IAmFleury'sHipCheck

For 20 year anniversary, I always loved the rom that you did with Community members. If you have top 2 players on each team that all have the same attributes (correct me if I'm wrong but I think that's how it's currently configured). My 2 cents: A. How about adding 2 more players per team that are community members? B. 2 ways to go with my next suggestion -- Of the community member players, have an attribute mix that makes a team specialize in a particular skill. For example, you could have a CB squad, Weight bugger duo, balanced, speed, stickhandling, snipers, etc Each player could have an indication of their skillset in their name, Last Name = Icestorm, First Name = Assist (profile = increased passing, agility, stickhandling) Perhaps there would be a set number of profiles (around 5 or 6) so it doesn't get too refined OR 2. What if you made 3 community members per team but each one fit an attribute profile similar to original NES Ice Hockey in the vein of skinny, medium, fat guy. C. Have 3 goalies with 3 skill profiles that fit a skillset similar to following: Hrudey - low, Cheveldae - mid, Belfour - high)... While default would always be medium tier, tournaments or online 2v2 Tuesdays, we could work in a system or flip to see what tier goalie is in net but both teams would have to play that tier for the game (just something to provide even further depth) I would love to discuss more ideas, let me know what you think. I'm just kind of riffing on some things so no expectations that any of these would be actually implemented. [I also understand that the goal is to have ALL players in league play be equally matched in terms of skill. My recommendations are more about lending itself to having options for future leagues and/or gameplay... basically, one rom to rule them all]

count me in

Coach! So great to hear back from you! I had reached out in the direct messages here last year and sent another msg on June 16th. I pasted one of them below but check your mail. If I know that you'll be in here checking messages, I'll make sure that I stay more connected here. Love that your still playing your original 6 roms and that's really cool your making those TSB College Fb roms. I'm still in Chicago. I live downtown near the Sears Tower. Some days I feel like I could go for an Endurance Ride to Nevada just to get away... but then I immediately realize that I would perish even before making it to the end of my street. haha Miss you a lot man. Please send a response if you see that msg below in your inbox. Hope all is well with you

Coach!!!! I've been messaging you... where are you? Come back!!

This is amazing, Kids. Are you going to open that Skater Lookup field into a drop down so I don't have to remember how to spell Leschleshezyn or whatever his name is?

I've been waiting for this breakdown for decades. Thanks Johnny C!

That's awesome that you have the original receipt. Throughout some years of collecting, I always hold onto the receipts if I ever come across them. Also, interesting that a new copy today at that price adjusted for inflation would cost ~$133.

As one who owns quite a number of these and actively searches for lowest number, that is really impressive. Great find, Vlad!

Edge of '94 -- Modano Mo' Problems IV -- March 2, 2024 I would like to start off by thanking Troy (@trojanlargefarva not sure of tag on forums) and @LeifErikson for putting together and hosting such an amazing event. Leif's team was absolutely spectacular. They started setup at 10am on Friday and worked a good portion of the day to bring it all together and then stayed for hours after the event on Sat night breaking it all down. Big shoutout to Noah for running everything so smoothly behind the scenes all day on Saturday as well. I just can't express how lucky we are to not only have someone in our community who owns his own production/AV company, but is also a CRT collector/enthusiast... and to top it off, willing to essentially craft a tourney venue inside a hotel lobby. THURSDAY I arrived Thursday afternoon ahead of anyone coming from out of town. As I explained on discord, my brother and gf live around the corner from Moxy so I thought I would be stopping by and having dinner with them on Thu evening, only to find out a couple days prior from a pic they sent over text that they were in Mexico (lol). Needless to say, my plans opened up that day. @LeifErikson hearing about this a couple days before reached out to let me know he would stop by to set up a solo crt and mega sg setup so I or anyone else arriving Thu could play that day. Again, just a true testament to the kind of thoughtful character that we're all dealing with when it comes to Leif. I arrived at hotel around 3pm and some of the staff from the year before was there (Justine and our bartender Ben who developed the Goalie Lock in '23) so we caught up for a little bit. Went upstairs to throw my things in and when I came down Leif happened to be around the corner in the library. We played some exis, caught up and he had some time to go out to dinner before he was set to pick up his daughter so we hit up Nightingale in Uptown not too far from Moxy. Food was ok, drinks were better, company was best part of the experience. Leif was nice enough to drop me back off at the hotel after at around 7. I knew that @annatar and @angryjay93 (so happy I don't have to type CalmGreg) were going to arrive somewhere around dinner time. Not knowing if I was going to encounter SoCal CG or AJ which would cause anyone anxiety, I apparently walked into the lobby with enough purpose and steadfastness that I was immediately questioned by this highly energetic sprite, Maly, who happened to be the hotel manager. She made fun of me for how serious I walked in the door... I didn't have it in me to explain what damage an insufferable SoCal CG can cause (lol) so I laughed it off as I should have. She was really fun, Ben was there so she was getting me drinks and it was just more of the Moxy being welcoming. Side story while I was at the bar: there was this weird guy on a tablet sitting next to us. It looked like a video stream of an overhead desert environment. He looked a bit stressed and then all of a sudden he starts swearing to himself and going on under his breath... but juuuuuust loud enough for my new pixie friend to hear him carrying on. She asked him what was going on just as I can see some house or building exploding in this tops down perspective. He's like "oh, nothing , nothing" but she can clearly see his tablet screen as well. Then she asks him if he works for the govt and he responds by saying "welllll, ya know..." then stands up, "excuse me for a moment" and walks away so disturbed. My skin was about to fall off due to the cringe factor. This mf'er was playing it up like he's bombing targets while having drinks in the Moxy lobby on a Thursday night. That is some lame f'ing garbage. All I could think when he finally paid his tab and took off is after a rousing remote Search & Destroy mission, I wonder how much 'ole Captain Carnage tips over there. Shortly after he left, my fun fairy asked if I wanted to head with her to the Wine Bar down the street which I was definitely agreeable. In my head, one can't help but think at that moment, "Interesting. Definitely a vibe here. Where is this night headed? I'm not sure... but I'm digging the potential. I'm game". As I turn to leave with her, who is right there at the front desk... Annatar and AJ! I introduced them to Maly and she asked if they wanted to go to the wine bar with us so they ran upstairs to drop off their things. (Listen, I had this whole jokey diatribe written out to poke fun about the timing of them as the dynamic duo of c0ck blocks but in all honesty, I couldn't have been happier in that moment when I saw those 2 guys.. AJ is a good friend and I've always wanted the chance to spend more time getting to know Annatar. especially now that there's more of an opportunity with him playing Gens). I think the biggest takeaway on the walk to the wine bar was not only did our aggressively entertaining imp not know where Montreal was (to be fair, I did not know it was due straight north of NYC... thought it was NW of NYC), I don't think she had heard of Montreal... ever! In fact, I think the jury was out if she knew where Canada was so there was that. The wine bar was fantastic. Just a jazz duet of a singer and guitarist. Annatar hadn't eaten yet so we ordered a charcuterie and a good amount of wine. When the board was brought out, Mali had to be made fun of with her high powered flash photo that made the WORST photos I've seen. This old guy had to teach her to turn the photos off for food pictures and that this was most likely the reason none of her food pictures had any likes on her instagram until that point. haha. One notable interaction with our bartender/server was inspired by the skilled threat we had to look forward to on Saturday with our very own AJ... I asked her if she could impart on us the most effective way to poison someone undetected. This seemed like a good question at the time considering she had an abundance of cheeses and meats at her disposal. To be fair, she didn't really recover from the shock of the question and therefore, provided no useful information. AJ was very pleased with this outcome. We walked back to the hotel after dropping Mali off at her car (to my dismay, she did not bob her head twice and disappear into a poof of magic dust... she just got into a Hyundai. lol) We must have got back to the hotel around 1030 to play exis in the library portion of the lobby and before I knew it, we headed to bed around 2am. Didn't know that time could fly like that when you're getting shellacked. Thus concludes our Thursday adventures... I'll skip the part where SoCal CG heads upstairs to play with his Juicy Bits. :tangerine: Stay tuned remainder of the Edge weekend write-up later this week...

Not sure if I have to respond here but I'm IN. First draft league since GDL. LOL First CDL though... LezzzzGoooo!

yummy data... num-num-num-num-num

She dragged her friend over like she was dragging a wounded soldier from a firefight within the jungles of Vietnam. The "wounded" friend was a lot taller as well so I mean, in a weird way, you have to admire what an incredible effort it was to simply go up to insult a group of random people. lol

My apologies for the delay in posting my thoughts and feedback on this amazing tourney weekend. I originally had drafted another review but the page was refreshed and I lost it. (Yes, sad emoji face indeed) So first of all, it’s no surprise that Troy deserves a huge round of applause for organizing such an amazing event. I believe this was my 3rd Edge of ’94 tourney and Troy has continued to step it up year after year. I really thought that last year was going to be tough to beat but with @Edge of '94 MidwestTroy’s unrelenting efforts combined with the coordinated partnership hometown hero, @LeifEriksonLeif Erikson, this weekend surpassed all expectations. Location -- Grade A Minneapolis, Minnesota I think Minneapolis is one of the best locations to hold a 94 tourney. It’s centralized enough that anyone can fly to it pretty easily in the US and far enough north to make sure our Canadian buds have a fighting chance at attending. It’s a hockey town that appreciates hockey. It’s safe vs other cities its size Uptown Neighborhood My brother lives in Uptown in Minneapolis so I have visited that area several times. There’s plenty to do and places to go out that fit any size budget. It’s more of a hipster vibe in that area so the retro game tourney fits well into their landscape. Vs other US locations Other major cities will be a lot more expensive for venues and accommodations Other cities are not centrally located enough. The only other potential city that could be possibly comparable would be Milwaukee but I still think Minneapolis is ideal. The Moxy Hotel – Grade A The Moxy was a 2 block walk to the venue so it was a perfect location for the tourney. Easy to get to from airport. (about 15-20 mins) Price – All in it was $125/night which is incredibly fair. (EDIT: apparently I overpaid. I made my reservations very early but Troy had worked out a rate for $70/night... wow, I should call Marriot for a credit) The only reason the hotel could have received less than a solid A would be due that the food options on site were limited. No shortage of snack foods on hand but it’s not the place where they have a full service kitchen. However, there are no shortage of options nearby. I went with AJ, my brother, and his gf out for a drink and then dinner at a fantastic Italian place on Friday night and then B-Dubs on Sat later after the tourney. Staff was accommodating and friendly They let us set up numerous NHL94 stations on Friday right in the lobby next to the bar. How cool is that?! On Sat night, there was a music venue and they still let us set up more tvs towards the back of the lobby. It was nice not to have to worry about getting a larger suite to hold after hours exis. Antaya, the bartender, was super friendly and only added to the enjoyment of the weekend. Venue – Grade B+ As I said, close to hotel. It was perfect for the size of the tourney If there were 15-20 more participants, I feel like we may have needed a larger venue The food was not going to blow anyone away but what should we expect starting early on a Saturday. They ran specials so the prices were fair and the offerings did the trick Staff was ok, although we were spoiled with the Moxy crew. The local crowd was colorful to say the least and a homeless guy shot up heroin in the bathroom at one point later in the afternoon. Lol That stuff doesn’t bother me though and I almost lost it when those girls started fighting while I was playing SeventiesLord Apparently I found out I caught a lucky break when my brother saw a girl almost puke on me… who knew there were so many trainwrecks out at 2pm?? lol Modano Mo Problems Tournament – Grade A Setup -- I loved it. There was the main stage that was setup to stream. Troy was the dedicated announcer and even had a person to handle any technical issues. Equipment -- I can’t thank Leif Erikson enough for all that he brought to the table. He brought enough CRTs that I never felt like I was waiting to get a game in. Event Coordination – everything ran really smoothly. So Troy, if there were headaches going on in the background, I never felt that as a participant. I am a huge fan of Troy singing the national anthems and I think everyone who shows up each year really looks forward to him belting those out. Although I didn’t receive a trophy, I think it’s a really nice touch that Troy has those each year. Those videos of the acceptances by AJ and Raph are great. Production value – again Leif just taking this tourney to next level. Pyrotechnics and holograms ?!?! That was so ridiculously cool. I had to take a step back from playing every once in awhile just to appreciate all of it Dedicated announcer – I can’t imagine how tired Troy was after this day. I mean, he’s a man that can talk, but he had to be pushed to his limits that day. Not only did he hang out until late that night and he never stopped moving the entire weekend, he always had a smile. Impressive. Overall Level of Fun – Grade A+ The first year I attended an Edge of ’94 tourney, I think Troy had to stay on my case to sign up. I didn’t know him that well but his enthusiasm has always been contagious. Over the past several years, I can’t wait for the next one. I really hope that he continues to build from the format of this year’s tourney for all the reasons I mentioned and having Leif Erikson as your boots-on-the-ground has proven to be a successful pairing. The competition was fierce this year but it’s always great to catch up with familiar faces and be surprised by what the new faces bring to the table. And if you lucky, you even get to put a face to a long time familiar name. This year I was lucky enough to do that with Scribe99. Its awesome that the Chicago contingent was able to make it up. They continue to become a force to be reckoned with and while we see the AJ/Raph at the top 2 spots each year, that next level is always getting more interesting. Feedback – obviously, this was an amazing weekend and I don’t feel anything needs to done. I would be perfectly fine if this tourney was exactly the same next year but here is some feedback since I think Troy would like to see this to continue to grow Winners -- Big congrats to AJ (Gens) @angryjay93 and Raph (SNES) @kingraph. The community is really lucky to have class acts like these two leading the charge year in and year out. Raph -- I hope one day to give you a run at a series in one of these tourneys. At this point, I've lost track of how many times you've knocked me out of a 94 tourney. Unfortunately, most of these 1 sided losses have to come on the stream as well in front of thousands... err I mean, hundreds... dozens?... ok, like a handful of people but still! haha Recruitment I hope that with the success of this year’s tourney that we can get more vets to the next one, as well as increase the level of participation from the local crowd. More local recruitment – it’s a hockey town, there must be pockets of 94 players scattered throughout the city Troy is incredibly diligent is recruiting but he should lean on the 94 community to help in those recruitment efforts Entry Cost I’m not sure what the out of pocket costs are for Troy or Leif but I’m hoping it’s minimal. If not, I think Troy should consider increasing the entry fee. I can’t think of many activities that last an entire day with the level of production value that cost ~$40. Announcing duties It would be great to have another dedicated announcer so Troy could actually play in the tourney. If he’s happy to announce and that’s it, that’s fine but I just would like to see him get more playing time in. SNES tourney vs Dedicated 2on2 tourney So I could be off here and I don’t want to run anyone the wrong way but I didn’t feel a huge SNES presence at this tourney. Traditionally, SNES is a bigger draw in Canada. While it was nice that there was a SNES tourney, it was the last thing I wanted to do after playing an entire day of GENS. Additionally, at the end of the SNES tourney it was Raph and AJ again so it wasn’t like there needed to be a consideration to the SNES vets who came in from Nova Scotia. My thoughts would be if the SNES doesn’t have a draw, it would be so much fun if after the Sega tourney, we transitioned to a fun 2on2 tourney instead. I feel like that would be a great way to break some of the competitive tension. That format lends itself to a lot of laughs and coming together more. I think it could be a really fun concept given the right format If it’s a matter of supply, I would be willing to donate to that cause. Overall, the only thing I’m surprised by with this tourney is that more people don’t make it. I know that’s tough with schedules but this tourney is always around the last week of Feb so I’m hoping more people can make the effort next year. It’s always so fun to see everyone and my only wish is that we all saw each other more often. @Votaw makes it every year from STL and I think that's so cool. Hoping to see @jesusplaysnhl94Jesus, @smozoma @CoachMac @Evan @halifax and Brutus at the next one. Thank you again, Troy and Leif. You guys really set a new bar this year. I really hope we can land in this same spot for next year. To the community -- I hope that all of you and your families are staying safe these days! Take care!

Please elaborate

Is there a reason Halifax is not in consideration? if that’s not the case, not that any of them aren’t worthy of the prestigious title but I would have to say the man behind the scenes on our kof94 days... the one... the only... The Smoz