The look and feel of NSHL25 can likely be described as varied but all in all, an upgrade over season's past. The key discovery to it all was the unlocking of direct ties to STHS which as predicted, changed the game completely.

And now here we sit, NSHL25 is behind us and we are literally on the verge of the next chapter: NSHL26. With NSHL26, comes a new look, a new feel, new features, an enhanced experience. An improvement.

The NSHL's logo saw a minor update in both the font and blue colour used - neither really noticeable unless you're looking at it real close.

The thinking? The NSHL is 26 years old now. It knows what it is and where it fits. The stars and maple leafs acknowledge our backgrounds and the places our teams play. It's a simple logo that shows our work. The letters are a bit larger, a bit louder because we're comfortable.

We're proud.

The MSHL's update was more impactful by design: the league's growing. CAVALRY players have been a welcome success and that value comes in large part, from LIIGA and SHL, the Finland and Sweden's leagues. The new lighter blue and pair of Nordic cross in the M's logo is a gentle nod to their flags.

With the relocations of San Jose and Vancouver to the east coast in Buffalo and Washington respectively, league alignment will also be changing ahead of NSHL26.

Buffalo and Washington move to the Eastern Conference (the Sabres to the Northeast, the Capitals to the Atlantic). To help re-balance, the Hamilton Mustangs and Toronto Maple Leafs will head to the Western Conference and join the Central Division.

Also caught up in the mix: the Boston Bruins will stay East but move over to the Northeast, while the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche will stay in the West but move over to the Pacific Division.

New GMs. New logos. Teams moving around a bit. And, a GM Portal?

Yes, the GM Portal has been introduced as a means to help simplify lives and give all teams a place to conduct official league business while conducting official business while at work.. if you know what I mean.

We're here. We're adjusting our strats as we go and spending a lot of TOI getting it right. We're building a winner.

Welcome.

A day after the NSHL crowned its Champion, the Rochester Americans knocked off the Bakersfield Condors in Game 5 of their Best-of-Seven series to capture The Championship.

The MSHL title is the first in franchise history for Pittsburgh Penguins' GM Jeff, the "big" club won the Stanley Cup in NSHL21 of course.

24 year-old right winger Kirill Marchenko was awarded the MSHL's Playoff MVP following a dominating 43 point Playoff performance for the Americans. Marchenko figures to have cemented himself as a future regular in the top six on the Penguins' roster next season given that performance (and saying nothing of him turning 25 and waivers and all..).

For Rochester the pathway was a rocky one, first going to six games against Bridgeport before being forced into consecutive seven game series in the Conference Semi-Finals against Greensboro and then again in the Eastern Conference Final against Orlando. Ending Bakersfield in five games put an end to a long journey (in the best of ways!).

Unfortunately, the flip side of that is Bakersfield's NSHL25 story: a long, painful journey without the carrot. Bakersfield handled the Cleveland Monsters and Pee Dee Pride in six games each and then went the distance against the top seeded Colorado Eagles, knocking them out before the Final. The Condors no doubt wanted a better result in the MSHL Final, but have no doubt earned their stripes along the way which should serve them well in the seasons to come.

Congratulations to Rochester GM Jeff and Bakersfield GM Ray on each of their team's performance in NSHL25!

We've entered a new dynasty era and it runs downhill.

The Colorado Avalanche and Captain Nathan MacKinnon are back-to-back Champions after their 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.

GM Crowder's Avalanche completed the four game sweep over GM Joe's Bruins, earning only the 2nd sweep in the Stanley Cup Final since, ironically, NSHL3 when Joe's Bruins swept GM Hank's Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche forward Robert Thomas earned Conn Smythe honours as Playoff MVP edging out Boston's Marko Dano who admittedly "disappeared when he was needed".

A reflective David Pastrnak did everything he could to carry the Bruins in the Final, but the Avalanche were just "too much, too well rounded, too powerful". Pastrnak refused to answer if he regretted the decision to touch the trophy after the Bruins' Eastern Conference series win.

Congratulations to both the Avalanche and Bruins franchises and their GMs, Crowder and Joe on terrific seasons!