<\/strong><\/p>\n
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- Quite possibly, the division name.\u00a0 Rich already jettisoned Tim Brown’s honorific and replaced it with one for Julie Katz.\u00a0 As of press time, the division still bears the $h0wT!m3 name, but it could soon be retired, much like its namesake has done multiple times already.\u00a0 Rich could even bring back the Rubens Division.\u00a0 Stay tuned for all of the drama!<\/li>\n
- Instant Karma.\u00a0 After suffering through a difficult inaugural season in the Glanzer Division, Karma should welcome a schedule that is a lot more forgiving.\u00a0 Of course, three of their seven wins last season came against the Elves, so they’ll have to find other teams to beat up on this year.<\/li>\n
- The Gremlins.\u00a0 Oh hey guys, good to have you back!\u00a0 After a one year sabbatical to the Greene Division, the Gremlins return to the division they called home from 2011-2014.\u00a0 However, they were never able to win it during those four seasons, so maybe coming back isn’t all its cracked up to be.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\""You're](\"http:\/\/www.btsh.org\/bruise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/welcome-home.gif\")
<\/a>“You’re killing me, Gremlins.”<\/p><\/div>
<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Who’s Gone<\/strong><\/p>\n
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- The Rehabs.\u00a0 They won the division comfortably and then went on a nice run in the playoffs, advancing all the way to the championship game.\u00a0 So all of the other teams in the division banded together and decided to not let them return.<\/li>\n
- Poutine Machine.\u00a0 They avoided relegation in 2014 by taking more points in a two-game series with the Gremlins in the season’s final two weeks (Walker remembers, and laments, this well).\u00a0 They couldn’t avoid last place in the division in 2015, but they’ll get an early chance at redemption with an Opening Day game again the team that replaced them, the Gremlins.<\/li>\n
- Jeff Laniado.\u00a0 He finished fourth in the league with 18 goals last year, accounting for more than one-third of the Butchers scoring.\u00a0 Alas, his contract was up, and the budget-conscious Butchers could not match Fuzz’s front-loaded offer sheet.<\/li>\n
- Brian Hicks.\u00a0 We’re stretching this one a little, since Hicks never actually played for the Gremlins in this division.\u00a0 But he also signed an offer sheet from Fuzz that wasn’t matched, and with it go his 20 goals from last season, one-third of the team’s total.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Key Players<\/strong><\/p>\n
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- Arnold Sanchez, Butchers.\u00a0 Losing Jeff is a tough blow, but the Butchers always seem to land on their feet after personnel changes.\u00a0 What they can’t lose is the grinding, gritty presence of players like Arnold that give them a chance to win no matter whom they are playing.<\/li>\n
- Liam Martens, Cobra Kai.\u00a0 He’s arguably the best pure scorer on Cobra Kai, a team that looks unbeatable on some Sundays, and totally lost on others.\u00a0 The division is there for the taking this season, and a few extra goals from Liam could go a long way to securing it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Quit](\"http:\/\/www.btsh.org\/bruise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/cobra-kai-300x125.jpg\")
<\/a>Quit being so nice, Liam! Be more like these guys.<\/p><\/div>\n
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- Jamie Baduwantudawe, Gremlins.\u00a0 Forty of the Gremlins sixty goals last year came from players other than Hicks, which softens the blow of his departure.\u00a0 But the team’s success will likely still come down to Jamie, who has been known to steal games for them in the past.\u00a0 Of course, other teams are fully aware of this and tend to borrow Jamie for their own exploits, so keeping him fresh and not over-exerting him will be critical.\u00a0 Or he could just find other co-workers who are really good at hockey.<\/li>\n
- Danielle Haselton, Instant Karma.\u00a0 Being commissioner isn’t easy.\u00a0 Did you see how much that job aged Adriano and jaded Timmy?\u00a0 Now throw co-captaining duties with Chadwick into the mix.\u00a0 When not dealing with angry captains, or game-day crises, or league administrative matters, she’ll have to reel in existential tangents and games of lime toss. That’s a pretty daunting task.<\/li>\n
- Corey Winters, What The Puck.\u00a0 The sage veteran of the squad, he’s probably the league’s closest equivalent to a player-coach.\u00a0 His presence is not as consistent as it used to be, but when he’s around, his influence on What The Puck’s rather large roster is clearly noticeable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n