It’s November, and the Toronto Blue Jays are finished. The Canadian Football League is nearing its Grey Cup finale.
It is finally time to focus on hockey, whether it’s your favourite NHL team, or the local Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Yorkton Terriers.
For those nights when your teams are not playing, and you can’t stand watching two American franchise’s such as Pittsburgh playing the New York Rangers on a Canadian sports network, I’ll off a few hockey-themed games this month to try out.
The first game is ‘Card Hockey League’ designed by Rainer Ahlfors.
The great thing about Card Hockey League (CHL) to begin with is that it plays with a standard deck of 52 cards. That is bonus as it allows play with something everyone has on-hand.
The ruleset is also free online. Just head to www.boardgamegeek.com and search by the game name.
In CHL, which is a two-player game, each takes on the roles of team managers.
“The game is played over three rounds (periods). The players should ideally play facing each other and have access to a six-card inverted pyramid game area,” notes the ruleset.
“Each game area consists of three rows.
“The row closest to the player represents the goalkeeper.
“A single card is placed in this row.
“The second row holds two cards, representing defenders.
“The third, and final row, holds three cards, representing the forwards on the team.”
In terms of card lay-out it very closely mimics a real line-up headed to a face-off.
“All cards are placed face up in a portrait orientation except the goalkeeper which is placed face down in a landscape orientation.”
The lay-out is simply illustrated in the print-out rules.
The game then begins in earnest.
“The first player, determined in whatever fashion the players desire, shuffles the deck and secretly looks at the top card. He can choose to place this card in any open position in his own play area. Once placed, the card cannot be moved. Once all six spots are filled, the deck is passed to the opponent who fills his own six spots in like manner,” notes the rules.
“Players take turns advancing on their opponent. Each turn begins with the player flipping over the top card of the deck and comparing it to his opponent’s line of forwards. If the card matches or beats another card in value, both cards are discarded and the player is considered having advanced past that hockey player.
“There is a strategic element when deciding which route to take when advancing on your opponent. With your first card, you compare against the three forwards. Once you have overcome a forward, your options for advancement may be limited. At no point are you allowed to skip another card in order to reach a more favorable card.
Once the goal is ‘open’, you are free to attempt to score at any point. You simply announce that you will shoot instead of taking on a hockey player. Your card is compared to the value of the goalkeeper. If your card is ‘higher’ in value, you have scored a goal. Regardless, both cards are discarded as usual.
“Whether a goal is successfully scored or not, it is now your opponents turn. Play also switches if you fail to successfully overtake enough players to clear an open path to your opponent’s goal.
“Your opponent will begin his turn by first filling any open spots as was done when the game began.”
Of special note; when only one card is left in the deck, a player may, on his turn, assuming his team slots are filled, attempt a shot on goal regardless of whether an open path exists or not.
Once the deck is exhausted, the period is considered having ended. All cards are gathered up, play switches to the next player who shuffles and drafts his team as was done at the beginning of the game.
Once three periods have been played, the player with the most goals is declared the winner.
Now CHL is in no way a deep card game, but it can pass some time between periods on Hockey Night In Canada, and is better than listening to Don Cherry at least.
