Pete’s Picks: The CT Hockey Sweater Tournament

Welcome back to Pete’s Picks, your weekly look into the mind of the GameTimeCT sports producer who loves pretzels. 

This week we are going to change it up.

The reception for my picks has been great, but everyone is always telling me that I missed something.

So this week and next , you will get to do the picks.

Welcome to January Madness!

It’s just like that one in March, minus the TV contracts. Those would be nice, though.

While we wait to see what the CIAC’s plans for the winter season will be, including if there will be a postseason tournament experience, we have decided to put together a tournament of our own: The CT Hockey Sweater Tournament.

Get it? Because hockey jerseys are called sweaters.

It’s fun! We’re having fun, here.

The tournament has been split into four brackets — named after four current or recently retired NHL players who played some high school hockey in Connecticut. The 55 teams jerseys were broken up into four brackets in two ways.

With the help of my colleague Mike Fornabaio and Luke Devoe of @CTHSHockey — who is a friend of the program — we each ranked our top 16 jerseys.

Each team ranked in the respective top 16s received a point total, with the highest ranking receiving the highest point total. For example: a team ranked No. 1 received 16 points, No. 2 got 15, all the way down to No. 16 receiving a single point. I then totaled up the points between the three rankings and came up with a top 16.

Those top 16 teams became the top four seeds in each bracket.

The other 39 teams were entered in a randomizing ranking website and I just filled in the brackets accordingly. 

Makes sense? Good.

There is the Max Pacioretty Bracket, Jonathan Quick Bracket, Nick Bonino Bracket and the Chris Drury Bracket.

The winners of the four brackets will meet in the semifinals to determine the championship round. 

Each matchup for the first round is below. The polls will be open for the weekend and the winners will advance.

Three of the brackets have 14 teams. So the top two teams have byes. One bracket has 13 teams and will have three byes. 

In regards to photos. We used photos that we have taken over the years, some were used with the help of some team’s Twitter accounts and others were submitted. If a photo representing a team is not the updated version of the jersey, please email me at [email protected] and I will update the photos immediately. 

Now the real reason why you are all here, voting. 

Let’s get at it. The polls will close on Sunday night (Jan. 10) at 7 p.m.

♦♦♦

Byes: No. 1 Fairfield Prep, No. 2 Lyman Hall co-op, No. 3 Notre Dame-Fairfield

No. 13 Eastern CT vs. No. 4 Wilton

No. 12 Rocky Hill vs. No. 5 Cheshire

No. 10 Hand vs. No. 7 Glastonbury

No. 11 Newtown vs. No. 6 Watertown/Pomperaug

♦♦♦

Byes: No. 1 Hamden, No. 2 Darien

No. 9 Staples vs. No. 8 Fairfield co-op

No. 13 Tri-Town vs. No. 4 West Haven

No. 12 Westhill/Stamford vs. No. 5 Trumbull

No. 10 McMahon/Norwalk vs. No. 7 Northwest Catholic

No. 14 Conard vs. No. 3 Woodstock Academy

No. 11 Hall/Southington vs. No. 6 E.O. Smith/Tolland

♦♦♦

Byes: No. 1 New Canaan, No. 2 Notre Dame-West Haven

No. 9 BBD vs. No. 8 Guilford

No. 13 Masuk vs. No. 4 Housatonic co-op

No. 12 SGWL vs. No. 5 Amity

No. 10 Milford co-op vs. No. 7 New Milford

No. 14 Shepaug vs. No. 3 Branford

No. 11 Ridgefield vs. No. 6 St. Joseph

♦♦♦

Byes: No. 1 Simsbury, No. 2 Greenwich

No. 9 Wethersfield vs. No. 8 Immaculate

No. 13 East Catholic vs. No. 4 Farmington Valley

No. 12 East Haven vs. No. 5 Newington

No. 10 North Branford vs. No. 7 Sheehan

No. 14 Northeastern vs. No. 3 Enfield

No. 11 JBWA vs. No. 6 Xavier

Please go to GametimeCT.com High School Sports to read full article.