Seattle -- Last season, it seemed like everything was going wrong for the Seattle Bears - until it didn't. Entering the playoffs with a disappointing fourth seed, the Bears became the first team since the wild card game's VHL institution to go from the opening round all the way to a title. It was the culmination of a long rebuilding effort for the Bears, and it was the franchise's first title since S43 and second in 30 seasons.
What is there to do for an encore? It seems that the strategy is to run it back, for the most part. The team's top offensive talents in Gretzky, Federov and McAllister are back, and so is top defenseman Johnsson. Some changes, though, were large - gone is co-Playoff MVP goalie Vernon von Axelberry, and in his place is the former netminder of the Riga Reign, Markus King. Perhaps bolstering Seattle's chances are some machinations around the league - Toronto and Riga moved to rebuild (though Riga ended up more reloading), while another competitor in Helsinki saw their best player in Franchise Cornerstone hit hard by depreciation.
All of that means to Gabriel McAllister that the Bears could very well be the favorites for another title - though after last year, he knows not to presume anything. "It takes a good combination of skill and luck to win in this league, I now know from experience," McAllister said following the team's training camp. "Do I think we have the talent for another title? Absolutely. But we can't just expect everything to go our way - that's what got us the fourth seed last season. It's time to keep grinding, and if we work like I know we're capable of, I feel good about this season."