A question came up to me regarding the Regular Season Prediction Contest
(brought to my attention by my ravishing assistant, Veronica [and I can say
that because I'm her father], now all of six weeks old) concerning the
tiebreaker.  (Why, when I get questions, is it always about the tiebreaker?)
 
The tiebreaker as stated is the number of ties and/or shootouts in a confer-
ence during the season for conference games only.  I defined that as the
ACTUAL number of games that are ties, not the sum total of the ties for all
of the teams in the conference (which would, of course, be twice the first
number).  So, if you were looking at the standings in the CCHA, the number of
ties would be the sum of the number of ties for each team divided by two.  Thus,the number of ties in a conference can be an odd number.
 
For example, this was last year's number of ties/shootouts in each conference:
Hockey East- 16
ECAC-        14
CCHA-        15
WCHA-        13
 
So the national sum total was 58.
 
I hope that makes that clear for everyone.  If you submitted an entry using
the other formula, drop me a note to divide all your numbers by two.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University
 
Only 18 entries so far, boys and girls.  Keep those cards and letters (and
those new $100 bills coming)!
 
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