Definitely excited for next season!  Seems like this was a great draft class indeed!  

The Herald's look fantastic!  Glad they stuck with light blue and minimized navy, as light blue and gold just feel right for a team called Heralds.

Also liking the alternate jersey for the Captains!

Happy to see that the Captains are returning to their gritty game and taking the risk to gain success. The jersey is gorgeous for them because I’m one for large scripts on a jersey, it feels right for a classic look on the island. That being said, this seems like a long stretch by Donny to meet both new and old fans half way. Personally, I’m obviously a traditional fan and I’m not buying it, but I appreciate the effort

Nothing says 70s like an entirely light blue unifo-*Wheezes, then breaks down laughing*

Last edited by ThisIsFine (10/13/2019 8:34 pm)

ThisIsFine wrote:

Nothing says 70s like an entirely light blue unifo-*Wheezes, then breaks down laughing*

Sounds about right! Haha.

QCS wrote:

Will we see some sports logo/uniform trends take over later on (like teal in the 90s or black the 00s)? Either way, great work!

Thanks! Yes, probably versions of both of those style eras plus a few more Torland specific trends. As the series has progressed I've started to get into my own style a bit instead of following the NHL timeline but I try to keep things era-appropriate.

1970 REGULAR SEASON


With the dawn of the 70's, the THL's landscape had shifted. The old stalwarts and bitter enemies had seen their rosters age as the young teams rose to power. With the dominance of both teams in Yubay, some teams took the opportunity to retool and rebuild, while others continued to do what they could to give their cornerstone superstars another chance at a Marcotte Cup.

The Captains, after their sudden frenzy of offseason moves, took control of the standings early as their newfound scoring outburst made things fun in Kirkenport. An early injury to Glaciers goaltender Keith MacGarvin caused some shakeup in Yubay, while the Falcons saw more brilliance from Von Wentz. The upstart Neptunes, with their reloaded blue line found themselves in contention as teams struggled to score against them.

The Glaciers rapid fall hit bottom as their team and offense seemed lost without former team captain Dalton Causey, causing some to say derisive things about Peter Isaksson's lack of leadership. MacGarvin returned from his injury and kept the scores low but it was a lost cause for the Nikosiders. The proud Whales made a last-ditch push to climb from the bottom into a playoff spot but despite a valiant effort, it was their mortal enemies who made their own last-ditch climb as the Anchors clawed their way past the Whales and Heralds in the final days of the season into a 4-seed behind stubborn play from Ferdy Haight and a transcendent performance by Gary Wisniewski as he led a patched together forward unit.

After a pair of unusual moves from the Isle of Kirk, the Captains wasted no time in putting them to use as reclamation project Chris Wydra was a sensation after joining the team a few weeks into the season after owner Don Giordano had counter-sued the league and reduced Wydra's suspension and legal action. Their top line of Draper-Wydra-Nieto was a lethal combination. All-Star Lauri Rikhard's new chemistry with “Biggo” Brian Mierzwinski on the blue line was equally as lethal as they made life easy for Gerry McKnight in the net. The Captains cruised to 148 points on 47 wins and only 6 losses in a record-breaking season.

Perhaps lost in the fervor of Kirkenport's ascension, the once hapless Narva Neptunes bullied their way into the playoffs as Gav Brankovic and rookie George Gallenbeck were a revelation on the blue line, stifling their opponents and suffocating flashy scorers with ease. The offense sputtered at times, with no real firepower outside of Kris Kotulak but it was a momentous occasion in Narva when the playoff berth was secured.

The reigning champion Falcons kept a distant pace behind Kirkenport with a strong grip on the 2-seed as Geno Pasternak continued his dominance as a playmaking forward. Von Wentz cooled off as the season wore on but the team chemistry remained high as the Savasiders marched onward. The Heralds were disappointed by narrowly missing the playoffs, as they felt they had efficiently restructured a nice roster around Paul Kauffman. Losing their spot to Port Alrene in the final days was a stinging blow. Also stinging were the Kodiaks after the Wydra debacle, still figuring out how to retool their talented roster into contenders. Rookie Freddy Hoffmeyer was competitive on the second line but troubled two-time MVP splash Joaquin Outlaw seemed to regress into a shell of himself for no apparent reason.


In a wild season, awards and All-Star voting were difficult to decide. Gary Wisniewski took home top MVP honors in a controversial decision as many felt Geno Pasternak or any of the Captains' Lauri Rikhard or Keenan Draper or Chris Wydra were more deserving. Draper took Best Forward and Rikhart scored his first Best Defenseman. Byron Peachey was awarded Best Coach for his role in leading the Neptunes to a playoff berth.

Playoff Preview

Captains vs Anchors
The Captains have been breaking records all over the books as their suddenly loaded roster has become the scariest force in league history. The plucky Anchors, though, led by the Wizard himself, have scratched and clawed their way through the season and don't fear anyone. Will the Captains continue to rumble or will the Anchors finally put a stop to historic achievement?

Falcons vs Neptunes
The Falcons were once in the Neptunes shoes as the young upstarts in the playoffs ahead of their development schedule. But now they're reigning champs and have a title to defend. Can the Neptunes continue to play suffocating defense and win without much scoring? Or will the battle-tested champions make their mark yet again?

Up next: Who will win the first Marcotte of the new decade?

C&C appreciated as always!