Hockey Season is Coming, but Not Soon Enough for Some Fans

     Even though the National Hockey League (NHL) starts October 8th, a group of friends and I have decided to get into the spirit early; for our second year in a row, we've started up our Fantasy Hockey League with our draft last Thursday.

Brandon Saad (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

     There are four of us in the league: myself, Linda, Katie, and Mary Kate. Although we don't play for money, the league is still a fun way for all of us to keep up with current NHL games, as well as talk to one another about a sport that we're all passionate about. Last year, I came in last place, but it was fun to watch games, then see the immediate results of how it would (or wouldn't) change my position in the league.
     The first round of this year's draft saw big names like Patrick Kane, 2007's 1st overall draft pick, and Tyler Seguin, 2010's 2nd overall pick,   but a few less familiar names as well. Brandon Saad, drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft, has played for the Chicago Blackhawks for three seasons not, but has not necessarily lived up to the hype that came with him right after the draft. Similarly, Jonathan Drouin, drafted third overall in the 2013 still has not debuted in the NHL; instead he is continuing to play with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where Drouin has remained for three seasons.
     Other quickly-drafted players in our league are Sidney Crosby, Drew Doughty, Carey Price, Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie Benn, and Jonathan Quick. Noticeably absent from our draft was Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks and two-time winner of the Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold with Team Canada.
     "So nobody drafted Toes... brb laughing forever," joked Mary Kate in our Facebook group message for the league.
     Even though Fantasy Football and Baseball continue to dominate the fantasy leagues in the U.S., there is definitely a small, but dedicated group of hockey fans that want to get in on the fun. Even though the season doesn't start for another month, I'm already looking forward to being able to stream a game online, then check out how my team is doing afterwards. I probably won't come in first at the end of the season, but the fun comes in the journey along the way.




Photo retrieved from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Brandon_Saad_Hogs.jpg