom are culled from the former Toussaint Superligue, and now the new Anser Premier League, also featuring teams from
Greater Cotswalds and
Non-Equatorial Corolla.
Centres:
1. Pierre Drouin (Outremont Owls)The best two-way player in the league, Drouin scores highlight worthy goals, makes some of the most impressive passes in the league, is a phenomenal stick handler, and is also fairly defensively responsible. He gets hit often, and hard, so he sometimes is known for playing a little bit dirty, but he also tends to get away with it at the league level. It'll be interesting to see if he can internationally.
2. Jean-André Vlemincx (Côte-Est Mariners)An excellent passer of the puck with truly tremendous vision and pretty adequate stick handling skills. His speed is also a huge tool in his arsenal, as is his drive.
3. Claude Dupuis (Hamilton Tigers)Also a penalty killing specialist, Dupuis is the best face-off winner on the team, and is more of a defensively responsible centre. He is a pretty smooth skater and generally does a good job of avoiding penalties as well.
4. Serge Laliberté (PBI Rangers)This guy is quick and can snipe, but is sort of one dimensional. An ex-winger, but got converted to centre because he volunteered to in juniors and for whatever reason it stuck, but it's probably not his best position.
Left Wingers:
1. Rick Jones (Outremont Owls)Smooth skating, high scoring, hard hitting winger, always a contender for the league's top scorer. Shoots first, asks questions later, passes never.
2. Jérôme Cyr (Worcester Snowbirds)Plays well with Vleminckx partially because he is also extraordinarily quick and has great positioning. Not a natural scorer but his positioning leads to him getting a lot of good rebound goals.
3. Frédéric Blouin (St-Fortunat Saints)Very scrappy player, definitely considered a pest and a nuisance, but also an underrated scorer.
4. Rémy Tremblay (Saint-Urbain Citadelles)All flash, no substance, but when he's on his game he can be a real goal threat- and the goals will almost certainly be dazzling.
5. Roch Cormier (Lacs d'Été Lakers)A quiet workhorse, likely won't get much time on the ice, but will probably be a difference maker against scrappier teams.
Right Wingers:
1. Guillaume Lajeunesse (PBI Rangers)A true "power forward", pounds other teams and stands in front of the net to get tip-ins and redirects, a force to be reckoned with, and will protect Jones and Drouin.
2. Andrew Rice (Albionpool Oak Leafs)A crafty little guy, very quick and agile and scores a few, the line with Vleminckx and Cyr is regarded for its' speed.
3. Luc Dionne (Montréal Royals)Creates most of the offensive chances for his line, has deft hands and fleet feet, but won't help out much defensively and will need to be weary of retaliation for Blouin's actions.
4. Louis Saint-Laurent (Albionpool Oak Leafs)Perhaps the most wildly popular player in the league, bemusingly. Not actually particularly talented, but a wild personality who loves to party and joke and is always the first and last one to talk to the press.
5. Julien Champagne (Montréal Cotdelapomais)The future. At only 18, will likely be kept away from much action, but he is expected to be a mega-star in the coming years.
Defencemen:
1. Alexandre Briére (Montréal Cotdelapomais)
2. Émile D'Aoust (Cap Nordique Drakkar)Briére is a giant bruiser with a great slapshot who is at home in any circumstance- he is a good 5-on-5 defenceman, he is a power play quarterback and he is willing to block shots on the PK. D'Aoust is a little guy willing to move the puck and block shots, although not an amazing hitter.
3. Marc Berri (Worcester Snowbirds)
4. Joseph Powell (Chambly Brewers)Berri is the old man of Cotdelapomais hockey, still a good puck mover, although his physical side has dropped a little bit and he's occasionally guilty of dirty hits. Still a great player. Powell is smoother and faster.
5. Isaac Gagnon (Hamilton Tigers)
6. Gaston Yelle (Gradiel Ibex)Yelle is a regular on the PK because he's super disciplined, Gagnon commits a lot of penalties but also is an excellent defenceman overall.
7. Michel Gingras (Kingston Musketeers)Another power play specialist, has the league's hardest slap-shot and may be called upon intermittently.
Goalies:
1. Maxime Deslaurier (Île-d'Elisabeth Osprey)2. Pascal Sévigny (Montréal Cotdelapomais)3. Mark Crow (Albionpool Oak Leafs)There's a big of controversy as all three goalies are quite good, Deslaurier is the most talented but Sévigny and Crow play for bigger market teams. Essentially all three bring something to the table- Deslaurier is the best actual goalie, Sévigny is the winningest and Crow has the longest history of greatness. Deslaurier is a very comfortable, very agile butterfly goalie, Sévigny is a spectacle to behold- a whirling dervish who makes some amazing highlight reel saves but occasionally lets in the beach ball, and Crow is an old-fashioned stand up goalie who loves using angles and coming out to challenge opponents.
RP Permissions:
Do whatever you want within reality, give people game misconducts, et cetera. Feel very free to make Blouin a jerk, Berri a dirty player and get Cormier into fights if you need a scrapper.
The team will play with a -1 defensive style.