I honestly didn’t think we’d get any NHL hockey this year, but just like that I’m already double booked for the first Canucks game on Saturday and committed to three hockey pools*…
…including this one!
We’re using the CBC pool again, as most people who are interested should already have an account, and unlike other pools it continues into the playoffs. All readers (including lurkers) and Twitter friends welcome! Once you’ve picked your team for the first week, join the group VWXPool (password: 2012Season!) and let me know in the comments, especially if you’re new and you think I won’t recognise your user name (we always get at least one random person joining the pool each year, but I kick them out if two emails asking who they are go unanswered. I guess some people join random pools on the internet with people they don’t know, which seems odd to me, but to each their own I guess).
I think the pool will be smaller than usual this year, as I know there are a few past participants who are so cheesed off with the lock-out and/or the league’s inaction on head injuries that they just don’t want to be involved in NHL hockey in any way, shape or form any more. We’ll miss you guys, but I do understand – I’m seriously cheesed off with the whole situation myself, just not quite enough to override my love of the sport and the IRL & online social scenes that revolve around it.
YAY HOCKEY!
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*the three pools are very different. The CBC pool we’re using here involves choosing new players every week, another that my friend is running involves picking one player each from 20 groups and sticking with that line-up for the whole season, and the one we’re doing at work will be my first ever draft-style pool. The draft is on Friday… wish me luck!
I’ll be one of those boycotting the league this year, but have fun! The draft leagues are awesome!
I’m with Alyssa on this one (but I think you suspected that already from my previous grumpy comments). After the World Juniors debacle, it’s doubtful that I’ll be interested in hockey for a long, long time.
Yep, I assumed you two (and ScientistMother) would be out this year. Good news though – you can still trash talk the rest of us in blog comments!
Oh I’m in 🙂
What?!! I’m allowed to thrash even though I’m boycotting?!! Sweet!
Maybe you and I should trash-talk each other? I’ll start…. “NYAAH NYAAH MY PICKS WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN YOUR PICKS!!!” 😀
WTV, dude, I think I’ve easily kicks your arse for the last couple years. YOu and your TO loving ways.
Yah think? I won the pool last year, where did you finish?
I never pick Toronto players, what would be the point?
Hey, I did pretty well out of my Leafs players last year.
For the first six weeks of the season, anyway…
hey, we real toronto fans don’t need more pre-mocking.
*grumpy*
why not finally start a rugby pool or for that matter even a cricket pool, when this obscure NHL thing is so controversially not quite taking place?
Feel free to start one!
Nina: I see from your blog that you went right past my place over Christmas (Dunedin; Christchurch is my hometown). I probably should comment on your blog, but out of laziness let me continue here – I’ve done the Nor’west circuit of Stewart Island. It’s a great place. Would love to go back when/if I can find time.
well, let me know next time you’re in good old Chch and perhaps we can meet for a coffee? Or I might drive past Dunedin again next months.
(Sorry Cath for using your blog as chat service)
not a problem – carry on!
Hey, will do 🙂
Not sure when that’s likely to be. There is a tiny chance I’ll actually figure out a way to get to scio13, in which I’ll be up that way around the end of this month. (Working on that tonight. The cheapest airfare I can find to get from NZ to Washington so far is via Seoul (!) and still costs a heap.)
we’re not around end of Jan … flying out to India for a wedding, which, Cath, I think will be full-on blogging material for the grumpier, yet insightful posts
Have fun in India! Been there, too 😉 (For 6 months as a trip after my Ph.D. Long time ago now, though…)
I’m not sure I should join in on this given I know damn-all about the game, but for dear FSM’s worth don’t start a cricket pool.
It’ll remind me of the Black Caps.
Grant, don’t let that stop you – Bob played last year despite not knowing anything about hockey (he just picked all the Finnish players), and
he enjoyed itwe enjoyed mocking him“we enjoyed mocking him”
This is supposed to encourage me?
You get to mock us in return…
I picked Swedish ones (and some on my teams that I love in the end of the season when things looked very bleak…. )
Hey! I do know something about hockey, just not this NHL stuff.
I’ve just signed up, so let the mocking begin.
I’m in again! I have almost 0 minutes to actually follow hockey, but I’m happy to be the target of mocking. 🙂
I’m in! Sent by Gerty-Z herself! Go Nashville!
Welcome, everyone! It’s fantastic to see some new faces among the old friends!
Putting these here so I can always find them easily:
My picks for my work draft pool (I picked 7th of the 8 people in my group): D Sedin, St. Louis, Zetterberg, Heatley, Nugent-Hopkins, Landeskog, Bergeron, Whitney, Tarasenko, Doan, Tanguay, Weber, Michalek, Hodgson
Friend’s pool (pick 1 player from each of 20 groups of 6 similarly-ranked players): Giroux, Ovechkin, Spezza, Kane, Nugent-Hopkins, Lupul, Elias, Bergeron, Alfredsson, Purcell, Ennis (natch), Fisher, Callahan, Marchand, Burrows, Read, Karlsson, Edler, Boyle, Ehrhoff
This pool: TOP SECRET
“Ennis (natch),” 🙂