Prediction League 2010/11 - Wildcard Team?

[archibalduk]

After a one year hiatus, the NHL Prediction League will be returning later this month for the 2010/11 season! The first round of games will be announced in the week commencing 27 September 2010.

As with previous years, we'll be splitting the season into two - so that we have a mid-season and end of season winner as well an overall 2010/11 champion. As usual, there will be five games per week to predict and these will be posted on roughly a fortnightly basis. After the first half of the prediction league we'll have a brief break of approx two weeks before the second half of the competition starts. Users are welcome to join at any time and you need not have competed in the first half in order to compete in the second half.

The only change we're considering for this season's prediction league is the introduction of a weekly wildcard game. This will involve choosing a wildcard team from a league outside of the NHL. Every week, one of the five games will involve the wildcard team. This idea behind this suggestion is simply to add a new twist and a bit of variety to the game. Before adding this feature, we'd really like to know what you think of this. If the idea isn't popular then we won't do it. Please use the poll in this thread to vote whether you would like to see the introduction of a wildcard team. The outcome of this poll will determine whether we go ahead with this idea.

Please note that the poll will close next Sunday (26 September 2010).

We'd also like to hear your suggestions about which league we could choose the wildcard team from. Perhaps you have a team to suggest - we'd love to hear these. Ideally, the team should be a mid-table team so that they lose almost as much as they win. There's no point in choosing the best or worst team from a league as they'll almost be guaranteed to win/lose every game!

If the wildcard team idea went ahead then we'd of course review it at the mid season break. Perhaps we could change the team for the second half of the prediction league?

Let us know what you think!

[B. Stinson]

Me likey.

What about choosing the wildcard team at random each time? Have all the teams of the major leagues in a pool, then draw a team. If they play that week, pick one of the games and go with that? If no games that week, draw another team?

I'm sure a simple Python script could be run to do the draw in no time.

But however we do it, I'm all for it.

[archibalduk]

I was thinking more of choosing one team and sticking with them (and then maybe switching to another team for the second half of the season). Then we'd really get to "know" that team and maybe learn a bit about them.

But if there is interest in a weekly random team from a particular league then I'm all for it.

Equally, if the community would rather stick with a purely NHL prediction league (i.e. no wildcard team) then I'm happy with that too.

[McQwak]

I'm for purely NHL prediction or choosing random team for each week (or month?).
I see potential negative side that the wilcard team (league) can be boring and we will have to stick with it during the whole half of the season. We will have to check that league to provide valid predictions and maybe that league won't be interesting enough for all to keep an eye on it for several months. In the second half of season we will face another issue with different season ends in NHL and other leagues.

Do you mean european leagues as well? Will that be interesting for North American users?

If using a wildcard team, then I vote for rotating or changing the leagues and teams. Including "exotic" leagues such as Swiss, German or EIHL Or maybe international tournaments games as well.

[bruins72]

I'd love to have a CHL game be a "wild card" each week. To be honest with you, most of the European leagues/teams are completely off my radar. Then again, some users will have a greater knowledge of the European leagues and none about the CHL so I guess if we rotated the league, it would all equal out.

[McQwak]

That's what I thought. Let's rotate it or keep it NHL only.

[archibalduk]

I'm now going to close the poll - so no further votes will be counted. It's 10 voted for a wildcard and 4 against.

It sounds like a rotation is going to be the best compromise between keeping North American and European fans happy. So how about we chose one CHL team and one Swedish team? One week we'll have the CHL team and the next the Swedish team?

So here are some suggestions:

CHL
P.E.I. Rocket
Rimouski Océanic
Red Deer Rebels
Portland Winterhawks
Brampton Battalion
Guelph Storm

Sweden
Färjestad BK
Brynäs IF
Frölunda HC

Which CHL and which Swedish team shall we use? Or would you prefer a league other than Sweden?

[B. Stinson]

I vote Brampton and Brynäs.

[bruins72]

That sounds like a fair compromise. I'll have to take a look at those teams and see if there are any interesting prospects on them before I weight in on who I'd like to see included.

[Manimal]

Red Deer and Brynäs

[bruins72]

Personally, for a CHL, I'd like to see us follow the London Knights. The Bruins have a prospect there named Jared Knight that really impressed in camp. I'd be interested in following him and his junior team.

As for the Swedish team, I'm really clueless there but I've always seen players come from all three of those teams in EHM. The one I always liked was Frolunda.

[batdad]

Has to be Red Deer==Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and I am adding in Skelleftea AIK with Adam Larson. Gee I wonder why I want those two in it.

[bruins72]

Actually, that's a good point on those two, B-diddy. Those are the 2 guys expected to be ranked at the top of the draft. The other name I've heard tossed around is Sean Couturier, who plays for Drummondville Voltigeurs. Maybe we can rotate between those 3 teams?

[archibalduk]

Actually, that's a good point on those two, B-diddy. Those are the 2 guys expected to be ranked at the top of the draft.

That would be a very good reason to go with those two teams. It'd also give those fans who are solely interested in the NHL some sort of interest in the wildcard.

I'd happily go with Red Deer (I have fond memories of them in EHM 2004 ) and Skelleftea. I'm not sure about bringing in a third team for the moment - I'd rather keep things simple to run to start with. I reckon we choose either Red Deer or Drommondville for CHL along with Skelleftea.

[B. Stinson]

Speaking of prospects, what about using the draft rankings to pick the teams: Take the team of the highest rated CHL prospect, and take the team of the highest rated European prospect?

Then if we switch mid-season, we could use the mid-season rankings if they change. If not, then take the second highest rated prospects?

[batdad]

BStinson: That is why I suggested Red Deer and Skelleftea. Larsson is ranked 1, and N-H depending on who you look at is ranked 2 or 3. Couturier sneaks in as 2 in some cases. But..Ryan is better and will prove it this season. Guys are concerned because he only weighs 167. But trust me...he will score 100 points in year 3 in the NHL if he gets the right teammates. Dude is visionary.

[archibalduk]

In the absence of any further suggestions, we'll go with Red Deer and Skelleftea