IceHL Fantasy League
Lately, I've been trying to think of ways to revive the IceHL project. If you're new to this, the IceHL was a fantasy hockey league where readers made all the decisions. You picked what cities would have teams then voted on user-submitted logo designs. All in all, we ended up with 30 unique teams. It was an exercise to get creative, and brand teams from the ground up.
So I thought, why not set up an actual IceHL fantasy league this year? We'd use an online service like Yahoo or ESPN. Icethetics readers could own and manage IceHL teams and go head-to-head throughout the season. And maybe there could be a small prize or two for the winner.
This is not a done deal yet. I haven't decided whether to do it. But there's been a big response on Twitter and via email, so I'm going to take the next step. If we use ESPN, which is most likely, you can only have up to 20 teams in your custom league. This means we won't be able to use all of our IceHL teams, unfortunately.
My guess is there are more than 20 of you that will be interested in joining this league. (I could be wrong.) That being said, everyone who wants in will have to apply to play. Here are the rules:
Applying for an IceHL team
I'm not going to require that you have experience playing fantasy hockey, but at least that you have an attention span long enough to finish the season. I know a lot of people start a team and forget about it by December. You have to be willing to commit if you're going to apply.
If you are awarded a team, you must be willing to use the IceHL team's name and logo that is assigned to you. Changing it without permission from the commissioner will be grounds for termination from the league. So how do you apply for a team?
Application Instructions
Apply by posting a comment below which must include the following:
- Your first name and last initial (ex.: Chris S.), no screennames
- Your email address (it will only be seen by me and is the only way I'll be able to contact you if you are awarded a team)
- In the body of the comment, please note your experience, if any (remember, it doesn't matter), playing fantasy hockey and list your preferred IceHL team choices. List at least 3 and no more than 10. (If no teams on your list are available to you, one will be assigned at random.) Also please note whether you designed any of the winning IceHL logos. Teams will be assigned to owners based on order of preference. All 30 teams and logos are listed below.
How owners/teams will be selected
The only fair way I can see to select owners and assign teams is at random. However, some applicants will be given an advantage in the selection process. If you designed any of the winning logos for the IceHL and would like to participate in the fantasy league, your name will go in the hat twice, while everyone else's goes in once. This doesn't assure you'll get a team, but it does give you better odds (which you deserve for your hard work).
Other advantages will be revealed later. However, I don't want to give them away now so as to avoid potential cheating.
IceHL teams
Select your preferred teams from this list.
| Alaska Huskies |  |
Atlanta Arsenal |  |
| Baltimore Blue Crabs |  |
Boston Colonials |  |
| Boulder Beasts |  |
Calgary Cavalry |  |
| California Wave |  |
Chicago Hitmen |  |
| Dallas Outlaws |  |
Detroit Motorheads |  |
| Edmonton Kodiaks |  |
Hamilton Steelcats |  |
| Houston Hellcats |  |
Milwaukee Lagers |  |
| Minnesota Mammoths |  |
Montreal Olympiques |  |
| New Orleans Gators |  |
New York Guardians |  |
| North Carolina Nighthawks |  |
Portland Pioneers |  |
| Quebec Armada |  |
Regina Renegades |  |
| Salt Lake City Scorpions |  |
Saskatoon Sharpshooters |  |
| Seattle Aviators |  |
St. Louis Archers |  |
| Tampa Bay Barracudas |  |
Vancouver Lumberjacks |  |
| Washington Sentinels |  |
Winnipeg Winterhawks |  |
If you would like to apply for a team in the IceHL Fantasy Hockey League, please read the application instructions above. Failure to follow the 3 simple instructions will disqualify you from consideration.
Chris
Forgot to mention something. All applications must be submitted by Thursday night. None will be accepted after that time... unless I deem it necessary for some reason. Then the winners will be announced on Friday morning. If you are selected and do not reply within 24 hours, your team will be given away to another applicant.
Applications close Thursday at 11:00 PM
Chris
A lot of great response to the idea of an IceHL fantasy league. Already around 100 individual applicants looking for one of 20 IceHL teams. I think it's safe to say we'll move forward with this. And I'm going to set it up through ESPN's fantasy website, in case you were wondering.
With so many entries, I know most of you will be disappointed by not getting a team. Some have asked whether we could do two separate leagues of 15 teams so we could at least use all 30. This is still an experiment so I'm going to stick with just the one 20-team league for now. We'll see how it goes and maybe do it up next season.
My vision for that would include an extension of the IceHL project next summer in which we expand the league to 40 teams and set up two 20-team fantasy leagues in 2011-12. Then maybe we take the top 3 or 4 finalists from each group and do a playoff pool for the ultimate IceHL champion.
Back to this year's league. I have some more details for you. The 20 teams will be divided up into four divisions, each of which will be named after a popular IceHL artist. We'll be using the guys who had by far the highest number of nominated and winning logos in the project.
The IceHL divisions will be named: Wheeler Division, Smith Division, Robbins Division and Taylor Division. Just my way of making sure we don't forget about our incredible designers. By the way, the league will be available for all to see and follow along with, so even if you don't own a team, you can still feel involved.
Chris 
Reader Comments (123)
I have not played fantasy hockey before, but I have played fantasy football and baseball for 5 years. (I won my football league in '07 with the Brady/Moss duo on my team.)
Email: christiancryder@sbcglobal.net
Preferred Teams:
Boston
Calgary
Washington
Boulder
Is this better?
I am actually playing fantasy hockey for the first time this year!!
1. Milwaukee
2. Chicago
3. Minnesota
4. St. Louis
I have 2 years of Fantasy Hockey experience, placed 1st out of 14 in last year's poll. Truly addicted to fantasy hockey and I've been looking for a 2nd league to join.
1 Seattle Aviators
2 Portland Pioneers
3 California Wave
4 Edmonton Kodiaks
I have been playing fantasy for 5 years now and im pretty good ive played with ESPN and won 4 years stright and ive kept up with my teams every year and i also do play hockey so that should help.
(name Jim ball/ sabrescup09@gmail.com)
prefered teams
1.Washington
2.Seattle
3.Chicago
Idea: Maybe you could do 2 leagues in order to incorporate all the IceHL teams? 2 conferences of 15 or 16 and 14 if thats easier? Then the top team from each could get the prize (if there is one).. or maybe go into a playoff pool (ala the actual NHL, fighting for the Icethetics cup haha) or something of that nature... Just a thought
This will be my 2nd year of fantasy hockey, but I've been playing fantasy football for ages. I'm also a huge hockey fan, so there's no doubt I'll be following the league as the year goes on.
Milwaukee
North Carolina
Edmonton
Boulder
Atlanta
Vancouver
I have been playing Yahoo! fantasy hockey for six years now using a total of 11 teams over that time. I have also been involved in numerous NBA, MLB, NCAA, and FIFA leagues over that time, with eight championships between all of my teams.
1) CALGARY CAVALRY
2) SALT LAKE CITY SCORPIONS
3) WINNIPEG WINTERHAWKS
4) SASKATOON SHARPSHOOTERS
5) NORTH CAROLINA NIGHTHAWKS
6) NEW ORLEANS GATORS
Found it funny that the example for First name and last initial is my actual name. Anyways, I play fantasy hockey every year, very dedicated and ready to commit.
preferred teams :
New York Guardians
Saskatoon Sharpshooters
Edmonton Kodiaks
Hey,
I have been in Fantasy leagues for a few years. I even won 1 once. Super interested in this one!
Alaska, Montreal, Quebec, Winnipeg
I have over 6 years of fantasy hockey experience...truly love drafting and making moves during the year.
The teams I am most interested in order are : Vancouver, Quebec, New York, Winnipeg and Boston
Thanks!
I have been playing fantasy hockey for years. I would love to be in a competitive league, especially one with ICEHL teams.
1. Alaska Huskies
2. Milwaukee Lagers
3. Chicago Hitmen
4. Dallas Outlaws
5. North Carolina Nighthawks
6. Vancouver Lumberjacks
7. Hamilton Steelcats
8. Boston Colonials
9. California Wave
10. New Orleans Gators
I haven't played fantasy hockey before, but I have played other fantasy sports games. I don't consider myself to be really serious about fantasy sports online, but when I start something I always want to finish it. This is for fun and that's the only reason I want to play.
There is only one team I want to use, that being the Milwaukee Lagers. I love that logo and would love to see what I can do with that in Photoshop creating home and away fantasy jerseys.
1.Edmonton
2.Calgary
3.North Carolina
4. Dallas
5. Winnepeg
I have been an active participant in numerous fantasy hockey pools for the past 10 years and would welcome the opportunity to positively represent the work done by some truly talented individuals.
Preferred Teams:
- Winnipeg
- Quebec
- Baltimore
- Milwaukee
- Atlanta
- Alaska
- North Carolina
5 Years of fantasy football.1 year of baseball and 1 year of hockey.
Quebec
California
Montreal
New York
Alaska
Atlanta
Have been playing fantasy (hockey pools) hockey for roughly 3 or 4 year, have had a few top 3 finishes, but never been in the bottom half.
Preferred Teams:
1. Calgary Cavalry
2. New York Guardians
3. Dallas Outlaws
4. Hamilton Steelcats
5. New Orleans Gators
6. Not EDMONTON
Thanks,
Thomas H.
I've been in an FHL since 2002.
My preferance in teams is:
Baltimore
Washington
NY
Montreal
Chicago
1.St. Louis Archers
2.Milwaukee Lagers
3.Calgary Calvary
4.Detroit Motorheads
5.Alaska Huskies
6.Tampa Bay Barracudas
7.Minnesota Mammoths
8.Chicago Hitmen
9.Baltimore Blue Crabs
10.California Wave
I have been playing the EA NHL series of video games since I was a kid, starting with NHL 1999, for my dad's Windows 98. My favorite thing to do since i was young was start season mode, trade and draft players, and see how far I could go in the ten seasons provided. Ever since then I've played every single year of NHL and won the Stanley Cup over and over again within each game, most of the time just acting as the GM. Last year I joined fantasy hockey for the first time on Yahoo and won my competitive head to head league. This year I have joined another Yahoo league, play in the EA Sports Hockey League on the PS3, and also have a team in the EAUHL, to go along with playing on my local Midget Rep. team. If I was to get this team I would probably give up my Yahoo league and devote my full attention when I'm at home (not doing homework) to my Icethetics Fantasy Team. I was very upset when Icethetics stopped the ICEHL, and I don't want to see it happen again.
I've been playing fantasy hockey for the last 5 years. Avid fan, and pretty good fantasy player. Went undefeated in regular season last year before a crushing loss in the playoffs. Looking for a rebound this year.
1. Montreal Olympiques
2. Alaska Huskies
3. North Carolina Nighthawks
4. Boston Colonials
5. St Louis Archers
I have played fantasy hockey for 4 years now, and have really enjoyed it:
1. Milwaukee
2. Salt Lake City
3. Winnipeg
4. Baltimore
5. New Orleans
6. North Carolina
7. Detroit
perfferd teams
Atlanta
Huston
Winnipeg
boulder
... will take anything really
Ive been playing the CBC hockey pool for the last 3 years I really enjoy it and stick with it all year round.
I've played fantasy hockey on and off (as in not every year) for a few years. Not alot of my friends are hockey fans, and only tend to join fantasy leagues with people I know. However, I'd love to join this league. Very interesting concept going on here. I don't have a preference to any team listed here, even if I did, someone else would probably have "called it" first. I hope I get accepted, I will play til the very end, I promise!!
1. California
2. Montreal
3. Minnesota
4. North Carolina
I played in my family's fantasy league last year and i played in a yahoo sports league. (and my actual club team name is the california wave, which is why i want them)
Been playing for 4 years now, most notably on Yahoo Fantasy. Last year i joined a keeper league with a few buddies over on ESPN.com. Finished top two 3 years running in my Yahoo leagues, unfortunately winning none :(. avid reader and fan, would love to be a part of this.
1. Boston
2. Atlanta
3. New York
4. Quebec
5. Washington
6. California Wave (same as a local team near me)
7. Montreal
8. Regina
9. Calgary
10. Tampa Bay
I have been playing fantasy hockey for 2 seasons. I won the league my first year and lost in the championship last year. I usually check my team a couple times a day since i am always sitting in front of a computer.
Preferred teams
California Wave
Alaska Huskies
Winnipeg Winterhawks
Milwaukee Lagers
New York Guardians
Calgary Cavalry
Baltimore Blue Crabs
This is a cool way to kind of bring the league to life
I'm a huge hockey fan. I have a little experience playing fantasy hockey. I've played on yahoo a few times but never won anything and was normally mauled by injuries and lack of production.
1 - Calgary Calvary
2 - Alaska Huskies
3 - Boulder Beasts
4 - New Orleans Gators
5 - Quebec Armada
6 - Seattle Aviators
7 - Washington Sentinels
8 - Winnipeg Winterhawks
9 - Boston Colonials
10 - Montreal Olympiques
Jeff F.
jmf7586@truman.edu
been playing fantasy hockey for 7 years, always very active
1. SAINT LOUIS
2. ALASKA
3. QUEBEC
4. WINNIPEG
5. MONTREAL
Experience - Only played 1 year of fantasy hockey because Im not a fan of the way Yahoo sets it up (unless its changed since 3 years ago when I did it), but, Ive been playing fantasy football on nfl.com, this being my 5th year. I love hockey and more-so the stats and management aspect of it.
Choice of teams:
1 - North Carolina Nighthawks
2 - Montreal Olympiques
3 - New York Gaurdians
4 - Hamilton Steelcats
5 - California Wave
forgot to mention with my above post:
Don't know if it counts for anything, but Ive been playing EA sports NHL series since about 1998 or so, I own each year, some for pc, some for ps2, some for xbox360
Name: Austin D
Email: scrpnwatermelon@gmail.com
Fantasy XP: 3 years
Been following IceHL since the beginning. Voted in every phase. Playing 2 Yahoo Fantasy leagues this season. Up for more fantasy hockey
Great idea Chris,
Been playing Fantasy Hockey for 10 years. Won a few pools on yahoo, cbssports and back to the sandbox days as well.
1. Calgary
2. Quebec
3. Montreal
4. California
5. New York
I've been playing in the same fantasy hockey league since 2002, and have won the title three times.
Interested in:
Baltimore
Boston
California
Houston
North Carolina
Portland
Saskatoon
Washington
Winnipeg
Thank you for your consideration.
Misread the guidleines the first time. Apologies. As mentioned before, I've been playing in the same fantasy hockey league since 2002, and have won the title three times.
Houston
California
Saskatoon
Winnipeg
Baltimore
Boston
Washington
North Carolina
Portland
I have had 4 years of Fantasy hockey experience and agree that it gets annoying when people quite half way through, because i am going hard the whole time haha.
Team Choices:
1. California
2. Montreal
3. Chicago
4. North Carolina
5. Detroit
I've been playing fantasy hockey on both ESPN and Yahoo for about 6 years now. Usually, I am the only one in my league who does stay focused throughout, so being in a league like this would be completely awesome. My choices for teams are as follows:
1. Washington Sentinels
2. Alaska Huskies
3. Chicago Hitmen
4. New York Guardians
5. Winnipeg Winterhawks
6. Edmonton Kodiaks
7. Quebec Armada
8. Calgary Cavalry
Chris, just another quick comment. Even if I don't get a team, I think this is an awesome way to bring back the IceHL. I hope the season goes really well. Thanks for the consideration!
I have played fantasy hockey every season since 06-07 and have been the most active in each of my leagues. Not just saying that. I've won all but one year and love to play, even give all my friends advice on picking their teams and whatnot. I'm a big fan of this project and even if I'm not chosen, wanna see how it pans out, now here are my preferred teams.
Regina
Baltimore
Portland
California
Edmonton
Uh, why isn't there a team in the largest hockey market on Earth: TORONTO?
This is my 3rd year of Fantasy Hockey
Gators
Motorheads
NightHawks
Scorpions
Barracudas
Looks like I'm a bit late for the party, but here goes...
I've been playing fantasy hockey for a couple of years, and i've stayed with my teams right to the end of the season, even though many dropped out. I am UK based, i hope that wont be a problem.
My preferences...
Houston Hellcats
New York Guardians
Seattle Aviators
Quebec Armada
Dallas Outlaws
Atlanta Arsenal
Milwaukee lagers
Thanks! :)
Preferred teams:
Vancouver Lumberjacks
New York Guardians
Montreal Olympiques
Milwaukee Lagers
Boulder Beasts
Calgary Cavalry
Edmonton Kodiaks
North Carolina Nighthawks
I don't have experience with Fantasy Hockey, but I am in a league this year through a forum I'm a part of. I work at the HSBC Arena, and have the NHL Network at home, so I'm able to follow hockey quite a bit.
Preferred Teams
1. North Carolina Nighthawks
2. New You Guardians
3. Winnipeg Winterhawks
4. New Orleans Gators\
5. California Wave.
6. Alaska Huskies
7. Seattle Aviators
I've played many fantasy sports including hockey. Unfortunately the only league I'm ever in that stays competitive all year is football. I would like to get into a Fantasy Hockey league that stays competitive all year. I've only been in this football for 2 years now and didn't get good results in it but it's a pay league and i didn't have money to set aside for the league. I have won a few championships in the baseball leagues I've been in.
I have about 4 years of experience playing fantasy hockey. I have played in the CBC fantasy hockey league and a few local ones. I always play until the end no matter where I am in the standings.
Teams:
1: Regina Renegades
2:Washington Sentinels
3:Alaska Huskies
4:Quebec Armada
5:California Wave
6:Chicago Hitmen
I have been playing hockey fantasy pools for 3 years and all other sports for 1 season
My picks are
New York
Alaska
Hamilton
Atlanta
Vancouver
Winnipeg
Boston Colonials
North Carolina Winterhawks
Hamilton Steelcats
Quebec Armada
Been playing in fantasy hockey leaagues the past couple years with friends from school. Leagues never stayed to competitive, and I checked it the most often.
Not a fan of fantasy sports, so I won't be involved. However, I've got to say major props to all these designs. Wish I were following this page back when this was held, as these look great!
Ive beenplahing fantasy sports for years now. Football is my specialty as i won back to back league championships the past two years. Id like to be part of this fantasy league because its a really cool idea.
The teams i prefer are:
Detroit (My Hometown)
Seattle
Baltimore
Regina
I've been playing fantasy hockey for 20 years, and I wish I could tell you I always win, but I tend to lead with my heart and not my brain. And I live in the Yukon, where the winters are long, cold and doctors suggest joining fantasy leagues as a way to survive.
My team picks:
Alaska
Winnipeg
Seattle
Saskatoon
Regina
Detroit
Thanks, love the logos.
Long time fantasy leaguer (baseball & football) with a couple of top 3 finishes and I alway finish the season. Would be first time with a hockey league.
Team Preference:
Atlanta Arsenal
Hamilton Steelcats
North Carolina Nighthawks
Quebec Armada
St. Louis Archers
Washington Sentinels
Hey, I would love to participate in this league... I have played before, but I am not currently in a league... I am addicted to fantasy sports, so I can pay a lot of attention to this league... I also submitted a design for the Haiti concepts
1. Scorpions
2. Wave
3. Beasts
4. Gators
5. Colonials
6. Blue Crabs
7. Lumberjacks
8. Guardians
9. Kodiaks
10. Sentinals
I have been in 2 leagues for the past 2 years, currently run my own also which is going onto its 2nd year. Never once neglected a fantasy team.
Boston
New York
Tampa Bay
North Carolina