Strange things in the OHL that hopefully....

[flea]

....wont be around in the new game!!!

As I was a bit tired of playing always NHL I started now for the second time a franchise in the OHL!!

The first time I started some month ago with the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds but I didnt play it very seriously as I started very soon after that a new NHL franchise with updated rosters, but now Iam playing with the Belleville Bulls a new franchise and Iam in my second year now. I just finished the regular season and I would like to share/ask some things I have noticed:

-First problem: Just for information matters I firstly say this: in the OHL u can have three overagers (20 years max. or year of birth) and two foreign players in your roster.
This being said I continue with the strange thing.
Well, Iam nearly at the end of my second season and Iam doing really well, battling for the first spot in the Eastern Conference and just barely behind for the regular season championship, fighting with a team from the Western Conference.
I haved picked up some really good players in the preseason and specially two of them are playing absolutely wonderful!!
One, Mitch Gaylord, is already 20 years old and this would be his last season with me because hes too old for next season.
The other is called Paul Kerins and I have found him in a minor league (OPJHL) and hes already playing in my first line, scoring tons of points. Hes 19 years old, so he (hopefully) will be a crucial part in next years roster.
Everything worked out really fine.......buuuuuuuuuuuut then it happens!!!
About 8 games to play and with the standings very close together suddenly a ECHL team makes a offer for Mitch Gaylord!!! Well, I thought that (because he still has a contract with me) if he accepts the offer it would at least be after the playoffs.....but NO.....he accepts the offer and runs away from my team.....letting my tactics upside down!!

Well, that left me a bit confused (I didnt received any compensation from that ECHL team) but hey, Life goes on also without your leading scorer!!!
Until there I could live with it, buuuuuuut two days later, Gaylord was released from that ECHL team!!!! He was in that team for around 62 hours!!!!
I tried to sign him again, but he suddenly doesnt accept my offers anymore (notice that when I offer him a contract he doesnt say to me that he isnt interested!!!).

I dont know, but its a real strange move by the game to do that to me....seems that he doesnt want me to win the league, right???

-The second thing is also something who made me real mad!!!!
Ok, I had troubles, but at the end I managed to win the Eastern Conference by two points......and I have exactly the same amouth of points than the first in the Western Conference......but he is stated as winner of the Hamilton Spectator Trophy!!!!
I have to say that I have won both of the meetings against that team and have more wins than them, still Iam behind them game-wise....why???

-Third thing has nothing to do with the OHL, but with the NHL and I suppose that its a point that is already been discussed, but hey, never mind.....
What I have noticed and I really wouldnt like to see it again in the new game is good players who are free agents and arent signed by anybody!!!
Its really sad to see Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza or Dany Heatley hang around the free agency for about half a season (and then u can pick them up for about 1 mill.!!!) and it would be nice if that can be fixed too!!!

OK, on that point I have to say sorry for this long read, but Iam really frustrated right now and I thought I wanted to share it with u guys!!!
If somebody can give me a feedback or he has similar problems, please post it here!!

Greets

ThaFlea

PD: Admins, u guys know that I dont wanna make u work more and I think this post belongs here....but if dont, please forgive me, ok!!??

[B. Stinson]

1. I just had that happen to me, too. I had left winger Mike Hull, who I had signed a few years ago as a free agent. He turned out to be a great player who was always one of my best performers. Then, about a week before we(Kitchener) hit the playoffs, the Las Vegas Wranglers come by and swipe him right from under my feet. I now have to go into the most important battles of the year with a weak left side, and a 17 year old kid replacing one of my best and most experience players.

3. I see this all the time. The problem is that these big time players request big bucks. But since the game doesn't calculate cap room correctly, the teams can't reach the demands... so the players get released. Then while their open, their demands are too high for everyone else, so they never get signed. Since they aren't playing, their demands slowly decrease over time, but the AI doesn't realize this... so the user can usually step in around January or February, and get these $5million players for about $1million. This has been talked about a lot, though, so it should definately be fixed for 2007.

[flea]

3.1 Yeps, I thought that it was something lots of EHM players have noticed......that makes me think it will be fixed in the new one!!! Thanks god the guys on SIGA listen to their gamebuyers-/players!!!

Thanks for the feedback B. Stinson!!! Nice to hear that Iam not the only one there having this issue in the OHL

Greets

[Shadd666]

I haven't played a lot in the CHL,so i can't help you on this one...

For the NHL problem,well... Do you really complain of signing Thornton for just 1 million?

But,for sure,it must be fixed!

[flea]

I haven't played a lot in the CHL,so i can't help you on this one...

For the NHL problem,well... Do you really complain of signing Thornton for just 1 million?

But,for sure,it must be fixed!

Dont get me wrong buddy!!! Getting Thornton for about 1 mill. is just awesome and a great steal, but thats also the problem with that.....its too nice to be true and too unrealistic. But I hope (and I guess) this problem will be fixed in the new game.

------------------------------

OK, now I would like to ask something before I start to rant about it

Perhaps u guys remember that I was playing a game being the GM of the Belleville Bulls in the OHL.

Well, I just finished my second season and it was really successfull despite all the problems the game put in my way. I wasnt credited as regular season champ despite having the same amouth of points than Guelph, but that had a "easy" solution in winning the playoffs....that I just did, beating the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds in the finals 4-3.

-And here is my first question: as I said, I finished first in my Conference and my opponent in the finals finished second in their Conference.....still the Greyhounds had home court advantage!!!! Why that???
I had the better record than they had but they eliminated the regular season champs....it that the reason they have been given the home court advantage???
Somebody knows something about that???

Well, nevertheless I won the playoffs and I went on to play the Memorial Cup against one team of the QJMHL and two teams of the WHL (one of them, Kelowna, was the reining champ). After having some troubles I managed to play in the championship game and beat the Rockets by 5-4 and I was the Memorial Cup Champion!!!!
So far so good and I thought to myself: Wow, as reining champ of the Memorial Cup I have classified for it in the next season and will have home court advantage!!!
But then came the big surprise!!!! Suddenly a message came up saying that the London Knights where named hosts of the next Memorial Cup and they are already figured as one of the teams playing next season!!!! Why that??? Iam the defending champ, but the game has totally forgot about me!!!
Shouldnt I be "invited" to host the Memorial Cup as reining and defending champion???

-Well, before I start to rant I would like to ask if I missed something or if there is a rule that I dont know that would explain that strange behaviour of the game!!! Is there maybe a rule that the host of the Memorial Cup has to have a playing facility of, lets say, at least 5000 seats??? That could be an explanation because I play in a pavillion with only 3200 seats and that maybe is too little to host the Memorial Cup....
I would understand that, but still I should be playing as defending champ, not???

Man, things like that really make me
....and make me hope that these things doesnt happen in the new one!!! Still, cant wait to get it!!!

Less than a month now guys!!!!

Greets and sorry for the long read....had to let it out and I know u guys understand me, lol!!!

ThaFlea