The long wait for the National Hockey League to get underway is almost over; thankfully for those in dire need of some action the World Cup is just around the corner. There will be a plethora of talent iced in this tournament and many hockey minds will be eager to see what the young team North America can do against the opposition.

For those of you who are looking to refresh your fantasy hockey minds, this tournament will be just what the doctor ordered.

With just over a month before the first NHL regular season game (Ocotber 12th), I will be providing lists of my top 100 forwards, top 50 defensemen, top 30 goalies and a variety of different articles covering all facets of fantasy hockey. Being prepared for your fantasy drafts is the key to a successful season, and starting early is much easier than scrambling as you make your mid-round/late-round selections.

The fantasy world is growing, as is the competition. There are a number of ways to prepare for your draft(s), and doing a mock draft online is never a bad idea. Usually I save the mock drafts until a couple of days before my actual drafts, giving me enough time to do some slight adjustments if I notice a trend in the online drafts or an injury/trade occurs.

Some fantasy drafts are done in person, which is great as there is little help from outside sources. Mind you, I’ve seen a number of people bring magazines, computers, tablets and other such aids to help with their drafting. Personally, I find it most helpful making my own lists that apply to the exact settings of the pool that I’m drafting for, as each are setup somewhat differently.

Each Monday I plan to have an ‘outlook for the week’, letting you know which teams play how many games, helping you set yourself up for weekly matchups. This can be quite beneficial as injuries occur and sometimes your starting goalie(s) may only play twice that week. It’s all about being prepared, from the draft, to each week, to solidifying your roster come playoffs!

You can expect a Tuesday/Thursday blog each week with some insight ensuring you and me both are keeping on top of things to ensure a successful season. A number of topics will be discussed for each and every type of fantasy hockey. Keeper, head-to-head and rotisserie pools will all be touched on and I will do my best to help improve my reader’s rosters as trade proposals and free agents will be open for discussion in the comments section or a private message.

I’ll always do my best to respond as I thoroughly enjoy hearing about successes that take place with my two cents about a trade or a roster move to better someone’s fantasy team. This will be my third season covering fantasy hockey and I’ve had a number of first place finishes and a couple runner up’s in a variety of different hockey pools. I’ve got myself involved in a pool of each type as well as online drafting and in person drafting to ensure I have all of the angles covered.

The HBSL (HockeyBuzz Super League) will be commencing at some point in the near future and sign-up’s will open. I’ll be sure to have a few blogs dedicated to explain the rules, prizes and thought process to picking a winning team in the HockeyBuzz pool. It’s always a good time and surely fun battling against your friends and foe’s on the boards.

Of course my opinion is only one, so I’m hoping to generate more traffic in the comments section this season discussing possible trade scenario’s, rankings and other such fantasy hockey jargon. Feel free to join in and use the fantasy blogs comments section as a hub for any and all fantasy talk. Personally, I think it’s a win-win with having a number of quality hockey minds talking shop.

Thanks for reading; I hope you are getting excited for the fantasy hockey season to begin!

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