Who's playing what this year?

DFyvie · 10-26-2021, 03:41 AM

With the new game out today, what is everyone going to play? Historical/Custom/Standard? What team this year is going to be the most challenging or rewarding? Not sure I want to touch my Flames this year, maybe I'll give the Kraken a go, or the up-and-coming Rangers, or the rudderless Preds? One thing I may do this year is take over the '92/93 Kings and see if I can win them a cup.

wiggleman83 · 10-26-2021, 09:17 AM

I'm finally going to start a game I have been building for months using vintage teams and NCAA teams as juniors. Not the real DI NCAA teams, although there are some in there, I'm using the NCAA basketball conferences and creating uniforms on sweater factory based on whatever hockey teams I can find related to the school or making my own.

Over the past months, I have created 145 pro teams and 249 junior teams with other teams available to use for pro-team relocation, rebranding or expansion. There are 8 pro leagues and seven junior leagues in the US and Canada with varying levels of play. All of the pro teams came from vintageicehockey.com.

It started smaller but when I realized I couldn't do it in FHM7 because I wanted two leagues connected to the top league, like an AHL and ECHL, I had to wait for FHM8 and got impatient and started expanding to where it is now. Can't wait to start!

Infinite_Jester54 · 10-26-2021, 10:48 AM

I think I'm going to start with trying to figure out what the heck to do with Chicago's roster... Absolutely handcuffed with the Jones contract, overspending on JAGs up and down the lineup, and no first round pick this year. Seems like it'll be a fun challenge to start with!

If that proves too difficult, I might pick a real win-now team like the Sabres to just demolish the league.

renojedi · 10-26-2021, 11:49 AM

I always start as an expansion team. I usually do the Halifax Privateers since I love the Maritimes, want to add Canadian teams, like the historical 18th century reference, and it is the biggest city there. Yes, I know it is too small to have an NHL team but part of the fun of a simulator is to do what if scenarios, right?

Last year I had the (fictional) Moncton Winterhawks as my AHL affiliate; ECHL was the Norfolk Admirals since that is my local ECHL team but since they aligned with Carolina I will do something different. I might steal the Newfoundland Growlers from the Leafs and give them a team in the GTA. Or, I might make a PEI team.

One thing I do differently as a workaround to my expansion team not getting to participate in the entry draft in the first year is to take a real teams picks in the top 10 each round, not taking any from the same team twice. Not cool for the team that loses the pick but since the AI won't manage the team the same as real life anyway, I don't feel too bad

How do you guys do expansion teams and what markets are they in? Also, do you do anything to address not participating in an entry draft to start your expansion team?

Oh, and of course I will bring in the Quebec Nordiques during the second season of my game to have an even number of teams.

Goalie39 · 10-26-2021, 12:19 PM

Custom for me.

Creating a Major Junior structure for the USA.

npk17 · 10-27-2021, 05:08 PM

I love the (not so) new Coyotes logo and I value that more than I should! so probably a modern career with them.

alko · 10-28-2021, 03:06 AM

Will wait until first patch. Then open my wallet to see, if there is enough €. And then again Seattle Kraken long time running game until 2100+.
I hope, the engine is optimized and it will run a little bid faster.

renojedi · 10-28-2021, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alko

Will wait until first patch

I do this too. Maybe it is my experience having access to the beta for Football Manager but there are so many little things that pop up that can be annoying. Maybe stats have to be tuned or some player has a new name or wrong nationality. To get changes for the latter, you have to re-start the save anyway so I consider anything before the first patch to be the beta experience with FHM.

cooperthegiantscat · 10-28-2021, 06:17 PM

I started a General Manager only save with Unemployed/Totally Unknown reputation. I started as a GM in the SPHL and now have been hired by the Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL.

We are starting my first full ECHL season with some injuries and are currently 0-4-1. I think we will turn it around though.

skirmish · 10-30-2021, 02:18 AM

I've imported my FHM7 custom Nordic League save. I've had some up-and-coming young players who are now entering their prime and I'm just not ready to turn my back on them yet! Particularly with the updates to the tactical system I'm getting to know them better than ever. I've got separate junior leagues for each country and had hoped to bring in an end-of-season Memorial Cup-style tournament to declare a wider junior champion, but reading the forum it looks like it'll be a couple of updates until I can do that.

In the meantime I'm going to start setting up a wider European major/minor league system with competing major leagues in some of the bigger countries and junior leagues across the hockey nations. It will take some thinking and experimenting to get it working the way I want within FHM's current limitations, but I'm thinking its at the point where I can make a real go of it now!

Tie Montana · 12-03-2021, 05:54 AM

Since it seems like there is a few problems with NHL gameplay (players not signing, good players waived etc) i think i might start to play again finnish leagues. Maybe even start from lower ones.

10-26-2021, 03:41 AM	#1
DFyvie Major Leagues Join Date: May 2014 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 389	Who's playing what this year? With the new game out today, what is everyone going to play? Historical/Custom/Standard? What team this year is going to be the most challenging or rewarding? Not sure I want to touch my Flames this year, maybe I'll give the Kraken a go, or the up-and-coming Rangers, or the rudderless Preds? One thing I may do this year is take over the '92/93 Kings and see if I can win them a cup.

10-26-2021, 11:49 AM	#4
renojedi Major Leagues Join Date: May 2003 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 493	I always start as an expansion team. I usually do the Halifax Privateers since I love the Maritimes, want to add Canadian teams, like the historical 18th century reference, and it is the biggest city there. Yes, I know it is too small to have an NHL team but part of the fun of a simulator is to do what if scenarios, right? Last year I had the (fictional) Moncton Winterhawks as my AHL affiliate; ECHL was the Norfolk Admirals since that is my local ECHL team but since they aligned with Carolina I will do something different. I might steal the Newfoundland Growlers from the Leafs and give them a team in the GTA. Or, I might make a PEI team. One thing I do differently as a workaround to my expansion team not getting to participate in the entry draft in the first year is to take a real teams picks in the top 10 each round, not taking any from the same team twice. Not cool for the team that loses the pick but since the AI won't manage the team the same as real life anyway, I don't feel too bad How do you guys do expansion teams and what markets are they in? Also, do you do anything to address not participating in an entry draft to start your expansion team? Oh, and of course I will bring in the Quebec Nordiques during the second season of my game to have an even number of teams. Last edited by renojedi; 10-26-2021 at 11:50 AM.

12-03-2021, 05:54 AM	#11
Tie Montana Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2021 Posts: 91	Since it seems like there is a few problems with NHL gameplay (players not signing, good players waived etc) i think i might start to play again finnish leagues. Maybe even start from lower ones. Last edited by Tie Montana; 12-03-2021 at 07:09 AM.

10-26-2021, 09:17 AM	#2
wiggleman83 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2019 Posts: 576	I'm finally going to start a game I have been building for months using vintage teams and NCAA teams as juniors. Not the real DI NCAA teams, although there are some in there, I'm using the NCAA basketball conferences and creating uniforms on sweater factory based on whatever hockey teams I can find related to the school or making my own. Over the past months, I have created 145 pro teams and 249 junior teams with other teams available to use for pro-team relocation, rebranding or expansion. There are 8 pro leagues and seven junior leagues in the US and Canada with varying levels of play. All of the pro teams came from vintageicehockey.com. It started smaller but when I realized I couldn't do it in FHM7 because I wanted two leagues connected to the top league, like an AHL and ECHL, I had to wait for FHM8 and got impatient and started expanding to where it is now. Can't wait to start!

10-26-2021, 10:48 AM	#3
Infinite_Jester54 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 77	I think I'm going to start with trying to figure out what the heck to do with Chicago's roster... Absolutely handcuffed with the Jones contract, overspending on JAGs up and down the lineup, and no first round pick this year. Seems like it'll be a fun challenge to start with! If that proves too difficult, I might pick a real win-now team like the Sabres to just demolish the league.

10-26-2021, 12:19 PM	#5
Goalie39 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 115	Custom for me. Creating a Major Junior structure for the USA.

10-27-2021, 05:08 PM	#6
npk17 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 103	I love the (not so) new Coyotes logo and I value that more than I should! so probably a modern career with them.

10-28-2021, 03:06 AM	#7
alko Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Posts: 476	Will wait until first patch. Then open my wallet to see, if there is enough €. And then again Seattle Kraken long time running game until 2100+. I hope, the engine is optimized and it will run a little bid faster.

10-28-2021, 06:17 PM	#9
cooperthegiantscat Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 159	I started a General Manager only save with Unemployed/Totally Unknown reputation. I started as a GM in the SPHL and now have been hired by the Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL. We are starting my first full ECHL season with some injuries and are currently 0-4-1. I think we will turn it around though.

10-30-2021, 02:18 AM	#10
skirmish Bat Boy Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: De Cymru Posts: 15	I've imported my FHM7 custom Nordic League save. I've had some up-and-coming young players who are now entering their prime and I'm just not ready to turn my back on them yet! Particularly with the updates to the tactical system I'm getting to know them better than ever. I've got separate junior leagues for each country and had hoped to bring in an end-of-season Memorial Cup-style tournament to declare a wider junior champion, but reading the forum it looks like it'll be a couple of updates until I can do that. In the meantime I'm going to start setting up a wider European major/minor league system with competing major leagues in some of the bigger countries and junior leagues across the hockey nations. It will take some thinking and experimenting to get it working the way I want within FHM's current limitations, but I'm thinking its at the point where I can make a real go of it now!