Hockey Season

[Homeskillet]

I have decided to start watching hockey this year...and the season is just around the corner...Anyone want to share some basic info that I might need to know about the game?

Who are your teams? Do you have a favorite player? I am going to root for the Avalanche...I dunno, just figured we needed a hockey thread

 

[Scott]

New Jersey all the way. Somehow we one the Cup last year, without any real offensive firepower. But you know what they say, defense wins championships. Watch out for the Ottawa Senators, they're going to be very tough this year. We barely finished them off in the Eastern Conference finals last year.

Peter Forsberg is your star center and one of the NHL's best players. Joe Sakic and Paul Kariya (free agent from the Mighty Ducks) will both score a lot of goals for your Av's too. Your biggest concern should be goalie, where David Aebischer replaces the retired legend Patrick Roy.

My favorite players are John Madden, Scott Stevens, Scott Neidermeyer, and Marty Brodeur.

Here is the power rankings posted by ESPN
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/powerranking

If you want to play in some fantasy hockey leagues let me know. I'm going to join some public leagues over the weekend. Its fun and it helps you get into it more and root for players besides the ones on your team.

 

[Homeskillet]

Awesome! Jersey, eh? I don't know much about the team, but I used to work at a place called "Rapidforms" in Thoroughfare, NJ...that was many moons ago...Just thought I'd throw that in

I am already signed up for a fantasy league to start soon...if I knew exactly how much time they will require I would join more than one...Don't want to over commit...I am competitive so I wouldn't want to be a part of it unless I could be dedicated to see it through....Do they take up much time?

 

[Scott]

The entire shedule is broken up into 22 weeks and then a 4 week playoff in head-to-head leagues (most at least). I'm used to fantasy football and have played it many years. Its similar just a longer season. Fantasy sports don't really take up a lot of time unless you have trouble deciding who to play each week. I follow each sport enough to have a good idea who's playing well and who's not (so that equates into taking on more leagues to play in).

But if you are just starting out watching hockey I'd stay with one league and try that. If you like it you may try more next year. With football I'm in many leagues but I follow football closer than any other sport. I follow hockey fairly closely, enough so that I feel comfortable playing in many leagues, but not to the extent of what I do in football. I'm trying to get a better appreciation for individual players in hockey that normally you wouldn't get just from watching.

 

[Homeskillet]

Sweet....I am looking forward to the league. I have never been into any sport really (Well, I was on my college's crew team, but that's it) but I am psyched about hockey....less than a week till pre-season...

Thanks for the info...I may come back for some advice once the league starts up... :

 

[Homeskillet]

Hey...is it too late to join up in one of those fantasy leagues? The one I was going to join sorta "fell through"...lemme know if it's not too late if you don't mind

 

[Scott]

Yeah, let me know what day and a general time you want to join one and I'll find one for around that time of day. All you need is to sign up for a free Yahoo I.D. and then I'll find a league to join.

Draft's take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending how many (hopefully 10 at most) and how many players each person has to pick for their team (usually anywhere from 16-26). Most of the time the drafts go pretty fast.

http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey

 

[Homeskillet]

Cool!

If you wanted to do it this weekend, I will be online here and there, but early morning and late night are probably the times I am sure to be on.

(Say between 6am and 8am and then between 11pm and 1am )

When is convenient for you?

 

[Scott]

I.M me when you get this message tonight or tomorrow and we'll go sign up for one at the same time. Live drafts run from 9:30 a.m. to 12 midnight (eastern) so we'll have to do it at night which is fine with me.

I.M. me when you get this... my Yahoo I.D. is darkcell30

I'll talk to you later then.

 

[Free]

Well, Homeskillet, the season is upon us. Welcome to the greatest sport in the world. Most people support the local team, so being from Calgary (way up north), I am a Flames fan. This year, I am just hoping they make it to the playoffs and I am hoping some Canadian team wins the Cup. New Jersey is an okay team, but they are afterall, Devils.;)

Tonight there are a lot of games happening tonight and the scores (and a lot of other info) can be found at http://www.nhl.com.

 

[lakesider]

Dallas is 1-0, made the Ducks looks pretty bad last night...Stars could use some toughness though after letting Hatcher get away. Modano may have a long season--he'll get picked on quite a bit.

 

[Homeskillet]

Avalanche....tonight.....yipppeee!

 

[Unique]

I'm a loyal fan of the Montreal Canadiens. Even though it would take a miracle for them to even make it to the play-offs, I'm with 'em all the way!

 

[White_Knight]

Ya me too... (sigh) I want to see them again in the stanley cup finals. I guess it's too much asked. I still remember when they whiped out Nordics. Then they became Avalanche, the Habs gave them Patrick Roy and that year they won the stanley cup.