There is always plenty of hockey to keep track of whether you like it or not, even if you don’t follow the sport. The North American Hockey League has several teams in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that play a regular schedule, plus there is the entire NHL season and various playoffs available to follow. That’s a lot of hockey to keep track of!
When it comes to following hockey, there is a lot more information than most people will ever need or want to know about the sport. In order to avoid drowning in stats, advanced statistics and obscure team information, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you cut through the clutter and keep things interesting.
Focus On What Matters
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that there are lots of useless stats that don’t mean much. Trying to follow every little stat that is released about the NHL can be extremely frustrating. It’s best to pick and choose the information that you feel is most relevant to your personal interests. If you’re following the sport for fun and don’t mind wasting some time, it’s not essential that you know detailed information about each team or player. Simply having an interest in hockey is enough to keep you from getting bored.
Be Careful What You Wish For
One of the things that can make following hockey more interesting is seeing which statistical categories you outperform in and which you underperform in. For example, you may notice that you have a lot of goals and assists but very few goals against. This can make you feel good about yourself, but it also means that you’ll constantly be wanting to bet on goal difference, not goals or assists. Careful what you wish for!
Consider Season Tickets
One way of getting around the problem of too much information is by buying a season ticket. This will give you access to all the games during the season and allow you to keep track of what’s happening without having to keep checking the news for yourself. You won’t be able to keep up with all the stats, but you’ll be able to enjoy the action from the comfort of your home.
Watch The Top Of The Food Chain
You don’t need to be a great statistician to realize that goals and assists will determine the outcome of many games, so it’s important that you keep track of who is scoring and who is assisting. What you need is someone who is watching the top of the food chain and feeding you the information. This may be a coworker or a friend who is a big fan of the sport or a gambler who likes to watch games and get behind the scenes info on who is scoring and which defenses are struggling. They will be your eyes and ears in the betting world and let you know which players deserve your attention and which ones you should avoid. They may even have predictions about which teams are going to win.
Use Scoring Charts
When a player scores a goal or assists in a game, the information is usually posted on the Jumbotron immediately following the incident. This is great for those who have an interest in the sport and want to know when and where to watch. The best thing about these screens is that they display a lot of useful information that you can utilize. For instance, you can see the difference in shots, chances and even goals scored before and after the screen shows.
Use Your Instincts
Hockey has a way of throwing up surprises even the most seasoned bettors cannot predict. One way of making sure you get the most out of hockey is by using your instincts. If you’ve been a fan of the sport for a while and have watched and followed its trends, you will be able to spot when a player or a team is due for a bounce back season or a major breakthrough. These are the kinds of seasons and games that you can bank on, which allows you to make the right choice when betting.
Avoid Setting Up Regularly
You can waste a lot of time and energy setting up regular meetings with a stat person or a hockey researcher to get the information you need. It is much better not to meet regularly with someone, but instead, utilize the Internet to keep up with all the latest news and stats. It’s easy to find what you need and won’t take long to process the information. You won’t be tempted to look up more than what you need because it will only take a few minutes to get the results and there will be no need to keep coming back.
Know When To Fold ‘Em
It is very useful to have someone who is keeping track of your wins and losses and letting you know when it is time to fold ’em. If you’re an experienced gambler who knows when to stop playing, it can be extremely helpful to have someone giving you advice who also follows hockey. They will be able to tell you which teams to avoid and which ones to chase after. Knowing when to stop can sometimes mean the difference between winning and losing, so it’s important to have someone who knows when to push and when to pull back.
Take Advantage Of Off-Peak Hours
There are certain hours of the day that are better than others for betting on hockey. Most bookmakers will be open during the day, but they may limit the number of betting lines they offer or the amount of credit that can be taken out. If you’re looking for a good time to place a bet, try visiting a bookmaker at an hour when they aren’t as busy or when they have fewer restrictions. This could mean a good increase in the odds of winning alongside the convenience of doing business with a professional sportsbook.
Don’t Forget The Little Things
One of the things that can make or break your enjoyment of hockey is the details that surround the game. You may watch a goal be scored and think it was a great play, but if the crowd isn’t into it and isn’t helping the players celebrate, it may not seem that way. The same can be said for the opposition as well. If the atmosphere is good and the players are reacting to what’s going on, you can assume that everything is ok and trust your instincts. Besides, if you’re new to the sport, it can be difficult to know which celebrations are official and which are just fans getting out of control.
There is always plenty of hockey to keep track of, even if you don’t follow the sport. The North American Hockey League has several teams in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that play a regular schedule, plus there is the entire NHL season and various playoffs available to follow. That’s a lot of hockey to keep track of! When it comes to following hockey, there is a lot more information than most people will ever need or want to know about the sport. In order to avoid drowning in stats, advanced statistics and obscure team information, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you cut through the clutter and keep things interesting.