The Forgotten Contenders: The Schenectady Superstars

In Seasons 12, 13 and from Season 16 to Season 22, the Long Island Lightning stood as the premier team in the SPL. Across those nine seasons, the Lightning won six championships and, when they fell short, often remained the titan the eventual champions had to overcome. When looking back at the teams that challenged the Lightning's dominance, many think of the Season 17 New England Stars and later Chaos, who led teams that defeated Long Island in Seasons 21 and 22. Yet before either, one team showed the Lightning could bleed. The Schenectady Superstars handed Long Island its only regular-season loss of Season 16, winning 10-5. The following season, they went even further, handing the Lightning its only regular-season loss of Season 17 and becoming the only team to ever mercy Long Island, defeating Jagr, Milk and Sum1 14-4 while outshooting them 29-10. The Superstars showed the league that the Lightning were not as untouchable as previously thought, breathing new hope into the Pro division. Yet six seasons later, their legacy is rarely discussed. But who exactly were the Schenectady Superstars?

The Superstars made their Pro debut in Season 16 with a core of TheTopElite, Zesh and GoldenKnight. Captain TheTopElite was looking to establish himself as a top-tier Pro player after two seasons in Pro during the draft era. GoldenKnight was coming off his first Pro championship in Season 15 after being selected in the sixth round the season prior, while Zesh brought a résumé featuring a Pro championship and two 100-point Pro seasons. The roster quickly proved it belonged. In Week 3, Schenectady defeated the Long Island Lightning 10-5 before going on to mercy another top-four team, the Philadelphia Phantasy, 10-0 in the first period.

The Superstars finished the regular season as the second seed, swept the New England Stars in the semifinals and then were swept by the Long Island Lightning in the championship series. Even in defeat, Schenectady pushed the league's dominant team, with two of the three games decided by two goals or fewer. Season 16 had established the Superstars as a legitimate contender. But when Season 17 began, the roster looked different. GoldenKnight had left to join the New England Stars.

GoldenKnight's departure gave Mokai a larger role alongside recently acquired veteran Hex. Schenectady responded by winning its first six games, all by at least five goals. Then came the rematch with the Long Island Lightning, who had just swept the Superstars in the finals. TheTopElite led a lineup of Hex and Zesh, looking to prove the 10-5 win was no fluke. Instead, Schenectady delivered an even bigger statement. Hex and Zesh combined for 21 points and 28 shots as the Superstars ran away with a 14-4 victory, becoming the first and only team to ever mercy the Long Island Lightning.

Former captain TheTopElite when asked about his favorite moments of the Superstars run would say, “Mercying Lightning was a pretty big achievement for us, as obviously they’re the best organization ever. Also, winning 10-0 in the first period against a future SPL champ in Tweek was pretty awesome.”

Across Season 16 and the opening stretch of Season 17, the Lightning lost only twice, both to Schenectady. Yet the Superstars would never get another playoff opportunity. Availability issues caused FF losses to pile up, and the team that had spent two seasons showing the Lightning could be beaten fell apart before the playoffs. However, the message they sent the league remained.

The Superstars' disbandment gave New England the opportunity to finish the job. The Stars had lost both of their regular-season games to the Lightning, but now they had hope. The rest is history. The New England Stars beat the Long Island Lightning in Game 4 of the Season 17 Erveon Cup Finals. GoldenKnight, now wearing New England colors, scored 17 points in the finals, including four goals in the 6-5 series-clinching win, helping dethrone the SPL's giant.

“I think the team of me, Hex and Zesh at that point could beat any team in slapshot if we continued playing.” - TheTopElite

Six seasons later, the Superstars remain one of the most forgotten teams of the Lightning era. They never won the championship or got another playoff opportunity after their historic mercy. But when the nearly untouchable Lightning lost in the regular season during that two-season stretch, it was Schenectady who beat them. The Superstars may have met their end before they could finish the job, but they showed the SPL that Long Island could be beaten and helped pave the way for the historic Season 17 New England Stars.