| Hockey 101 To play the NHL sector at Jockstocks, it's important to note that there are two kinds of players, and it's important to understand the difference. Skaters are forwards and defencemen; Goaltenders (or Goalies, or Netminders) are the last line of defence between the opposition Skaters and the net. The performance-versus-projections calculations that apply to dividend (divi) payouts elsewhere on J$ naturally apply to this sector as well. The Holy Grail of all Skaters is the goal, especially shorthanded (SH) and power-play (PP) goals. These will always have better (i.e. lower) projections versus total Goals, so make sure to check for those symbols when you're scoping the scoring summaries. Please also note that Penalty Minutes (PIMs) are considered to be "negative," and if the "plus/minus" rating falls into the negative range, that can drag down a divi payout as well. Goalies aim for Wins and Shutouts (SHO) and do not want to get Losses. This alone is why it's probably not a good idea to employ a long-term strategy to hold Goalies (unless, of course, the stock is on the verge of becoming a Splitter). Also note that the NHL no longer has ties; games that are tied after the standard three 20-minute periods and a five-minute overtime are decided by a shootout similar to soccer, where teams pick Skaters to try to score on opposing Goalies (goals scored in shootouts do not count towards a player's season total). Therefore, you can ignore the "tie" statistic in the J$ Goalie projections. The plus/minus statistic is compiled by the NHL this way: Skaters get a +1 for each time they're on the ice when their team scores an even-strength goal; they get a -1 for each time they're on the ice and they get scored on at even strength. Therefore, PP and SH goals don't count toward this stat. Because they're on the ice pretty much all the time, Goalies are not included in +/- stats. I would rank the importance of the divi categories for Skaters this way: SH goals; PP goals; goals; assists; shots; PIMs and plus/minus (+/-). For Goalies, I would rank them this way: Shutouts; Wins; Losses; Goals Against and Saves (all as rated per Game, of course). Here's a rule of thumb I use: think of NHL goaltenders in the same way you'd regard baseball pitchers -- both are weighted heavily towards wins, losses and shutouts. The amount of NHL Splitters being held in Total Value (TV) portfolios -- and in some Yearly ports as well -- is a matter of some debate. It's probably likely that -- outside of the top 30 or so -- it's a safe bet that more ports are not as "maxed out" with NHL Splitters as, say, the NBA Splitters. This has an effect on trading, as those who hold Splitters and who use various "buy-and-hold" strategies for their NHL stocks are fewer than in the NBA sector of J$. Many newbies often complain that a widely-held stock is "not mooooving" upward in price despite that player having done something good that night to deserve the "moo," such as scoring a SH goal. In my view, this type of non-"mooovement" is less likely to be a problem in the NHL sector. In other words, the NHL sector of J$ is where I think the "action" is -- at least when compared to traditional buying patterns in the NBA sector. The last thing you absolutely must know about hockey to truly appreciate it is The Hockey Song by Canadian icon Stompin' Tom Connors. Here is a link: Hey, you hosers! Drop the puck, eh?! Later, skaters! :) Questions about this article? Send a private message to the author. |