The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The playoffs, known as hockey's best season for the NHL, begin today. What does that also mean? Pool managers and the participants went crazy getting prepared considering there was only a three-day break between the end of one season and the start of another. When it comes to pools, I find it interesting how people stick to the word of the so-called "experts" in the media who say who to pick and not to like it came out of the Bible. I will admit even I'm a victim of that in the past, but this year I changed my approach. If you have a passion for the game, you follow it closely and know what's happening better than what's going on in your own family, then you're an expert too. So coming back to my approach, I didn't even bother reading any magazines, especially The Hockey News, for inside tips. I wanted to test my true knowledge for the most part am happy. In the CFAR pool I did embarrassingly bad. My placing is irrelevant aside from the fact that I honestly don't know. Last time the standings were checked in The Reminder office I was somewhere near the bottom. I couldn't believe it. This was just the result of a couple stupid picks. Luckily I didn't go in the money one. I did however go in a different one at $20 per person. There were 91 people in it so there was big time cash to be won. I finished 12, which really isn't something to be ashamed about. The placing could have been higher except for five* injuries. Wondering what's with the asterisk? Well two of those considered injuries were actually the retirements of Mario Lemieux and former teammate Ziggy Palffy. I knew taking Lemieux was a gamble because of his health, but I never thought he would hang up the skates. Palffy was a good pick until he surprised everyone with his bombshell from shoulder problems. My misfortune with star players didn't end there. Next was Martin Havlat of the Ottawa Senators. After he returned from his suspension when he kicked a player, he was lighting up goalies like there was no tomorrow. He was injured and didn't comeback until the regular season was basically done. Yeah, thanks for coming out, Martin. Then there's Ed Jovanovski from my beloved Canucks. He missed half the season with a groin injury. The final one was to Dominik Hasek. As you can see my standings in the pool would be dramatically better had all those players not gotten hurt. This of course is the fun of pools and the gamble you take with picks. This year I entered a pool which was a challenge to pick players because you only had 16 choices. The kicker. One from each team. You know how most people dream of having the first pick in a pool, well you guessed it, I got it. I'm not sure if I was so lucky, but I'm very happy with the team I picked. My first choice was Dany Heatley from the Ottawa Senators. When it came to picking from the Red Wings, because I had to wait 20 picks later, the usual suspects were gone except for one. Good ol' Stevie Y. I will never forget the year he stole the cup from Vancouver when they led Detroit 3-1 and lost the series after Yzerman singlehandedly beat them on one leg. Likely one of the most brilliant playoff performances in my time. My laugher picks, from the remaining scrap was Tampa Bay Lightning rookie Craig Ryan. I think I might have gotten two sleeper picks in Richard Zednik of Montreal and Steve Bernier from San Jose, who plays with captain Patrick Marleau. Everyone has their own pick from the heart they likely shouldn't go with. Just about every website will state he was born in Trail, B.C., but Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff grew up in my hometown of Castlegar. Gotta go with the hometown boys. As I watch the playoffs, there will be added fun as I cheer and curse at my players.
