The Bounty

Let's be honest when I tell you that the HBIC Playoff Pool won't bring you riches or treasure like you see to the left. There is some pride you can take from winning if you're the lucky entrant whose predictions and prognostications were the most correct, but I can assure you that you won't find yourself on East Street thanks to HBIC. Heck, even I can't pull that off and I run this joint. The one thing that is a sure thing, however, is that there are prizes for the top competitors and we'll look at those today.

First off, there was a bit of change to the prizing. I had a couple of stakes in the fire with a local vendor who was going to send me some cool merchandise, but the vendor's situation has changed. Without going into a lot of detail, there was going to be artwork guaranteed for each winning entrant, but the vendor's landlord where his studio existed sold the building and he lost his art space. Needless to say, no art has been produced, so I apologize for that despite it being out of my control.

In saying that, all of the prizes are still worth $35 and up based on retail prices, and I have to say that one guy came through in a big way to make the prizes a little more awesome. The prizes that were donated through various means throughout the year are pretty good if I do say so myself, but I want to point out the efforts made by Kyle Jordan to make them a little better.

Kyle Jordan is one of the men behind the Puck Off Opener and he donated seven pucks to be given away. The Puck Off Opener is a puck with a bottle opener embedded in the bottom side of the puck. I have one, and I have to say that it is quite the conversation piece around the patio and the barbecue. If you wanna get a Puck Off Opener, click the link or send an email to Kyle for more information. And while you're at it, check out the Pond Hockey Brew site as well. There's some excellent info there!

Ok, so you've read this far anticipating some solid prizing. I'm hoping that without the artwork that the prizes still meet your expectations. It's free shwag, so there better not be any complaints about the gear. Without further adieu, here are the prizes for the top-eight entrants in the HBIC Playoff Pool!

• PRIZE 1: Phoenix Coyotes throwback jersey (XL), a Puck Off bottle opener, and a Blind Skateboards sticker.
• PRIZE 2: Anaheim Ducks t-shirt (XL) and a Puck Off bottle opener.
• PRIZE 3: New York Rangers long-sleeved t-shirt (XXL) and a Puck Off bottle opener.
• PRIZE 4: Pittsburgh Penguins t-shirt (XXL) and a Puck Off bottle opener.
• PRIZE 5: Tampa Bay Lightning Flex-Fit cap (L/XL) and a Puck Off bottle opener.
• PRIZE 6: St. Louis Blues adjustable cap and a Puck Off bottle opener.
• PRIZE 7: Anaheim Ducks adjustable cap and a Puck Off bottle opener.
• PRIZE 8: Boston Bruins adjustable cap and a Blind Skateboards sticker.

Ok, so there is the haul for those that qualify for prizes. That being said, they may not compare to previous years, but the artwork I had hoped for would have made up for the difference. That was out of my control, unfortunately, and I'm hopeful for my friend to get back on her feet and get painting anf drawing again.

Best of luck to all the entrants, and we'll get to awarding the prizing once the Stanley Cup Playoffs end and the final points are tabulated and calculated. May the odds forever be in your favour, and let's hope that you can earn a prize in the 2016 HBIC Playoff Pool!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!