PowerPlay περιοδικό

Today's article is a translation from the Slovak version of the magazine where they introduce foreign communities on PPM. Today we would like to introduce you to the Canadian community. But you surely figured that out from the title and the flag. Enjoy the read. :)

Canada

A country in North America which is the second largest country in the world by area. Canada neighbors Greenland and USA. The border with US is the longest international border in the world. Canada is a federal state consisting of ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Princa Edwarda Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan) a three territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon). The capital of Canada is Ottawa, which is only the fourth largest city in Canada. The population of Canada is currently around 35 million. Canada has two official languages - English and French. The currency is Canadian dollar. That's the basic info about Canada, the cradle of hockey.

Canada on PPM

The number of registered Canadian managers has grown 8846 in October 2013, which means that the Canadian community represents 0.63% from the total number of registered managers on PPM. That puts Canada on 27th place in the ranking of countries according to number of registered managers.

Let's move on to more detailed numbers - Canada currently has 497 hockey teams, which is 2.39% from all hockey teams on PPM. This number could be higher, since there is no greater hockey nation than Canada. We hope the number of Canadian hockey teams will grow in the future. Soccer is not as popular as hockey in Canada, which can be seen on the number of soccer teams as well. There are currently 184 soccer teams which represents 0.6% from all soccer teams on PPM. We will deal with handball only briefly through some number. It is a young sport which we plan to deal with in the future, but it's too soon to draw any conclusions now. Back to numbers - the number of handball teams in Canada stands at 138, which is 0.89% from all handball teams on PPM.

To introduce the Canadian community, we have invited the captain of Canadian national support team and the editor-in-chief of the English version of PP Magazine - manager  canucks357.

Hi, could you please introduce yourself briefly to our magazine readers? Where are you from? What is do you do or study? What are your interests outside of PPM?

 canucks357: Thanks for taking the time to get to know me a bit better. I'm a PhD student (in physics) at the University of Guelph where I have obtained both my BSc and MSc in physics. I currently live in Guelph though I reside from a small town of around 2,000 people 85km south-west of Guelph, close to Lake Erie. Aside from PPM my interests are sports, obviously, but I also am deeply passionate about space and the importance of higher-education and science in our society as it moves forward. I am a contractor with NASA and am a payload lead on the mars rover Curiosity which takes me to some of the coolest places on Earth, for a nerd anyway. 

 canucks357 standing in front of a mars rover Curiosity

How did you get to PPM? Are you playing any other online games? How did you get to the position of captain of the Canadian national support team?

 canucks357: I came across PPM by doing a Google search of an online hockey management game. I was playing a software football manager game and wanted something similar in hockey. I found PPM and another site, the other site didn't stick, PPM did. Less than two weeks after I signed up the full-version was launched so it was good timing. I got on the Canadian support team when vlady posted a request asking for help. I submitted an application stating what I do and that at the time I played a high-level of competitive hockey and that was that.

Could you tell us what it means being the captain of the Canadian national support team?

 canucks357: As captain of Canada and the USA I am in charge of many things including helpers, moderators and editors in addition to being the editor in chief of the PPM English Magazine. I also represent the CAN/USA community to the developers and am their voice to the developers overseas.

How do you rate Canadian community and their activity on PPM? 

 canucks357: The Canadian community isn't a very large one but it is a strong one. We have lots of active and smart managers willing to help out new managers. We also do not have one team that wins everything in hockey, unlike some other countries close to our size. It is a very competitive country and we do very well in international cups as well as international play.

Are there any female managers in the Canadian community? If so, how do they manage to compete with the men?

 canucks357: We have had a few but I'm only aware of one at the moment and she plays because of her boyfriend. There certainly aren't many.

In the Slovak PP Magazine we could read translations some of your articles. How did you get involved in writing articles for the English version of the magazine? What types of articles you like writing the most? How long do you usually collect data for articles?

 canucks357: I basically write the articles for fun, as a break. Studying physics is very intensive and often things don't work out in research as you would hope. I often turn to PPM after a tough couple weeks because there is a lot of cool research that can be done and it often leads to logical conclusions but this time quantified. Data collection is often a communal effort and can take months but in the end it makes the reader a better manager and thus makes the game better which is why I take the time to do it.

In Slovakia and Czech republic we have quite often various meetings of managers of PPM (official and unofficial). Are similar meetings in Canada too?

 canucks357: We have had two (official) PPM meetings in Canada. The most recent we attended a CFL (Canadian Football League - American-style football not soccer) game at the stadium of my University. It was lots of fun and rained very hard after. There is a PPM magazine article written about the event.

Who do you think is the best manager at PPM in hockey and in soccer?

 canucks357: That is a tough question to answer. I would argue the best "managers" aren't the ones sitting at the top of I.1 and winning many trophies. I would argue the best manager is someone who makes the most out of very little. It isn't hard to win when you have the best team by a long shot. Sure, it took strategy and effort to get there, but luck can play a big role too. Plus, those who play the market heavily early on often gain an edge too. I really can't comment on "the best" manager since I don't know everyone, but there are certainly a few managers here in CAN/USA that constantly do very well despite having mediocre teams.

Try to tells us names of some Canadian youngsters from who we can expect great things in the future?

 canucks357: We have a good crop of young talent in Canada though not as good as you'd think. Given most of our good teams are well-established, they take to the market to acquire good youngsters. As a result standards are higher from the academies and our U17/U18 teams suffer. But, if you look internationally is the best judgement of the strength of a country to produce youngsters. And, once again, we seem to always find a way to perform above other countries of our size.

PPM is about managing virtual teams. How do you do in real sports?

 canucks357: As I stated in an earlier question, I used to play competitive hockey... the level of competition was high enough that I would board a plane to fly to games  (editor's note - Scott played as a goalie in Canadian university leagues MWJHL and CIS). Unfortunately, everything must end and I retired weeks before Curiosity launched for Mars in November of 2011  (editor's note - the mission started by the launch of a rocket carrying Mars rover Curiosity from Cape Canaveral on November 26, 2011). Since then my physical activity has decreased dramatically but I have been able to focus all my sporting energy on soccer which I can never get enough of.

* editor note - we would like to add a link to guelphmercury.com website, where you can find an interview with Scott about hockey and the mars rover Curiosity mission

 http://www.guelphmercury.com/sports-story/2774376-no-one-told-vanbommel-hockey-isn-t-rocket-science/

Hockey is a "religion" in Canada. Are you crazy about hockey as well? What is your favorite NHL team?

 canucks357: I used to be more passionate. My favourite team is the Vancouver Canucks, has been since I was 5 years old. However, the recent fiasco with how they messed around with Luongo has frustrated me so I've lost respect for the organization. That being said, one of my greatest memories is flying to Vancouver and watching Burrows score in OT on Tim Thomas in game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. It was 10m from the net and I am in the background of pictures on NHL.com from that moment!

 canucks357 has sent us a few pictures from the game at our request. We bring you two of them where you he is clearly visible. :)

 canucks357 celebreating a goal by Alexandre Burrows

 canucks357 found time to embrace the girl sitting next to him :)

Wayne Gretzky vs Mario Lemieux. Who do you think was the better player? If Sidney Crosby played in 80s or 90s do you think he would have been a better player?

 canucks357: I'm not a Gretzky fan despite playing much of my hockey in his hometown of Brantford. I would argue Mario simply because of the era difference, watching goalies from that era it is clear that times have changed. Put a modern Sidney Crosby on the ice and he'd smash Gretzky's records, it is simply a different game... from equipment to training and dedication.

Who do you think is the best player in the world in hockey and soccer? Who would be on your first all-star team in hockey?

 canucks357: It is hard to pick a best player because there are so many things to be good at. For example, if you needed a goal you'd put out someone different than if you needed a key defensive-zone faceoff win. When Ovechkin is on his game I think he is a player nobody compares to, the problem is, you don't know which version will show up on a given night. So, for an any-situation player I would have to go with David Backes. He hits, fights, scores, blocks shots and does everything, can play any role. Not the most conventional guy, but every championship team has a player like him flying under the radar. When it comes to soccer, my favourite player is Mats Hummels with a touch of Mesut Ozil.

What do you think about European hockey? Do you have know anything about it or do you only follow North American competitions?

 canucks357: To be honest, there is A LOT of hockey in Canada. Where I live, you can watch one of 10-50 competitive games live within a 30-40min drive. On TV, there is almost always an NHL game on and while I am familiar with European hockey through friends playing in it etc., it is not televised at all here and the only means of following it is through the internet.

Are you watching the world championships? In Europe these championships are very popular, but we heard they are not very popular in North America because they are on during the Stanley Cup playoffs (end of April and beginning of May)?

 canucks357: You are exactly right. The world championships are not popular at all here. During that time NHL playoffs are in full-swing and many don't see the allure of the competition when we're only sending half the players we could to it. That being said, when Olympics come around, the country tends to shut down whenever Canada plays.

Do you know anything about our little country Slovakia? Do you know any sportsmen/sportswomen from Slovakia?

 canucks357: Of course I do! Though, I must admit, I didn't know that much about it prior to PPM. I'm aware of Slovakian players more than other smaller European countries mainly through talking with  vlady. We compete in an NHL pool each year and he always has a Slovak or two on his team. Last year he had Halak and Hossa. This year just Hossa.

Jonathan Sigalet - do you know this name? He is a Canadian defenseman playing for HC Slovan Bratislava in KHL.

 canucks357: I know many people in the hockey world but I do not know him. Canada is a very large country and Sigalet comes from a place 4hrs by plane from where I live.

How is it in Canada with real soccer? Do you think it is at a sufficient level? Is there any interest in it among the public?

 canucks357: Canadian "soccer" has come a long way in recent years. Unfortunately, most good young Canadian soccer players have dual-citizenship and often hold out waiting to play for the country in Europe their ancestors were from. Our Men's team has always under-performed and it is very disappointing. That being said, soccer is now our most popular sport (editor's note - this has taken us by surprise as well :) ). Twice as many kids under the age of 14 play soccer than hockey. Unfortunately, the climate here makes it hard to play soccer more than 8 months per year. Heck, the United States has more people playing hockey than Canada now... though that largely has to do to population.

Looking at adults, hockey still isn't the most popular with golf taking the title there with hockey second and soccer 3rd. I suspect we will eventually be competitive on the international level. But, keep in mind CONCACAF is a weaker group to qualify for the World Cup from. I suspect, at best, we'd follow the suit of the USA where they are ranked high and always lose when facing European and South American teams.

Thank you for your time and willingness to answer our questions.

 canucks357: You're very welcome. I hope everyone enjoyed the article and perhaps in the future when they read articles I post they'll know a little more about the guy in the cold-country on the other side of the world. Best wishes, thanks for your questions and time; I am always available.

Once again, in the name of the whole editing team, I would like to thank  canucks357 for a great interview. :)

Canadian hockey on PPM

As has been mentioned in the interview, hockey is literally like a religion for the Canadians. The same can be said about PPM, where it is more popular than any other sport that has been launched. Canada currently has 4 league levels and 497 hockey teams. On the international level,  Canada is an average team playing in Division I and they are currently ranked 19 in the world hockey ranking. On the up-side, the Canadian national team was able a consistent Top division participant not so long ago. And they were not there just to make up the numbers. They made the quarterfinals four times and in season 5, they were able to turn it into a very solid fourth position under the leadership of  saint2e.

The top Canadian hockey league is ruled by  Montreal Strippers in recent seasons, led by mikpj. The team already has five trophies for winning the playoffs in his showcase, which makes  Montreal Strippers the most successful Candadian team in terms of number of trophies. The fact that 5 titles are enough to become the most successful Canadian team says a lot about the parity of the top Canadian division. The national cup has been monopolized by  Les Sanguinaires since season 10, led by  Bartimeus. In the last six seasons, the national cup trophy has ended in the hands of  Bartimeus' players five times. The only time they missed out was in season 11.

How have Canadian teams been doing in the interantional cups? In Champions' League it was mikpj who was able to make a name for himself when he brought his team  Montreal Strippers to an excellent fourth place finish in season 5. However, he was unable to follow this up and he was only able to get past the group stage of Champions' League one more time - in the fourteenth season when he fell in the first round of playoffs. Canadian teams had more success in Cup Winners' Cup - they made the final twice, but they lost both times. In season 13  Montreal Sasquatch made the final under the leadership of  MiLLw00d. He was beaten by the French  bebert team 3:1 in the final. The second finalist was  The Mighty Oil in the fourteenth season, led by manager themightyoil. Like his predecessor, he lost in the final. This it was the Hungarian team  Demon Flyers that put a stop to Canadian hopes. Overall, the most successful Canadian team in CWC is  Montreal Sasquatch, who, apart from the final, also managed to finish in a tied 9th place (4th season) and in a tied 17th place (11th season).

Canadian soccer on PPM

As we could read in the interview, soccer is gaining popularity in  Canada and maybe one day, this hockey giant will also become a force in soccer. However, that's not the case now, at least if you look at the number of soccer teams on PPM.  Canada currently has 184 soccer teams, which are divided into three league tiers. In the world ranking  Canada currently sits in a solid 15th place. The biggest success for the Canadian national team came under  slavko74, who managed to qualify them for the World Cup in season 10.  Canada was drawn into Group 4, where they were joined by  Spain,  Serbia and  Israel.  Canada finished in third place, just one point away from making the playoffs.

The Canadian club scene has been dominated by  NK Divlje Jagode from the start, led by the former national team manager  slavko74. The "Wild Strawberries" already have six championship titles under their belt.  slavko74 needs to be a little worried about skipman6 who is managing the  Kenora Stingers and breathing down the neck of  slavko74. In the last few season he was more than a match for him, which is supported by three championship titles in a row in seasons 8-10. There is a rarely seen parity in the national cup, where the most successful teams have only two trophies each. They are the  Kenora Stingers and  Brutal Deluxe.

When you look at the international club competitions, Canadian teams are one of the best in the world. At least as far as the "Rest of the world" region is concerned. The Canadians won the Champions' League three times already. Twice courtesy of  NK Divlje Jagode (seasons 4 and 7) and once by  Kenora Stingers (season 8). Canada has a similar record in the Cup Winners' Cup to the one in Champions' League - Canadian teams have won CWC three times ( Ottawa Magic† - season 2,  NK Divlje Jagode - season 9,   Ontario Alpha Particles - season 11). In season 11, the final was an all Canadian affair between  Ontario Alpha Particles and  Bow Valley AFC, which ended with Alpha Particles winning by a score of 3:1. In the SuperLeague Cup, a competition not divided into regions, the Canadian teams are still waiting for a major breakthrough.

So that's the Canadian PPM community in a nutshell. I hope you have enjoyed reading the article as much as we have enjoyed writing it.

Finally, we would like to thank managers who have cooperated on writing the article. I want to thank editor  otecko for translating the questions for  canucks357, editor  belasaba for help with the creation of the questions, and finally PPM developer  vlady, for translating the article into English. Great work guys!

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Editor's note 

* the numbers of registered managers, number of teams and other statistics are as of October 22, 2013