It is almost time for puck drop in the Elite League, ushering in a new season of the EIHL Fantasy League.
Last week, British Ice Hockey sat down with the competition’s chief to help lift the lid on fantasy hockey, how it compares to Fantasy Premier League, and piece together some roster recommendations for first-time managers.
With that in mind, here is our conversation with Mitch, edited for length and clarity.
How long has the EIHL Fantasy League been running?
The EIHL Fantasy League started back in 2015, but I’ve been running it since 2017.
Why did you decide to get involved behind the scenes?
I just liked the foundations of it, the league has always done its bit to raise money for charity and I always try to give back when I can. I’ve also followed hockey all my life: my dad used to run the penalty box and my mum used to run the scoreboard in the Sheffield Arena when the Steelers went in there in 1991.
I always play fantasy football and was sure that we could make the same kind of thing for hockey. It’s all just tied into one really.
Who produced the most EIHL Fantasy League points last season?
Mac Carruth of the Cardiff Devils scored the most points as a netminder, mainly because goaltenders receive ten points for an assist and he registered five over the course of the season.
Evan Mosey is a key player to have because he is the Sheffield Steelers’ swing guy: he is listed in the fantasy league as a defenceman, and counts as one of your homegrown players. He’s an important defender to have because he mainly plays as a forward but picks up points in the game as a blueliner because he plays there when needed.
J.J. Piccinich, who played for the Belfast Giants, was the top point scorer amongst forwards, but that’s to be expected because he led the league in goals.
How does captaincy work in EIHL Fantasy League?
We’ve introduced a captain this year, where each month you can pick a player who receives double points. However, if you pick a player and they suffer an injury, you’re stuck with them as captain for the rest of the month.
Could you run us through the roster rules for the EIHL Fantasy League?
Firstly, you have to have a minimum of six British players in your team – which kind of ties in with how I’d like to see the Elite League run. Then, you need one netminder, six defencemen, and 12 forwards. Finally, you can only have three players from each team – like in fantasy football.
Per the Elite League’s rules, Mike Hammond doesn’t count as a ‘homegrown player’. However, you’ve taken a different approach…
Yeah, dual-national imports count towards your six British players in the fantasy league. For example, Mike Hammond is on Team GB – so, it makes sense for us to include him as a British player.
What is your top piece of advice for someone taking part in the EIHL Fantasy League for the first time?
You’re allowed to make three trades per week: use them. When the Devils play in the Continental Cup, for example, you should take Cardiff players out of your team because they won’t score any points that weekend. If a team has a one-game week, it might be worth dropping those players, too. It’s just about keeping on top of your roster.
Will Challenge Cup fixtures count towards the EIHL Fantasy League?
Yes!
Right, who are your player recommendations ahead of the new season?
Conway has to be your top selection from Belfast, although Anthony DeLuca has advised me that Darik Angeli will score a lot of points for the Giants too.
Joey Martin returning to Cardiff is huge, he’ll put up a lot of points and is on the powerplay.
Philippe Sanche would be my pick on the Dundee Stars.
Janne Laakkonen will record plenty of assists for the Fife Flyers, but they’ve also signed important players in Shawn Cameron and Lucas Sandstrom.
Mathieu Roy, ‘the king of Sheffield, will win you a lot of points for the Glasgow Clan.
For the Guildford Flames, I would look at Ben O’Connor, Sam Marklund, and Brett Ferguson. O’Connor has a heavy shot and will receive opportunities to score on the powerplay.
Dallas Ehrhardt and Tyson Fawcett are solid options on the Manchester Storm.
Mike Hammond has got to be your number one pick on the Panthers.
Finally, I would stick with Robert Dowd from the Steelers: you’ll always get your points with him.
Editor’s Note: Brock Trotter would have been Mitch’s recommendation from the Coventry Blaze; Colton Yellow Horn – after producing a lot of assists in Glasgow last term – is a potential replacement.
Finally, is there anything you would like to add?
I am currently writing player previews for everyone in the Elite League. So, if you’re new to playing in the EIHL Fantasy League, you’ll have a quick rundown and ranking of every player.
