Entry details

Dear Poolies:
It all started more than six months ago at O2 arena in Prague. Now,
1,230 games are in the books and the REAL NHL season is about to
begin. Yes, poolies, the playoffs are just around the corner which
means the Sons of Manitoba pool is back for its 18th season.

As always, there are a few innovations this year which we think will
make the pool even more exciting than in the past. First and foremost
after extensive off-season focus group studies, we've decided to bring
back the entry fee and prize money aspect which has been missing since
the turn of the millennium. This year you have the choice to pay a $20
entry fee, with 50 per cent of the money going to the winner of the
player side and 50 per cent to the winner of the team side. Of course,
for those of you who want to play for free, that option is still
available. However anyone who does not pay is not eligible for the
prizes.

The reason the entry fee was eliminated in 2000 was because I figured
it would be difficult to collect money from participants across the
country. Hopefully technology will make this easier. For those of you
in Ottawa or Kamloops, B.C., you can pay in person to James Peters or
Peter James. Otherwise e-mail money transactions, PayPal and cheques
will all be accepted. If you're mailing a cheque, please send it to:
Apt C-10
200 Pretoria Ave.
Ottawa ON K1S 1X2
Also when you're e-mailing or handing in your picks, please indicate
if you intend on paying so we know where to send the collection
agency.

The format of the pool this year is very similar to years past. For
Part A you need to fill out a playoff bracket. Below you will see the
first-round matchups, but remember in the second round the highest
remaining seed always plays the lowest remaining seed in each
conference, so please format your picks properly. Also, after each
series select the number of games you think it will go (4, 5, 6 or 7).
Correct picks in the first round are worth three points, second round
five points, third round seven points and final round 12 points. If
you get the team and number of games correct you get one bonus point.


EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Boston vs. (8) Montreal
(2) Washington vs. (7) New York Rangers
(3) New Jersey vs. (6) Carolina
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Philadelphia

WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) San Jose vs. (8) Anaheim
(2) Detroit vs. (7) Columbus
(3) Vancouver vs. (6) St. Louis
(4) Chicago vs. (5) Calgary

Part B is the player side. Select 10 fowards, four defencemen and
three goalies from playoff-bound teams. For skaters one point is
awarded for a goal, one for an assist and two bonus points for an
overtime goal. For goaltenders, one point is awarded for a win and two
additional points are awarded for a shutout. Finally, as a new tweak
this year, please select the player you think will win the Conn Smythe
Trophy as playoff MVP. Ten bonus points will be awarded to anyone who
picks the eventual winner.

Finally, the deadline to get your picks in is Thursday April 16 at 5
p.m. ET. Please submit them to sonsofmanitoba@gmail.com

If you have any questions, drop us a line.

Thanks,

Peter James and James Peters