World Cup of Hockey XL - Everything Thread

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:18 pm

World Cup of Hockey preview

Ville Jacques-Cartier, DC - World Cup of Hockey groups have been drawn and the schedule has been released. Let's take a look at it. Terre Septentrionale is in group C with Mercedini, Ko-oren, Sarzonia, Sylestone and New Waldensia. First, the schedule:

MD1: Terre Septentrionale (20) vs Sarzonia (40) @ Colisée d'Oujé-Bougoumou
MD2: Sylestone (UR) vs Terre Septentrionale (20)
MD3: Terre Septrionale (20) vs Mercedini (3) @ Forum de Longueuil
MD4: Ko-oren (9) vs Terre Septrionale (20)
MD5: Terre Septrionale (20) vs New Waldensia (UR) @ Hala Sportowo Polnocna Telekom
Christmas Break
MD6: Sarzonia (40) vs Terre Septentrionale (20)
MD7: Terre Septentrionale (20) vs Sylestone (UR) @ OSiR w Ostrzeszowie
MD8: Mercedini (3) vs Terre Septentrionale (20)
MD9: Terre Septentrionale (20) vs Ko-oren (9) @ Forum de Longueuil
MD10: New Waldensia (UR) vs Terre Septentrionale (20)

Sarzonia (40):

WCoH 39: 4th in group
WCoH 38: Did not participate

Terre Septentrionale is starting off the tournament at home against one of their main rival, Sarzonia. While the Nordiques will try to sneak in the 2nd place, they needs to watch their back because the Stars are a good team despite their low rank. They're probably the most physical team in our group and the Zyskowska twins could be intimidated by their physical play. Terre Septentrionale is a highly skilled play that isn't fond on physical play and the only players who can respond to Alan Donald are Günther Schützenauer and Zofia Stepniewska. Schützenauer has 6 fights in about 150 career games in the Septentrional Hockey League (SHL). Zofia Stepniewska had a fight with a player from Abanhfleft during the WCoH 39 but she's now a reserve player.

Sylestone (UR): Sylestone are our 2nd opponent. They have yet to reveal their roster and we don't know much about them.

Mercedini (3):

WCoH 39: 4th place
WCoH 38: 3rd place
WCoH 37: 2nd place

Mercedini are the team to beat in our group but it's unlikely we can beat them. In the WCoH 37, they lost in the final against Neu Engollon. The following year they beat Siovanija and Teusland for the bronze and in the latest WCoH, the lost the bronze medal game against Neu Engollon. Funnily they went that far without even publishing their roster and we had to go back to the WCoH 38 to find some information about their players. Mercedinian players have good stamina, they rarely do line changes and they are one of the best attacking team in the multiverse.

Ko-oren (9):

WCoH 39: Loss in round of 16
WCoH 38: Loss in quarterfinals
WCoH 37: Loss in round of 16

We previously saw that Mercedini lost the final against Neu Engollon in the WCoH 37 and the bronze medal game against the same opponent in WCoH 39. Funnily, Ko-oren was also eliminated by Neu Engollon in the WCoH 37 and 38. Ko-oren is a highly defensive team who does not play physically. They prefer to rely on speed. Terre Septentrionale games against Ko-oren will feature high skilled plays and speed over physicality.

New Waldensia (UR): Lastly is New Waldensia but we don't know much about them.

Terre Septentrionale (20):

WCoH 39: 4th in group
WCoH 38: Loss in round of 16
WCoH 37: Did not participate

Let's talk about us! Our first participation was at the WCoH 38 and we did pretty good for an unranked team, we finished 2nd in our group and advanced to the playoffs.Then we lost in round of 16 against Mercedini. In the WCoH 39 things were harder, and because of a lack of articles in our newspapers, our players lost their confidence and the Reprezentacja Nordycki finished 4th in their group. The Northmen, like Ko-oren relies on speed, and we're also good offensively. Our top line with Jenny Hockey and the Zyskowska twins can do some damage. The 2nd and 3rd ones are also good ones offensively. Even the 4th line relies more on attacking than defending or physical play and this line features a 21 years old Fryderyka Krzyszczyk. However her WCoH debut might be delayed by one game if coach Georges Grondin decides to insert a more physical Zofia Stepniewska in the line up instead of Krzyszczyk.

Last minute information: It's now confirmed, Zofia Stepniewska will play on matchday 1 against Sarzonia instead of Fryderyka Krzyszczyk who will make her international debut on matchday 2 against Sylestone. Coach Grondin wants Stepniewska to respond to Alan Donald if he start making trouble.

Germain Coutu,
La tribune Septentrionale

by **Sylestone** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:34 pm

This is a new experience for the Sylestoneans. They have never played hockey before, especially on ice. Being equatorial and quite low, ice simply doesn’t exist. So we aren’t expected to do very well, but hey, it’s only our first time. We will sure learn a lot!

With the discovery of animals of human qualities in Pesfield, Chamberley and Avondale, this will be the team we will send forward to the CoH! Have fun with them!

Forwards:
Wombat
Emu
Cheetah
Springbok
Caribou
Ladybug
Quetzal
Lion
Sylestonean Giant Ant
Howler Monkey
Great White Shark
Quokka
Chicken

Defenders:
Swarm of Bees
Sylestonean Brown Snake
Hippopotamus
Tarantula
Zebra
Giraffe
Freeman Ranges Condor
Cassowary

Goalkeepers:
Elephant
Blue Whale
Rhinoceros

Group C:
Sylestone has been drawn into Group C with some high-performing nations in Mercedini, Ko-oren, Terre Septentrionale, Sarzonia and fellow umranked side New Waldensia. It will be difficult not to follow the unfortunate tradition of ending up last, but the shock of animals might just be enough. We shall wait and see!

RP allowances:
Anything, just no killing.

by **Taeshan** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:00 pm

Taeshan Ice Hockey Team

Forwards (by Line)
12 Jackson Gagne 23 MT Ceabring Stormchasers C (Captain)
14 Emmit LaRue 27 Reynea Monsoons RW
89 Jeffrey Kordell 25 Chinchinhua Catalysts LW
24 Axel Gardener 32 Atlantea-Greenville IceWolves C
8 Olivier Morton 20 Docktown Demons RW
33 Alvaro Venatia 24 Yaton Fissures LW
68 Morten Packwell 26 Capetown Capricorns C (Alternate)
88 Fordham Lafayette 22 Atlantea Atoms RW
15 Mathew Gold 29 Loudon Thundercats LW

Defense
20 Tyler Pierre 21 Reynea Monsoons LD (Alternate)
5 Gordon Quarant 27 Reynea Monsoons RD
99 Porter Syvret 24 Machrobat Ice Kings LD
40 John Drew 31 Eshington Earthquakes RD
70 Parson Smyth 26 X Island Avalanche LD
2 Benjamin Moriarty 27 Pariot Phoenix RD

Goalie
1 Emmit Williamson 27 Reynea Monsoons G
90 Carl Mellinger 22 Yaton Fissures G

Taeshan will play their home matches at the Machrobat Ice Arena on Machrobat, China Island (Easternmost island of Taeshan)

by **Recuecn** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 11:49 pm

Reçueçn's World Cup of Hockey Team

Reçueçn has always been a hockey-loving nation; its snowy mountains and frozen alpine lakes provide the perfect breeding ground for the sport's lovers and players. Yet until semi-recently, no team from the allied states ever tested its mettle against anyone from outside the country. It was only at the XIVth Winter Olympics that Reçueçn finally sent representatives to find out where it ranked against the other nations of the multiverse, and was pleasantly surprised; a quarterfinal finish for the men's team was fairly decent, but the women won gold. Inspired by this success, Reçueçn has elected to simply send that same women's team to the WCoH. However, facing the stiffer competition of the world cup, Reçueçn was only mediocre and finished second-to-last in its group, beating only Taeshan. Hopefully the team, which has gradually been gaining experience, will be able to acquit itself better this time around.

Style mod: +2.333
#1 | First Goalie | Elea Lörtscher [Captain]
#2 | Reserve Goalie | Émilie Fresnel
#3 | Reserve Goalie | Dietlind Frank

First Line
#4 | Center | Berthe Arceneaux [Alternate Captain]
#5 | Left Wing | Marleen Heilbronn
#6 | Right Wing | Caroline Pernet
#7 | Defense | Audrey Lecerfe
#8 | Defense | Lynn Kern

Second Line
#9 | Center | Seraina Bichsel
#10 | Left Wing | Sarah Essig
#11 | Right Wing | Marilen Rieder [Alternate Captain]
#12 | Defense | Inja Kammacher
#13 | Defense | Liv Jucker

Third Line
#14 | Center | Marei Zurflüh
#15 | Left Wing | Sylviane Mignard
#16 | Right Wing | Bella Gehrig
#17 | Defense | Abby Beaudouin
#18 | Defense | Ramona Grasshoff [Alternate Captain]

Reserves
#19 | Center | Sandrine De Villiers
#20 | Center | Amandine Bombelles
#21 | Left Wing | Alessia Schwarz
#22 | Right Wing | Eugénie Dubuisson
#23 | Defense | Eva Herig
#24 | Defense | Nicola Fürstenberg
#25 | Defense | Maeva Pasteur

Three-Skater Overtime Lines
OT First Line:
#7 | Audrey Lecerfe
#8 | Lynn Kern
#4 | Berthe Arceneaux

OT Second Line:
#6  | Caroline Pernet
#15 | Sylviane Mignard
#17 | Abby Beaudouin

OT Third Line:
#16 | Bella Gehrig
#18 | Ramona Grasshoff
#5  | Marleen Heilbronn

OT Fourth Line:
#14 | Marei Zurflüh
#11 | Marilen Rieder
#12 | Inja Kammacher

RP permissions: knock yourself out.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 1:00 am

Poafmersia lucks out in Hockey World Cup Draw
Report by Darfur Salinz
Sporting Daily Reporter (Hockey Team)
Quebec - Poafmersia got a really lucky draw in their first participation in the World Cup of Hockey (WCoH), avoiding the worst of the draw and keeping their opening tournament really open.
First of all, was the unranked pot draw. As one of the 18 unranked teams making their entrances this cup, Poafmersia was lucky to be slotted into Pot 4, ensuring that their group would only have 3 ranked sides. Then, Poafmersia was lucky enough to be drawn into Group F, possibly one of the easier groups in the tournament. Poafmersia was drawn with 7th ranked Equestria, 8th ranked Banija, 27th ranked Fluvannia, and fellow unranked sides Fiekkefjord and Chromatika.
Little information is being received about the teams of our group mates thus far, but Banija and Fluvannia have released their roster for this edition of the World Cup of Hockey. Banija has a really strong side with players coming from many major hockey leagues around the world. They got into the quarterfinals the last tournament, losing to eventual silver medalists and 2nd-ranked Abanhfleft. Equestria lost to world number 1 Neu Engollon in the last tournament's quarterfinals too. Fluvannia is participating for the second time after their debut last world cup, and they managed to grab 2 wins in their 5-member group stage.
This time round, the group stage would be a 10-matchday home and away series. The final fixture list would be to be confirmed, but Poafmersia's home matches would be held at the country's two biggest arenas, namely the 18270-capacity Trimidau Arena, and the 17650-capacity Mancodas Sports Complex (Ice Rink).

Writer's postscript - The fixture list has been confirmed, and Poafmersia's first home match would be held at the Mancodas Sports Complex, against fellow debutants Fiekkefjord, on Matchday 3. Thereafter, the second home match on Matchday 5 would be held at the Trimidau Arena, against Banija.

by **Ko-oren** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:43 am

International club hockey: an impasse

We finally know which four teams will represent us at the next HCL - the top international ice hockey trophy for club teams - after a long season in which the northeast reasserted itself as the be-all-and-end-all for domestic play. Despite a few seasons in which West Coast, Straudum, Noordrug, and Launott were bringing in the wins, the same-old from Aevanna and Egevea have claimed the season. That means that there'll be some HCL hockey in the Aevanna Dome again, but chances are there won't be much of it.

And that has to do with the sheer dominance of some ice hockey nations. In the World Cup of Hockey, things are decently spread out, with chances for all, but club hockey is entirely dominated by a few leagues. Maybe the worst thing of all is how we don't have a single player playing in any of those leagues.

The Top Three
Starting with Valanora, who are in a league of their own, noticeably better than the other two. The grueling, 76-game EHL sees a few familiar names for fans of other sports, including Raynor City - winners of the most recent competition - and Longview, as well as several others. The competition is close, with half the league within a few wins of the top 4 - HCL territory - but this year with an obvious champion. The Raynor City Raptors finished several games over the rest. The remainder of the Top Three are Taeshan and Savojarna, the former having its ups and downs, with more good seasons than bad, and the latter really exploding onto the scene following HCL 12, in which their teams dominated the tournament. That can also be said of the most recent HCL (the 14th edition), in which Savojarna managed to land two teams in the semifinals, and one in the final, and CASK Thorsborg winning the tournament in the end. On just 60 games and a playoff system in which 10 out of 16 clubs participate, the playoffs are almost longer than the season itself. Taeshan has the longest season, with 76 regular season games as well as a best-of-5, 16-team playoff system, with 32 teams competing at the start of the year. Truly the most Nepharan (for football fans) system to be found in this tier. The dominance of these leagues is such that it's nearly impossible for another nation to break into the semifinals, and you're lucky to hit the quarters.

The Limbo Eight
... Which has been done by one member of the Limbo Eight. Banija. Smack-dab in the middle of the Limbo Eight, consisting of Darmen, Qasden, Vilita, Mercedini, Banija, Natanians and Nosts, Neu Engollon, and Siovanija and Teusland. It has to be said: Banija is definitely a rising force among them, as is Vilita to a lesser extent, while Natanians and Nosts are rapidly falling in the ranks, likely joining 'The Rest' after this cycle. Darmen are trying to get to the Top Three, making it a Top Four, three of their clubs making the Round of 16 of the 14th HCL - promptly losing all three games, halting their progress.

The Rest
And here we find 'The Rest'. Spotty records, semi-professional leagues, or both (in our case): these associations find it hard to send four teams international - if they send any team at all - with a few notable names. Notable, in this case, means that a league has participated in the last two to three HCLs. Kita-Hinode are two for three, with decent results, or Kelssek, hosting the HCL nowadays, have only been in the last two HCLs themselves. Ko-oren, in 17th, have been in the last two with absolutely awful results. Pridnestrovia and Abanhfleft share the same fate.

It's funny to see then, that national team quality and domestic league quality differ so much. Neu Engollon enters the World Cup as the best ranked team, something you just can't see when looking at their league. Following them are Abanhfleft, Mercedini, Cassadaigua, Siovanija and Teusland, and only then, in sixth, we find Valanora. The Untitled Elf Game (Source: Jeremy Jaffacake, The Idiot Project) holds true in more sports than just football, apparently. Well on their way to dominate both club and nation play are Banija and Savojarna: the former are highly ranked with a league that might join the Top Four before too long, the latter are just a World Cup quarterfinal away from a national team rank that more or less matches its domestic play.

Where are Ko-oren, then? If the sport keeps growing (or at least chugging along) domestically, we'll be in Limbo Eight territory soon. Our national team is doing a lot better, between Banija and Savojarna, and, as always, a quarterfinal away from a 'very good rank'. Just give us a semifinal, actually. The opportunity is there - we are as close to home as it gets, so there is no reason why we wouldn't get that home advantage.

by **The Jovannic** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 3:38 am

Jovannic Hockey Roster!

Team Colours: Orange, Red, White, Gold
Demonym: Jovannican/Jovannic
Nickname: Emperors
Style Modifier: +0.5

Goalies
G Earon Sattis (24)
G Maruc Hervan (20)
G Hong Sah (21)

Defencemen
Line 1
D Sweizer Shasheizein (26)
D Kong To (27)
Line 2
D Isaac Willio (29)
D Tungei Wong (23)
Line 3
D Marscara Shan (22)
D Logan Pul (24)
Substitute
D Yang Bersatu Padu (19)

Wingers
Line 1
LW Merlion Kraken (24)
RW Joseph Ililya (26)
Line 2
LW Thomas Jackson (27)
RW Willu Surin (22)
Line 3
LW Nagor Setre (25)
RW Toll Larren (22)

Centres
Line 1
C Herry Swi (24)
Line 2
C Surge Tronson (26)
Line 3
C Hagrir Ribius (22)

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: N
Injure Players: Y
Godmod Injury Events: N
Penalise Players: Y
Eject Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: Y

by **Kelssek** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:43 am

Kelssek Hockey under fire from hockey insiders ahead of World Cup
Coach appointment and team selection controversy roil officials, ex-players

Kelssek Hockey is already facing mutiny at the World Cup of Hockey even before the first puck drops. Prominent ex-national players, including World Cup-winning captain Neville Keanes, and at least one KHL general manager, have called on Hockey Kelssek to openly explain why Dennis Emberly has been given the head coach position again despite widespread criticism of his performance at the previous World Cup.

Adding fuel to the fire are allegations that team officials faked an injury to Riley Hesselboe prior to a knockout match to cover up a locker room incident that led the captain to be dropped from the lineup. Hesselboe’s complete omission from the squad this year has been taken as confirmation of the story. Hesselboe has pointedly refused to comment on the allegations, except to deny that he had any part in them becoming public and express his "disappointment at not having been considered good enough to play for Kelssek".

Emberly insisted Monday that Hesselboe just hadn’t justified his place in the team over the KHL season, which saw his team Internationale eliminated in the playoffs quarter-finals, although they finished second in the Northern division during the league season. Hesselboe recorded 22 goals, 43 assists over the league season, numbers that were indeed slightly down on the previous year.

Neville Keanes rejects the reasoning that Hesselboe was left out because of a drop in form, however. “It is a ridiculous excuse, to say that he slumped this year, when he put up the same numbers as some of the players who are going to the RKQ. Riley isn’t going to say anything out loud, but you can bet people around the hockey world who do have the ability to speak out, they’re reflecting genuine anger about how Kelssek Hockey is running things.”

“The bigger issue, though, is the person making that decision. I respect Dennis Emberly, but he has failed to build good relations with the players and he is not the right choice to build a cohesive, winning locker room.”

Another retired KHL star, Peter Katrin, hinted at unrest in the locker room over Emberly’s return. Katrin posted on Honkr, “these are the country’s best players, if a coach can’t win their trust, you need another coach!”

A statement from Kelssek Hockey released Tuesday evening sought to deflect the criticism and reiterated that Emberly and the players were selected “solely on the criteria of who gives us the best chance of winning the World Cup of Hockey.”

“We take the well-being and safety of our players extremely seriously and this is a consistent priority in our organization’s values.”

Giving the controversy additional spice are the circumstances which have led to Kelssek’s first match against Megistos being played at Bantam Yards, the home arena of Hesselboe’s Internationale. It is unclear if the Latrobe captain will attend the match.

by **Mercedini** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:21 pm

Head Coach:

Antonio Selignsky • Trigramme: MRC • Nickname: The Kingfishers

Despite losing their seat at Hockey's top governing body, Mercedini have returned to Hockey's premier tournament to contest for their fourth podium finish in a row, and potentially their first World Cup at a senior level. Last time round, an unfunded Mercedinian National Team stood firm against some of the world's best to finish in fourth place, losing out to our new bogey team, Neu Engollon. Following their 2nd and 3rd places from editions 37 and 38 respectively, it means that Mercedini hold onto their third seeding at the tournament, and remain as the top seed in their respective group. With finding now returning to the national team for the 40th anniversary of the World Cup of Hockey, there is hope that the Kingfishers can put together another solid run to put themselves in the mix for the trophy. Many expected Dini to peak following their runner-up medal but their consistency had kept them as a force in world hockey, as the Mercedinian Super League begins to find it's footing on the international-stage. Neu Engollon and Abanhfleft are the two nations that can top Mercedini on paper, although the World Cup of Hockey is notorious for shock result and fairy tale runs

Mercedinian-style hockey is much more irregular than its regulation counterparts from other nations, with players often staying on the ice for large periods of time, rarely changing only for injuries and drastic tactical changes. Changes are typically made during the inter-period intervals or during special events such as power plays or short-handed periods, where management and coaches then assess tactics and change the line-ups from there. Changes are often made man for man at a specific position on the ice rather than a whole line change all at once, meaning there can be hundreds of different combination of players available to the coaching staff throughout the tournament, all depending on the opponents they are playing. This means Mercedinian hockey players are extremely fit and have tremendous stamina to last vast swathes of the period. However, tactical adaptability does become a challenge, with players excelling in some areas while lacking in others, with those qualities dependant on their preferred play styles in the game. With tournament getting longer and longer through the editions, fatigue has been a major player in stifling Mercedinian runs for the crown.

GOALTENDERS
GT           Erik Malinsky            25             Zoloroni City Icers
GT           Marin Aalan              24             Carlsgrunik Metropolitan Rangers
GT           Matsuk Malinkovic        20             Blue Strike Zoloroni

Icers' Malinsky gets the nod as first choice goaltender for the tournament as he earns his position as the nation's number one with his club winning the most recent MSL season. However, it's likely that the second and third choice for Mercedini will almost certainly get a run out during game s versus middling teams or against potential dead rubbers if they work their way to a position where they can afford to take their foot off the gas for a couple of matches. Marin Aalan will be in accompaniment once again with the latest addition the Blue Strike roster, Matsuk Malinkovic (thanks to his top performances which saw his team secure HCL hockey for the first time) with the three goaltenders each having different positives and negatives which can be used to the teams advantage depending on the opponent. Defensive technique will need to be assessed after the team conceded leaky goals once they reached the semi-final stage, but talent is certainly in abundance from he three goaltenders listed above.

DEFENDERS 
D            Roberto Signale          24             AHC Langtree
D            Giorgio Gagliano         22             AHC Langtree
D            Ivan Pirelli             26             Rafelonia Gold Stars
D            Ibrahim Sepchuk          28             Ozzaya Agranka Synthesis
D            Milos Rebrani            21             Zoloroni City Icers
D            Simeon Entselli          19             Acoflosa Penguins

The defensive roster has completely changed since the previous edition with new management removing every player and bringing in the new guard for all three lines called up for the World Cups of Hockey in Quebec. It is completely domestically based, giving the defensive line more of the essence of Mercedinian hockey, something with previous rosters (featuring players from Novaya Zemlya and Neu Engollon) lacked. Whether is group of MSL players can gel enough to form a cohesive unit remains to be seen. Although their individual performances in the previous season of the MSL has clearly impressed national team coaches enough to warrant a run-out in the famed blue and black.

ATTACKERS 
AL           Matteo Vranida           23             HK Dynamo Shebchetsik
AC           Fabio Kelodon            24             Arkenton Rams
AR           Bernard Santo            26             Zoloroni City Icers
AL           Mario Supsai             20             HK Dynamo Shebchetsik
AC           Paulo Merlo              22             Zoloroni City Icers
AR           Sergey Dolocic           24             Acoflosa Penguins
AL           Elias Kozhikina          25             Ozzaya Agranka Synthesis
AC           Pedro Antic              21             SKK Ogdenagorv
AR           Lambeth Carpic           21             ZSCYA

When it comes to attacking prowess, Mercedini are one of the world leaders in the sport of football, but hockey is largely an untouched market when it comes to internationally recognised players in many reaches of the multiverse. Still, Mercedini have got a series of marquee names on their rosters with a series of league titles sprinkled around the names present for the national team. The days of foreign leagues being represented are now gone thanks to the rise of the MSL and Mercedini's strong footing within the hockey community. There's plenty of support in the second and third lines of the attacking roster with Mercedinian league clubs up and down the country represented well by the number of players in this roster. There's plenty to be excited about if you are a fan of the Mercedinian National Team, especially with a second division player present in the roster, a first for the nation.. We all wait with baited breath for the first match of the tournament to see whether all this practice has finally paid off.

Mercedini (3)
Ko-oren (9)
Terre Septrionale (20)
Sarzonia (44)
Sylestone (UR)
New Waldensia (UR)

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Goalscorers: Yes
Godmod my Scores: Yes
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes*
Godmod injuries to my Players: Within Reason
Hand out penalties to my players: Yes*
Godmod other events: Within Reason
*just let me know what you've done so I can factor that into our schedule

STYLE: +2.5

by **Mercedini** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:43 pm

Pre-World Cup of Hockey Friendly Review
Mercedini vs Cosneolta
@ Shebnatsiya Ice Palace - Shebchesik, Mercedini

Shebnatsiya Ice Palace - hosting all Mercedinian home group matches

A Mercedinian Home On Contested Ground

FINAL
WCOH | MD0
MERCEDINI 6
COSNEOLTA 3
(2-1) (1-0) (3-2)
Shebchetsik, Mercedini

The Kingfishers opened their account before the World Cup of Hockey in style with a win in front of their home crowd in Shebchetsik, as they over game a fightback from neighbours Cosneolta to beat the former quarter-finalists by six goals to three. It was a statement of intent from the national team who enter the World Cup of Hockey as a top seed for the fourth successive time in their group, following their three-peat of semi-final appearances at the tournament. Before the match the coaching staff said that they wanted to open their stall early with their opening match in Shebchetsik, and they did exactly that with their six goal haul in front of a capacity crowd at the Ice Palace.

It was a chilly night in Shebchetsik, with locals jubilant over the MHF's decision to host all World Cup of Hockey group stage matches in the northern city which has been home to some of the greats when it comes to Mercedinian hockey. The locals turned out in their thousands to finally see the national hockey team in action, rather than travelling hundreds of miles to see them in Zoloroni, giving the arena it's signature hostile atmosphere that nearly all visiting teams will experience when travelling to Shebchetsik for their domestic league matches. Indeed the match got underway with the roar of the crowd spurring on the players as the World Cup of Hockey frenzy officially got underway in Mercedini.

Action was fast and frantic as ice hockey generally is, with Mercedini and Cosneolta going back and forth against each other, exchanging attacking moves and shots as the teams felt each other out in the opening exchanges of the game. The Kingfishers had the first big opening chance of the game when Bernard Santo found himself in space and had the time to release a quick slap shot towards the net in the first meaningful attack from either team. The Santo shot was parried away by the goalkeeper but Arkenton's Kelodon was there to scoop up the puck and take a second bite of the cherry. The puck bounced awkwardly against the puck as he swung his stick, resulting in a weak flick which flew over the net and around for an easy Cosneoltan clearance. Indeed, the visitors used that getaway to construct a deadly counter attack and a two-on-two towards the Mercedinian net. Giorgio Gagliano lost his marker which allowed Magreta Kandikova to skate through and slot the puck low into the net for a surprising opener from Cosneolta. The Ice Palace was silenced momentarily with several thousand Cosneoltan-visiting fans making the trip to Mercedini for the friendly, resulting in unsettlingly large celebrations from the visitors in the stands. This only spurred on the Mercedinians who wanted to put on a show for their fans, and they started heating up from the face off.

Five minutes were all that were left on the clock in the first period and Mercedini were piling on the pressure to try and find an equaliser in the first period, the fans were getting frustrated as the fact that the front line were only taking half chances at the goal, rather than biding their time and acting on a more dangerous opportunity. The chance finally came when Vranida weaved in and out of the opposition players, keeping the puck stuck to his stick as he glided closer to the goal, he was ultimately double teamed and stripped of possession but the clearance deflected off the skate of the Shebchetsik local and into the path of the arriving Santos who made no mistake with a simple slap shot into the roof of the net to send the Ice Palace into ecstasy. That was the lift they needed to get the fans onside, with waves of blue and black circling the patch of white in the centre of the arena. The fans were still cheering when the game turned on it's head in the space of a minute with Cosneolta coming forward after winning the face-off. A tame shot was smothered well by Malinsky before he quickly released it to Vranida who was skating down the wing as it was being released, there were shades of offside as both the player and the puck looked to have entered the final third at the same time, but the referee let play continue with Vranida cutting back inside and flicking the puck past the oncoming goaltender for a second Mercedinian goal in a minute, a quick look at the replay was all that was needed for the referee's to confirm the goal. It was a great way to wake up a calming half for the home side, with Mercedini a goal to the good after the first period.

Mercedini made good on their comeback in the second period as they extended their lead to two clear goals with second line attacker Mario Supsai getting on the score sheet. It was proving to be quite the goal fest to kick start the campaign for both of these teams, even if Cosneolta were taking a year out to focus on new projects. At the end of the second interval, entertainment was shown to the fans inside the stadium with flags waving high, it was turning out to be a good return to form for the national team who experienced a bit of a lull following their fourth placed finish last edition, but that allowed them to regroup and start again in the multiverse's biggest hockey tournament.

Following that break, the teams were back at it and it was more of the same when it came to goals and action. Cosneolta added their own spice of drama to the mix as two quick goals at the beginning of the half bought them back level in what was turning out to be a tense and drawn out affair between the two teams, Cosneolta certainly looked like a team on the up with the potential to snatch a draw and maybe more from Mercedini to spoil the party for the Kingfishers. That put a dampener on what was a good night for the fans in Shebchetsik, seeing their team capitulate on opening night certainly wasn't on the cards. Frankly, it was an altogether leaky performance from Mercedini, but they had the talent to get through the pickle they were in, they just had to use it. Barnard Santo came back onto the ice for the third quarter as an emergency replacement to try and bag some goals. Mercedini's fourth came from a face-off near the Cosneolta goal when Signale's quick pass found it's way to the Zoloroni City Icer who blasted ball past the goaltender and into the net. That was added on when Dolocic broke free again and slid the puck over to a waiting Supsai who tapped it into the open net for a fifth. Finally, the route was completed when Gagliano netted a goal of his own, with a vicious shot from the edge of the area couldn't be stopped by the goaltender, who could only tip the puck off the post and in for a sixth, minutes ago Mercedini only had half the goals on the board. Twenty minutes which ignited the campaign and give Mercedini their first victory of the new cycle, which sets them up well for their home match against New Waldensia in the coming days. The final horn sounded around the arena and Mercedini had lift off before their big test at the World Cup of Hockey. They were made to work for it but they came through multiple scares in the end, it finished Mercedini 6, Cosneolta 3.

With that, Mercedini do not need to travel anywhere for their opening match as New Waldensia will try to do what Cosneolta couldn't, with the job made all the more tougher with Mercedini ranked third and Waldensia going into the group stage as an unranked side. We have seen upsets of this scale in the past, with Mercedini sometimes on the receiving end of those. Both sides will be at full fitness, but the Shebchetsik crowd will likely be back for more international hockey, as they so often are. We bid you goodnight from Shebchetsik, but we will be back her in a couple of days before the Kingfisher's journey around the multiverse well and truly begins.

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:54 pm

The final skate looked pretty uneventful at first. The players were going through their standard drills, shooting pucks at Jacob Parsons and Yuri Evgenikov, trying tricks with the puck on their sticks, enjoying each other's company during down time.

And yet. None of the players had any idea what was going on behind closed doors. Coach Paul Bremerton was on the phone talking with his wife Stephanie about their oldest son Paul III, who turned 15 the month before.

"He just got in a fight with some kid at school," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes a little bit as their daughter Jill treated Trey's black eye and bruised hand.

"What happened?"

"He said some kids teased him about you still coaching the hockey team and they said you should've been fired after the last World Cup."

Paul II knew that wasn't likely the real reason. He knew the relationship between Stephanie and Trey was... uncertain at best, and there was likely something he was keeping from his mother. He also knew that Trey trusted him. He knew what to not tell Stephanie and he knew how to love without judgment, which was something that he was still trying to get Stephanie to learn.

"Here, Stephanie said in a dismissive tone that the Stars coach made a mental note to address with Stephanie on a Zoom call at the hotel in Oujé-Bougoumou where he and the team were staying. "Talk to your son." Stephanie handed Trey the phone and stormed off to the room she shared with Paul.

"Hey, Trey, I heard you ran into a little trouble at school," he said. He then lowered his voice as if Stephanie were somehow at the door listening in, even though they lived in Portland and he was in Terre Septentrionale. "It's OK if you're not ready to tell me what really happened, but first thing's first. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, Dad," Trey said. Trey lowered his voice to something just above a whisper and said, "a couple kids called me a faggot after I befriended the gay kid who just started school. I told them I didn't give a fuck what they said about me, but they better treat him with respect. "

Sounds like Trey, Paul thought. Despite Stephanie being a bit more religious and conservative about those matters, Paul's approach of teaching the kids to love people for who they are and to stand up against bigotry won out. "So what happened?"

"The bigger kid said, 'whaddya gonna do about it?' and got in my face, so I punched him. He got two of his buddies. We fought for like five minutes. I got a couple bumps and bruises, a black eye and my hands got a little bloody." The three kids, as it turned out, were still being kept at Portland General Hospital for observation as the gay kid quickly realised that Trey was defending him and joined in to beat the other kids up.

"So yeah, I got suspended from school," he said. Bremerton had gotten a couple of emails that corroborated Trey's side of the story, including one from the older brother of the gay kid, who also helped beat up the bullies. Bremerton was about to grill the principal for not suspending the bullies for their role in the fracas, but the Celeron County superintendent of schools was about to cut Trey's and the kids who helped Jim's suspensions short and the parents of the bullies were about to get a scolding in their own right.

*********************************

The conversation with Trey postponed the discussion with the Incorporated Ice Hockey Federation about adding a third goaltender to the squad in time for Sarzonia's home opener against New Waldensia at Bank of Sarzonia Arena in Nicksia for the first international hockey game in Sarzonia to be played away from The Palestra.

Portland was building a new arena near the border with suburban Manchester that was to replace its venerable Ice Palace. The Portland Iron Works bankrolled the project, but did so on the condition that the new arena retain the name Ice Palace.

Bremerton had plenty of hockey concerns with what felt like a Group of Death as world No. 3 Mercedini and No. 9 Ko-oren joined the Nordiques and the other unranked side Sylestone in Group C.

Regardless, ice hockey in Sarzonia was never going to be without drama, especially when compared with the two-time championship-winning field hockey counterpart. And, once again, Bremerton was about to be right in the middle of all of it.

by **Trolleborg** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:59 pm

TROLLEBORG NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM

After the last World Championship which was extremely unsuccessful for us, it was decided, nevertheless, not to try new ways, but to use the experience gained by players and make minimal adjustments to the squad. Now team prepare to field full five pairs of defenders, with two old players retired, and new players taken from among well-trained youths, and five full complements of forwards, which tells us clearly about the team's desire to play at high speeds whole game and about some tactical nuances that we better will keep silent about.

Head Coach - Morten Gould (46 y.o.). Although the performance of the national team at the last championship is very difficult to call successful by any standard, it is not in Trolleborg's custom to change coaches every two months, and Gould got the right to lead the team again.

Goaltenders:
Tomas Heg (29)
Peter Shelburn(25)

Defenders:
Zeger Nieuwenburg (29)
Bargash Holmgren (26)
Jonas Flerquin (31)
Sizwen Roburn (30)
Lucius Halst (22)
Joakim Hammersland (22)
Johan Haugen (22)
Utseth Bjornholm (22)
Tord Salte (22)
Rolf Runar (22)

Forwards:
Torfinn Strow (29)
Egil-Johan Loondblad (28)
Martijn Limburn (26)
Barein Paine (24)
Ruud Halgren (30)
Drake Drakeson (32)
Mogren Brass (27)
Tankred Borgen (28)
Morten Bagger (24)
Jasper Irwin (22)
Vidar Riseth (23)
Yakob Valgren (24)
Tobias Hafstad (22)
Finjord Ringberg (23)
Torben Haldrup (22)

First kit: green
Second kit: blue

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes, but I determine severity
Godmod Injuries to my Players: No
Godmod Other Events: No (but if you have something spectacular in mind, contact me and we try to find middle ground)

Assign penalties to my players: Yes, except fighting penalties.
RP fights: Only with prior coordination

Style Modifier: -5

by **Trolleborg** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 3:19 pm

Greetings, dear viewers! It’s TTV on the way to Gyatso-Kai.
We just started to follow events at the Rugby World Cup and right there was a new reason to look more often on TV and social media as the Ice Hockey World Championship began.

As you all remember, this is the second championship in which our national team competes. The last performance was extremely depressing, and altough our hockey players defeated the defininitely-not-weak Vangaziland team in the first game, but then lost all their fights, including those where they could cope with opponents. The second championship, as the leaders of our sport have already announced, will be the last if things be the same this time.

This time, 10 fights await us at once, including five at home, in which our first opponent will be the national team of Gyatso-Kai, who has made a well-known name for himself in sports circles; then we will play daring newbies from Konhead, capable of anything; after that next game will be with Megistos, also a debutant, obviously now attached to us with scotch tape, because in rugby and in hockey we share a group, and there will be nothing surprising if this trend continues in football; and then Neu Engollon, the best team in the world, which literally destroyed our team in a friendly match before the last championship 1:7; and finally, Kelssek, which hosted the previous championship, that left us with a strange aftertaste - they received us well, but the hockey itself was not good.

All home matches, as you know, are supposed to be held at the 1st December stadium, with his 100,000 seating capacity, where a temporary structure will be erected especially for such an occasion, which will provide quality conditions for hockey players and spectators, like if they are indoor at the more familiar Ice Arena.

For a fans who decide support the team in away matches there was a good news. Megistos have a direct air flights with our country, Neu Engollon based in Teremara which you can easily reach with Reino do Brazil airline, and Kelssek located in East Pacific, to which we also have a route. Remaining two nations is from Atlantic Oceania, and Trolleborg government already making arrangements for a charter flights. We expected something from 2000 to 7000 thousands of fans at every away game.

by **Valanora** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:48 pm

Valanora WCoH 40 Roster

My opponent if the RP first may:
Choose goalscorers: Y
Choose goal scoring events: Y
Godmod goal scoring events: Y
Penalize players/give game misconducts: No, the Calcuttas play a clean and fast paced game, committing few penalties, preferring to use skill over goon tactics.
Godmod other events: N

What is the name of…

…six time World Cup of Hockey and twice Winter Olympic champions?
Valanora (known prior as Elves Security Forces)

...the nickname of the team?
Calcuttas

...the other nations involved in Valanora?
Sabine and Caddonia, Vyinta and Dark Templara

…the nation in which this Commonwealth play their domestic league?
Elves Security Forces (sometimes ESF in shortphrase)

…people from the Commonwealth?
Vanorians or Vanors

…the person who created this mess?
Elves Security Forces

Modifier: +2

Manager: Zelda Hellström (F) - age 54
Assistant: Tarik Carlsson - age 55

Scoring Line 1
LW Jacob Sandberg, 32, Stormgaurd Lions
C Leandro Söderström, age 30, Soldarian Royals
RW Hussein Gustavsson, age 30, Therathor Majestics

Scoring Line 2
LW Eva Strömberg (F), age 25, Raynor City Raptors
C Ricky Björk, age 36, Raynor City Raptors
RW Nora Åström (F), age 31, Soldarian Royals

Scoring Line 3
LW Maia Nordström (F), age 31, Ispan Wanderers
C Måns Dahlberg, age 31, Zul'Atun Eagles
RW Jamie Hansson, age 30, Everlin Hawks

Checking Line
LW Felizia Norberg (F), age 25, Longview Sabres
C Denniz Danielsson, age 31, Gladerial Panthers
RW Melker Åström, age 37, Raynor City Raptors

Defense Pair 1
LD Caspar Öberg, age 30, Hondo Guards
RD Najma Engström (F), age 33, Gladerial Panthers

Defense Pair 2
LD Vilmer Sandström, age 35, Ianisle Guardians
RD Charlie Eliasson, age 30, Longview Sabres

Defense Pair 3
LD Dino Håkansson, age 24, Hondo Guards
RD Jesper Nordström, age 28, Travesian Giants

Goalies
Starter - Birk Dahlberg, age 33, Ianisle Guardians
Backup - Freddie Holm, age 36, Hondo Guards

Power Play 1
Eva Strömberg - Leandro Söderström - Hussein Gustavsson

Power Play 2
Maia Nordström- Måns Dahlberg - Nora Åström

Penalty Kill 1
Ricky Björk - Melker Åström

Penalty Kill 2
Leandro Söderström - Felizia Norberg

Extra Attacker
Nora Åström
Måns Dahlberg

by **Delaclava** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:22 pm

"Welcome back to Cold Brew. I'm Kyle Taylor-"

"-and I'm Ashton Peters."

"Next up, a special preview of the World Cup of Hockey - the 40th edition, hosted by Quebec, and Delaclava's first time back in the competition."

"That's right - every major national team has gotten their turn at the premier international competition. Gridiron made it to the Round of 16, baseball is still there, and football and basketball exceeded expectations. Now it's the hockey team's turn."

"Now, this squad isn't exactly new to the international stage."

"That's right, Kyle. The majority of this team got their skates sharpened on the regional stage, at the 7th Atlantian Oceania Hockey Championships, hosted in Gold Coast and Murwelldobah, Northwest Kalactin. After an opening draw against the hosts, the hockey Phoenixes were absolutely on fire. They won their next four games, outscoring their opponents 17-4. That got them wins over Quebec, Ko-oren, Quebec again, and Sarzonia to reach the final. This team recruited by Arthur Lemaire looked sharp, like they'd been playing together for years. They were tough and physical as a two-way team, ruthlessly efficient in the offensive end, scoring at will. Even though they lost that final to Vilita and Turori, they made a serious impact on the tournament and made themselves a team to watch for this stage."

"And as we look at the pots and groups for this World Cup of Hockey, Delaclava falls in as an unranked squad, but one of the only such teams with a proven track record, both in antiquity and in their recent performance. The number next to their name doesn't matter - for most observers, it's the name itself. Now let's take a look at some of the players to watch on this team."

"Absolutely, and there's one obvious place to start, and that's Jehiel Abreu. He's their captain, their line-one left wing, the focal point of what this team is out to accomplish. Their grit, determination, their offense begins and ends with him. At the regional championships, he led the team with four goals and three assists. He's quick, he's a slick puck handler, great ice vision, and a killer wrist shot that can bury the world's best goalies. If the opposing teams don't know what they're getting into, they're going to have a real problem dealing with him. He'll be flanked by Alex Coburn in the center and Evan Sexton on the opposite side. This isn't going to be an offensively deep lineup, but this is a remarkably effective top line who can generate all the scoring chances they need.

"Next, we have Radovan Nemec. This defenseman can do it all. He's a tall, strong, sturdy defender who just locks down the offense. He takes players one-on-one and stops them from getting to the net. He gets in the middle and discourages passes, and he puts his body on the line to stop shots. Not to mention, he's enough of a playmaker to complement his linemate, Antoine Clement. Nemec is tough, he's a great mentor to the younger Clement - he's the kind of presence that's perfect for this team's first run at the World Cup."

"And then there's Tom Sutton. He's a graceful, agile goalie with just the right amount of aggression to cut off angles and meet shots at the top of the crease. He's reliable, and we haven't really seen him have a mediocre game yet. It's been either good or great from him. Now, his team doesn't make him do it that often, but this is someone who can stand on his head for the team, and when you have opponents like the ones they're going to have, you'll need a bit of that magic once in a while."

"For sure. Let's take a look at some of those opponents. The toughest challenge ahead is Valanora, the six time champions, the sixth ranked team. They're an incredibly quick, clean, finesse team who has the ability to spread out, outskate, and overwhelm defenses, particularly inexperienced teams like the Phoenixes. And they're going to be incredibly refined and ready to go, with one of the best leagues in the world preparing these players year-round. The only chance Delaclava has against this squad is to take them out of their game. Get tough, maybe even get a little dirty, impede them from moving the puck the way they want to."

"Now, here's something to keep in mind - that's the very kind of game the Phoenixes want to play anyway. That's what they're great at. They frustrate the hell out of opponents, they take highly skilled and proficient teams and make them slow and unrefined, take them down to a lower level and start to force penalties and opportunities. The Calcuttas are by far the superior team, but this is still a terrible stylistic matchup for them, and if the Phoenixes show up at their best and the Calcuttas don't... well, stay tuned in to see what happens."

"That's very true, Ashton. But that challenge is a bit further down the road. The Phoenixes open the tournament against 15th ranked Devonta. They're a relatively talented team with a reputation for not training or practicing, not taking the competition seriously. That's exactly what the hard-working and hungry Delaclav squad wants to see. As soon as the Phoenixes get their feet wet in this tournament, they could very well steamroll this team."

"That's right. And Gergary, The Sherpa Empire, and Natanians and Nosts round out this group. Now, you have to look at this group of six teams. Two are going to advance to the Round of 16. Valanora looks pretty good to take one of those spots. But you have to wonder - is there room for the Phoenixes to take the other spot?"

"It's optimistic, that's for sure. We really need to see how these first few games go. But if Delaclava heats up enough, wins at least three matches heading into the first Valanora rubber, that could be a signal that they're ready to make a playoff charge. They're unranked, but we saw these guys at regionals. They looked great, they destroyed two high-level teams in three games. The outstanding factor is the unknown, how the Phoenixes can respond to this pressure - and while this is a higher pressure than regional competition, there's no reason to think that they can't handle it. We'll be in for a great ride."

"Well said. Tune in tomorrow night for Game 1 at Devonta, right here on DSGN. More after the break."

by **Recuecn** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:34 pm

Elea Lörtscher had just gotten off the train from out east, but already she felt a little unseasonably warm down here in the French-speaking lowlands. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and took off her jacket, throwing it over her arm. Back home, up in the mountains, one would never have known how mild the winter had been. At those elevations, you got snow either way. Down here, it felt like no real winter had happened at all. She looked at the city around her, bustling with cars and buses, everything just wet and gross and dirty. Climate change, Elea muttered to herself.

Hitching her backpack up a little higher on her back, she made her way down the street and rounded the corner to find herself outside the national ice hockey arena. It looked dark and quiet. No game here today. The front gates were all shut and locked. A few meters down, an unassuming side door was propped open with a trash can. Elea wedged herself through, and found the halls inside echoing with more sounds of life than the outside view had indicated she might find.

Even before she had made it to the locker-room, the others had found her. First Berthe's smiling face: "El, you made it!" Then a hand clapping her on the back, and Lynn's voice ringing out. "AYYYYY, EV'rybody! Captain's here!"

Elea grinned. She'd been stressing out - as always, before a tournament or a big game - but it was hard to stay in any kind of foul mood in the face of such a warm reception. Lynn's infectious good spirits had gotten to her even before Lynn pulled her through the doorway of the locker-room with an arm thrown over her shoulder.

"What's up, what's up, what's up!" she yelled, catching high fives and punching shoulders as she made her way to her locker. "Are you guys ready for some teamwork?"

It was the first practice of the season for the Reçuecians, and they'd need every practice they could get. They were somehow pot 3, and after a lucky draw, seemed to actually have an outside chance of advancing out of the group stage. This time around they'd be playing games at home and away, instead of only in the host nation - something the Reçuecians had never done in an international hockey competition. And, somehow, despite it being only the team's second World Cup of Hockey, it seemed that they'd be facing off against familiar faces; in Kelssek, they'd been in the same group as Taeshan and St. Saratoga, who now both found themselves in the same group as Reçueçn once again. This may be promising for the Reçuecians, since those were the only two games they managed to win last time around. In the world cup's last edition, both Taeshan and St. Saratoga were ranked higher than Reçueçn, yet the team somehow found a way to defeat Taeshan during regulation and bring the Saratogans to overtime to get a goal past them there (although the last win only counted as a draw in the tournament standings). This time, Reçueçn has just edged out the Taeshanis for the ranking advantage, and by just enough to be in different pots... and to be drawn together again. An introduction to the rest of the multiverse's hockey teams would have to wait for the future, although there were some new competitors to be faced, even in the group stage: Quakmybush, and the hosts Quebec, themselves ranked lower than the Saratogans.

With so much to come, then, practice was fierce and the energy levels were high at the national hockey arena as the team prepared to face first Taeshan (again) and then the rest of the group. On the rink, the temperature was colder than it was outside where already the mild winter was beginning to thaw into spring. But the Reçuecians were kept warm by their drive and their action - and their burning hope to leave an impression on this edition of the World Cup of Hockey.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:52 pm

THE ICE BISONS RETURN TO THE WORLD CUP!!!

ONLINE EDITION

26 JULY 2020.3

TOURNAMENT – WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY

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Written by SHEN Ning Lee

REPUBLIC CITY --- Despite stumbling on the World Cup and Atlantian Oceania Stages, the Ice Bisons are set to return to the World Cup in the Fortieth Edition with new faces and perhaps new vigor.

Since our return to the multi-verse stage after The Silence, the Ice Bisons have been a bit of a disappointment; first-round exits in the Thirty-Eighth and Thirty-Ninth Editions of the World Cup, a somewhat promising Quaterfinals exit in the Seventh Edition of the Atlantian Oceanian Cup, and a second-to-last-place finish in the first ever Coupes Jacques IX Invitational Tournament. The only glimmer of hope for the current status of Avatarian Ice Hockey came in the form of a resounding victory by the Omashu Badgermoles in the first Hockey Nations League tournament which took place earlier this month.

”It was an incredible tournament; to face off against other teams from leagues around the multi-verse was a bit different than facing off on the National Stage. Not to mention, hoisting a trophy in your league sweaters, which you tend to hold a bit more attachment to, on the world stage… about as close as we’ve come to victory in quite a long time.”

Kobushi Kaede, Forward, Omashu Badgermoles and the National Team

Showing up on the World Stage as an AHL team as opposed to the National Team, might be a bit of what we need to secure victory. There originally was talk within the National Sports Council to simply bring the entire Omashu Badgermoles team to the World Cup – simply swipe out the green and gold of Omashu for the red and gold of Gyatso-kai – however, contract limitations with Head Coach Hakoda Ishii would prevent such an idea from coming to fruition; in the ten jì contract, set to expire in 2021.4, he is given final say over the team selections, though the NSC still maintains the initial selections for tryouts as well as first-cut squads.

”It is hard to look at the lackluster shine our ade have put out on the ice since The Silence, and not want to see something better. In Omashu, during the Hockey Nations League tournament, we saw a brief glimpse of success from an Avatarian side… and it would be foolish to not bring some of the polish to the armory.”

Kad Skirata, Director of Avatarian Hockey

His Honourable Director has never been one for candor, and after a scathing interview in which he all-but dragged Head Coach Ishii through the mud as though he were a canyon-crawler… one has to wonder what that means for the state of the Ice Bisons going into the historic Fortieth Edition of the World Cup.

Only time will tell...

As has become expected, GyatsoAir --- in partnership with the AHL and the National Sports Council --- have promised to offer reduced-pricing on airline tickets to The Royal Kingdom of Quebec. Also, each game the Ice Bisons play in shall be aired on the entire ASPN family of networks (ASPN Prime, ASPN2, AVS, ASPN3, UASPN): All other games shall air on the World Sports Nation and World Sports Nation PLUS, which are being made available on all television and internet-provider services at NO COST from now until the conclusion of the World Cup of Hockey.

Roster

Position #	Name		Age	Hand	College				Current Team
GK	30	SHU Pianhuo	24	R	Republic City State Univ.	Omashu Badgermoles
DEF	32	WATANG Kouji	25	R	Univ. of Kibago			Omashu Badgermoles
DEF	77	HED Torvik	27	L	Univ. of the Northern Tribes	Itakawai Lighting
OFF	87	KOBUSHI Kaede	29	L	Royal Earth Univ – Dongjiang	Omashu Badgermoles
OFF	21 	HOSAKA Severi	21	R	Drotenfao College		Gaoling Bears
OFF	49	SONG Unataq (C)	33	R	University of Adirolf		Gaoling Bears

The first line has seen some changes since the AOHC, with a surprise changing of the guard on all three sets.

In net, after Bao Lin’s retirement from international play following a rough season-ending injury in the playoffs with the Ba Sing Se Bears in the first game of their series with the Capitals. It was rough to see the Bears go down, and even more rough to see Bao end his international career without having captured the World Cup; having came onto the National Team in WCoH XXIV, he was one tournament late to the victory party, and after just two editions, he would endure The Silence before his return…

Never managing to recapture the momentum…

In net now, fresh off of his team’s victory in the Hockey Nations League tournament is none other than the “Permacrete Brick”, Shu Pianhuo. Grandson of the National Team’s greatest goaltender, Shu Huanguo, the younger Shu made a name for himself after what was a stellar season in the AHL; hoisting Kuruk’s Chalice after an impressive six shutouts in the playoffs, Shu earned his nickname well. Jumping over the two perennial backups for the National Team – Ming Zhanshi and Dang Mun-Hee, both of whom faced off against Shu in the Kuruk Cup Finals this season – is sure to bring up some drama for the team, however, given his performance in the HNL, one cannot argue with the choice made by Head Coach Ishii.

The defensive pair for the first line also saw a big change, as the 25-year-old Watang Kouji is now being paired with Hed Torvik. A defensive line with over 200 kilos is somewhat of an Avatarian tradition, however, with Kuang Deniigi being sent down to the second line, the youthful vigor behind such weight cannot be matched. Watang, out of the Fire Nation, is known for powerful forechecks and his insane speed on the backskate; while Hed, otherwise known as the “Mandalorian Shield”, is just as impressive at generating offence as he is pushing another player into the boards.

The forward line, albeit a bit old, was shaken last World Cup a bit with the removal of Nestori Huan from center, and bring Hosaka Severi up from the second line; while Hosaka’s style of play is more fitting for a second line, Head Coach Ishii believes that his blinding speed on the ice would greatly assist the wings’ and their passing ability. Cheung Sepi, of Kelita fame, found himself on the left side, where his impressive hockey vision and passing ability paired well with the strong bodied and defensively-minded play style of team captain Song Unataq.

However, after both the Thirty-Ninth World Cup and the Atlantian Oceanian tournament, it was clear that Cheung was not bringing to the line what was needed most. Ishii has moved Cheung back to the second line and brought up Kobushi Kaede from the third line. An impressive left-winger from Omashu – who managed a hat-trick in the tournament-winning game against Seelowe Marlesee of Siovanija and Teusland which saw the Badgermoles victorious with NINE goals against Marlesee’s five – he had been playing center for the last three tournaments. Given such a strong performance with Omashu, Head Coach Ishii deemed it only fair to put him into a position he is well versed in.

Now to see if these changes work out for the team…

Position #	Name		Age	Hand	College				Current Team
DEF	26	HITEKI Kia (A)	39	R	Uni. of the Southern Tribes	Southern Polar Leopards
DEF	81	Ero’ki NACER	20	R	Hatsu University	Omashu Badgermoles
OFF	18	WANG Torsti	25	L	Adirolf State University	Si Wong Beetles
OFF	86	Nestori HUAN	28	R	Ba Sing Se Univ.		Shu Jing Dragons
OFF	19	CHEUNG Sepi	27	L	Saigon City College	Kelita Riverhounds

With Hiteki Kia having 62 caps on the Ice Bisons under his belt, he is the most seasoned player on the team, and rightfully wears the first A. Renowned for his ability as "damage control" through the last three World Cups he played in, Hiteki has continued to do just that with Hed Torvik. However, with Hed being moved up to the first line, the even-more youthful Ero’ki Nacer finds himself beneath the wings of “Sifu Hiteki” as many of the younger players respectfully refer to him as such. Nacer, who graduated right out of Hatsu University to sign an entry-level contract with the Badgermoles, found his number being called in the final games of the 2020.2 Regular Season, when last season’s first pick Hu Jiaozi was taken out of the season with a bad trip that saw him slide skate-first into the boards and break his tibia in two places. With an impressive season in the Republic Hockey League underway with the Humoki Huangdogs, he made the transition to AHL-level play with ease, and scored his first AHL goal against the Itakawai Lightning in Game One of the Finals.

On offense, Wang Torsti from Si Wong finds himself on the left side of the ice, and after an early playoff exit for the Beetles in a seven-game series against the Keldabe Strills, Wang may just be looking to show his worth as his contract is set to expire in 2020.3. Opposite him we find Cheung Sepi who has continued to carve his name in the banks of the Kelita River. Even though he has been moved from the first line, Cheung is not taking it as an insult, and instead, viewing it as a chance to sharpen his own skills on the off-handed plays. In the middle, another once-first-liner Nestori Huan finds his return to the line better known for damage control rather than scoring. However, with his impressive knowledge and vision that had earned him his spot on the first line last World Cup, Huan may very well prove his doubters wrong and bring some glory to the second line.

 Position #	Name			Age	Hand	College			Current Team    
DEF	91	KUANG Deniigi		37	R	Republic City State Uni.	Kyrimorut Ramikade	
DEF	92	Ki'an LOSOW (A)	33	R	University of Keldabe	Outer Ring RabbiRoos
OFF	71	RELICYC Tho-An	22	22	L	Republic City State Uni.	Itakawai Lightning
OFF	33	SOUMA Shichiro	26	R	Yokoua State Uni.	Senlin Archers
OFF	17	KIL’OR Alecyc		24	L	University of Kom’rk	Itakawai Lighting

With Ki'an Losow, who was last seen on the National Team's Travelling Corps back in WCoH XXVI, serving as the veteran pillar of the third line, you can be sure that this line is the true "clean-up crew" of the Ice Bisons. A strong defenceman who once played solely on offense, Losow has no fear in leaving his zone and pushing in for a quick goal from one of the most unlikely players. Sure, his form is a bit on the unrefined side of the spectrum, but for what he lacks in technical mastery, he makes up in the psychological.

Pairing with Losow is former-first-liner Kuang Deniigi who, at 37-years-of-age, is not long for the multi-verse stage. In what many are expecting to be one of his final seasons, Kuang has been sent to the lower lines to better shape younger players as they work their way through the ranks. His defensive skills are still impressive for his age, though you are certain to see that they are nowhere near as sharp as they were back in WCoH XXIV when Kuang made his official debut on the team after coming in a couple of games in WCoH XXIII to help the Ice Bisons bring home the World Cup. Ironically, where he started his multi-verse career is likely where he will end it as well; a staple of the third line.

Offensively, the third line is filled with strong passers and even stronger shooters. Both Relicyc Tho-An and Souma Shichiro have done amazingly well in skills competitions involving accuracy and shot speeds; both players are younger and wanting to make a name for themselves. However, what is unique on the third line is the arrival of Kil’or Alecyc, an impressive power forward who saw his name behind many a goals in both previous tournaments as well as in the Lightning’s defeat in the Kuruk Cup Finals. Given the emphasis that Coach Ishii has put on slotting Badgermole players into prime spots, someone like Kil’or – a second-line Lightning player who has been with the team since their return – was bound to find himself in the lower lines. However, ever the professional, Kil’or has enjoyed player with Relicyc, a teammate and good friend of his in Itakawai, and the two of them have been working with Souma to fully connect the offense on the third line… Do not be surprised if you start seeing goals being made from this far back in the depth chart.


Position #	Name		Age	Hand	College				Current Team    
GK	88	MING Zhanshi	28	R	University of Omashu		Itakawai Lightning	
GK	70	Dang Mun-Hee	20	L	University of Adirolf		University of Adirolf[
DEF	02	SHAO Lee	32	L	University o9f Omashu		Republic Capitals
DEF	49	ARPAD Roku	18	R	Ba Sing Se University		Ba SIng Se University
DEF	37	DEGOUR Niyan	20	L	Royal Fire Academy		Kyrimorut Ramikade
DEF 	34	Jaster KAL'OKI	19	L	University of Adirolf		University of Adirolf
DEF	42	SHANG Koma	18	R	Ba Sing Se University		Ba Sing Se University
OFF	28	Taneli SANTTU	24	L	University of Kirachu		Whale Tail Whalers
OFF	12	Samuli YANG	26	L	Humoki Tribal Univ.		Crescent Islanders
OFF	35	Rikuto ADORJAN	23	R	Royal Earth Univ.		Ember Redhawks
OFF	48 	FONG Yisheng	19	L	Keldabe State Univ.		Keldabe State Univ.
OFF 	43	HUANG Aatto	18	L	Univ. of Enceri - Keldabe	Univ. of Enceri - Keldabe
OFF 	11	Gyorje KOP'KI	21	R	Kyoshi State Univ.		Crescent Islanders

by **Savojarna** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:01 am

Hockey in Savojarna

Savojarna plays a game that is mostly depending on tactical discipline and puck possession. While the Savojars do value a good deflection or rebound goal, and certainly have many players who can do such things, they usually prefer a pass to a shot from a desperate position hoping for a lucky bounce. Their players think fast rather than move exceptionally fast (but they are not slow either!), with a few exceptions on the attack since the coaching changed and the team is a bit more aggressive. While they don't have to hide from anyone, they are usually not physically superior.

In terms of tactics, they play an aggressive forechecking with one or two men, trying to force puck losses, and drop back to their own blue line once the opponent has reached the neutral zone. They attempt to keep the opponent away from their own side, and defend usually quite solid. On the attack, Savojarna's top lines work with a lot of passing and cycling the puck to find an open lane while the third and fourth line play deeper and with more drive to the net. Especially the fourth line often crowds the slot, while the third is more likely to go deep and play behind the net. Usually, the Savojars play with 13 forwards and 7 defenders. On the men's team, Glukov can be expected to barely play outside special teams.

The Savojar team plays a powerplay focused mainly on shooting from the point and the circle. The two defenders play both in the area between the blue line and the top of the circle, but occasionally advance to the circle. The winger on the side of the puck moves to the circle to be open and get a shot off, the other winger moves towards the goal to assist the center in screening and opening shooting lanes. The center remains in front of the goal. In penalty killing, Savojarna lets the opponent play around the boards, but intervenes quickly if the puck moves inside the box. They play a PK with relatively little pressure.

Style Mod: +1.25

Coach: Fridtjof Ragnarsson (55)
Assistant coaches: Denis Patrishin (44), Alexander Litmanen (39)
Medical and physio staff: Dr. Pyotr Alexandrov (65), Dr. Valtteri Naumanen (48), Lisa Andersson (37), Kari Litmanen (35)

Savojar National Team
Pos	Nr.	Name                	Age	Club                          	Style
GK	30	Niklas Hoyman   	33	CASK Thorsborg                  BFY
GK	20	Kjell Sundholm        	21	Akademisk HK Sjoedrhavn   	HYB
GK	70	Ville Kerjanen   	27	Savojars Vinge Virkaja       	HYB
1st LINE
D	22	Erik Kristiansen - C  	32	Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           	OFD
D	 5	Jon Asgeirsson   	33	ESK Storevik              	DFD
LW	17	Johan Bryzhnev         	26	PT Hovikkära             	SNP
C	47	Eythor Malinsson	25	ESK Storevik              	PLM
RW	41	Jonas Gulbrandsson - A	27	ESK Storevik              	PLM
2nd LINE
D	 8	Mikael Ingerman        	24	CASK Thorsborg           	DFD
D	21	Soren Falborg    	30	Exton Islanders (MRC)        	OFD
LW	7	Boris Aljekhin    	20	SK Torpedo Pawlograd       	PLM
C	14	Roman Kasajev          	20	SK Torpedo Pawlograd       	PLM
RW	28	Denis Elegin      	29	RHK Savojagrad                  SNP
3rd LINE
D	80	Victor Troels     	32	RHK Savojagrad                 	TWD
D	29	Terje Nordrsson 	26	ESK Storevik              	OFD
LW	55	Dominik Gränlund - A	31	CASK Thorsborg                 	GRN
C	92	Anders Hejman   	31	ESK Storevik             	SNP
RW	19	Tuomas Jaskinen       	32	PT Hovikkära             	TWA
4th LINE
D	4	Viktor Anjushkin       33	RHK Savojagrad          	OFD
LW	53	Valeri Taranin   	29	CASK Thorsborg                  SNP
C	33	Jacob Andersson         24	Orga MC (MRC)                   PWF
RW	53	Yuri Elyagin       	23	Dynamo St. Andrei             	PWF
RW	10	Andrey Dragunov   	25     PT Hovikkära                     SNP
RESERVES
D	44	Tuukka Lajanen         	25	Traktor St. Andrei              TWD
C	52	Anders Hjalmarsson   	31	HK Metall Jarnstad             	PLM

Goalkeeper order: Hoyman - Kerjanen - Sundholm, unless indicated otherwise.

Special Teams:
PP1: Falborg - Gulbrandsson - Gränlund - Andersson - Bryzhnev
PP2: Anjushkin - Kristiansen - Kasajev - Hejman - Jaskinen
PK1: Asgeirsson - Falborg - Andersson - Jaskinen
PK2: Ingerman - Nordrsson - Elyagin - Gränlund

Players

Goalkeepers: Nick Hoyman is the main goalie of Savojarna. He is an athletic and quite spectacular butterfly goalkeeper who is very hard to beat off the first shot, but gives up a lot of rebounds. Obviously he got quite some practice in defending against them as a consequence, but facing against teams who shoot the puck a lot he is bound to give up some goals. Kerjanen is a very different type and considered Hoyman’s equal. He is more stationary and relies a lot on his insane skills of reading play and knowing what to expect from an opponent. He and Hoyman will alternate group stage games, and Kerjanen may also play a KO game (this is indicated in RP if it happens). Sundholm was the starter of the last WJHC tournament and is given some experience on the top level, but unlikely to play.

Defencemen
Following the retirement from international play of Alexey Yarchenko, Kristiansen has inherited the task of organising defence as well as the role as Savojarna’s leader. He has great spatial awareness and good passing skills, but is a bit limited in physical play (by Savojar standards) and doesn’t have the shot expected by an OFD. Asgeirsson is a shutdown defender whose speciality is to relentlessly attack the opponent’s key players in the defensive zone and wear them down with hard checks. The second pairing has probably the most offensive firepower. Falborg is a pinching defenceman who has high speed and stamina, and is very good at keeping the blue line. His linemate Mikael Ingerman is considered to have the hardest shot in the SHS, but is often considered a bit lacking in judgment. Due to his overall conservative disposition, that rather means overly safe play than giving up chances, so the risks are limited. Troels is a hard-working player who will run after every puck and secure the blue line, as well as having a decent shot, whereas Nordrsson is a player whose main strength is to construct and guide the game with the puck. Defensively, he is limited, explaining his third line status. Anjushkin is a skilled defender with a very precise shot and a good eye for passes or pinching opportunities. Lajanen is a solid allrounder with some lack of experience internationally, and will be used against offensive top teams to stabilise the defence.

Centres
Malinsson will be distributing pucks left and right, but is somewhat lacking - again, to Savojar standards - in physicality and will suffer against very strong opposition that drive them away from the goal. Consequentially, he will mostly drift wide a bit and try to find open wingers at the posts. Kasajev was one of the stars of the last WJHC, and plays a very flashy, fast, and passing-oriented game. He works splendidly with his linemate and close friend Aljekhin. Hejman is the only centre who mainly scores goals. He is a relentless sniper who often lurks at the hashmarks to find some space to drive to the goal, receive a pass and deflect or score. Andersson is another regular scorer, but thrives more off deflections and assists due to his hulking presence. He is also a very enduring player thanks to his time in the Mercedinian league. Finally, Hjalmarsson is a more physical playmaker who will be mostly used as a backup or an occasional 13th forward for the powerplay.

Wingers
Brzyhnev and Gulbrandsson are also similar to each other. They are fast players, and especially in the case of Gulbrandsson, dazzling technicians. Expect them to show glamourous plays on the counter and score a few breakaways. Both are considered to have barely any defensive responsibilities to allow their skills to shine. Aljekhin is a bit of a younger version of the duo, a flashy technician, but with a less prominent physique, measuring a mere 177 cm. Elegin is an extremely hard and precise shooter, who is great at utilising the passes from the centre. He is very fast on the first metres, but somewhat lacking on long, fast runs. Physical presence often allows them to anchor themselves at the post and wait for a pass. Gränlund is a player who thrives on the boards and in the corner, hard to drive away or separate from the puck, and good at pinching in to secure a rebound. His linemate Jaskinen is comparable to Elegin, but notably slower and stronger, lurking at the post rather than accelerating in from the side. Taranin is a sharpshooter operating from the side, bringing the puck to the net whenever he can, and hoping for goalies to miss it or for his linemate Elyagin to drive in and push it over the line. Dragunov is the more defensively oriented version of Elyagin, to be used more often when a lead must be defended.

Jerseys

(Displayed is the Olympic version. For the WCoH version, the Olympic Estoile is replaced with the Savojar flag)

by **Adyatin** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:07 am

The Holy Kingdom of Adyatin
Roster for 40th World Cup of Hockey

Adyatin are still rather new to the international hockey scene and not expected to make big waves. They play a defensive style of hockey, with a lot of zeal and force. While not an unfair team, you can expect them to stand their ground, rattle the boards and drive to the net. Adyatin's fans and players are all expected to be fervently nationalist, as this is a prerequisite to being allowed to leave Adyatin. The Adyatinian hockey league is small, but professional; but it suffers from being closed off the rest of the world. It is largely dominated by the army club ZSKA Adyatyagrad (and its two SKA subsidiaries) and the Northwestern club Ataka Staraya Vetry, which is said to be favoured by Royal Prime Minister Svetanov. ZSKA and ASV have finished in the top 2 all of the last eight championships, and the last victory by a different team is more than fifteen years ago. They keep competition small by gobbling up all talent in the nation, leading to strong teams with weak competition - and it is an open secret in Adyatinian hockey that the refs are biased towards the two top clubs as well.

OOC Note: Despite using the (Z)SKA nomenclature common in post-communist states, Adyatin is not communist; it is a fervently anti-communist conservative authoritarian/fascist-ish state.

Style Mod: -3.25

Coach: Yauheni Paravich (46)
Assistant coach: Oleg Metrov (49)
Political Officer and Head of Team Security: Cpt. Lew Turganov (55)

Goalkeepers
#1 Hleb Yeranek (26, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
#30 Vitaliy Ivanov (32, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
#31 Gennadi Stamkov (24, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Line 1
D #2 Kasimir Novchenko (34, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
D #5 Vasiliy Urov (27, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
LW #12 Mikhail Samov (31, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
C #14 Kirilo Naroshenko (32, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
RW #8 Patryk Sukachev (29, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Line 2
D #3 Juray Hetman (36, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
D #4 Aleksei Hautarovich (27, Ataka Staraya Vetry) -- C
LW #9 Barys Netanov (29, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
C #11 Lyubomir Tsygankov (30, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
RW #10 Heorhiy Tretyak (35, SKA Yautarograd)

Line 3
D #6 Karol Naryalov (23, HK Rotko)
D #20 Konstantin Andreyev (32, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
LW #13 Pavel Katorenko (24, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
C #15 Miroslav Ogonek (29, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
RW #23 Artsyom Volkov (33, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Line 4
D #16 Leanid Preshov (28, SKA Yautarograd)
D #18 Nikita Ukanenko (22, SKA Varinsk)
LW #19 Serhey Savorenko (28, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
C #24 Nikolau Pavatsin (31, SKA Varinsk)
RW #21 Aljaksander Simunov (27, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Reserves
D #26 Petro Omachenko (30, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
D #27 Karol Hanarek (19, SKA Yautarograd)
C #22 Taras Mihailovich (34, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)

Special Teams:
PP1: Novchenko - Urov - Netanov - Naroshenko - Katorenko
PP2: Hetman - Hautarovich - Samov - Tsygankov - Sukachev
PK1: Novchenko - Urov - Naroshenko - Volkov
PK2: Hautarovich - Andreyev - Ogonek - Sukachev

RP Permissions:
Go wild, but keep to RL natural laws. Also, you may only do to me what I may do to you.
Additional note: If you're one of the people who first checks in with your opponent on RP, no need to do that with Adyatin.

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:15 am

Posted on the winter sports blog Icy Dead People.

Græntfjaller Hockey Traditions Review: 5, Kraken On The Ice

Posted by ScrapingTheBarrel

We begin this series reviewing the top 5 most important, most memorable, and just plain weirdest Græntfjaller ice hockey traditions with one that has passed into GHL legend since featuring at the Lilypad Arena, home of Akurgarten MSK’s ice hockey unit.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:49 am

Royal Kingdom of Quebec National Hockey Team

Basic Facts and Whatnot

Nation Name:Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Short Names:Quebec
Demonyms: Quebecois, Quebecers
Governing Body: Hockey Quebec
Colours: Blue, White and Red
Anthem: Valour and Servitude
Highest Domestic League: Quebec Hockey League
Nicknames: The Ice Knights
Style Modifier: +5

Head Coach: Nadine-Anne Varens, 58, Gander Jets
Assistant Coaches: Soren Laudrup, 37, Saint John Acadiens
George Thorpe-Chun, 52, CSKA Quebec

Roster

Player information will be listed in the following manner: position, number, name, biological sex, age, club.

Goaltenders

#33 - Bridget-Anne Heeney - F - 6'1", 210 lb - Sept-Iles Quadricentennials - STARTER
#35 - Eveline-Jeanne Goh-Mota - F - 6'5", 238 lb - Levis Athletic
#45 - Kim Kyeong-Hoon - 19 - M - 6'0", 196 lb - Fort Huron Admirals

Forwards and Defencemen

Line 1A:
LW - #19 - Han Gwang-Soo - 24 - M - 6'4", 235 lb - Montreal Koreana
C - #15 - Ray McMillan - 23 - M - 6'1", 213 lb - CSKA Quebec - SECOND ALTERNATE CAPTAIN
RW - #77 - Jeanne Kedildahld-Nisgidikok - 31 - F - Prince Eric Orca

LD - #4 - Pierre-Luc Gibson - 28 - M - 6'2", 221 lb - Halifax Highlanders - CAPTAIN
RD - #8 - Chad Park-Rodriguez - 26 - F - 6'1", 214 lb - Montreal Koreana

Line 1B:
LW - #11 - Eileen Pellan - 26 - F - 6'2", 208 lb - Kingston Knights
C - #17 - Dannick McQuaid - 29 - M - 6'1", 213 lb - PLI Islanders
RW - #9 - Kim Jeong-Yeon - 23 - F - 5'10", 187 lb - 21 - Labrador City Freeze

LD - #44 - Dannick Nam - M - 24 - 5'11", 198 lb - 22 - Attawapiskat Avalanche
RD - #49 - Bobby Mbabazi - M - 32 - M - 6'7", 234 lb - Winnipeg Giants - FIRST ALTERNATE CAPTAIN

Line 2:
LW - #12 - Tatiana Rose Mangiapane - 26 - F - Montreal Calaniens
C - #29 - Hong Deok-Seon - 22 - F - Gaspe Oilers
RW - #47 - Joakim Brackenbury-Lindauer - 24 - M - 6'4", 232 lb - CSKA Quebec

LD - #4 - Henri-Michael Yi - 20 - M - 6'0", 198 lb - Saint John Acadiens
RD - #6 - Sonja Pettersson - F - 24 - 6'2", 217 lb - Goose Bay Flames

Line 3:

LW - #15 - Alexandre-William Paquet - 34 - M - 6'2", 211 lb - Gander Jets
C - #20 - Marcus Park - 31 - M - 6'7", 258 lb - Kingston Knights
RW - #77 - Hwang Jeong-Hyeon - 20 - F - 5'11", 180 lb - Jeongju Huskies

LD - #5 - Jeremie Beland-Kwak - F- 35 - 7'3", 285 lb - CSKA Quebec
RD - #23 - Benoit Starmer-Jodoin - 19 - M - 6'9", 268 lb - Kingston Knights
[/b]

Special Team Units

PP1: Han - McMillan - McQuaid | Yi - Park-Rodriguez
PP2: Pellan - Hwang - Kedildahld-Nisgidikok | Gibson - Mbabazi

PK1: Pellan - McQuaid | Gibson - Starmer-Jodoin
PK2: McMillan - Park | Nam - Park-Rodriguez

RP Permissions:
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes 
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes, but please TG or contact me on discord.
Godmod Injuries to my Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Yes, but please TG or contact me on discord.

by **Neu Engollon** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:58 am

“Hello, and welcome to another edition of the NETV Sports 7 Update. Welcome, as always, to our international viewers and the folks here at home in the Confederacy. I’m your host, Karl Demais. My partner, Magda Wertauer, is out covering another event. We will be bringing you highlights of the World Cup of Hockey, 40th edition, ready to be played out in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec over the next few days. Quebec is a solid, dedicated hockey nation where ice hockey is, if not the top sport, in the top 3. Much like here in Neu Engollon, although I don't think they're as big fans of rugby there in the R-K-Q.

The Ibex return, with most of the same familiar faces, and a couple fresher ones that had their debut in last year's Cup, but have now gotten some solid time in either the NEHL, or some of the foreign leagues. Either I haven't been paying attention, or this really is the first year, but it seems like more of the Neu Engollon Ibex roster now play for foreign clubs than domestic NEHL franchises. Has that been the case for a bit now and I'm just blind? I'm going to have to do my research during our first sponsor break of the evening, which isn't here yet...

The latest instance of this has been Calvino Bassati transferring out from the Ciavno Jackals to the Frontenac Érablièrs club in Donnacona. An interesting move, as just last year Cal was talking about retiring like some of his other colleagues in the NEHL who have definitely hit those, eh...let's say 'well seasoned' years. Not to say that Cal Bassati doesn't have it in him to still keep up with the younger players in a highly competitive foreign league, because he certainly does. You can speculate until the taps run dry, but it's no secret that Cal was given notice by the Jackals that after his contract was up last year, his pay would drop significantly as the top team in the NEHL sought to develop some younger players in the net. He put out feelers to other NEHL teams to stay in the country and no one was giving him great offers, despite no noticeable drop in his performance over the last few years and being part of the championship Ibex during the 37th and 38th Cups. Frontenac stepped up and gave him a sweet enough deal to keep those skates strapped on. We'll all be watching intently to see Cal's debut in the Donnacona hockey league, the first Neu Engollian player to compete in it, but likely not the last.

In a similar, but not quite identical, situation, Primo DelMasso, another fan favorite for years actually did follow through on his promise to retire from hockey altogether. At least playing it, anyway. Primo held a winger slot for many years on the Ibex roster, but had only played for a NEHL franchise briefly, the Hedgehogs, before transferring to play all the way across Teremara in Ekaterine, for the Thunderhawks, the top dynasty in the Falkasian leagues. Upon learning of this being his last year with them, the Thunderhawks wasted no time in snatching up another Neu Engollian Ibex level player, the younger Tomas Swenssen, to replace him on offense. Swenssen, the son of Glisandian immigrants, had also ironically played with the Hedgehogs in his rookie year. Guess it wouldn't be a shocker to anyone to know that the Albertville Hedgehogs have worked out quite a deal with Falkasian scouts to farm out some quality players over there and get a nice finder's fee in the bargain. Several other NEHL clubs have similar arrangements with foreign leagues. It isn't against the rules...yet. Anyway, Primo hasn't announced what he'll be doing in retirement, but several clubs, both foreign and domestic, professional and collegiate, are headhunting him for management/coaching staff. Hopefully he'll take a year off and enjoy himself first. I'm sure he's watching now and will be glued to the Cup over in Quebec. We're gonna miss you, Primo!

The rest of the Ibex roster is solid, as always, and we're looking for them to get Neu Engollon some redemption from our 3rd place finish last year and bring the Cup back to sit in its reserved case in Albertville, the traditional home of hockey in Neu Engollon. We'll give some previews on what we expect from some other Ibex, as well as their first match up against Kohnhead, after we come back from this upcoming sponsor break. Plus, we'll give you highlights of the first couple matches of the Rugby League World Cup and also peek in on the Teremaran Olympics delegation as they prepare to head to Liventia and Banija to compete for the whole region's honor. Stay tuned right here on NETV 7, your station for all your sports needs..."

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:05 am

And with the cover of the innovative QHL 43 Edition (now we're at QHL 45, but not much have been added since), gladly produced to international fanfare by 3E Entertainment in Montreal, I am happy to announce MD1 cutoff for the fortieth World Cup of Hockey!

World Cup of Hockey XL - MD1 Resu;ts

Group A
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 5–2 Quakmybush
St. Saratoga 1–0 Wack-i
Reçueçn 5–2 Taeshan

Group B
Neu Engollon 5–1 Kohnhead
Kelssek 0–0 Megistos
Gyatso-Kai 6–4 Trolleborg

Group C
Mercedini 4–0 New Waldensia
Ko-oren 2–0 Sylestone
Terre Septentrionale 4–5 Sarzonia

Group D
Cassadaigua 2–1 Solarampa
Vilita and Turori 5–1 The Jovannic
Ranoria 1–0 Logon

Group E
Equestria 1–0 Chromatika
Banija 4–0 Fiekkefjord
Fluvannia 2–2 Poafmersia

Group F
Valanora 7–3 Natanians and Nosts
United States of Devonta 1–1 Delaclava
Gergary 3–2 The Sherpa Empire

Group G
Abanhfleft 2–0 Lovisa
Savojarna 3–0 Jeckland
La Florita 0–1 TJUN-ia

Group H
Siovanija and Teusland 4–1 Graintfjall
HUElavia 0–1 Kayangan
Lorenthia 1–1 Adyatin

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 12:51 pm

Welcome to what is basically San Marino for the start of our second WCoH campaign! The Ice Jags were looking to improve from only one win in the previous tournament but with ore games to play, that was certainly possible. Our first match was against the 27th seeds La Florita - the closest competition on paper - and both were looking to start this tournament off right!

It would turn out to be a 3-period slogfest, with defence being the name of the game. Ølson Rasmussen's Ice Jaguars were holding the fort strong, but the same could be said for the home team. It was tough and gruelling and many expected OT, but the final quarter finally gave the competition what it was looking for: a goal. The scorer, with 1 minute to go, was Danil Svengren from the 3rd line. He managed a nice curling shot past the goaltender to finally get a breakthrough. La Florita desperately tried to level the scores but to no avail.

Just like the last WCoH, we kick-off the campaign with a win. Now we must high-tail to Lovisa, the returning legend of U3, and see if we can make it 2-for-2. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group G)
MD1: @La Florita (27) W 1-0
MD2: @Lovisa (UR)
MD3: vs Jeckland (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD4: @Abanhfleft (2)
MD5: vs Savojarna (11) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
------------------------OFF DAY------------------------
MD6: vs La Florita (27) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD7: vs Lovisa (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD8: @Jeckland (UR)
MD9: vs Abanhfleft (2) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: @Savojarna (11)

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:44 pm

For all of Terre Septentrionale media's collective concern about facing Sarzonian national ice hockey enforcer Alan Donald, he only recorded three uneventful shifts in the first two periods.

Sarzonia were too busy trying to mount a comeback from a 4-1 deficit and were too concerned about the health of starting goaltender Jacob Parsons to send out Donald. They were able to mount the comeback courtesy of two veteran players, Cameron Granato, who notched two goals including the match-leveling tally at the 13:52 mark of the third period.

Sylvan Turcotte fired a blistering shot from the point for the match-winning goal at the 18:27 mark of the third and gave the Stars an upset 5-4 away victory over Terre Septentrionale to open play in the World Cup of Hockey.

Parsons left the ice after feeling woozy following a shot that hit him in the head. He was wheeled off the rink on a stretcher, but Sarzonian and Terre Septentrionale medical staffs both ruled out a concussion. After Parsons was taken to hospital, he was later released and returned to the team hotel.

Yuri Evgenikov will start for the Stars at the opening match of the new Bank of Sarzonia Arena in Nicksia, but coach Paul Bremerton said he intended to start Evgenikov even without the injury to Parsons. He said Parsons would be available as the backup for the match.

"Jacob was just a little woozy," Bremerton said. "He was placed in concussion protocol, but the medical staff at the hospital told us he didn't have a concussion."

The Nordiques got on the scoresheet first at 11:07 of the first period through second line centre and team captain Pierre Sanschagrin as he found a hole in Sarzonia's penalty kill and blasted a shot from the point that caromed off Parsons' skate and into the net. Sanschagrin's tally stunned the Sarzonian supporters in the rink and got the Nordiques fans into a frenzy.

The hosts and the 20th ranked team in the hockey world would extend their lead to 2-0 at 14:18 of the first when left wing Antoine Lusignan slapped the puck into the Sarzonian end in an effort to buy time for a line change, but the puck took a strange bounce off the dashes and caromed into the net behind an embarrassed Parsons.

Matt Davies would get Sarzonia (1-0-0) on the scoresheet at the 17:47 mark of the first with a power play goal resulting from a scramble in front of Nordiques goalie Jennifer Ciccarelli. The goal only silenced Nordiques fans briefly, because they would be back in front by two goals just 1:06 into the second period with a rising shot from Jennifer "Jenny Hockey" Gaudreault that proved to be the blow that ended Parsons' night.

Evgenikov would make saves on the first six shots he faced, but Gaudreault beat the veteran reserve with a shot that popped out of Evgenikov's glove and into the net at the 12:22 mark of the second. Sensing his team unraveling in a hostile rink, Bremerton called his team's timeout and offered encouragement.

It seemed to work to at least keep Sarzonia from being demoralised on the ice, and Granato got his team back within two goals with time winding down in the second period.

As for the third, Calan Leftwich would get the Stars within a goal as the Nordiques defence focused on stopping Granato at the 3:44 mark of the third. Almost 10 minutes later, centre Alyssa Hannigan drew the defence away from Granato just enough for him to draw the match level. That finally set the stage for Turcotte.

After the match, the Stars signed goalie Cody Svenson to serve as the third string goalie.

World Cup of Hockey XL - Everything Thread

Sylestone Roster for CoH 40

Puck Watch: San Marino = Great Start!

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