2017-2018 CLL Season

Summary
RENO CAPTURES FIRST CAZAH CUP WITH CLUTCH PLAYOFF RUN

Championships call for clutch playoff performances, and that's what the Reno Wildfire received from their players. Reno, also known as "Carlson & Karlsson LLP", had a consistent season, treading between the 3rd and 6th place mark for most of the 20 weeks. The franchise pulled a tough draw in round 1, facing the New England Kodiaks who had been in a top 3 seed most of the season. On Sunday evening, trailing 6-5 and with only one player start from veteran defenseman vs. 3 New England skaters, the Wildfire pulled off the unthinkable, sinking the Kodiaks 7-6. Reno carried the momentum into the second round, defeating Brampton with a very strong Saturday and Sunday performance, and propelling the team to their first Cazah Cup final. They would meet the Manitoba Elmos, who had dominated the entire regular season, setting several records and earning the Wagon Memorial Trophy. Once again, a clutch performance late in the match-up by Reno's veterans clinched them their first Cazah Cup with a 8-6 win.

Other notable season events:
 * During a mid-season Pigeon Corner episode, both Mikael Clement and Tee Tanoli gave the hot-take that the Quebec Bulldogs, who were sitting in 15th place, would make a run in make it to the post-season. The Bulldogs did not disappoint, finishing the season on an 8 week winning streak (top 3 streaks in CLL history), only to fall to the eventual champions in the Cazah Cup Quarter-Finals.
 * The season saw a "changing of the guard", as many of the tenured powerhouses fell short of making the playoffs, including Wyoming, New England, Brampton, Weedon and St John's.
 * It was a disappointing finish for the Peshawar Hashashin, who looked like a sure favorite to win their first CLL title. After starting the season with a 8-1 matchup record, the franchise went downhill, ending the season with 1 win through the final 4 weeks and losing both their Semi-Final and 3rd Place Matchups.

Draft
The 2017-18 Cazah Draft took place at the John Molson School of Business on September 27th, 2018. The following is the draft order, inlcuding first round results:

Key Changes
The off-season brought two key additions to the league:
 * Two conferences to facilitate league scheduling
 * Requirements for franchise location and branding

A league podcast, The Pigeon Corner, was also introduced, produced by William Chan (SJS). The Podcast is hosted by Mikael Clement (NE) who is joined by panelists William Chan (SJS) and Tee Tanoli (PH).