IceHL Week 2 Review

That's another one down. After two weeks, the IceHL via AHL is getting into its groove and certain teams are really beginning to stand out. For the look back at Week 2, we'll start with the IceHL WEST.

It's astounding to see the Renegades thriving this season after two years of struggles. The AHL has definitely been good to the team from Regina as the club continued to display its dominance in Week 2 with a 59-36 win over the Pioneers — all thanks to an offensive outburst by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Last week, Mark Borowiecki's penalty minute explosion launch the Renegades to victory. This week, Nugent-Hopkins helped them to a more legitimate victory with an outstanding 22 points on 2 goals, 4 assists and 2 penalty minutes. But it was a group effort as all six members of the team figured into the scoring.

The best performance of the week came from the Wave, who crushed the Huskies 71-33. California picked up assists from every skater for a league-high of 11 total. Meanwhile, Alaska got less-than-stellar numbers from its stars following a solid opener.

The widest margin of victory in Week 2 saw the Winterhawks slam the Scorpions, 67-25. Justin Schultz packed in 22 points from the blue line as forwards Charlie Coyle and Brett Connolly teamed up for 29 more to lead Winnipeg to victory. Salt Lake City will be making some key roster moves in Week 3, taking advantage of the top spot in the waiver order.

The Hellcats impressed after a rocky opening week, shooting down the Kodiaks in a 69-37 stunner. Only one player failed to top double-digit points for Houston. Geoff Walker lead scoring with 18 points. On the Edmonton side, a quiet defense resulted in a mediocre week.

Keeping things interesting were the Gators and Cavalry, who actually played to a statistical tie, 57-57. But because the IceHL doesn't do draws, the tie-breaker went to New Orleans, who tallied 7 goals this week on the backs of four different skaters. If not for that, these are two of the most evenly-matched teams in the league — especially when you remember they also earned the same number of points as each other last week.

Elsewhere, the Narwhals picked up their first win of the year with a 67-46 win over the Aviators. The Outlaws outgunned the defending champion Beasts 52-39. And the Lumberjacks edged out the Sharpshooters, who were the most-improved franchise in Week 2 — despite still sitting in last place overall.

Now let's have a look at what went down in the IceHL EAST.

Things weren't as wild in the IceHL EAST in Week 2. The Lagers followed up their jersey contest victory with one that actually counts in the standings. Milwaukee steamrolled the Sentinels 61-23. Zach Boychuck and Justin Faulk each nabbed 15 points by utilizing all three stat categories while a shutout win put Justin Peters in double digits as well.

On the Washington side, big names are doing small numbers, making it hard for the team to gain traction in the early going of the season. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad have not been living up to expectations. But they'll need to if the Sentinels hope to be a contender.

This week, the Archers claimed the top of the standings by relying on the league's widest margin of victory in a 56-16 pounding of the Mariners. The St. Louis blue line provided the offensive rush as Justin Schultz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson combined for 34 points. It was a similar situation with Hartford as defenseman Radko Gudas was the only player to register on the scoresheet, returning to action with 16 penalty minutes.

After claiming a championship in their debut season, the Nighthawks opened the new year with a sizeable loss. But they turned it around in Week 2 with a little help from the whole roster, defeating the Hitmen by a 55-48 margin. Jordan Eberle put up 16 points on a goal and 3 assists for North Carolina while Chicago got a combined 5 goals and 4 assists from Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist.

It was a close one for the Armada, who barely beat the Arsenal. In the 44-41 tilt, Quebec saw points from all six players while only one failed to figure in for Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Barracudas just beat out the Olympiques 50-44 on big penalty-minute points from Trevor Smith. But it was D-man Tomas Kundratek who made the most noise with a goal and 3 assists.

The Guardians nabbed their first W of 2012-13 against the Motorheads by score of 59-49. The Colonials posted a strong follow-up after a weak start, soundly beating the Blue Crabs 61-49. And the Steelcats bounced back from Week 1 woes with a 51-32 win over the Mammoths.

Big thanks to Sharpshooters GM Tony Pomposelli for giving me a hand with the manual stat-tracking this weekened! Huge help!

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GMs/AGMs were given an additional day this week to make roster changes. Waiver claims will be processed Tuesday at 3pm ET. Check back for the Week 3 preview.

Order Your Own IceHL Jersey!

Just wanted to update everybody on the IceHL jersey contest. The Milwaukee Lagers sweater is now available for you to own and wear from RinkGear! Be sure to order yours right away. If they sell enough Lagers jerseys, they'll consider making more IceHL sweaters!

Also wanted to update the GMs and AGMs. Since I won't be able to update the leagu scoreboards on Monday as I normally would (taking a long weekend), I've posted a mid-week update as of Friday's AHL games.

• East/West Mid-Week Scoreboard Updates

Couple of notes. There are actually two teams with no points at this stage of the week. The Mariners are getting shut out 28-0 by the Archers in the IceHL EAST. In the IceHL WEST, the Huskies are down 21-0 to the Wave. Also, if you have any Oklahoma City Barons players on your team, you're probably killing it right now. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 16 points, Justin Schultz has 14 points and Jordan Eberle has 13, to name a few.

Check back on Tuesday to see the final results from Week 2.

By the way, because there are no AHL games on Monday or Tuesday of next week, I'm giving everybody an extra day to submit waiver claim requests. The Week 3 deadline is now Tuesday at 3pm ET. Don't delay. The earlier you submit your claim, the better.

One more note. We have a newcomer! Tony Krogen is taking over AGM duties for the Olympiques as of Week 3. Chris Stephens will remain GM of the franchise.

IceHL Week 2 Preview

As we embark on Week 2, you'll notice I've made a change to the IceHL page. The current league standings will always be there at the top bordered in orange (so you can't miss it!).

All waiver claims that I received by today at 3pm ET have been processed. For updated rosters and this week's match-up schedule, here are some handy links:

Here are the waiver claims that were processed for Week 2.

Claims in italics did not clear. Click here to see the Week 3 waiver order. Please submit your Week 3 claims by Mon., Oct. 29 at 3pm ET.

Good luck to everyone this week!

IceHL Week 1 Review

The first week of the IceHL's 2012-13 season is now behind us. And what a week it was. The standings above tell you how it all ended but doesn't even begin to tell you the whole story. So I'll do my best to break it all down. First, the full scoreboard, then my analysis. IceHL EAST first, then the WEST.

I'm pleased to say my Barracudas reigned over the IceHL EAST to get the season started. Our 63 points would've topped anybody this week. But all we had to do was get past the Arsenal, who hit only 30. A respectable number to be sure, but not quite enough for the win.

Turns out that when we're dealing with AHL rosters, my inclination for snapping up Lightning players (or future Lightning players, in this case) is paying off so far. Tyler Johnson had 2 goals, 3 assists and 4 penalty minutes for a 21-point week and Dustin Tokarski picked up 3 wins between the pipes. 

The defending champion Nighthawks were no match for the Archers, who won handily, 59-31. The win was mostly thanks to Oliver Ekman-Larsson's IceHL EAST-leading 24 points (2g, 2a, 10pim). The Archers saw production from all five skaters while goalie Ben Bishop has yet to dress for a game this season.

In fact, only one team enjoyed contributions from all six members of its roster. The Lagers left the Mammoths feeling a bit woozy after a 54-15 pounding. Minnesota's performance was a league-low this week, due in part to the fact that two of its players have yet to see AHL action this season. Mikael Granlund was the star in Milwaukee with 2 goals and 4 assists for 20 points.

Elsewhere, the Hitmen saw four players top double digits, propelling them to a 54-26 victory over the Motorheads in Week 1. (Already looking like an improvement over last season.) And it was the blue line that helped the Blue Crabs to a 52-21 win against the Steelcats. Mike Kostka and Slava Voynov combined for 23 points, which included 3 goals and 3 assists.

By far the closest match-up of the week took place between the Quebec rivals with the Armada just edging out the Olympiques by one point, 31-30. The expansion Mariners made a victorious IceHL debut, beating the Colonials 40-27, while the Sentinels walloped the Guardians 40-21.

Before you share your take on these results, have a look at the IceHL WEST.

It was a week of extremes in the IceHL WEST as the top-scoring team exceeded the 70-point plateau and the lowest-scoring team failed to even reach double digits.

The Renegades sit atop the league this week after a stunning 74-29 win over the Narwhals to open the season. But this match-up would've been a lot closer had it not been for Mark Borowiecki going a little nuts over the weekend. The blue-liner was credited with 42 points!

On Saturday, Borowiecki picked up a pair of major penalties for boarding and fighting halfway throught the first period. He then tallied a goal in the second period before being assessed another minor penalty in the third. And before it was all said and done, he found himself in yet another fight — his third major of the game — which triggered an automatic game misconduct (AHL Rule 20.4). That's 27 penalty minutes in one night!

Regina's win was impressive but they only won by 45 points. The Huskies finished the week 50 points ahead of the Sharpshooters, in a match-up that ended 59-9. Radko Gudas was MIA while Matt Fraser and Emerson Etem have been quiet on the scoresheet for the Sharpshooters. Meanwhile, the Huskies enjoyed an offensive outburst from Cory Conacher and Zack Kassian, who combined for 5 goals and an assist. Kassian threw in 14 penalty minutes for good measure.

The IceHL WEST defending champion Beasts were true to their name as one of three teams to get production from all six players as they crushed the Cavalry, 66-21. Mikael Granlund and Chris Kreider put up 37 points together, on Granlund's 2 goals and 4 assists and Kreider's 17 penalty minutes. The Cavalry's problem stemmed from having a pair of players who aren't even playing AHL games at the moment in Taylor Hall and Ryan Ellis.

Another team to see six-way performance was the Winterhawks, who stumped the Hellcats with a 62-32 win. Marcus Foligno and Justin Schultz notched 3 goals apiece. Tim Erixon was the only skater without a goal, but he made up for it with a little time in the box. For Houston, goalie David Leggio's pair of wins made him the team's leading scorer this week.

The closest match-up of the week saw the Wave edge out the Lumberjacks, 46-41. But things might have gone differently had it not been for Oliver Ekman Larsson's 24-point performance for California. Cody Hodgson and Slava Voynov each had 12 for Vancouver.

Elsewhere, the Kodiaks' defense powered them to a 41-28 victory over the Scorpions as blue-liners Tyson Barrie and Mark Barberio combined for 2 goals and 5 assists. In the battle of the Pacific Northwest, the Aviators topped the Pioneers 52-38, while the Outlaws outpaced the Gators 30-21 in the week's only match-up without a single player in double-digit points.

How's that for some number-crunching. Share your insights in the comments. What do you think we'll see in Week 2? Are certain AHLers posed for a point explosion?

Week 1: Mid-Week Analysis

Don't get used to these mid-week scoreboard updates, but I had some time to enter stats tonight so you guys can get a look at where your teams stand going into the weekend. The stats include games played Tuesday through Friday of this week.

• East Mid-Week Scoreboard
• West Mid-Week Scoreboard

The AHL's schedule is heavily skewed to the weekends, so the majority of your team's stats will be earned over the next two days, as opposed to the last four. Still, it's probably better than having nothing to go on. And it's our first week, so I know everyone is very curious to see how this experiment in fantasy hockey will actually work. That said, here are some noteworthy stats from the two leagues.

East Mid-Week Analysis (AHL)

The Archers currently hold the league lead in overall points with 29, thanks to Justin Schultz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each scoring two goals and an assist. That's right, it's the defense putting up the offense for this team. They're currently up 29-12 over the Nighthawks.

The match-up currently yielding the most combined points is between the Arsenal and (my) Barracudas, who are tied at 21 apiece. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault is putting up numbers in all three stat categories for Atlanta while all of Tampa Bay's forwards are chipping in.

The most lopsided game going on right now has the Lagers up 27-5 on the Mammoths. But it helps that Milwaukee is the only team currently getting points from all six of its players.

Elsewhere, the Sentinels are up 24-3 against the Guardians, who made no roster changes after being 100% Autopicked at last weekend's draft. The Motorheads are just edging the Hitmen, 18-17 while the Olympiques and Armada are tied at 10. The Blue Crabs have a 20-16 advantage over the Steelcats and the Mariners are up 9-6 on the Colonials.

West Mid-Week Analysis (AHL)

As of right now, the defending champion Beasts are running away with it in the IceHL WEST, with a dominating 36-6 lead over the Cavalry. But 15 of those points stem from a major penalty and game misconduct assessed to Chris Kreider for a boarding incident on Friday.

There are a couple of other very uneven games going on at the moment. The Huskies are up 29-3 on the Sharpshooters. Zack Kassian already has 17 points for Alaska on 2 goals and 9 penalty minutes. Meanwhile, the Renegades are showing life with a 24-2 lead over the Narhwals. Brian Connelly leads the way with 10 points for Regina. The Northwest expansion team is the only one in either league to currently be without a single point in the offensive stat categories.

The Lumberjacks and Wave are currently combining for a league-leading 41 points, with Vancouver on top 28-13. T.J. Hensick has 2 goals and an assist for 11 points so far. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is putting up the same numbers for California.

Elsewhere, the Winterhawks lead 27-9 over the Hellcats while the Gators enjoy a 17-6 cushion over the Outlaws. In a Pacific Northwest battle, Portland is ahead of Seattle 17-14 while the lowest-scoring match-up to this point belongs to the Kodiaks and Scorpions, where Edmonton is up 8-2.

And that's where the IceHL stands late on a Friday night. Hope you guys are enjoying the AHL action. It may be all we see for a while.

Update on 2012-10-20 18:40 by Chris

So you know how I keep referring to this IceHL/AHL thing as an experiment? It's mainly because there are so many unpredictable factors. And we got our first one this morning.

After I posted the mid-week scoreboards last night, Archers GM Ryan Laden emailed me to say that he picked up on some discrepancies in stats. Basically, some players were being credited with more assists than they actually earned this week.

Week 1: What Might Have Been

With AHL games mostly crammed into the weekends, it's easy for an IceHL GM/AGM to get a little bored during the week. And with no games on the docket tonight, I decided to take a look at where our teams might've been if we were counting stats earned during the AHL's opening weekend — while we were all busy drafting.

Think of it as the preseason. Perhaps a hint as to where each team is headed? Or maybe not at all. Over Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 12, 13 and 14), most AHL clubs had played at least a game or two, so that's what our "preseason" stats reflect. 

• IceHL EAST Preseason Stats
• IceHL WEST Preseason Stats

So what do these stats tell us?

East Preseason Analysis (AHL)

The Olympiques would've absolutely dominated the weekend with 63 points, due primarily to Cory Conacher's 2 goals and 3 assists. That accounted for 23 fantasy points after just two games! Conacher is definitely the AHLer to have on your roster this season. (But it won't be long before he joins the ranks of the Lightning!)

The Armada are facing the Olympiques this week and, to be fair, they seemed to be holding their own over that first weekend with 42 points. Sven Baertschi (another great get) notched 2 goals, 2 assists and 2 penalty minutes in his first two games — good for a total of 16 fantasy points under our system.

Ironically, the team that would've showed the least life in the first weekend of AHL action was the team that could hardly be beaten last season — the Nighthawks, whose 14 points was a league-low. Also notable from the weekend would've been the 51 points from the Sentinels, who picked up 21 of them from Travis Hamonic on 3 assists and 12 penalty minutes. And I'm happy to say my Barracudas led the league with 5 goals over the weekend.

West Preseason Analysis (AHL)

Out West, it was the Kodiaks showing their teeth with three different players in double-digits and 61 total points. Every skater on the team contributed at least a goal over the weekend, making it easy for the points to pile up fast. Baertschi, Nino Niederreiter and Tyson Barrie picked up two goals each.

Elsewhere, the Winterhawks would've led the league with an incredible 67 points with four players contributing goals! (These teams are making my three goal scorers look a lot less impressive.) Marcus Foligno tallied a pair along with an assist and 6 penalty minutes — good for 17 fantasy points. But not to be outdone, goalie Eddie Lack picked up a pair of victories and a shutout for 16 fantasy points.

Sadly, the team that would've faired the worst over opening weekend was the team that finished in last place last season. The Lumberjacks mustered just 14 total points, and were one of three teams without a goal. Also worth mentioning are the Aviators (who also would've seen three different players top double-digits) because their top scorer led the team without a single goal or assist all weekend. Instead, Cameron Gaunce racked up his points via 16 penalty minutes in three games. Busy guy.

I also liked how Narwhals (and Olympiques) goalie Carter Hutton grabbed a shutout without the win that usually accompanies it. The Rockford IceHogs and Chicago Wolves went scoreless through regulation and overtime. It took a shootout to determine a 1-0 winner, but both goalies were credited with shutouts.

What other noteworthy stats did you pick up on from the weekend that might have been?

Remember, these numbers are just for fun. The "preseason" points don't actually count toward Week 1 or the season in any official way.

Week 1 IceHL Digest

Here are the match-ups for Week 1 of the IceHL's 2012-13 season, including the final rosters.

To the right are the roster changes that were made in both leagues following the draft. The deadline for changes was today at 3 PM ET.

The biggest difference between our new temporary setup here and what we have at ESPN — aside from the fact that we're using AHL players — is that you won't be able to track stats live or even day-to-day unless you take on the task yourself.

The stats will be updated after the final AHL game on Sunday is complete. But the IceHL scoreboard may not be updated until some time Monday. Typically, the AHL doesn't schedule games on Mondays, so it should work out all right for everyone.

As always, if you have any questions, please ask. GMs and AGMs should be in touch by email throughout the week.

IceHL Supplemental Draft Recaps

Over the weekend, the IceHL's Supplemental Drafts were conducted, wherein GMs and AGMs selected AHL players to use until the NHL can get its act together. The rules for this season were detailed in the previous post on this page which solicited applications for prospective AGMs (assistant general managers).

If you want to see how the draft played out, below are the Draft Boards I used to manage each draft. The IceHL EAST draft took place on Saturday night at 8 PM ET.

Click image to enlarge

The IceHL WEST draft took place on Sunday night at 8 PM ET.

Click image to enlarge

Please note that these rosters are not final. The deadline for teams to submit roster changes is Tues., Oct. 16 at 3 PM ET. Final rosters for Week 1 will be posted Tuesday after the deadline along with this week's line-up of match-ups.

And yes, this NHL lockout now has me neck-deep in spreadsheet hell. But I figure it's all worth it if we can keep the IceHL alive this season.

IceHL Adding 7 AGMs This Week

It seems the inability of grown men to compromise and work together will foil yet another season of NHL hockey. We're all very disappointed in the league and its players for their unwillingness to make a deal. But as commissioner of the world's only crowd-sourced fantasy hockey league, I refuse to allow their buffoonery to spoil the IceHL's 2012-13 season — which was scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Instead, it will begin Monday with a smaller crew of replacement players. (Scabs, if you must.) Since there won't be any NHL stats to track at this time, we're moving on to the next best thing — the AHL. That's not what our 32 IceHL GMs signed up for, and while most of them have agreed to stick it out and wade through an unfamiliar league (with some familiar players), some GMs will be asking for help in the form of Assistant GMs, or AGMs.

That's why I'm writing today. The league needs a handful of AGMs and we need them fast. The AGMs will be responsible for managing their team's AHL roster — it's the next best thing to being an IceHL GM. It shouldn't be a difficult job, but it will require commitment and some knowledge of the American Hockey League.

Before you apply to fill one of our open AGM positions, it's only fair you know what you're getting yourself into. The IceHL will be a very different beast until the NHL season gets underway (if it does). Here are all the details you'll need to know as an IceHL AGM.

ROSTERS

Each team will select 6 players (3 forwards, 2 defensemen and a goalie) in a supplemental draft to take place this weekend — October 13-14. (If you're not available, you can submit a ranking and leave your teams fate to the Autopick.)

• Depending on how things go in the first week or two, I may add a seventh "utility" roster position (F or D). 
• Keep in mind I'll probably have to update stats manually every week, so I need to streamline the process. But you will get at least 6 players.
• IceHL EAST and IceHL WEST will still be separated, meaning teams in each league could still potentially utilize the same players just as with the ESPN leagues.

STATISTICS

Stats will be modified from what we have set up through ESPN for the NHL.

• For Skaters (F/D), we will use these stat categories: GOAL (4), ASSIST (3), PIM (1)
• For Goaltenders, we will use these stat categories: WIN (6), SHUTOUT (4)
• I will be relying on stats posted to the AHL's official website, so we are limited in what we can track. 

TRANSACTIONS

Each team will be allowed one player transaction per week (if made mid-week, effective the following Monday).

• Teams would be permitted to change no more than two players per transaction (be it trade or free agency).
• This means you could trade 2 players from your team for 2 players from another team.
• It also means you could drop 2 players and add 2 players as long as it's part of the same transaction. 

LEAGUE SCOREBOARD/UPDATES

Stats will be posted on the IceHL Fantasy Blog at icethetics.info every week.

• Unless I find an automated system, I can't promise anymore than this. We have 32 teams and that's a lot of spreadsheet updating.
• I will do my best to try to update the stats late in the week, but I can't make any promises.
• If you want more up to date stats, you'll have to track them on your own. 

GAME SCHEDULE

We will stick to the previously released ESPN game schedule.

• The biggest reason for using AHL players is to keep our schedule intact. I spent a lot of time on it this summer and I'd hate to have to blow it up.
• Final scores from each weekly match-up will be entered manually into the ESPN system, which should be able to continue to track team standings.
• Week 1 will take place October 15–21. The rest of the schedule will be normal.
• NOTE: AGMs will not be added as ESPN managers, however they will still be able to track the schedule, scores, standings since the IceHL is a public league.

SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT

The supplemental drafts will take place after the start of the AHL season.

• The AHL season begins this Friday (October 12). So you will get a chance to see some teams in action before you choose your players.
• The drafts will be conducted online this weekend via Skype Chat. (Skype accounts are free and you won't need a microphone or video camera to participate.)
• Any GM or AGM not able to attend, will have players auto-picked, not unlike how ESPN's draft system works.
• I hope to have a player ranking list prepared before the drafts (by Friday, if possible). This will be the basis for auto-picks.
• KEEPERS: Just as with the primary draft, Keepers will be in effect. If players on your team's NHL roster are playing in the AHL during the lockout, you will be able to keep them. They will be your initial picks in the supplemental draft.
• For auto-picked teams, priority will be given to Keeper players before going to the overall ranking list.
• GMs or AGMs unable to attend the draft may submit their own rankings to me (commissioner) beforehand as well. Since the league will only utilize 96 players, if your list is at least that long, you'll be assured that all 6 of your picks will come from your list.

THE GM-AGM RELATIONSHIP

• As an AGM, you need to understand you WILL NOT be taking full control of the IceHL team you are assigned to. The GM will remain in charge as far as that goes.
• Think of your GM as an advisor. Their participation with you will be at their discretion, but try to work with them where possible. That said, as AGM, you do have final say on AHL roster moves.
• If/when the NHL season begins, your AHL services will no longer be required. However, successful AGMs will immediately move to the top of the list if a new GM is needed either at midseason or next season.

COMMUNICATIONS

• During the NHL lockout, the league will communicate primarily by email. I also hope to set up a message board here on Icethetics for the GMs and AGMs to stay in contact with each other. Full details will be given to AGMs once they are selected.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Otherwise, if you're still interested in becoming an IceHL AGM, sign up here!

The IceHL 2012 Yearbook

Need a good book to settle in with this weekend?

Download the IceHL 2012 Yearbook and learn more than you ever wanted to know about the world's only crowd-sourced fantasy hockey league.

Two options to suit your connection speed:

• FULL QUALITY VERSION (20 MB/PDF)
• MOBILE VERSION (9 MB/PDF)

The only difference between the two versions is file size (and therefore image quality). In terms of content, they are exactly the same.

The IceHL 2012 Yearbook was a huge undertaking, in the works for more than five months. The result is the most comprehensive guide to the league that exists anywhere in the world.

Not only will you find the IceHL's logo and jersey designs taking a starring role, but you'll also find complete recaps of the 2011-12 season including individual team and player stats along with scores from every game all season. It really is comprehensive.

And if you're new to this IceHL thing, the first four pages of the book should get you caught up on what it is and why it's so popular with Icethetics readers.

Hope you guys enjoy the 2012 Yearbook. If you have any feedback on the book, I'd love to hear it. Drop me a line in the comments or by email. And if you have any suggestions for the 2013 Yearbook, I'm certainly open to that as well. Enjoy!

Update on 2012-09-23 20:51 by Chris

By the way, last season's Yearbook is still available as well.