IceHL World Nations: Group 5

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We find ourselves in mainland Europe for Group 5 of the IceHL World Initiative Nations Bracket. Bet you saw that one coming.

United Kingdom

It may not be the most common place to find hockey, but as one of the world's biggest and most influential cities, there's no denying London a shot at an IceHL franchise.

But it doesn't have to be London of course, there are several cities in the United Kingdom that could support a team. Which will you choose?

Ireland

It's only logical to pit the U.K. against its nearest neighbor in the first round of the bracket. Maybe Ireland's famous luck will land it an IceHL club.

France

If you think we need a team in Paris, this will be your option. Consider we're already losing one IceHL team from a French-speaking land in the Quebec Armada. Currently, only the Olympiques remain.

Italy

The last option in Group 5 will be Italy. Think of the many cities where we could place a team, from Rome to Milan to Turin — the home of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

I imagine this will be one of the toughest groups to decide. Which nation has your loyalty?

IceHL Relocation: City Selection, Round 3

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We're in the process of selecting a location for the new IceHL West team that will replace the Philadelphia Aces — who move to the IceHL East next season. We're now down to the final four potential cities.

Results: Round 1 | Round 2

Results are hidden until polls close. This round ends Wednesday night. Happy voting!

By the end of the week, the winning city will be decided. Where are you hoping the new team ends up?

IceHL Relocation: City Selection, Round 2

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We're deciding on a location for the new IceHL West team that will replace the Philadelphia Aces, who move to the IceHL East where they belong. We began with 16 cities and after the first round of polls, we're down to eight.

Results: Round 1

Despite a Twitter campaign to bring a third country into the IceHL, Mexico City was defeated in the first round by an equally unusual place to put a hockey team — Hawaii. And in a tight race between Las Vegas and San Francisco, there's still a chance California could get a second IceHL team.

Results are hidden until polls close. This round ends Thursday night. Happy voting!

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Were you surprised by any of the results in the last round? What cities are you voting for in this one?

IceHL World Nations: Group 4

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If the last three groups seemed focused on traditional hockey-playing countries, Group 4 is decidedly not.

To find this set of nations, we're going to Asia's Far East. It'll be sure to inject some creativity into our summer branding project.

Japan

The Japanese sent their women's hockey team to the Olympics this year — but I will admit it's rare to see them there. Regardless, a team in Tokyo or Osaka could be a unique addition to the IceHL.

South Korea

The next Winter Olympics will be held in South Korea in 2018, so I couldn't exactly leave them out of the running. Seoul could be a great spot for our league.

China

At the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, we were treated to the Chinese women's team. They may not have been loaded with talent, but China is home to some of the world's largest cities. Perhaps the IceHL could find a new home in Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong this fall.

India

Apparently the Indian national ice hockey team has only been victorious in one game on the international stage, but why should that stop us from considering Delhi or Mumbai for entry into the IceHL? It shouldn't.

Group 4 will certainly yield a unique team identity. That's all for this week. Check back Monday for Group 5. In the meantime, feel free to speculate on which countries will find on the other side of the bracket.

IceHL World Nations: Group 3

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Admittedly, Group 3 is probably the most obvious collection of nations related to the sport of hockey. That's why I wanted to get it out of the way early.

For this set of countries, we find ourselves in the Nordic region — land of the Vikings.

Sweden

Lidstrom, Sandstrom and Backstrom. Zetterberg, Renberg and Forsberg. Sedin, Sedin and Sundin. Need I go on?

As soon as you heard about the IceHL World Initiative, you were probably already thinking of a team based in Stockholm. That will certainly be a possibility.

Norway

Not traditionally known for its hockey stars, Norway still loves the game and is no less worthy of a potential IceHL franchise.

Keep it in mind if you'd like to see a team in Oslo.

Finland

Sweden's nearest rival in terms of pure hockey talent lies just to the east. From the Finnish Flash on down, Finland has treated the world to some incredible players. Teemu Selanne is just one among many.

If you think that makes Helsinki deserving of an IceHL club, be ready to vote.

Denmark

We round out our collection of Nordic nations with the one whose capital is most fun to say. Copenhagen, Denmark will be one of our 32 options when voting commences in a couple weeks.

Tomorrow we travel to a section of the planet from here to find Group 4.

IceHL World Nations: Group 2

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Eight of our 32 countries are set in the IceHL World Nation Bracket with the unveiling of Group 2.

Russia

When you think of hockey powerhouses, Russia often comes to mind. So no one should be surprised to see them in this group.

The IceHL would be right at home in major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. But there will be some stiff competition.

Ukraine

As a real-world conflict escalates between Russia and the Ukraine, the two nations will go head-to-head in our made-up world of fantasy hockey.

Could you see a team in Kyiv?

Belarus

They've given the NHL players like Mikhail Grabovski and the late Ruslan Salei. They even skated at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Belarus takes its place in Group 2 with the potential for a franchise in Minsk.

Latvia

In their fourth consecutive Olympic appearance, Latvia finished a team-best 8th overall in Sochi this year. They've also produced the likes of Sandis Ozolinsh and Arturs Irbe.

Now you'll get the chance to put an IceHL club in Riga — if you think they're worthy.

Check back here tomorrow to see Group 3.

IceHL Relocation: City Selection, Round 1

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We learned on Sunday night that the Quebec Armada would be the IceHL East team relocated to the West this summer. As one fan put it, "it's like losing the Nordiques all over again." But on Monday, I unveiled a plan to #SaveTheArmada — should the IceHL fan base be so inclined.

Since the team may not disappear from the league after all, I'll be referring to this relocation project as the "new IceHL West team" from now on. We begin the long process today with the first round of voting in the City Selection Bracket.

Results are hidden until polls close. This round ends Thursday night. Happy voting!

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The bracket above was seeded based on geography from a predetermined list of cities that offer a fair spread among regions of North America not currently home to an IceHL franchise. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

You should also feel free to do any campaigning in the comments or on Twitter using the hashtag #IceHLWorld. I'm eager to see which new city joins our league!

How you can #SaveTheArmada

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With their loss to the Chicago Hitmen in the final week of the IceHL East postseason, the Quebec Armada secure last place in the 2013-14 season. The rules set out last month say they will now be relocated and shifted to the IceHL West.

I say not so fast.

Like many IceHL fans, I love the Armada identity and would hate to see it erased from our league without the input of the community. We're all about making group decisions here, but the plan to correct the conference imbalance bypassed voters entirely to protect the GMs.

It was the right way to play it, but now you should get the chance to weigh in on whether we really lose the Quebec Armada.

How?

As you know, we're launching the IceHL World this summer — the third IceHL conference and one that will span the globe. Should you choose to keep the Armada around, they would become a member of this new conference, representing Canada, and play against international opponents.

In the bracket to select the IceHL World nations, Group 1 was just unveiled today. It includes Canada, Iceland, Brazil and Argentina.

Nation voting will begin Sun., April 27. If the Armada are to have a shot at survival, voters must select Canada to come out of Group 1. Then a subsequent vote will determine whether we move forward with the name selection process or simply use the Quebec Armada branding for the new Canadian franchise.

Any questions? Please ask!

IceHL World Nations: Group 1

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We all know the IceHL is expanding with its third conference — IceHL World. But where will we put the teams?

That remains to be seen, but over the next two weeks I'll be unveiling the geographic groups that will be the basis for those locations. One nation from each group will advance — giving us eight teams for our inaugural season.

Today, I'm unveiling Group 1, which focuses on the Americas. With each unveiling will be potential home cities for each country.

Canada

Your initial instinct might be that this is a silly idea. The IceHL already has plenty of Canadian teams in the East and West conferences. That's what I thought too.

But Canada as a nation is such a great ambassador for the sport of hockey. (Just look at all their Olympic gold medals!) This year, of all years, I felt it would be wrong to exclude them.

Part of the reason is that Toronto (Canada's biggest city) and Ottawa (Canada's capital) are not represented in our league. There have been opportunities to add them in recent years but voters have gone in other directions. So I'm giving these cities another chance.

In addition, there's big news for those IceHL fans hoping to save the Quebec Armada from disappearing following their last-place finish in the IceHL East this season.

If Canada is selected in Group 1, the Armada will be permitted to shift to the new conference with all of its existing branding intact! The final decision, however, will still come down to a vote.

Iceland

Most hockey fans associate it with the Mighty Ducks movies, but I assure you Iceland is much more than that!

As someone who's been to Iceland a handful of times, I can tell you it's an incredible place from the unique geology to the amazing people.

I won't deny a personal interest in seeing an IceHL team in Reykjavik, but of course the final call is yours to make. I'll be watching and cheering from the sidelines.

Brazil

Brazil is going to be at the center of the sports world for the next couple of years, so it's only right they get a shot at a premier fantasy hockey league franchise!

Rio de Janeiro will host the World Cup this summer and the Summer Olympics in 2016. Sao Paulo would also be an option.

Argentina

If Buenos Aires is your kind of town, it could gain an IceHL franchise if voters select Argentina.

If you have any questions, ask in the comments. Otherwise check back tomorrow for Group 2! (Hint: It's a region that's been in the news a lot lately.)

First Look: IceHL World Initiative

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It's been mentioned in the last two IceHL yearbooks. Now it's finally becoming a reality — the IceHL World is happening in 2014. It'll be the third Icethetics fantasy league, joining the IceHL East and IceHL West.

I'm still working out all the details of how we'll create the league this summer. But I did want to run through what I do know and take any feedback.

I have a feeling 2014 will be the year of the bracket on Icethetics. Not only do the tournaments have new life on the Vote page, but the IceHL West rebrand will utilize that system of voting. The IceHL World will be no different in that regard.

League Size

The IceHL World will debut with 8 teams this summer. This number was not selected arbitrarily. It's a good starting point for a league I'd like to see grow in the coming years. It's exactly half the number of teams of the East and West and will give us several years of expansion.

Truth be told, if I had it to do again, the original IceHL project in 2008 would not have been 30 teams. Had I known what it would become, we would've started small to allow steady growth over the years. So that was very educational.

Selecting Locations

Trying to cover the world with just eight teams will be an enormous challenge. It won't be perfect. Know that from the outset. But I believe we will have a fantastic opportunity for some unique team branding.

In my role as commissioner, it's my job to guide the process. The final decisions will still be yours to make, as always. I'm just here to keep things organized and running smoothly with an eye to the future. So here's how I'm organizing the start of this new project.

Nation Brackets

We will begin with 32 nations — the number of current IceHL teams — divided into eight groups. Each group will use a two-round bracket to determine which countries will be selected to join the IceHL World.

The brackets will be grouped based on geography to ensure a decent spread of teams across the world. We'll have a mix of traditional and non-traditional hockey nations throughout the groups. But I'm sure you just want to see the full breakdown.

Not quite yet.

The eight brackets will be unveiled over a two-week period immediately following the IceHL season, which ends April 13 — just to draw out the fun! It'll take place while we're selecting the city for the team that's relocating to the IceHL West.

City Designations

In the past, we've started by selecting cities. I decided on nations for this one so we don't have multiple cities from the same country in the brackets. For the IceHL World, the cities will be assigned during the name nomination process.

For example, if Russia was one of the countries selected, you could nominate teams names for Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, etc. This will foster more creativity in the naming process. (Of course you'd also be able to name a team for "Russia" rather than a specific city, but we'll still have to designate a home city.)

Logos and Jerseys

Once all eight team names are set, the logo and jersey design and voting process will use the same bracket format as the IceHL West rebrand. All in all, we should be finished with everything by mid-August. We'll have almost two months to spare before the start of the 2014-15 season and plenty of time to select GMs for the new teams.

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions by email or in the comments below.