1. Gather your crew
It all starts with the participants. A pool works best with 6 to 16 people: enough for a rivalry, not so many that nobody gets good players. Past 16, shrink the team size so nobody has to dress fourth-liners.
Decide right away who the commissioner will be: the person who manages the rules, settles disputes and launches the draft. Ideally someone patient and neutral.
2. Choose the format
- Cumulative: total season points decide the winner. The simplest.
- Weekly head-to-head (H2H): one matchup per week, a record and pool playoffs. The most exciting.
- Playoff pool: only during the NHL playoffs. The shortest (see our playoff pool guide).
3. Set the scoring
Classic scoring: 1 point per goal, 1 point per assist, 2 points per win and 2 points per shutout for goalies. If your group loves stats, add plus/minus, power-play points, shots, hits and saves, with fractional points. Details and an example table are in our complete guide.
4. Decide on the lineup
How many players per team, and at which positions? A solid base: 12 forwards, 6 defencemen, 2 goalies, a 4-player bench and 2 injured-reserve spots. With fewer than 8 teams, you can make rosters bigger; with more than 14, make them smaller.
5. Write the rules
Are trades allowed? How many free-agent adds per week? What happens with an injured player? What's the tiebreaker? Put it all in writing before the season: it prevents 90% of arguments. We prepared a rules template you can copy.
Steps 2 to 5 in 4 clicks
On Yetii Pool, creating a pool walks you through the format, scoring (Classic, Full or Custom), lineup and draft date. Then invite your crew with a link or a 6-character code.
6. Run the draft
The draft is the big night of the year. Two options:
- In person: everyone in the same basement, snacks and a big screen. The commissioner enters the picks as they come.
- Live online: everyone picks from their phone, with a clock per pick, a queue and an auto-pick if someone steps away.
The fairest order is the snake draft: the order reverses every round, so whoever picks last in round 1 picks first in round 2. Get ready with our draft tips and practise in a mock draft room against bots.
7. Keep the season alive
A great pool is one where people talk. Share the standings, highlight the player of the week, chirp whoever's last. On an online platform, the standings update during games, and each pool has its own wall and chat to keep the rivalry going. At the end of the season, the standings are locked and the champion is announced to everyone.
Mistakes to avoid
- Vague rules: "we'll see when we get there" always ends badly.
- A draft that drags: 90 seconds per pick is plenty online.
- Too many teams for the roster size: nobody likes dressing players who don't play.
- Adding up points by hand: that's when organizers give up in December.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do you need for a hockey pool?
Ideally 6 to 16. A pool can work with as few as 2 participants and, online, up to 30; just adjust the roster size.
When should the pool draft happen?
Right before the NHL season starts, usually in early October, once team rosters are known. The longer you wait, the fewer training-camp surprises.
How are hockey pool points calculated?
For each active player, multiply his stats by the values in your scoring (for example 1 point per goal and 1 per assist) and add them up. Online, it's automatic and updated during games.
Do you need money to run a pool?
No. Many pools play for bragging rights, a trophy or a dinner paid by last place. Yetii Pool never handles money: if there's a pot, that's between you.