This season looks to be one of the most competitive we have had in quite some. Some teams look better on paper than others but there is a reason we play the games right? With a lot of new GMs taking over there was a ton of uncertainty heading into draft day. I feel the rookie GMs did a decent job and looks like theres no definitive bottom feeder roster as I can see. Lets take a look at how the west size up with each other.
Colorado Avalanche
Returning verteran GM eggman returns and attempts to build on a dominant cup run. Resigns were vxWoytkiw8xv, Sedinpower, and himself. With the last pick in 1st round they took Breezy5457 and Ucantcme_kamakaz. This is a great starting roster and they also added, C Socotimmer13, lxl-C-lxl, Cam123mph, Neeposh_patrick, and FOXYHRC0314. I think this will be a very good team they arent as deep as last season but egg did a great job building a balanced roster. The top line looks to carry the Avs this season but still have some decent depth. I place the Avs in the upper echelon of the west.
Projected Starting Lineup
LW vxWoytkiw8xv
C Socotimmer13
RW Breezy5457
Rd sedinpower
LD eggman–1
G Ucantcme_kamakaz
Vegas Golden Knights
SliyumShady is a rookie GM but has been around this league for a while. Slim decided to retain SA_Pliskin, prodigytolegend, and captain21canada. With their 1st round selection they choose ShotI72I and in round 2 another RW in Kinglyme89. They followed up these picks with PoOkY_Qc_87, brenoamaral17, LukeTheDuke28, and TeamNutsak. I feel this team will be competitive but this team could falter due to a lack of defensive depth. Also an interesting development will be who gets more games between kinglyme and one shot. If they figure this situation out and slim and nutsack play well together this team could be legit.
Projected Starters
C prodigytolegend
LW brenoamaral17
RW Kinglyme89/ShotI72I
LD SliyumShady
RD TeamNutsak
G SA_Pliskin
Anaheim Ducks
Scalz_Yanks_24 takes a try at GM in SP but he is a veteran GM in other leagues. Shaynestaa and deadant were kept via resign and they chose Sudzy92_ with the 2nd pick in draft. They followed that up by taking ChiTownMenace, xXM1NORTHREATXx, dophares2000, Boutch_87, RIGHT-POWER, Etthan, and New360Guy. On paper this team looks to have some holes on LD and G because I have doubts that Sudzy is playing goalie. (no matter how much he tells us hes an elite tendy lol) If they solve these “problems” they could be a middle of the pack or higher team. The offense should be good and if RIGHT-POWER can keep them in games this team could do some work.
LW Boutch_87
C Sudzy92_
RW Etthan
LD Scalz_Yanks_24
RD Shaynestaa
G RIGHT-POWER
Winnipeg Jets
Multiple season vet and GM Reaper__2313 looks to return to prominence after a rough season. He resigned Kidmon3y (no surprise there) Barnickle_Sam, and M1keal. Round 1 Vezzzy_i30i and round 2 grabbed Dougcbj. The rest of their picks rounded out with M-A-G-N-U-M_316, Way2goal, Al_bundy128, and Jaycee241979. Some interesting developments as reap is moving to LW and kid going to RW they are hoping those changes make a difference. The biggest addition to this team will be vezzzy. If he can dominate like he has most of his SP career the Jets could be a contender. I feel this team will be a middle to top seed depending on how the new moves pay off.
Starting Lines
LW Reaper__2313
C Barnickle_Sam
RW Kidmon3y
LD Dougcbj
RD M1keal
G Vezzzy_i30i
Dallas Stars
Castles720 takes over in Dallas and traded all his resigns for draft picks. His 1st was Mclub326 and then Sfic16. They needed to make alot of picks fill out the roster and took PNCPark2k1, Ushkilledya, Droxx22, kc2917, Nba2k16islife201, Troublekid1999, TYLERisGOD69, Droxx22, kc2917,KRONWALL1924, and ChiefBigBear13. I dont particularly see this team being great but should fight for a playoff spot. If they could get a full time Center it would go a long way into making this roster better in my opinion. Also the defense looks a tad on weaker side. I honestly have no clue howbthese lines will play out but i just feel this team may struggle as constructed.
Starting Lineups
LW Mclub326
C TYLERisGOD69
RW Sfic16
LD kc2917
RD Ushkilledya
G Troublekid1999
Edmonton Oilers
Darling of the league SgtVandoos returns and hopes. to have more success than he sustained last season. DevilsPride4, Raja_Sandhu, Loyalty_Caper, and M_u_r_p_h_y_87 were all retained by vandoos. In a surprising turn of events they take MartyCeez23. They followed that up with Arrowhunter14, Jennjamty, Hockeyman22996, Dustywall33, and WickedSnapshot. Vandoos seems to have a much stronger roster on paper than in the past season but that shall be determined. I still expect this team to be battling for the final playoff spot or lower.
Starting Lineup
LW MartyCeez23
C Arrowhunter14
RW Jennjamty
LD M_u_r_p_h_y_87
RD Raja_Sandhu
G SgtVandoos
Arizona Coyotes
CantTreadOnMe_ takes over the yotes in his first season as GM. Tread resigned HartySauce67, xOneTimer, and goalieman92. With 1st round choice Coyotes select Mjvoell44 and in round 2 they snagged Tapthatpass_. SmashNgrab2, sINGLE-g6_, Grippinq, and KllerJ round out the Arizona roster. Technically the team has no LD on the roster but I think its safe to assume that smashNgrab21 and xOneTimer will fill the role. This squad should be able to play with most teams and should find themselves towards the top of the conference especially if they can effectively find a way to get Mjvoell44 and HartySauce67 on the ice. It will be interesting to see how the minutes on defense get distributed and will go a long way in their final positioning.
Starting Lines
LW Mjvoell44
C CantTreadOnMe_
RW HartySauce67
LD smashNgrab21
RDTapthatpass_
G goalieman92
Calgary Flames
Uberpwned_6969 takes a try at GM after being a player for a long time. He started his team by resigning Pooler2012, jamie14benn14, agesquod, and Zredbeard. In the draft he wasted no time getting Tyler91seguin91. After seguin, uber got Servnspike, Pemm, Rivnasty, and H-_A-_L-_A-_K. I feel uber drafted a competitive team and should be in thick of things come playoff time. Their defense is better than alot of teams and they will score their fair share of goals. This team could really surprise some people. They finish mid pack 3 to 4.
Starting Lineups
LW Tyler91seguin91
C servnpike
RW jamie14benn14
LD Uberpwned_6969
RD Pooler2012
G Pemm

The draft is over and a new season is upon us. A ton of change has happened this season with a large number of new GMs and faces in the league. With all these new bosses this could be a very interesting time in the Eastern Conference.
New Jersey Devils
Dirty-Dietrich is one of the many new faces to take the reigns as a GM in his 1st SPNHL draft. He resigned DodgesBlueShells and monokuuu. Dirty also made a trade for Ajax32123. In round 1 he selected hypey- and followed that up by getting DeathClown27. Rest of the team consists of Brodtshadow13, docj1ggy, FidellCastro84, turdburgler169, X_beaster_X, and Itz_Synyster22. This team could be sneaky good if things go well. Goalie may be the biggest question mark and if they have enough forward help outside of the top 3. This will be a bottom half playoff team but could strive for more.
LW DeathClown27
C hypey-
RW X_beaster_X
LD DodgesBlueShells
RD Ajax32123
G Brodtshadow13
Toronto Maple Leafs
Longtime GM and player Jayscott555 returns and hopes to build on his playoff runs of the last few seasons. The Leafs brought back via resigns LeCupidon, CaponeUptop66, Nemmiss74, and xXDuFrEsNe27xX. Jay went all in and traded up to the #1 overall pick and took I9I-Stamkos-I1IC. To fill the rest of the team they picked sportsgeek5, Nickehlersrocks, PghFANATIC, Le-Mollz, Frankjones28, and Wukie89. Toronto has a solid group of forwards but really seem to be lacking defense and goaltending. They will need to score to keep pace with other teams and should finish middle of the road unless changes are made.
Starting Lineup
LW xXDuFrEsNe27xX
C CaponeUptop66
RW Jayscott555
LD Nemmiss74
RD Le-Mollz
G sportsgeek5
Ottawa Senators
Another returning vet GM kozmo483264 brings a strong roster this season. He managed to retain Go_marc, Ransom613, and Notorious250 all the while trading for u_1_2_B_me_. With their 1st selection they took toslick at 9. Also drafted by kozmo were Nocturnal_Turtle, ae_MuSe, ozip8826, xXDJFREEZEXx, and cgiroux11. This roster looks very strong and should be a team to look out for most of the season. Balanced scoring up front and decent defense the only hole right now is in net but its by no means a glaring weakness. I expect Ottawa to be top 1 or 2 in the East.
Starting Lineup
LW Go_marc
C Ransom613
RW toslick
LD u_1_2_B_me_
RD Notorious250
G kozmo483264
Pittsburgh Penguins
Cookie_man_412 returns as head man in the burgh and i feel has his best roster yet. He had a strong start by resigning Linde94, Rent-A-GoaIie, and ACK-stonerboy. Then he bolstered his roster by trading for Diirty_Triix_13 and NowYoDead. In the draft he selected Mathqc22, bubba_cheeks, YouCantSeeMe-005, and finished off with Quinzee. Pittsburgh has a strong group on offense but looks like someone may have to step up and play LD. Goalie shouldnt be an issue i expect these boys to be a top half contender if they figure out the defense they could be very good.
Starting Lineups
LW Linde94
C Diirty_Triix_13
RW ACK-stonerboy
LD bubba_cheeks
RD NowYoDead
G Rent-A-GoaIie
Philadelphia Flyers
PEACEKEEPER500 is essentially a rookie GM but he took over late last season. After trading for Bergysdeke and X73x_McAvoy_x73X. Then he went toresigning SMOKESHOWJOE, and Red_Pepsi98. 1st round they took x_Jedi_x420 and followed that pick up with Suppa_Freak08, Mg2452, chicks-n-whips, Bruiser4life2, Steel243, and ImCanedianEhh. I project this team will battle for a playoff spot most likely making it in. They have some solid forwards who are responsible in their own end. They can help support a decent but not great defense.
Starting Lineups
LW x_Jedi_x420
C SMOKESHOWJOE
RW Mg2452
LD Bergysdeke
RD X73x_McAvoy_x73X
G PEACEKEEPER500
Detroit Redwings
Shepard-88- is back for another season as man in detroit. Shep brought back on resigns a_rehmtulla, HABS_11_31_6, Phillysmvp, Purplcrayonfucer, tsibs and Teamrun420. Through the draft they added Benner77 followed by Chieftrout, Fivestarcoock, Bizness101 and FiVEpointOHHH. Average offense and defense and good goaltending should leave this team in mid to lower placement in the standings depending on how the offense meshes and how well the goalies can hold up.
Starting Lineups
LW shepard-88-
C Benner77
RW Chieftrout
LD Phillysmvp
RD Fivestarcoock
G tsibs
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa finds themselves led by TrueLegend07 again and look to find more success. He brings back via resign redflag33 and LouieDeuce8. With their 1st lick they selected Yeap_93. They then proceeded to select rancher12345, K1NG__21, GodS3_3Plan1, Rollingupdaily, Soiceyboyz4, Bufford80, and BennBrothers. This teams offense is very good especially the top line but as with most teams defense seems to be a bit of an issue. Rancher may have to play very solid but he is capable. I can see this team have a solid year and be around 3 to 5 range in eastern standings.
LW TrueLegend07
C redflag33
RW Yeap_93
LD LouieDeuce8
RD K1NG__21
G rancher12345
New York Rangers
iHyPeR_97 is back wiyh a very solid team on his hands. He made a ton of trades to aquire draft picks and made the best of them. He started off with GrammyHands, then eXecuti0n80, Stammerchel, RickRage, chadkillz134, ThomaLong, mike813499, I13I-Barzal-I13I, and Dafoumanchew. This team is very strong throughout and should be a top 2 in east very easily. They can score and defend and look very good.
Starting Lines
LW GrammyHands
C iHyPeR_97
RW ThomaLong
LD Stammerchel
RD mike813499
G chadkillz134

Tonight is the night,  Join us at 8pm Est Live on the Draft board.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BPGqrJNMrhI1QwDnS1f2ajRWz-zR0aRPAX-xPMBDvUQ/edit#gid=0
you can also watch the GMs make their selections in real time by joining the chat box on our forum. (forum account required)
http://spnhl.canadian-forum.com/
Finally you will be able to listen live with our Media Teams coverage that goes live at 7:30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A51KBACNnBc&feature=youtu.be

SPNHL Season 29 Preview:
Top 5 Free Agents Per Position
By: Dirty-Dietrich & Kozmo.
As we approach Season 29 of the SPNHL, we have a brand-new draft pool. There are some returning vets, some strong players being let into free agency, and some promising rookies. Along with a fresh batch of players, we also have a fresh batch of GM’s who will be entering their first draft. Will these GM’s draft strong and develop good teams, or will the veterans drain the pool of all the hidden talent?
With that in mind, my dear friend Kozmo and I have compiled the following list. We have sorted through the names and we have selected what we feel are the top 5 free agents at each position. This is based on what players registered for their primary position, so it may not be reflective of their performance at other positions. There are still some great utility forwards, so do some research! Gosh! Did you expect us to do all the work for you?
We’ll start off this list with the top 5 free agent centers in the SPNHL, move through the wingers, defensemen (and women, I think?), and then goaltenders. For skaters, the sorting will be based on a combination of game, goals, assists, points, and plus minus. For defence, it will be based on games played, plus minus, hits, giveaways, and takeaways. For goalies, it will be based on games played, wins, save percentage, goals against average, and shutouts. Let’s get started!

 
A top center will be a heavily sought-after commodity in this draft. The most obvious choice here is Stamkos, who played on a very strong team in Colorado and produced very good numbers. Hypey had a great season and is a great pick for that value, while Benner had a stellar season for a mediocre team. Arrow enjoyed a decent season playing with two stellar wingers, and Servnspike had a similar situation with similar numbers.

 
Mclub and Shot are returning players this season, so we used career stats for the table. Both are great wingers who teams should be interested in. Kinglyme was a shocker to see in the draft after a 50 goal season, so expect him to go early. Toslick was a monster in the regular season and the playoffs, and Snapshot had a respectable season, so expect these players to be taken in the top 2 rounds.

 
Mjvoel44 won the Art Ross, Selke, and Hart trophies last season. He seems to be a lock for first overall. Grammyhands was the highest scoring rookie last season and seems to be destined for a first round pick. Smashngrab returns to SP with decent career totals thus far, while Caper and Clown are both looking to go to decent teams after having decent campaigns yet missing the playoffs due to the rest of their team.

 
Execution is a solid pick for a starting D man, proven by his solid numbers in Vegas. BigBear and Haunted both had decent numbers on mediocre teams, while Ush enjoyed a short but successful season over in Dallas. Raja hasn’t played SP in a couple seasons (so we couldn’t find giveaways and takeaways), but put up solid defensive numbers in his 30 career games at the blue line.

 
Chicks-n-whips is a very versatile player, and after playing on an inconsistent Nashville squad last season, is looking to have a bounce back season. M1Keal’s stats are from season 27, where he performed very well on a solid Ducks squad. Canedian had a solid season over in Chicago, while kc and Murphy are both looking to step up and establish themselves as reliable defenders this season.

 
One of the winningest goalies in SP history returns this season, but Vezzy’s stats against the rest of this goalie class seem average. Rancher is coming off of a Stanley Cup victory, and Kamakaz proved last season that even in a limited time, he is still an elite netminder. Chad is still one of the premier goaltenders in the league, and Shadow emerged from backup to starting goalie last season, so expect big things from him.
Well, there you have it. A bit of an in-depth look at this season’s draft board. There are some positions that have a great selection of players, and other which are harder to come by. GM’s will have to draft smart and know their priorities in order to succeed in this upcoming season. They will need to have backup plans and be ready to change those plans at the snap of a finger, or in the case, the clicking of fingers against a keyboard.
Good luck to all the GM’s in the upcoming draft!
-DD and Koz.

SPNHL Season 29 Draft
On June 5th, 2018 @ 8pm est. The Sony Playstation Hockey League will conduct their draft.
It is the beginning of the build to the commencement of the season. This is where teams develop their organizational structure and draft players who will fit into that build. This is where blockbuster deals are made to move up in the draft to acquire that one player who could change their season. This is where teams start their quest to the Stanley Cup, or where they start their descent to the bottom of the league.
Some picks turn out to be accurate assessments, like Entry getting drafted by Dallas last season, becoming one of the Four Horsemen and winning the Norris trophy. Some picks turn out to be the opposite, like Stonerboy getting drafted first overall and falling under 2 points per game after a stellar season 27. Some picks turn to be steals, like Rancher getting drafted in the 5th round and going all the way to win a Stanley Cup.
This draft is just as big for GM’s as it is for players. Before the draft, resigns are made, establishing somewhat of a core for your team. You can focus on goaltending, defense, offense, or a mix of any of those elements. After that, you build the rest of your team. You have to draft smart and prepare yourself for adjustments to your draft strategy in order to be successful in this very important unofficial start to the season.
We will post broadcast information and personnel for the draft shortly, but we hope you will join us as we get ready for another season of the SPNHL!

SPNHL, Season 28: Stanley Cup Final Recap
By Dirty-Dietrich.
“The Cup Finds a Home”.
Going forward, most of the secondary headlines (usually found in quotations) are going to read like a title of an episode of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”.
The draft for Season 28 occurred on March 20th. Two months later, on May 21st, the Stanley Cup finals were contended between the Colorado Avalanche and the Ottawa Senators. In Cuban’s preseason power rankings, he ranked the Avalanche in third, and the Senators in seventh. The Avalanche won the President’s trophy, while the Senators clawed their way into the playoffs as a wild card. You must give Cuban credit; his picks were just about spot on.
Colorado went 8-1 on their way to the finals, defeating a talented Blackhawks squad and sweeping a very dangerous Minnesota unit by using their combo of a great team cycle and an incredible defensive structure. Ottawa swept the Panthers in their wild card series, took the #1 seeded Lightning to 7 games, and swept their regular season kryptonite Pittsburgh in the conference finals. A scrappy offensive core, stellar two way defending, and a solid goaltending trio helped bring the underdog Senators to the finals.
When they got there, they were facing a team who in a combined regular season and playoff record, had lost less than 10 games. The Senators had their work cut out for them, but after an early season struggle and a Cinderella run in the playoffs, Ottawa was not going to let the Avalanche trample on them. Let’s take a look and see how this series turned out, doing it game by game.
GAME 1: Avalanche win 4-1. Series score: 1-0.
Game 1 saw the Colorado squad brutalize the Ottawa team with their great passing and one-timer ability. Boutch put up 2 goals for the Avalanche while Woy would control the ice, dishing out 4 assists in the game. Go_Marc had the lone goal for Ottawa this game, as the Senators hard a hard time getting past the stagnant blue-line defense of the Colorado Avalanche.
GAME 2: Avalanche win 2-1. Series score: 2-0.
In a much closer game than the first, the Avalanche managed to hold off a Sens squad who had adjusted to their playstyle and were playing a more complete defensive game. Woy changed roles this game and put up the only two goals for the Avs, while Go_Marc was once again the goal scorer for the Sens. This was the game that the Sens needed after the big first game loss.
GAME 3: Avalanche win 3-1. Series score: 3-0.
At this point, there was some nervousness on behalf of the Sens. They were playing with a more aggressive side, their forecheck was a lot more prominent, and their offense was high-risk. However, it wasn’t high reward. Go_Marc was the only goal scorer for the Sens, but the Avs had scoring from three different players and were able to step it up and put the pressure on the Sens.
GAME 4: Senators win 4-1. Series score: 3-1.
This game featured two new goal scorers for the Sens in Grammyhands and Dirty-Dietrich, getting two goals and one goal respectively. The Senators’ forecheck was strong and their defensive awareness was heightened, as the only Avalanche scorer was Desy. This was a must win game for the Sens, and they gave Go_Marc a break and helped push elimination back another game.
GAME 5: Senators win 2-1. Series score: 3-2.
Game 5 saw a lot of neutral ice action and a lot of stellar defensive play by both teams, and this game took 5 periods to finish. In the end, Go_Marc made up for the lack of his scoring in the first game, getting the double-overtime winner. Desy scored again for the Avs, but solid goaltending kept the Colorado squad to a single goal again and pushed the series to a game 6.
GAME 6: Avalanche win 2-1. Series score: 4-2.
The ending to game 6 was incredibly dramatic. After Dirty-Dietrich tied the game up in the third with a shorthanded goal to push the game to overtime, the Sens took a bad penalty, and Boutch was sprung on a breakaway upon exiting the box. Boutch went backhand and won the game 2-1 in overtime. In 6 games, the Colorado Avalanche beat the Ottawa Senators to win the Stanley Cup.
In a thrilling 6 game series, there were many notable players per side. For the Avs, Woy and Boutch made big contributions including the series winning goal by the latter and a great first three games by the former that paced the series. For the Sens, Go_Marc had 5 goals in 6 games (the most by any player in the series) and Dirty-Dietrich (don’t give me hell for self-promotion, I played well) had 4 points including a game winning goal and a game tying goal.
As we have reached the conclusion of a great finals, I wanted to take time to congratulate the 2 GM’s who brought their team to the finals. Eggman created a team that believed in a defensive structure that would create opportunities in the offensive zone and they stuck with it all season long. A couple big trades made by Kozmo during the regular season brought in the necessary weapons to turn the Sens from a struggling middle pack squad to a cup contender.
In the end, the Conn Smythe trophy for the most valuable player to their team in the playoffs was Woy. Woy was an offensive force for his team in their monstrous run to the finals, and was the key to victory for the Avalanche in the finals. The only games the Avalanche lost were when he wasn’t on the ice, being not only a great offensive presence for them, but also their lucky charm to an extent. Congratulations to vxWoytkiw8xv for winning the Conn Smythe trophy!
With that, we have reached the end of another fantastic season. There were some great teams assembled this season which lead to the emergence of new stars for the league. The expansion to 18 teams gave new players time to shine and made for some very tight playoff races. Now, we have a little bit of a vacation until we begin Season 29 of the SPNHL. So everybody take their time to rest, but I will leave you with this, a more personal side to these articles.
I wanted to thank everybody in this league. From the stern players to the jokesters, from the GM’s to the players, and from the opponents to the teammates. You all have made me very happy and proud to play in this league, and motivated me to do something to give back. This is why I started writing these articles, and I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for reading these and giving me feedback.
Go dip your feet in the sand, friends. See ya in June.
* DD.

The conclusion of Season 28’s Stanley Cup Finals!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J6EyADqeso