For the first time in Maryland All-Stars history, it is Kochman vs. Blitz for the title!

Semifinals Recap

After jumping out to a quick, albeit narrow lead on Tuesday, it would all go downhill for Lexie’s Legit. My Blitzkrieg stormed back after shrewdly adding Alexander Wennberg and Ivan Barbashev midweek. Those two combined for 35.5 points, which made all the difference in the end. After destroying #2 ranked Team Weinstein last week and taking care of business against #3 Lexie’s Legit, the Blitzkrieg are rolling and will look to upset a higher seed one final time.

One of the closest playoff matches in some time goes to Philly’s Elite! After a Krill Kaprizov hat trick propelled the Snow Cones within 12 points of Philly’s Elite around 4 PM yesterday, Jordan showed why he put up the second most points in the regular season and cruised to victory. After taking out Chelsea’s Dagger in round 1, Jordan defeated the hottest team in the league and will looks to use that momentum where it matters most.

Championship Preview

And then there were two! Jordan faces one final hurdle in his quest for a long overdue Maryland All-Stars Cup. 2-time champion, my Blitzkrieg, stands in his way. The two teams split the regular season series and will now do battle one final time for the ultimate prize.

Philly’s Elite has appeared in two Cup finals, one in 2010/11 and the other in 2018/19, losing both. Jordan is the only active original 8 manager never to win it all. My Blitzkrieg makes its second finals appearance in four years (forth appearance all time) and is looking to win a 3rd Cup, which would tie both Weinstein’s for the record.

The stakes are high and history will be made regardless!

Commish Notes

Championship week will run through the end of the NHL regular season (4/6-4/16).

The team maximum of 20 adds remains in effect throughout the playoffs. You can make a total of 3 moves per week.

Thank you to each and every one of you for making the 16th regular season of Maryland All-Stars fantasy hockey one of our most competitive ever! I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Quarterfinals Recap

The most shocking week in Maryland All-Stars history! The #1, #2, and #4 seeds all fall. That includes our defending champion, Mark, who’s days are numbers with the Maryland All-Stars Cup. Never in history has a team won back-to-back titles and that trend will continue for at least another year.

Our Montgomery and Gordon Bombay Trophy winner, Under New Management, had a narrow lead over Snow Cones the entire week. Heading into Sunday, Eric led by a mere 5 points. Even with things incredibly tight, no one thought the lowly #8 seed stood any real chance. Then, one of the more shocking upsets in playoff history would occur! Thanks to a dominant 73-point Sunday, Snow Cones powered past the odds-on favorite to end Under New Management’s season. Despite his regular season dominance, Eric has fallen short yet again when it matters most. Snow Cones has now won 6 weeks in a row and is on fire as he sets his sights on winning Cup number 2. What a week for the Swiss machine!

Down goes the champ! After his late-season surge up the standings, Mark could not find the magic when it mattered the most. My Auston Matthew-less Blitzkrieg jumped out to a early lead on Tuesday night and simply never let go. This is the first time since the 2015/16 season that Team Weinstein has failed to make it out of the 1st round of the playoffs. A real stunner caused by yours truly!

She is legit, folks! The only higher seed that actually won is none other than Lexie’s Legit. Lexie’s impressive 362 points was the most by any team in round 1 and that was without star player, Leon Draisaitl. On the other side of the ice, it is all heartbreak for Mr. Dub. The first-ever 3-time champion’s Cup drought goes on for another year. We all thought he figured things out when he made a championship appearance last season, but this year proved yet again that the salary cap era has his number. This is the first time ever that none of the Weinstein’s will feature in round 2 of the playoffs and just the second time ever that neither of them will finish in the top-3.

Despite leading in the standings for 3/4 of the year, Chelsea’s Dagger was a sitting duck in round 1 of the playoffs. Ian’s boys, in just their second ever playoff appearance, had no juice left in the tank. In the final 2 months of the regular season, Chelsea’s Dagger went 3-5 and has now ended the year on a 3-game losing streak. While he has certainly cracked the code for how to break into the top-8, Ian still has a long way to go before seriously challenging for a title. Heartbreak for the Michigan man! One man’s pain is another man’s gain, however. Philly’s Elite is off to the second round and has what some are calling the deepest roster left in the playoffs. Jordan is the only team remaining who has never won a Maryland All-Stars Cup and this could very well finally be his time.

Semifinals Preview

One of them is an original-8 franchise searching for his very first Maryland All-Stars Cup and the other is looking to play spoiler two weeks in a row. Things are wide open in one of the most unpredictable semifinals matchups in a very long time!

The battle of teams with injured star players! Lexie’s Legit is without Leon and the Blitzkrieg is without Auston. Lexie is gunning for her 2nd Cup in 3 years and my Blitzkrieg is looking to join the Weinstein’s as the only teams to ever win it all 3 times.

Commish Notes

The team maximum of 20 adds remains in effect throughout the playoffs. You can make a total of 3 moves per week.

Thank you to each and every one of you for making the 16th regular season of Maryland All-Stars fantasy hockey one of our most competitive ever! I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Welcome to the 2026 Maryland All-Stars Cup playoffs! Congratulations to the 8 teams that made the dance!

Regular Season Awards

Montgomery Trophy

Awarded to the team the finishes in 1st place in the regular season.

Eric is the winner of the 2025/26 Montgomery Trophy! He finishes his league-leading regular season with a 16-5 record and 6,025 points. This is his 1st Montgomery Trophy and a reflection of sustained dominance for the full 21-week season.

Gordon Bombay Trophy

Awarded to the team that finishes the regular season with the most points.

Eric is also the winner of the 2025/26 Gordon Bombay Trophy! His league-leading 6,025 points is 100 more than the next team. Eric becomes the 15th team in league history to sweep both regular season awards.

Regular Season Awards & Records

Historically, the winner of the Montgomery Trophy has gone on to win the Maryland All-Stars Cup 53.3% of the time and the winner of the Gordon Bombay Trophy has gone on to win the Maryland All-Stars Cup 60% of the time. It is safe to say Under New Management is the clear cut favorite heading into the playoffs!

Final Regular Season Standings

Maryland All-Stars Bracketology

Commish Notes

The team maximum of 20 adds remains in effect throughout the playoffs. You can make a total of 3 moves per week.

Thank you to each and every one of you for making the 16th regular season of Maryland All-Stars fantasy hockey one of our most competitive ever! I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Week 19 Recap

The playoff picture is becoming clearer by the day. Madison’s Gr8 Victory Lap and Paige’s Puck Me Up are now officially eliminated from contention.

Chelsea’s Dagger was, well, the final dagger for Madison. After going undefeated for the first month of the season, Gr8 Victory Lap won just 3 matchups since. Paige’s mid-season surge that saw her leapfrog some of the league’s bottom-dwellers ended too soon and was simply not good enough in the long run. Her season was ended by Julia, who deserves some stick taps for putting together a nice final month.

In signature fashion, our defending champion is heating up right on time. Team Weinstein destroyed my struggling Blitzkrieg and is now in a healthy 4th place with just 2 weeks to go. Mark is led by a red hot Martin Necas and Nikita Kucherov and will be a massive problem come playoff time. As for my Blitzkrieg, my signature slide down the standings in the final stretch has returned for a 3rd consecutive year. I face Jordan this week and a loss could see me drop as low 8th. I’m sweating….

Award Watch!

Speaking of Philly’s Elite, the 6-week win streak has come to end thanks to a dominant performance by Eric’s Under New Management. With that victory, Eric remains in first place and has overtaken Jordan in the Gordon Bombay Trophy race. He now has a mere 22 point lead over Philly’s Elite. Will Under New Management sweep the regular season awards or will Jordan make a late comeback for the Bombay?

Battle for 8th

9 teams are alive with only 8 playoff spots. Both the Snow Cones and Unleash the Fury have a record of 10-9 and are in 8th and 9th, respectively. Things were looking bleak for Snow Cones, however, going into Sunday, but thanks to a late hat-trick from Pavel Zacha, the Swiss Machine beat Lexie’s Legit by a mere 0.6 points to crucially keep pace with Katelyn. Wow! Snow Cones has a hefty points lead over Unleash the Fury, meaning Katelyn’s next two matchups are absolute must-wins.

Here are the full standings after 19 weeks of play:

Playoff Picture

Madison and Lexie are officially eliminated from playoff contention. With just 2 weeks to go, 6 spots remain for 7 teams. Who will be the odd one out!?

Week 20 Schedule

Lexie vs. Katelyn. This 2023 Maryland All-Stars Cup Finals rematch is a must-win for Katelyn. With her playoff hopes on the line, can she avenge her loss for the title from just a few years ago?

Commish Notes

The trade deadline has now passed.

Each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Week 18 Recap

We are back, folks! What a week (month?) that was!

There was no olympic rust for Eric’s Under Management as he breaks the record for the most points in a regular season match-week with 522. This impressive haul was led by newly crowned olympic gold medalist, Matt Boldy, who scored an insane 102 individual points. The electric duo of Matthew Schaefer and Mat Barzal also scored a combined 127 points.

This ridiculous production has seen Eric close the gap to league-wide point leader, Philly’s Elite, meaning the Gordon Bombay trophy is in no way a lock for the Philadelphia native. That said, Jordan had a very impressive showing of his own by destroying Chelsea’s Dagger. With a healthy points buffer over 4th - 8th, Jordan is likely a lock for the playoffs and could finish as high as 1st place. What a year for one of our league’s Original 8 managers as he tries to win his very first championship!

Don’t sleep on Lexie because oh my my, she is legit! With a 12-6 record, our 2024 champion is comfortably in 4th place and could easily pass Chelsea’s Dagger in the standings should Ian’s struggles remain. Finishing top-3 is very much in play.

We have movement on the bubble! Katelyn’s horrendous run of form in the second half of the year continues thanks to a convincing win over her by Team Weinstein. Unleash the Fury’s loss and Snow Cones’ season-ending victory over Team Wong sees the Swiss Machine jump into 8th place to take control of that final playoff spot. It has been an up and down season for the former champion from Bern, but he seems to be peaking at the very best time.

As for Katelyn, she now faces an uphill battle to reclaim a playoff birth. It is certainly not impossible, however, as she faces 2 of our 3 eliminated teams in the final three weeks of the season. Things are shaping up to be a barn burner!

Here are the full standings after 18 weeks of play:

Playoff Picture

With 3 weeks in the regular season remaining, Unleash the Fury, Gr8 Victory Lap, and Puck Me Up face a near-impossible challenge to end up on the right side the line. We will have more eliminations by this time next week. It’s crunch time!

Trade Deadline This Wednesday!

This Wednesday is the last chance to make any trades. For those of you on the bubble, now is the time.

Week 19 Schedule

Week 19 is shaping up to be the most consequential week of the regular season. We will definitely have multiple clinching and elimination scenarios by week’s end.

The showdown between Lexie’s Legit and Snow Cones is crucial for many reasons. A Lexie win will prolong the battle for 8th until the end of the season, while a Snow Cones win could very much end Katelyn’s playoff hopes with another loss.

Commish Notes

Trade Deadline this Wednesday, March 4th!

Each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited for the deadline. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Week 17 Recap

The freezing temperatures were no match for red-hot Mr. Dub as he collected his 6th straight victory, this time over Team Wong. His win leaves him in 6th place and at a 11-6 record. We often talk about peaking at the right time, and Mr. Dub is doing just that. Look out for the 3-time champ down the stretch!

The top-2 fall! Ian and Eric both suffered defeat, tightening up the gap at the top of the standings.

My Blitzkrieg managed a convincing blow the Michigan man, winning 330-283. Chelsea’s Dagger never led the entire week. It is Ian’s 2nd loss in 3 weeks and while he has already clinched the playoffs, 1st place could be up for grabs. 2026 has been far less kind to the Dagger than last. He is now just 1 more loss away to equaling his total L’s in the calendar year of 2025.

Team Weinstein throttled Under New Management, who has now lost 2 in a row. Eric is now just one win ahead of the pack and needs to turn things around if he has any plans to hold on to that 2nd spot. As for Mark, he collects his 3rd win in as many weeks and remains 1 win ahead of 8th place.

Speaking of 8th, that is where things get interesting. Katelyn’s Unleash the Fury lost again to the Snow Cones. With that win, the Swiss Machine is now just 1 back. He has over 100 more points than Katelyn on the season, meaning another win and an Unleash the Fury loss will result in the Snow Cones overtaking her for that elusive final playoff spot. This is going to be a thrilling race down the stretch!

Here are the full standings after 17 weeks of play:

Week 18 Schedule

Week 18 is massive for those of you on the outside looking in. Every single team currently in a playoff spot is playing against another playoff team. That means 4 of the top-8 will lose and may very well open the door to 9th-12th.

It is going to be a bloodbath of a week, highlighted by a juicy father vs. son matchup that could result in the winner jumping all the way up to 1st!

Playoff Picture

4 weeks in the regular season to go.

Commish Notes

Week 18 will be extended due to the Olympic Break and run from Monday, February 2nd through Sunday, March 1st. Roster deadlines, minimum goalie requirements, and weekly transaction limits will not change during this fantasy week.

Each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Week 16 Recap

As temperatures dropped and snow continued to fall, Ian’s Chelsea’s Dagger and Eric’s Under New Management were locked in what some would say a heated rivalry. Sorry, I had to. As the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Calgary Flames entered OT, Under New Management had a 3-point lead. Only a goal or an assist from Chelsea’s Dagger would be enough to overtake Eric. Ian had one player left. *Enter Beckett Sennecke* With overtime winding down, the young winger sniped a top cheddar beauty to win the Ducks the game and propel Ian in 1st place.

With his win, Ian has a 13-3 record and is the very first team to clinch a playoff spot. For the second consecutive year, Chelsea’s Dagger is going to the dance! Congrats! Welcome to the 2026 Maryland All-Stars Cup playoffs. The franchise turnaround is complete.

Philly’s Elite and Team Wong destroyed the Washington Hockey Team and JB’s Hockey Team, respectively. With those losses, Henry and Julia are the first two teams to officially be eliminated from playoff contention. Yikes.

Henry built a strong team at this year’s draft, but like usual couldn’t work up the effort to set his lineup week to week. You bet your commish will be having a chat with the man and look for replacements if he doesn’t get with the program (this is a test to see if he reads this like he says). Julia on the other hand, worked her ass off. She understandably struggled to gain footing in her first few weeks and failed to recover ever since. Some shrewd moves around Thanksgiving kept her in some tight battles, but it was never enough. Better luck next time, JB!

Elsewhere around the league, my Blitzkrieg mounted a Sunday afternoon comeback against Paige to remain in 4th place with a 10-6 record. Lexie took care of business against Madison to keep pace and also end the week with a 10-6 record. Mr. Dub prevailed against Unleash the Fury. With the win, our 3-time Cup champion is in 6th place and rounds out the teams with a 10-6 record. Behind him sit Team Weinstein and Unleash the Fury both at 9-7 on the year.

9th place on down all have losing records meaning 8th place Unleash the Fury has a 2-win buffer over the rest of the pack. Snow Cones, Gr8 Victory Lap, Team Wong, and Puck Me Up have to start winning and do so fast. The season’s end is rapidly approaching.

Here are the full standings after 16 weeks of play:

Week 16 Schedule

8th place vs 9th place! The Swiss machine is typically a lock for the playoffs, but has struggled to string together consistent weeks this year. Can our friend from overseas keep his playoff hopes alive with a big upset over Unleash the Fury or will that 8th place buffer continue to grow?

Playoff Picture

5 weeks in the regular season to go.

Commish Notes

Each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

The trade deadline is March 4th, 2026.

Week 15 Recap

For the first time since week 6, we have a new team in first place! Eric’s Under New Management took care of business against Puck Me Up, while Ian’s Chelsea’s Dagger was marginally defeated late Sunday night by Team Weinstein.

No matter how many victories Ian collected in his run atop the standings, Under New Management has been waiting for a slip up. Eric’s impressive 4,064 points bests Ian’s 3,870 to propel everyone’s favorite Wisconsin Badger to the top… for now. More on that later.

Jordan is our new league leader in points! His dominant victory over Lexie sends him to 3rd place with a 28-total point lead over Under New Management. So long as Jordan keeps winning, his massive haul of points should comfortably be enough for a playoff position by season’s end.

My Blitzkrieg destroyed Henry’s Washington Hockey Team to propel my boys into 4th place. With this loss, Henry has now suffered defeat in 9-straight weeks, which ties The Bad Brew (2010/11), Team Weinstein (2021/22), and himself (2021/22) for the 6th longest losing streak in league history. Ouch. It has been an abysmal few years for our first-ever champion and if things don’t turn around, this might be his last.

Mr. Dub is perhaps the hottest team in the league! His 4th consecutive victory over the Snow Cones is good enough for 5th place and 9-6 record. Things have not always been easy this season for one of our league’s GOATs, but he is heating up just in time for the final stretch. Stick taps.

Elsewhere around the league, Madison and Katelyn each collected thorough wins over Team Wong and JB’s Hockey Team, respectively. With 6-weeks left in the regular season, those losses could very well be the final nail in the coffin for Kendall and Julia.

Here are the full standings after 15 weeks of play:

Week 16 Schedule

This is the big one! The most consequential matchup of the year is upon us. Winner not only goes top, but they also set themselves up with a buffer for the final 5 weeks of the season.

It is 12-3 vs. 12-3. Both teams gunning for 1st place. Neither manager has ever won the Montgomery Trophy. Let the fireworks begin!

Commish Notes

Each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

The trade deadline March 4th, 2026

Week 14 Recap

Lexie is living up to her moniker and proving week after week that her team is very legit. Led by the ever dynamic Leon Draisaitl, she put up an impressive 363 points over my Blitzkrieg. That leaves her in a comfortable 3rd place with 5 wins in 6 weeks. With each passing day, Lexie’s Legit is looking like a true contender for the Cup.

Under New Management barely survived last-placed Washington Hockey Team to continue Eric’s impressive run of form. With the most points in the league, he keeps pace with Ian and continues to be in prime position to pounce should the Michigan man have a slip up.

Jordan’s Philly’s Elite is now in 4th place after a convincing performance against Team Wong. His high powered offense is looking very mighty and, at least for the moment, like a lock with the playoffs.

Mr Dub is heating up! He defeated Mark in the Weinstein Derby to improve his record to 8-6. After a few touch and go weeks, Mr. Dub looks to have finally found his footing. As for our defending champion, his year of inconsistency continues. At .500 on the season, Mark and Snow Cones are locked in a tussle for that elusive 8th and final playoff spot.

Unleash the Fury is alive! After 4-straight defeats and falling from 3rd to 6th, Katelyn is back on track. She ends her month-long skid by defeating Madison’s Gr8 Victory Lap. Katelyn will face 13th place JB’s Hockey Team this week as she looks to regain some momentum.

Here are the full standings after 14 weeks of play:

Week 15 Preview

It’s 3rd place vs. 4th place in this week’s featured matchup. Will Lexie continue her dominant run of form or will Jordan’s elite offense outscore our 2023/24 champion. The winner gets 3rd place and the loser could fall as low as 7th.

Elsewhere around the league, Ian faces a tough test against Team Weinstein and Snow Cones goes to battle with Mr. Dub with a spot in the playoff positions on the line.

It is going to be a fascinating week that has major implications!

Commish Notes

Each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

The trade deadline March 4th, 2026

Week 13 Recap

The Blitzkrieg absolutely blitzed poor Team Wong, putting up 447 points in just 7-days. That is the most points scored in a standard match week in Maryland All-Stars history! After a rough first half of the season, Austin Matthews has finally started heating up. Combined with the strong play of Sebastian Aho and Artemi Panarin, my boys may have finally found their groove. Look out!

Under New Management and Lexie’s Legit were in a tight one until the end. The battle for second place went back and forth all week with Eric’s team gaining the upper hand over the weekend. His 10th win of the season is enough to stay just one back of 1st place Chelsea’s Dagger and create a two win buffer over Lexie and myself. With her defeat, Lexie falls into 4th, tied on wins with the Blitzkrieg.

Jordan beat Katelyn by a mere 8-points, handing Unleash the Fury its 4th straight loss. This putrid run of form sees Katelyn fall from 3rd place all the way to 7th place. Jordan’s impressive scoring prowess sees him remain 2nd in the league in total points and in a great position to cruise up the table with just a few more wins.

Madison! She has done it! Gr8 Victory Lap has snapped the 8-week losing streak with a huge win over Snow Cones. Madison’s first win in over 2 months was much needed because she is currently in 10th place and stuffed back behind the pack. She now has the opportunity to string together a strong couple of weeks prior to the Olympic break. A few more consecutive losses would have been a death sentence.

Team Weinstein, Mr. Dub, and Chelsea’s Dagger also took care of business this week, ensuring all teams in the playoff positions are over .500.

Here are the full standings after 13 weeks of play:

Week 14 Schedule

Week 14 is stacked and highlighted by a 2025 Maryland All-Stars Cup Final rematch between Team Weinstein and Mr. Dub. Father vs Son. Master vs. Apprentice. It does not get better than this!

Commish Notes

As a reminder, each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Happy New Year!

Week 12 Recap

Things seemed just great after newcomer Madison started the season as the hottest team in the league. Her 4-0 record was good enough for 1st in the standings and she was also leading the league in points. Then, things fell apart.

Madison has not won a matchup since week 4. She is on a historic 8-week skid. A team that was once looking like a favorite for the cup is now in 11th place and fighting just to stay afloat.

Speaking of drowning, Henry’s Washington Hockey Team has fallen to what has unfortunately become familiar territory in recent seasons. With his week 12 loss to Paige’s Puck Me Up, Hank sits in dead last with a mere 2,403 total points on the season. Dang… that must hit like a Mat Barzal two-hander to the ankles.

With her 3rd win in 4 weeks, JB’s Hockey Team finds themselves out of last place for the first time since week 2! Julia’s team has been playing much better since her Thanksgiving roster overhaul and will look to press on after upsetting Mark’s Team Weinstein.

Oh how the mighty fall! For just the second time all season, Ian’s Chelsea’s Dagger has lost! Lexie’s Legit put up an impressive 183 points in this shortened week, which was enough to take down the man in 1st. With 2025 quickly approaching the rearview mirror, Ian will end the calendar year with just 3 total losses. Lexie has ended one of the greatest runs in the history of the league.

That was not the only upset of the week! Team Wong also took down surging Under New Management. Kendall convincingly defeated the league leader in points, making it 4 wins in 5 weeks. Up the standings he goes!

My Blitzkrieg stopped a 3-week losing streak beating Katelyn’s Unleash the Fury. What goes around comes around because Katelyn is now the one on the 3-week stinker. Our two clubs are both 7-5 and only separated by 38 points in the standings.

Snow Cones narrowly defeated Jordan’s Philly’s Elite by a margin of 9-points. That is a rough one considering Jordan is second in the league in total points and was on a 3-week win streak. That said, as long as the Philly Man keeps up his impressive run of points, he should be okay moving forward. I don’t want to imply anything just yet, but this kind of reminds me of my team last season ;)

Here are the full standings after 12 weeks of play:

Week 13 Schedule

Week 12 features some pretty consequential matchups up and down the standings. The biggest being the red hot Lexie’s Legit versus our points leader Under New Management. A Lexie win would be her 5th in a row and an Eric win could potentially see him go top. A fascinating week lies ahead!

Commish Notes

As a reminder, each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Happy New Year! I hope 2026 brings endless joy, success, and happiness.

Week 11 Recap

With his 3rd straight victory and impressive 3,055 points on the season, Jordan is surging up the standings! He now sits in 5th place after easily defeating the struggling Mr. Dub. Thanks to an insane 76 points from the red hot Connor McDavid, Jordan is getting what he paid for when he dished out nearly half his draft budget for #97.

The matchup of the week between Chelsea’s Dagger and Team Wong did not disappoint! Once sitting at the basement of the league for 8 weeks straight, Kendall won 3 in a row and was looking to make it 4 against our league leader. He even had the lead heading into Sunday! Unfortunately, the power of the dagger was just a little too much to handle with Ian winning by a margin of 4 points. The upset of the season was not to be.

Chelsea’s Dagger has now won 8 in a row, one win shy of his impressive 9-straight just a season ago. Ian’s current win streak is tied for the 5th longest in Maryland All-Stars history. Stick taps!

Elsewhere around the league, my Blitzkrieg has lost 3 in a row thanks to an injury bug and awful season from Austin Matthews, Unleash the Fury is experiencing a bit of losing skid, Lexie’s Legit has won 3 in a row, Team Weinstein is up to 6th, and Under New Management has opened a 2-win gap to 3rd place.

Madison’s dreadful run of form continues as she has now lost 7 in a row! This time suffering defeat against Julia, who has only won 2 games all season. Gr8 Victory Lap’s 4-0 start to the season is a thing of ancient history as Madison looks for anything to help salvage what has been a terrible two months. Ooooooof.

Here are the full standings after eleven weeks of play:

Week 12 Schedule

This week’s featured matchup is a battle between the two teams who need a victory more than anyone. Madison is looking to stop the bleeding and Mr. Dub is trying to get back to .500. This week’s loser could fall as low as 12th place depending on results around the league. This is as much a must-win matchup than we’ve had all season!

Commish Notes

As a reminder, each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Merry Christmas!!!! Have a wonderful time with friends and family.

Week 10 Recap

After putting up an impressive 385 points, Team Weinstein moves into 7th place. In what has been a mixed bag of a season for our defending champion, his big win keeps Mark in a playoff position as we enter the middle portion of the season. Huge! On the flip side, after starting the season 4-0, Madison’s Gr8 Victory Lap falls to a shocking 4-6. Her 6-week losing streak is worst in the league and currently leaves her in 10th place.

Philly’s Elite! Jordan is second in the league in points! Our favorite Philly lad quietly has had a very solid first half of the year and is building a strong foundation in points that will help him in the push for the playoffs. As long as he keep winnings, the rest will fall into place.

Mr. Dub avenged his rivalry week loss to my Blitzkrieg as he comfortably defeated my boys. His W sees him move into 8th place with a 1-win lead over 9th-11th. For the first time all year, only the playoff positions feature teams with winning records. Things are getting interesting!

Ian continues his dominant run of form, this time easily dispatching of 3rd-place Unleash the Fury. Closely behind him is Eric’s Under New Management, who has won 5 in a row to keep the pressure on Ian. Lexie also took care of business against a struggling Washington Hockey Team. With that defeat, Henry finds himself in 13th place, a season-worst for the club.

3-straight! ~insert peeping eyes emoji here~ Kendall is flying! The man did not have a single win just 3 weeks ago and now is knocking on the door of the playoff spots. Keep it up, KW.

Here are the full standings after ten weeks of play:

Week 11 Schedule

We have a massive mid-table clash this week. Philly’s Elite could jump as high as 4th in the standings with a win, while Mr. Dub looks to further separate from the pack and go above .500. The stakes are huge!

Additionally, after suffering defeat to league-leading Chelsea’s Dagger, Katelyn will look to rebound against 2nd-place Under New Management. Will Eric keep pace with Ian or will Katelyn be hunted down by myself and Lexie?

Commish Notes

As a reminder, each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate!

Week 9 Recap

All of sudden we have life at the bottom of the standings!

Kendall’s Team Wong cruised to one of the most dominant performances of the season, easily defeating Henry’s Washington Hockey Team by an impressive 171-point margin. With his second-consecutive victory, Kendall is now just 2 wins away from the majority of the pack. Not only is his season far from over, but his team is getting hot at the right time.

The big shock of the week is Julia’s JB’s Hockey Team, who finally got their first ever fantasy hockey win over her big bro, me. What was looking like a lost cause now has new life thanks to an impressive 7 new adds over the past 3 weeks. Julia has injected scoring talent, such as Andrei Svechnikov and Chris Krieder, while solidifying her defense with Matt Roy and Joey Daccord. Time will tell if these moves prove effective in the long run, but her week 9 victory may be the beginning of a very impressive resurgence.

Elsewhere around the league, Ian continues to set the pace with another dominant week, this time over the Snow Cones. Chelsea’s Dagger avenged their tough loss against the Swiss Machine from rivalry week and sets his sights on 7-straight.

Under New Management and Unleash the Fury keep pace with Ian and remain just one win back of the Michigan man. Eric’s boys convincingly destroyed Mr. Dub, leaving the 3-time champion with a 4-5 record and in 11th place. This is officially Mr. Dub’s worst ever position by the 2nd week in December in the history of the league. Wow!

Katelyn also cruised to victory, slamming the door shut on red-hot Puck Me Up. Paige’s 4-week win streak comes to a close, leaving her in 9th but right in the fight.

Lexie’s Legit and Philly’s Elite round out the rest of the winners this week. Both stopping the bleeding after some unfortunate losses.

Here are the full standings after nine weeks of play:

Week 10 Schedule

Week 10 is highlighted by a heavyweight bout at the top of the standings. 1st place Chelsea’s Dagger takes on 3rd place Unleash the Fury. Ian can create even more separation from the pack with a win or Katelyn could claim her spot at the top. Things could not be bigger!

Commish Notes

As a reminder, each team gets a maximum of 20 adds per season. Trades, however, are unlimited. You can view the standings page anytime to see how many moves you have made.

Week 8 Recap

After starting the season 0-4, Paige is officially .500. What a turnaround! Her 4-game win streak has seen her defeat Madison, Julia, Mr. Dub and Snow Cones. That is no easy-feat. With her impressive W this past week, she now sits in a playoff position for the first time all year. Way to go, Paige. That is widely impressive.

KENDALL! Team Wong finally got over the hump thanks to a Sunday-night surge from Logan Thompson and “dirty” Mikko Rantanen. With his 1st W of the season finally under his belt, the California King will look to do something historic and become the first team to ever make the playoffs after starting the year 0-7. With her loss, Madison is now 4-4 on the season after starting 4-0. This 4-game losing streak has sent her all the way from 1st to 10th. Welcome to the league, pal. It is unforgiving.

Our league leader, Ian, once again took care of business against the always formidable Mr. Dub. In 2025, Ian has only lost twice. We are now in December. Unbelievable! This has been one of the most historic runs in the history of the league.

Eric’s Under New Management continues to win thanks to what is probably the best D-core in our league. Not only is he the league leader in points, he also is leading in assists, +/-, and SOGs. Early season dominance from pops!

Katelyn’s Unleash the Fury and my Blitzkrieg continue to flip-flop 3rd and 4th place. Our victories this past week open up a 2-win buffer over 5th position. Speaking of 5th place, 5th-10th all have a 4-4 record with Philly’s Elite and Washington Hockey Team closely trailing behind at 3-5. 71% of the league has a record of .500 or higher. Parity!

History beckons for one club, but is not the kind of history you want to make. With one more loss, Julia will officially be tied for the 6th longest losing streak in Maryland All-Stars fantasy hockey history. After making 3 roster moves this past week, Julia has put in the work to try to revamp her struggling roster. Fingers crossed it pays off.

Here are the full standings after eight weeks of play:

Week 9 Schedule

Blitz vs. Blitz! For the first time in league history, Julia goes head-to-head with her big bro, me! The Blitzkrieg is surging and looking for a 5th straight win while Julia is still looking that elusive 1st victory. She has the opportunity for the upset of a lifetime.

Also this week, we have the ever fiery Snow Cones vs Chelsea’s Dagger derby and a banger of a matchup between Puck Me Up and Unleash the Fury. The Swiss machine has been Ian’s only defeat this season and will look to put an end to his good fortune by sweeping the regular season series. Paige is the hottest team in the league, but runs into another team that is flying. We will find out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object!

Commish Notes

Don’t forget to use the Trading List whenever you are considering a trade. It allows you to select the players you are willing to trade and also identify which positions you are looking for in return. I also encourage you to use our group text to put out feelers.

Current Trade Block:

• Jeremy Swayman, G (Blitzkrieg)

• Artemi Panarin, LW (Blitzkrieg)

• Mathew Barzal, C/RW (Under New Management)

• Seth Jones, D (Under New Management)

• Nikolaj Ehlers, LW/RW (Under New Management)

• Jordan Binnington, G (Under New Management)

Trading List

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Week 7 Recap

As we enter the middle portion of the regular season, one team reigns supreme! Ian’s Chelsea’s Dagger had yet another dominant week, handedly defeating JB’s Hockey Team by the biggest points margin of the season. Two unlikely heroes in Morgan Geekie and Jesper Wallstedt combined for nearly 27% of his total 327 points. So long as Ian continues to have impressive individual performances like that, you will find him at the top.

Just below him in second place sits our current frontrunner for the Gordon Bombay Trophy1, Under New Management. In addition to his league-leading 1,955 points, Eric is also the leader in goals, assists, +/-, and shots on goal. Wow. It is safe to say the creme is rising to the top!

My Blitzkrieg destroyed Jordan’s struggling Philly’s Elite, posting a week-high 333 points. With a 5-2 record, my team has put behind its slow start and is eyeing Ian and Eric ahead.

Katelyn’s Unleash the Fury is the only other 5-2 team in the picture. Her always intense battle with Lexie’s Legit proved a tough task, but she was able to pull away by late Saturday night. Since her Maryland All-Stars Finals loss to Lexie, Katelyn has never lost to our 2023 champion. Katelyn is for real.

Look out, folks! Paige’s Puck Me Up is one of the hottest teams in the league. After starting the season 0-4, she has won her last 3 and is surging up the standings. She now sets her sights on Snow Cones to keep the streak alive.

Speaking of Snow Cones, the Swiss machine narrowly defeated Henry’s resurgent Washington Hockey Team. Winning by 9 points is good enough to leave him 4-3 on the season and in 6th place.

Mark’s Team Weinstein defeated Team Wong for the second time in 5 weeks. It has been a slow start to the year by Mark’s standards, but at 3-4 with the 4th-best points total, a few more wins will see Mark leapfrog up the standings. Team Weinstein is now 15-6 against Team Wong all-time.

And now for the difficult conversation. Julia and Kendall fall to 0-7 and their odds of a playoff birth are looking increasingly slim. With Thanksgiving just days away, it is time to make changes. You know what they say… you can’t win it by Thanksgiving, but you can certainly lose it. Buck up, you two.

Here are the full standings after seven weeks of play:

Week 8 Schedule

There are some pretty entertaining matchups all across the board this week with none bigger than 1st place Chelsea’s Dagger going head-to-head with Mr. Dub. Can our league-leader be stopped or will Mr. Dub suffer his 3rd defeat in a row?

Commish Notes

Don’t forget to use the Trading List whenever you are considering a trade. It allows you to select the players you are willing to trade and also identify which positions you are looking for in return. I also encourage you to use our group text to put out feelers.

Current Trade Block:

• Jeremy Swayman, G (Blitzkrieg)

• Artemi Panarin, LW (Blitzkrieg)

• Mathew Barzal, C/RW (Under New Management)

• Seth Jones, D (Under New Management)

• Nikolaj Ehlers, LW/RW (Under New Management)

• Jordan Binnington, G (Under New Management)

Trading List

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I am forever thankful for each and every one of you and this amazing fantasy league we get to enjoy. Gobble gobble!

Week 6 Recap

For the first time in league history, Chelsea’s Dagger are in 1st place! Scenes! Ian’s 5-1 record is best in class and cements one of the greatest individual runs of form in the salary-cap draft era. Our favorite Michiganian completely reinvented his fantasy hockey philosophy over the last 18 months and is reaping the benefits. Amazing!

Eric’s Under New Management has also impressed early on! He now leads the league in points by a considerable margin. Led by the dazzling form of rookie sensation, Matthew Schaefer, and assist machine, Mat Barzal, like the real-life Islanders, this is a fantasy hockey team rejuvenated. Stick taps!

My Blitzkrieg handedly defeated Mark’s Team Weinstein. With a 2-4 record, our defending champion is off to his worst start since the 2016/17. While it is still early, logic suggests he snaps out of this skid very soon.

In other surprising news, Henry’s Washington Hockey Team has defeated the mighty Mr. Dub to surpass last season’s win total. He is back.

Congrats to Lexie, Paige, and Katelyn on their wins this week. Paige narrowly defeated Julia while Katelyn convincingly destroyed Kendall. This leaves both JB and KW winless. At 0-6 on the season, they need to start winning fast before they get left in the dust. You know what they say… you can’t win it by Thanksgiving, but you can certainly lose it.

Here are the full standings after six weeks of play:

Week 7 Schedule

Week 7 is headlined by two of the league’s most consistent franchises as Lexie’s Legit does battle with Unleash the Fury. This 2023/24 Maryland All-Stars Cup Finals rematch is always a highlight on the season’s calendar and interestingly enough, Lexie has not defeated Katelyn since that finals victory.

Commish Notes

Don’t forget to use the Trading List whenever you are considering a trade. It allows you to select the players you are willing to trade and also identify which positions you are looking for in return. I also encourage you to use our group text to put out feelers.

Current Trade Block:

• Jeremy Swayman, G (Blitzkrieg)

• Artemi Panarin, LW (Blitzkrieg)

• Mathew Barzal, C/RW (Under New Management)

• Seth Jones, D (Under New Management)

• Nikolaj Ehlers, LW/RW (Under New Management)

• Jordan Binnington, G (Under New Management)

Trading List

What a first 5 weeks of the regular season!

11 of our 14 teams have at least 2 wins and everyone has already passed the 1,000-point threshold. In case you hadn’t realized, this league-wide parity is going to make for quite the playoff race down the stretch. I’m very excited!

Atop the standings after 5 weeks of action is none other than 3-time champion, Mr. Dub. He had 4 different players exceed 30 points this past week, allowing him to handedly defeat a strong Lexie’s Legit club. After two 2nd place finishes in the last 3 seasons, Mr. Dub means business this year as hunts for #4.

Madison’s Gr8 Victory Lap faltered for the first time this season, narrowly losing to Paige’s Puck Me Up. Paige has finally claimed her first win of the season and will look to build on that success in the coming weeks. Stick taps! Madison’s loss means we have no more undefeated teams remaining. She falls back into 3rd place place with a 4-1 record.

Chelsea’s Dagger! I mean what can you say. Ian is sitting pretty in 2nd place with an impressive 1,262 points. Get this… since January 12th, he has only lost twice! What a turnaround for a franchise that had zero playoff births prior to last season. It is safe to say Chelsea’s Dagger is going to be a favorite for the 2025/26 Maryland All-Stars Cup Playoffs.

Henry’s Washington Hockey team captured their 2nd win of the season, equaling his win total for all of last year. Our league’s inaugural champion is also 2nd in the league in goals scored thanks to Connor Bedard and his impressive play. Henry is back folks, look out!

And now to the bad stuff. After 5 weeks, Julia and Kendall have yet to win a single matchup. Oof. They are separated by a mere 1-point for last place in the league. The biggest irony of all is Kendall started last season 5-0 and was looking like a force before a massive collapse saw him eliminated from playoff contention by year’s end. Can this year be a reverse of his luck?

Here are the full standings after five weeks of play:

Week 6 Schedule

Week 6 is headlined by a battle between two 4-1 teams in Chelsea’s Dagger and Gr8 Victory Lap. Ian is trying to continue his strong run of form, while Madison is looking for a rebound after her first loss of the season. Victory could propel either into 1st place depending on the result of Mr. Dub’s matchup. What a banger!

Commish Notes

Don’t forget to use the Trading List whenever you are considering a trade. It allows you to select the players you are willing to trade and also identify which positions you are looking for in return. I also encourage you to use our group text to put out feelers.

Current Trade Block:

• Jeremy Swayman, G (Blitzkrieg)

• Artemi Panarin, LW (Blitzkrieg)

• Mathew Barzal, C/RW (Under New Management)

• Seth Jones, D (Under New Management)

• Nikolaj Ehlers, LW/RW (Under New Management)

• Jordan Binnington, G (Under New Management)

Trading List

Sorry about missing last week’s newsletter and update! Next week I will return to a Monday morning release.

Rivalry week did not disappoint! After just three weeks of regular season action, 11 of our 14 teams have at least one win with 8 teams sitting at 2-1. Parity!

Madison was the week’s big winner as she becomes the sole team with an undefeated record heading into week 4. Not only is she 3-0, but she also narrowly leads the league in points with an impressive 797. Her big win over Lexie’s Legit did not come without adversity, however. Throughout the week, the two exchanged heavy-weight blows leading to just a 6-point margin of victory for Gr8 Victory Lap. Even though it is no doubt a tough loss for Lexie, she trails Madison by a mere 3-point margin for the league’s point total. What a battle! This matchup very well could be a preview of a big playoff series down the line.

My Blitzkrieg narrowly defeated Mr. Dub to win the latest edition of Le Claśico. After a tough loss to Lexie’s Legit in week 1, my boys have put together a nice run of form and sit 2-1 on the young season. Despite his loss, Mr. Dub has an impressive 789 points on the year and is looking like a true title contender.

Snow Cones, Philly’s Elite, Team Weinstein, Unleash the Fury, and Under New Management won their respective matchups as well. This leaves just 3 teams still searching for their first W of the season. Yes, I’m looking at you Paige, Kendall, and Julia. Hopefully this is your week!

Here are the full standings after three weeks of play:

Week 4 Preview

Week 4 is headlined by Katelyn’s Unleash the Fury and Paige’s Puck Me Up. After a 0-3 start to the year, Paige is looking to turn things around and get her first victory over the always formidable Katelyn. Falling into a 0-4 hole is never where you want to be in such a competitive league.

Commish Notes

Don’t forget to use the Trading List whenever you are considering a trade. It allows you to select the players you are willing to trade and also identify which positions you are looking for in return. I also encourage you to use our group text to put out feelers.

Current Trade Block:

• Jeremy Swayman, G (Blitzkrieg)

Trading List

Week 2 Recap

The year may be young, but man, you guys were in midseason form this week! Almost every matchup was undecided heading into the weekend and some teams deserving of wins fell short.

Mr. Dub continued his impressive start as he handled the always formidable Snow Cones. He is now 2-0 on the year and leading the league in points by a considerable margin. Anyone who thought the old man was washed needs to reconsider!

Ian’s Chelsea’s Dagger also impressed by defeating our reigning champ, Mark. This is the first time Ian has started 2-0 in a season. After his breakout year, Coach Kwant looks to have all the tools needed for a big 2025/26! Meanwhile, Team Weinstein is struggling out the gate. Make sure you look now, folks, because this almost never happens. Mark’s 452 points on the year are 5th best, but he finds himself in lowly 11th place.

2023/24 Maryland All-Stars Cup champion, Lexie, is on a tear to start the year. After what she coined a “sophomore slump,” it looks like things are back on track for a big season. Her 7-point victory over Philly’s Elite makes Lexie just 1 of 4 remaining undefeated teams.

Speaking of undefeated, how about Madison! Gr8 Victory Lap had one of the league’s strongest drafts and is proving it after knocking off the always tough Unleash the Fury and Team Wong. Stick taps.

Congrats to Eric’s Under New Management, Katelyn’s Unleash the Fury, and my Blitzkrieg on their first W’s of the year. That leaves just four teams still searching for that elusive first win.

Here are the full standings after two weeks of play:

Week 3 Preview

The best week of the regular season is here! Let the birds start chirping and bad blood flowing because this year’s Rivalry Week features some of our league’s most historic grudge matches.

Le Clásico. The one that started it all. Sure there is Yankees vs. Red Sox, Madrid vs. Barcelona, Islanders vs. Rangers, and Capitals vs. Penguins, but they all pale in comparison this week’s featured matchup. Mr. Dub and I have faced each other in the Maryland All-Stars Cup finals 3-times dating back to 2012/13 and fate has seemingly always paired us up in the big moments. This week will be the 39th meeting of these two original 8 clubs.

There are few people in this world that Ian has more distain for than our Swiss friend, Snow Cones. He has stayed up into the wee hours of the night just so the two can talk smack over league message boards. Things have always been personal and I can’t wait to see what developments arise this week.

Mark and Kendall’s seasons are never really underway until they meet in this annual week 3 matchup. More than ever, however, this year may be as consequential as it gets. The winner gets their first win of the season and the loser falls to a tough 0-3.

NAHA vs Pride. A tale as old as time. This may be a new rivalry in the world of fantasy hockey, but it is far from that in the hockey world. One of these undefeated teams will walk away 3-0 and the other with their first hiccup of the season.

The battle of Washington (and Explorers vs Adventurers) reunites in this epic showdown between two old friends.

Eric is a lot of things, but nothing makes him more proud than being a girl dad. This week, that is put to the ultimate test. Father vs. Daughter. Conversations around the dinner table are going to be a little icy.

Two former Richard Montgomery Rockets clash! Some of my favorite people in the world do battle in this high school reunion. Will Jordan be 2-1 on the year or can Paige get victory number 1?

Commish Notes

Don’t forget to use the Trading List whenever you are considering a trade. It allows you to select the players you are willing to trade and also identify which positions you are looking for in return. I also encourage you to use our group text to put out feelers.

Current Trade Block:

• Jeremy Swayman, G (Blitzkrieg)

Trading List

Good luck to everyone except Mr. Dub! Let the fun begin…