Websim Hockey: Great Browser-Based Sim

Living in the US as a hockey fan can sometimes be a challenging task. People often overlook the sport or write it off as just a niche thing that only requires a passing glance.  For that reason, it makes sense that there are a plethora of (American) football or basketball team management sims out in the world that will pit human GM’s/Owners against one another via a grand fantasy league. 

 

Trying to find one that focused on hockey was no easy task until about 4-5 years ago I stumbled up WebsimHockey (websimhockey.com).  With the discovery I had finally found a hockey version that used real NHL players and allowed me to show off just how inadequate I was at juggling line-ups and remaining under the salary cap.

 

Over the years the site itself has undergone massive changes for the better. A few UI overhauls and more than a few tweaks to the mechanics themselves have turned what was once a pretty rough and clunky site into one that is extremely streamlined and easy to navigate. I have really enjoyed bringing friends along and, once I can talk them into spending the $20 to get their first teams, beginning leagues with them to determine just who is able to pull out those head-to-head matchups.

 

The few hiccups the site still has probably have to start with that $20 fee per season.  To someone on the outside looking in it may seem like an extreme fee for such an experience, but I can promise that the game more than makes it worth the price of admission.  For starters, each season can last 6-12 months (with some leagues actually going the full calendar year and running concurrently with the actual NHL even going so far as tying in the players attribute advancement/regression into how they perform during the real NHL season). Of course this means the people who are looking for the “instant seasons” that you get in EA Sports NHL franchises, you’ll sadly be left with lots of down time where you’re just making small tweaks to your lineup.

 

For new users, the learning curve can be a little steep but there is a decent community on the forums and I’ve never had any problem asking a question and getting a timely and polite answer in return. Any hockey fan would be doing themselves a favor by joining a league (one from the beginning so you get to be involved in the entire team drafting process) and giving this a try.  Even individuals who have a casual interest in the sport but really enjoy sports simulations may really enjoy some of the mechanics in play here as well.

 

I look forward to seeing you at the rink when we matchup in a league in the future.