Chasonne vs Yubay
This does not seem like it will be the same situation as last year. It is very unlikely that the Falcons catch the Heralds off guard so it will take a lot to tip them. That being said, there will definitely be a fight given no matter the score of the games. Although a clean sweep is possible for the Heralds, I just don’t see it happening based on history. I believe Pasternak alone is a player who will not tolerate his post season being stopped at 4 games, and the rest of the team do not seem like pushovers either. Chasonne in 5 is my take.

Port Alrene vs Portarra
It might be the fourth meeting between the two, but it should come with no shock. With only 7 teams who could claim the THL as home at one point, 5 of those teams can say they made the playoffs and 3 of them have been every year. These two were destined to clash often and I’m one to speak for all when I say the fans don’t mind getting to watch them do it consistently. This year will be much more entertaining with the teams being on even grounds.  That being said, Anchors are built to go deep. They possess the best goalie in THL history, along with the most dominant scoring to be shown in the THL year after year. The Whales seem to have the grit it takes to get by, especially for a series known to be a little more physical. They also match the Anchors with a star studded defense and the ability to find the net. This will be a close one, but it’s hard not to take the Anchors at the end of it. Let’s say 7 games, that’s what everyone besides those two cities are hoping for.

Chasonne vs Port Alrene
Seems like the Heralds are a train that can’t be stopped, but Port Alrene has the wall to bring them to a shocking end. It’s hard to comment on something when you’re so unsure about it, but the gut says it is the Anchors time. The Wiz wants it, and if he is healthy he will get it in 7.

Congrats to Chasonne! Huge series against Yubay. We're now 1-1 on the playoff ice. Hope this rivalry continues over time.

The new format is really neat! Looking forward for the next offseason

1965 OFFEASON (Part 1)

The 1965 offseason was wild and wooly as the Torland Hockey League welcomed two new franchises into the fold and saw another team be sold and moved to a new location.

In preparation for the inaugural amateur player draft, current league members were given five exceptions to be designated on players with more than (3) years of accrued service time that would be unavailable for expansion teams to claim. Players with less than 3 years of pro experience would be unavailable and teams would not need to use an exception on them. Each team was required to give up at least one eligible player. While teams were figuring out which players to keep, the league was in the midst of a busy offseason.

Notable Retirements

Kirkenport team captain F Byron Peachey hung up his skates at 37 years old and five dominant seasons in the THL. He was an All-Star all five seasons, including All-Gold three times. His leadership helped establish a solid culture in Kirkenport and was a fan favorite despite of a lack of success in the playoffs. Peachey will be a candidate for the still-empty Ring of Honor, an award where teams can nominate great but maybe not Hall of Fame-worthy players to be honored.

Marcotte Out, New Commissioner for the THL

As promised, THL Commissioner Rey Marcotte officially stepped down from his position after the deals for the two new expansion franchises were finalized and a structure was constructed for the new yearly amateur player drafts. As the owners looked for a replacement, none could agree on bringing in someone unfamiliar with the new league. Lecayne Saints owner Bernard Willard offered to replace Marcotte if he could sell his team to business partner and friend Harlan Durant. Durant, though, displeased with the city of Lecayne, would only agree if he could immediately move the team to a city of his choosing. The owners deliberating for weeks but ultimately voted in the new agreement. Willard sold his entire stake of the Saints to Harlan Durant and became the new acting THL Commissioner.

Saints Sold, Moved to Narva

Speculation raged as news broke of the sale, dozens of potential new location for the Saints surfaced. With Durant's hometown being Hyletville, Tamokeva, many people thought he may be linked to a new team in Yubay. But after some delay, Durant finally announced the new location for his team. Before unveiling the new identity, Durant fired head coach Merle Sharpe and hired Neal Owens to take his place.




Quick Facts: 

• City: Narva, Forstana
• Nickname: Neptunes (formerly Saints)
• Owner: Harlan Durant
• Head Coach: Neal Owens
• Home Ice: Crown City Center, Narva, FS

About the City:

Narva is a thriving mid-tier city along the Langlois Channel in eastern Forstana. Known as the “Crown City” for its stately royal architecture, Narva has long been a home for inventors and higher education. The second-largest city in the state of Forstana, Narva is known as a beautiful city landscape with many parks and trees and a stunning view of both the pebble beaches along the mouth of the Glanas River and the striking Locerhat Mountains which provide an incredible backdrop to the city skylines. Local private Ivy school Robinette University is one of Torland's top ranked law schools and Narva is home to many of Torland's top lawyers and attornies. This has also produced an over-regulated city municple policy book which has frustrated some of the city's finest inventors and creators, who originally founded the city both for its beautiful location and its proximity to larger cities along with connections via water and rail. Many of Torland's best inventors originated in Narva, something which the city holds proudly. A maritime tradition grew later on, as many of the inventors turned their focus to Torland's growing maritime trades and produced many unique patents and improvements. This brought in more maritime companies which has become the top sector in the city. Narva has kept its charms though and has also seen an influx in young families wanting to settle in the area for its balanced economy and quality of life. The city has always been rapidly supportive of their collegiate teams and seems like a prime area for professional expansion.

About the Identity:

Durant decided to embrace the growing maritime trade in Narva and chose Neptunes as the new team name, both for its mythology and connection with the crown motif of the city. One of the pebble beaches is also called The Great Neptune Rocks, a popular place for tourists. With the Apex Apparel contract carrying over to the new team, Durant had a trident-crown overtop the city initial drawn up for the logo and chose Forstana's state color of forest green as the primary. Concerned with encroaching on other nearby teams using gold, namely Chasonne and Port Alrene, Durant decided to use an unusual cornflower blue as the secondary, saying it matched the color of the river as it came down from the Locerhat Mountains. The fans weren't so sure, but excited to see a pro team move into the ornate Crown City Center.

The sweaters feature a wide-spaced double stripe with sleeve numbers positioned in between and square half-yokes on the shoulders. The numbers are a unique serif to mimic some of the imagery in the city's own signage. Forest green pants for both sets are highlighted by cornflower socks on the home set and white for the away set.

Up next: Expansion teams revealed

C&C appreciated!

The Neptunes look pretty cool!   So the fact that this team got its forest green color from the fictional state's official color actually allowed me to learn something.   I never realized that states had official colors, but in the US, some states actually do have them.  So I learned something new from reading this thread! 

Cornflower blue has to be one of the stranger names I've ever heard of for a color, though it is a nice one!   

Oh my god, Kirlow/Lecayne/Narva! JUST FOLD ALREADY!