A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners:  Volume 4

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record: 1 win, 2 losses, 0 OT loss.
Miners League Standing:  7 wins, 8 losses, 2 OT Loss = 16 points total.  Currently sit in 9th place in the Canosa Conference, 18th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 28.7% (6th); Penalty Kill – 80.3% (3rd)
Miners Scoring Leader:  Winger Sam Reinhart (12G – 9A = 21pts; 20th Overall in the CCHL)

Even after losing record for the week, the Sudbury Miners continue to remain in the thick of the playoff race in the Canosa Conference.  To still be competing for a playoff spot after almost a quarter of the season has to be viewed as progress for this young club.

The Miners started the week with their most complete game of the season -  a 4-0 shutout win versus Siberia.  However, the Miners would peak early in the week and would go on to drop the next two games versus Fonthill and Springfield – two teams that they are battling with for the final playoff spot in the Canosa Conference.  If the Miners are to make the playoffs, they need winning records in weeks like this, in order to distance themselves from other teams chasing the same playoff spot. 

The Miners schedule doesn’t get any less important this week.  They will have a chance to climb in the standings as they have are important conference games versus Siberia, Hamilton, and Minnesota. Anything short of a .500 record would most certainly drop the Miners out of the playoff race at this point in the CCHL season.

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Charlie Coyle

Coyle, is a strong, sizable and skilled playmaker with excellent work habits, powered like a battery.  He can mix up styles, finesse or toughness, and even blending the two.  He moves adequately on a broad base and his skating has greatly improved from earlier in his career.  He can be crafty and poised with soft, skilled hands which enables him to be a crafty distributor.  He is intelligent and mature which allows him to shift positions and support battles when not in the trenches.  He is a diligent and responsible defender, which allows him to play in a Top 9 role, in any capacity.  His versatility to play all three forward positions is a luxury that most coaches covet.  In 17 games this year, Coyle has a goal and two assists. 

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Joel Farabee

Recently acquired in a trade with Fort Erie, Farabee has the tools and temperament to be a force at both ends of the ice. He gets very high grades for his skating ability, puckhandling skills, and the hockey IQ needed to make it all work.  Scouts say that if Farabee were two inches taller and/or 20 pounds heavier, he would not have been available to Fort Erie at 12th overall.  A stronger playmaker than a goal scorer, he has nevertheless showed a promising finishing touch at every level and every setting at which he has played.  He is currently playing in his freshman season at Boston University but given his talent and upside, he may be “one and done” player.  Expected CCHL arrival:  2021-22.

AROUND THE CCHL: Looking at Fatigue & Roster Implications in Simon (As of 11/12/18)

Five weeks into the 2018-19 CCHL season and we may be starting to see some trends in our young season...

1) The Capeside Loons have been the hottest team in the CCHL over the last ten games, going 8-2-0. Right behind them with a 7-2-1 record is the Chinook and the Norsemen.

2) The coldest team(s) in the league over the same time span are the Parry Sound Orrsmen and the Fort Erie Falcons with 2-7-1 records.

3) Let's talk about FATIGUE, shall we?  A stat we all need to understand is the CONDITIONING or CON rating. This can be found in the Line Editor and/or on the Pro Team Roster page.

The more fatigued a player is, the more points are deducted from his CON rating. If a player CON rating falls below 95 (I think) then he will show as exhausted and will be unavailable for at least a day. As days go by, his CON will improve. Also, if a player is injured, that too will reduce his CON number.

IMPORTANT:  If a player gets fatigued and his CON Rating falls below 95, SIMON automatically moves him to your Pro Bench, which results in your "PRO PLAYERS" list being short a man. Remember, you MUST have 20 players dressed. No more, no less. If you don't send in a new set of lines to replace your fatigued and unavailable player, SIMON will send me an error message that a team's roster and/or line-up are illegal. Simon will then automatically "fix" the issue by "dressing" a player from your pro bench.

BTW, I log all the errors for illegal lineups on the GM tracking spreadsheet...

I have no control over who SIMON dresses. It's not like APBA where I entered two teams for every single game. In SIMON, I open my software, I click on "simulate" I see the daily matchup screen then click on SIMULATE and voila! All games scheduled for that day are simmed.

I've heard GM's complaining that "Simon is changing my lines." Like you, I'm learning something new as well. As far as I can tell, fatigue and outright injuries are the most common explanation for this.

You can avoid illegal lineups by checking your Pro Team Roster page on a daily basis. If you see a player with a CON rating of 95 or lower after you've downloaded the most current and updated league files, see if he's still showing as in your lines in your line editor software. If he's missing, you'll need to redo your lines and then send me the new/updated ones.

Any questions? Holler at me...

Captain Sedin, gone but not forgotten

The Icecats parted ways with former captain and future hall of famer, Daniel Sedin. Sedin was one of the few original Icecats after GM Saouaf took over the former Murfreesboro team 5 years ago. Sedin was part of a failing Murfreesboro franchise wallowing in mediocrity. Although the team struggled, Sedin led the team by example and toughed through the tough times. "It was tough the first few years in Siberia. I had a lot of close teammates traded as GM Saouaf tore down the team. The biggest loss was losing Patrik Elias. He and I were close friends and roommates on the road. From that point forward, I did not know what the future held for me, but I knew I wanted to be part of the solution", said Sedin. Sedin indeed suffered through more player losses and losses in the standings.

The 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons were especially painful as the Lizards/Icecats finished dead last in the league. "I knew we were going to keep losing but I had many meetings with GM Saouaf and he assured me that he had a plan. I trusted him and he was right. It was tough, but I saw a brighter future".

As the Icecats started to turn things around, there was Sedin to captain the team. He took young Connor McDavid under his belt and taught him what it meant to be a professional hockey player. "Daniel was such a huge influence on me in my first couple of seasons, especially after my injury in the first season. He taught me how to work through challenges and hardships and that has made a world of difference with me", said current coach McDavid.

Sedin's leadership continued to help the young Cats grow into the team they are now. "It was sad to trade Daniel but with our current team, he was sitting on the bench and we owed it to Daniel to let him go out on the ice, not the bench," said GM Saouaf. Sedin is now lending his leadership and talents to another rebuilding team who has shown some winning abilities this year, the Loons. Can Sedin help Dubois, who he played with briefly, flourish into a #1 center as he did with McDavid? My gut tells me he can.

Rumors persist that the Icecats will retire Sedin's jersey later this year. Stay tuned sports fans!

CCHL Simon vs. NHL: How do they compare head to head so far?

I've had several GM's comment to me via emails and private messages, that Simon doesn't react the same way APBA did and that the techniques/strategies that were successful in APBA don't seem very effective in Simon so far. As maddening as Simon is for us, we're pretty early in the learning curve, even with most of us participating in the Summer League.  Keep in mind we're just 15 games or so into our 82 game schedule, which gives us a rather small sample size.

Let's dig into some numbers and see how things compare between Simon and the NHL...(Stats were compiled with data from CCHL.com, NHL.com, Hockey-reference.com...)

1) Overall Team Standings: Q: Looking at the CCHL standings after 15 games or so this year, versus at the same time last year with APBA, which simulator has produced a more NHL-like result so far?

In the NHL, the spread between the 1st place and last place team is 14 points. In the CCHL, the spread is 20...Removing the one team at the bottom of the standings, our spread is 15 points...

2) Team Winning Percentage: Q: How do the groupings compare at various levels?

In the NHL, there are 2 teams with winning % over .700, in the CCHL, there are 3...
In the NHL, there are 9 teams with winning % over .600, (but less than .700) in the CCHL, there are 3...
In the NHL, there are 14 teams with winning % over .500, (but less than .600) in the CCHL, there are 11...
In the NHL, there are 5 teams with winning % over .400, (but less than .500) in the CCHL, there are 3...
In the NHL, there is 1 team with winning % less than .400, in the CCHL, there are 2...

3) Team +/- Performance: Q: How do the groupings compare at various levels?

In the NHL, there are 2 teams with a +/- of >+15, in the CCHL, there is 1...
In the NHL, there are 3 teams with a +/- of +10 - +14, in the CCHL, there are 3...
In the NHL, there are 2 teams with a +/- of +8 - +10, in the CCHL, there is 1...
In the NHL, there are 8 teams with a +/- of +0 - +7, in the CCHL, there are 7...
In the NHL, there are 9 teams with a +/- of -7 - 0, in the CCHL, there are 6...
In the NHL, there are 5 teams with a +/- of -8 - 13, in the CCHL, there are 2...
In the NHL, there are 2 teams with a +/- of > - 14, in the CCHL, there are 2... 

While allowing for the different number of teams in each league, it does seem that the graphs of each of the last two comparisons would be similar in shape...

4) Total goals scored per game by both teams combined: 

In the NHL, 6.18 goals scored per game...
In the CCHL, 6.23 goals scored per game...

(Now let's look at individual performance leaders....)

5) Player's points scored...

NHL has 6 players with 20 or more points...
CCHL has 20 players with 20 or more points...

NHL has 36 players with 16 - 19 points scored...
CCHL has 26 players with 16 - 19  points scored...

6) Players Goals Scored...

NHL has 11 players with 10 or more goals...
CCHL has 13 players with 10 or more goals...

7) PIMS...

NHL has 4 players with 30 or more PIMS...
CCHL has 10 players with 30 or more PIMS...

NHL has 23 players with 20 - 30 or more PIMS...
CCHL has 25 players with 20 - 30 or more PIMS... 

8) Goaltending save %...(Min 9 games played...)

NHL has 5 Goalies with .930% or higher...
CCHL has 1 Goalie with .930% of higher...

NHL has 4 Goalies with a save % between .920% & .929%...
CCHL has 5 Goalies with .a save % between .920% & .929%...

9) Goaltending GAA ...(Min 9 games played...)

NHL has 2 Goalies with GAA < 2.00...
CCHL has 1 Goalie with .GAA < 2.00...

NHL has 15 Goalies with a GAA between 2.00 & .3.00...
CCHL has 7 Goalies with .a GAA between 2.00 & .3.00...

Summary: 

If one of the inherent appeals of a sports sim is its realism, it appears that Simon may be far more realistic than APBA was. It may not even be close.

Simon seems to mimic the NHL stats a bit more than I recall APBA doing so. (Ahhh, the benefits of a modern day Sim, eh?)

I think, if this continues, it may foster greater parity and a result, more general interest across the 22 teams and certainly seems to smash to bits the old way of building a monster team and posting unrealistic W/L and individual scoring numbers.

Besides small sample size madness, the strategy component in Simon seems to be the only explanation why some teams with "lesser" talent are out-performing teams with "superior" talent so far...

The best advice I can give anyone who is struggling is to spend more time with the Sim, trying different strategies for the offense/defense/physicality mix and how much time on the ice you're assigning each line and D pairing. Obviously trying different player combinations is always worth exploring.

Also, it's critical to understand the best you can what each rating means. If you haven't spent time with the Simon Manual, I'd urge you to do so asap. You can find it here... Simon Manual

Have fun!

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 3

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners:  Volume 3

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record: 1 wins, 1 loss, 1 OT loss.
Miners League Standing:  6 wins, 6 losses, 2 OT Loss = 14 points total.  Currently sit in 8th place in the Canosa Conference, 17th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 27.1% (7th); Penalty Kill – 79.2% (7th)
Miners Scoring Leader:  Winger Sam Reinhart (9G – 7A = 16pts; 27th Overall in the CCHL)

The Miners had the kind of week you would expect from a .500 hockey club – a win, a loss and an OT loss.  After the week, the Miners remain at .500 and are still in the thick of the playoff race in the Canosa Conference.  
The Miners have a heavy but very important schedule this week.  All four of their contests are important conference games versus Siberia, Fonthill, Springfield and Hamilton.  It is a big week for sure and anything short of a .500 records could potentially drop the Miners out of the playoff race, early in the CCHL season. 
“It’s a big week for us, no question”, stated defenceman Andy Greene.   “There are some tough games in there, but they are winnable.  It’s a real character test for our room and good teams get good results in this kind of stretch”.

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  J.T. Compher
Compher is a smart, tenacious forward who is versatile and reliable to play in all situations.  His strong vision allows him to create plays and tends to be in the right place at the right time.  His skating has improved substantially since his draft year and has shown the ability to change gears, injecting bursts of speed.  He is adept at getting to the front of goal and has shown outstanding defensive awareness and diligence.  Coaches love his character and highly competitive nature.  He tends to lay it all on the line and can also get quite mean and prickly at times.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Kole Lind
The Miners have been very pleased to with Lind’s development after his draft season. He has shown the ability to play with greater pace and has been more assertive all around.  Already an accomplished offensive player, he has shown those flashes during his rookie season for Utica of the American Hockey League this year.  He is a gifted puck player who couples finishing skills with the instincts of a playmaker. He does not play a soft game, although he could stand to put on a few pounds.  If his development continues on the same path, he could be knocking on the CCHL door sooner rather than later.  Expected CCHL arrival:  2022-23.

Dayton Musicmen Prospect Update (November Ranking)

The pro and amateur leagues are all up and running, and in some cases, we've a good bit of data to assess the future Musicmen's performance so far this season.

With this issue, we'll look at our overall system and try and come up with the top ten ranking each month...

1) Dennis Cholowski DET - D -  The young blueliner remains atop of our prospect rankings and he's has handled himself well in the Wings first few weeks of play this season. Tied for 3rd among rookie scorers, DC is averaging over 20 minutes per game for a weak Wings team.

2) Maxime Comtois ANA - LW -  Despite missing a week due to an injury, Comtois is tied for 6th in rookie scoring with 7 pts. in just 10 games. Second only to Vancouver's Elias Pettersson in rookie shooting percentage, Comtois will have a place in the Ducks top six as long as he produces...

3) Aleksi Heponiemi - FLA - C - After a monster year in the WHL, the Panthers felt a year playing against men in the Finnish Liiga, would be good for the small but very slick play-maker. With 19 games under his belt, Heponiemi leads his team in scoring and sits tied for 7th overall in the league. 17 pts. in 19 games...against men. Wow...

4) Drake Batherson - OTT - C - Polishing his tools in the AHL in his first year of pro hockey, Batherson has posted 13 points in his first 12 games for Belleville. Not much blocking his way to the bigs for the Sens, look for him to taste the NHL within a year...

5) Ville Husso - G - STL - With the Blues twosome in nets this year averaging something close to a combined .877 save percentage and a 3.75 GAA so far this NHL season, how long will it be before Husso gets the call from San Antonio in the AHL? San Antonio is terrible this season, but Husso's still the future for the Blue's in net. Stay tuned...

6) Andrei Svechnikov - CAR - RW - 'Canes are being patient with the kid, biding his time on the 3rd line and the 2nd pp unit.  Veteran Justin Williams won't block him for long...

7) Olle Juolevi - VAN - D - Quietly, as seems to be his style, Juolevi has been steady playing for Utica in the AHL. Leading the Comets on scoring for dmen, the future Canuck needs to tighten his defensive coverage but seems on track so far...

8) Gabe Villardi - LAK - C - About to return form his training camp back issue, the future pivot for the Kings will probably return to the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL for this season. Had he remained healthy during camp, who knows where he might've been playing for the last few weeks?

9) Ukka Pekka Luukkonnen - BUF - G - After 12 games for Sudbury in the AHL, "UPL" sits 5th with 8 wins, tied for 3rd in save % of G's with 10 or more games and 6th in GAA for the same group. With the Sabres future bright, UPL stands to be in the right place at the right time in a year or so...

10) Daniel Sprong - PIT - RW - With a modest 4 pts. in his first few weeks of the season, Sprong has played on the 1st, 4th and now the 3rd line. Defensively challenged, PIT MGT seems determined to help the talented sniper develop his defensive awareness by learning how to play responsibly ion the Pen's checking line. He doesn't look all that out of place so far. Once his understanding of the pro game catches up to his skill set, he should be fun to watch.

Around the CCHL: As of 11/1/18...Loons loving life!

The CCHL sees most teams now having played 13 games and we certainly have some surprises, don't we? If you had the Loons as the top team in the league standings as of November 1st, good job!

Let's look at the numbers!

Who's Hot: CAP, LAS & MIN...

Who's Not: PAR, SPR & HAM...

Top Goal Scorers: Giroux (FOR), Radulov (DAY) 13 each, Zucker (SEA) 12 goals...

Top Assists: Duchene (SEA) 18, Granlund (POR) & T. Hall (MIN) 15 each...

Top Points: Duchene (SEA) 24, Tarasenko (REK) & Kessel (MIN) 23 each...

Top Hits: Wheeler (FOR) 30, Oshie (FNT) & Rackell (WIS) 29 each...

Top Shots Blocked: Hedman (REK) 26, Ekblad (SUD), Yandle (LAS) & Subban (REK) 27 each...

Goalies - Most Wins: Rinne (MIN) 9, Gibson (FOR), Dubnyk (DAY) & Allen (DRT) 8 each...

Goalies - Best Save Percentage: Rinne (MIN), .917, Bishop (FNT), .912 Allen (DRT), .911...


Random Thoughts:

*It's still very early in the season but - based on goal differential - the Canosa Conference may be shaping up in this way. The team with the best differential (+15) - MIN seems to be the class of the Conference and should remain at or near the top all season. VIC has the 2nd best "GD" with a (+9). Now it gets interesting as NO other team in the conference has a GD better than (+2). Six teams (LAS, REK, SIB, ISL, FNT & GEO) all sit between +2 and -2... In the Corfield Conference, four teams, (CAP, WIS, SEA & FOR) are each +11 or better, with only CGY & DAY posting a + on the year so far...

*A reminder that players with a "-R" at the end of their names may NOT be used in any CCHL games. These reserve players did not play in enough NHL games - (10 for skaters and 5 for goalies) - to qualify for use in the CCHL this season.

*Fun fact: Calgary's Sidney Crosby has already been involved in two fights this season. He's tied for 2nd in the entire league. I suspect GM Yip would strongly prefer that Sid leave the fisticuffs to someone else...

See you next week!