Steelman wrote:

I've thought about this but not sure how feasible it is for small-batch hockey sweaters.

Not sure how practical it is for small batches, but https://universitycustoms.com/makes custom jerseys/merch, including baseball and basketball as well.

It's been a busy couple of months with a new job so I haven't had time to post as much but I've lots of stuff in the pipeline for this project that I'm really excited about. Let's get to the next season!



1984 REGULAR SEASON

Willard Division: The Heist may have been the crime of the century because “Bronko” Bill Bronkowski was a revelation for the young Whales. The top line with Eric Caparros and Ray Parrino instantly became the best in the league and catapulted the Whales from the basement into the top of the division and 2nd-overall seed. Bronko easily won best rookie and came close to winning best forward. Across the river, the boys in navy and orange kept pace as best they could behind another transcendent performance from Thomas Nelissen who again won best defenseman. With the Pioneers offense still randomly sputtering, Nelissen's scoring output from the blue line has become legendary. The Rockets weathered an early injury to Pat Ossola to get back in the race only to lose him again to injury late in the season. Nigel Flood seemed recovered from his injuries and found chemistry with newcomer Jack Koeneman which gives Fort Bevin hope for the future. The Anchors and Serpents both struggled. Despite their standing, the Serps actually outplayed Port Alrene down the stretch in a nice spurt of growth for the new team. Port Alrene couldn't find any chemistry with a young reworked lineup.

Hatch Division: The division pennant came down to the wire as the Blazers and Swans battled it out and intensified their rivalry to a fever pitch. The crosstown enemies both finished with 130 points as Prestonburg went 6-1-0 in their last 7 games to tie in points. The Swans, however, according to the new standings and seeding rules, took the title on having 37 wins compared to 36 for Prestonburg. It was Vensessor's goalie Andre Kabbani who won best goalie and carried the team. The Blazers saw a breakout performance from F Eric Jorgensen who pushed them to a 3rd-ranked offense along with the ever-steady D Jan Mikulec. The reigning champs in Trowburgh played through a rash of early injuries but came up just short of a wildcard in a tight race and Mozzy Turk earned an All-Star berth. The Kodiaks and Neptunes both had forgettable seasons. Kirlow couldn't score and Narva had trouble in the net with Ernie Bukowski ready to retire. The Wizards showed marginal improvements but the subject of the drama in the draft, forward Jeremi Jogoda looked lost on the ice and was beat around so badly that he was sent down to the Schonhardt Supernovas.

Elam Division: The division that produced three of the last four Cups looked like the B-League for most of the season as the Chasonne Heralds barely squeaked ahead of the Crusaders for the title in a lackluster performance. Quebel looked like the better team but injuries to Joel Eklund and Marcel Luksik hampered the offense. Defenseman Viktor Nurmi had a breakout year and earned an All-Star berth as well as the blue collar award. The Heralds earned a #4 seed by winning the division but didn't look themselves all year as Gian Guiliano and Co struggled. The Saints had big plans after acquiring Pekka Jokinen but were instead greeted by a moody, lazy version of him that did not mesh well with Jack Kovak. It could be an early end to the relationship. The Barbarians kept close for division contention with a late push but weren't able to catch Quebel. The Captains, now in rebuild mode, predictably didn't finish well but were pleased with their progress as rookie Davi Martikainen looks like a future star.

Rankin Division: The hottest division in the league continued its reputation as the Kavalos Electrics, now with G Tim Sagendorf in tow, again vaulted to the top of the standings. They cruised to 140 points behind stellar play from Leo Stendahl who won best forward. On the blue line, Darren Cain was tremendous and earned an All-Star berth. The battle for the 2nd-spot was fierce between the Kings and Killers as it came down to the wire and was decided by seeding rules with both teams finishing at 132 points. The Kings came ahead with two more wins behind continued great play by the Sallee brothers and Pete Lentini who earned his first THL All-Star berth after dominating in the UHA. The Killers had a better offense, however, with Alex Kirkland leading the charge along with Stan Johanson and Damien St. Pierre. The big story was in Abrieden where the beat-up Bucks saw a superhuman performance from goaltender Vassily Wuopio to carry them to the playoffs. Wuopio won League MVP despite Kabbani winning best goalie. Free Agent signing Mark Tegler carried the offense with David Suvak and Ric Rundstrom out for the year as Abrieden forced their way into the playoffs despite a decimated roster. The Falcons made a valiant effort but in a stacked division it wasn't enough to qualify even with great play from a 41-year-old Pasternak. As expected, the Glaciers weren't in contention after the jettison of their roster, but played better than their talent level in a show of promise.



Playoff Preview

Pioneers vs Bucks
Thomas Nelissen has been a rock for the Pioneers but the Bucks will most likely get David Suvak back for the playoffs which gives them the edge.

Crusaders vs Killers
Quebel is a sneaky good team defensively but the Killers are a top-5 team despite landing in the wildcard. 

Swans vs Blazers
Not only did they teams compete down to the wire for the division title, they also get to meet in the playoffs in what figures to be a great series. Kabbani has been locked in but Jorgensen gives the Blazers a legitimate scoring chance.

Heralds vs Kings
The team who won three Cups should never be discounted but they've look off while the Kings are surging in all phases of the game.

Byes: Electrics, Whales


How's your team looking? C&C always appreciated!
Up next: 1984 Playoffs

NeoPrankster wrote:

This year is the silver anniversary of the THL, right?

Yes, you're right! 25th season of the THL.

Sad to see the Glaciers miss the playoffs, but at least they looked good doing it. On the bright side, the Falcons also missed the playoffs, so it's fine. I have a hard time seeing anyone other than the Electrics taking the Cup this year, but really anyone from the Rankin could go all the way.

Bronkooooo!!!!