Local dignitaries make playoff predictions
Inaugural Baldwin’s Banter Bracket NHL Challenge is launched and raises money for charity
The Stanley Cup playoffs are well underway. Last week, thousands of hockey enthusiasts met in person, or on zoom, or they may have entered a Fantasy Hockey Playoff Pool online.
There are several playoff pool formats. The most time-consuming pool requires poolies to select players over a number of rounds. The pool commissioner must reach consensus on the rules.
First, a point structure is determined. Next, a decision is made regarding how many players will be selected and what makes up the team composition. Some pools allow player drops and pickups after the opening playoff round. Once the rules are finalized, a random draw determines the order of selection.
Last week, this writer invited some local prognosticators to participate in the inaugural Baldwin’s Banter Bracket NHL Challenge. Each participant completed a National Hockey League bracket. They selected the winning team and the number of games required to win each series.
Participants will receive one point for selecting the series winner, and another point for correctly predicting the length of the series. The predictions have been tabulated and the results might surprise you.
For the inaugural Baldwin’s Banter Bracket NHL Challenge, 11 players are competing for bragging rights. Each participant paid an entry fee of $10 and they selected a charity. The winner of the pool will donate the winnings to their charity of choice.
This year’s participants and the charity for whom they are playing are:
■ Leo Groarke, president, Trent University-United Way Maureen Adamson, president, Fleming College — PRHC Foundation
■ Stu Betts, chief, Peterborough Police Service — Good Neighbours Care Centre Food Bank
■ Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County warden — Lang Pioneer Village
■ Jeff Leal, mayor, City of Peterborough — Community Living
■ Kevin Duguay, City of Peterborough Otonabee ward councillor — Rotary Club of Peterborough, Environmental Innovation Fund
■ Ron Black, Selwyn Township deputy mayor and member of Peterborough County Council — Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield
■ Linda de Jeu, retired teacher, Adam Scott CVI — Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame
■ Rose Powers, Sport a Rainbow founder and Sports Hall of Fame inductee — Kawartha Food Share
■ Dave Pogue, Peterborough Petes past president/alternate governor — Team 55 CMHA
■ Gary Baldwin, Peterborough Examiner sports columnist — Peterborough Humane Society
If this follows the trend of recent years, the first round of the NHL playoffs will be intense and will likely result in at least one upset. Here is the first-round analysis.
In the Atlantic Division, 82 per cent of the poolies selected the Florida Panthers to advance over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Boston Bruins are slight favourites, 55 per cent, to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the Metro Division, 100 per cent of the participants selected the New York Rangers to eliminate the Washington Capitals, while 73 per cent of the poolies favoured the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Islanders.
In the Central Division, 55 per cent of the poolies picked the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars, while 82 per cent took the Winnipeg Jets to advance past the Colorado Avalanche.
In the Pacific Division, 100 per cent of the poolies selected the Vancouver Canucks over the Nashville Predators, and the Edmonton Oilers to get past the Los Angeles Kings.
In the all-important Stanley Cup prediction, Edmonton and the New York Rangers each garnered three selections. Two poolies predicted Vancouver would win the title. Florida, Winnipeg and Colorado each received a selection. The final bracket results will be announced after the Stanley Cup winner is crowned.
But the real winner of Baldwin’s Banter Bracket NHL Challenge will be the charity selected by the pool winner. Why not join the fun, and consider making a donation to a charity of your choice?