I'm excited to announce that Season 21 has been successfully simulated with the new simulator. The foundation of the game is set. Now the focus will be on adding the new features. I would like to launch the new website this autumn.

If you are reading this, please send me a message on the contact page with the subject line "SUPPORTER", and provide an email address so that I can contact you. Let me know how you found the site and what features you would like to see. I'll write you back personally, since this my personal website, not a business. I'll send you login details for a complimentary supporter account when the site re-launches. See you in the game!

I am writing this on June 29, 2023 as I drink a homemade Nescafe milkshake. Thank you to those who wrote an encouraging message of support over the past year. As you may notice, I have simulated half of season 21 in a testing phase. The simulator works! Yet, the new website has not been launched... Why?

The new website was mostly finished a year ago, except for the mobile version.

On a technical level, it is finished...

...but as a game, I realized it needed more. It has to be an experience, not just statistics and checking how your team is doing.

This prompted me to ask myself, "What makes this game fun?". In search of an answer, I studied my 200 page binder of handwritten design notes, my old design notes and the forum posts from 1999 and 2000. After letting the project stew on the back burner and months of contemplation, I now know the answer.

As you get to know the players on your roster through their statistics, the personality that comes across in their cartoon profile photos, you can't help but to imagine stories for them. It's when a third line left winger gets the game winning goal in a big game and becomes a hero. It's when you put a guy with a high rating bar on your first line and halfway through the season it's clear that he's not a good fit. It's when you make it into the playoffs by one point after totally revamping your line setup and end up winning the cup. It's the mystery of your team that slowly reveals itself through the statistics over the course of the season. It has always been a core design concept of the game to not reveal the players' actual skill levels, but to only reveal an amalgamation of them through the offensive and defensive skills rating bars. This makes the players on your team characters in a story, rather than a mathematical commodity of numbers. Essentially, the game is a puzzle, and the true picture is hidden somewhere in the experience.

How to create a user experience that puts that puzzle solving to the forefront... is a challenge.

One big change that is coming has to do with how games are simulated. In the past, full games have been simulated and their results posted at particular times of the day, as fast as the CPU could simulate them. This wasn't engaging. It didn't allow the game world to reveal itself as a story. The new simulator, which I am currently programming, uses the game world's clock to simulate the game over the course of 9 minutes (best balance of excitement vs. time), allowing those logged into the website to monitor the game's progress as it unfolds. Additionally, as the General Manager, you will be able to issue directives to your coaching staff between periods to change your goalie, or the team's strategy and line setup during the game!

As my homemade Nescafe milkshake reaches the bottom of the glass, I conclude by saying, thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you in the game!

I am writing this message on January 16th, 2022. As you can see, the simulator hasn't been generating games for quite a few years. To the few people who were interested, I'm sorry that it has taken so long to get the game running again. I have personally written e-mails to the few members who have signed up over the years, but sadly, I never received a reply.

I've never charged money for this. I've never asked for money. I've never added a payment system to the site. I've never even added a donation button.

The game originally ran from 1999-2000. It was a small group of between 10-20 members. We used to hang out on a messenger application and chat about the game, as well as other topics and common interests. It was like a group of friends getting together to play Dungeons and Dragons or Board Games and having a fun time. My hope was that I could recreate that in 2008 with Frozen Cherry but to my dismay, it was a different internet in 2008, and it is certainly a different internet as I write this in 2022.

So where do we go from here?

I have been redesigning the entire game from scratch. I've added over 80 different nationalities to the game world, including 76 national teams in the World Ice Hockey Association. I've added new teams to the leagues. The old player profiles have been redesigned and will now be an integral part of the experience. The user interface has been completely redesigned and modernized. The simulator has been rewritten and will be simulating games again soon. I have plans to redraw the player profile photos to make them look nice on modern screens, and revamp this news section.

...and for the first time, I will be accepting donations to support the continued development of the project. I am not a corporation, or a team of people. There is no "we", it is just me. I am a designer, an artist, a programmer, and a fan of Hockey. I have a vision of bringing the world of Frozen Cherry to life for a small group of internet friends who want to hang out and play a game together. The simulator should be ready to begin generating new games and statistics within the next month or two (February-March 2022). Certain changes to the site will be made to support the new simulator. The changes to the website's User Interface, including new features, will be uploaded as soon as there are enough people interested in testing it. Until then, I am working on it offline in my free time.

If you are interested in managing a team, please sign up and write to me through the contact page! Thank you for your interest and support! It really does make the work feel worthwhile to know that people appreciate it.

We are optimistic about our chances for a good finish this season.

I am the new GM of the St. Louis Independents

Hi, I'm Mike, the new GM of the Portland Sasquatch

The Banff Blizzard have won the Season 10 RPIHL Season Title and tie the record for most points in a season in the process. The Blizzard's 41-12-3 performance this season for 85 points ties the Detroit Spartans, who had 85 points in Season 6, and then in Season 7, the Thunder Bay Storm and Los Angeles Smog both earned 85 points with Thunder Bay winning the season title based on goals for. Until now, the Blizzard had never won a season title but does hold the Romeo Cup for Season 6. They will face Santa Monica in the first round of the playoffs.

A new GM has taken the reins of the Rocketeers.

Happy New Year from FrozenCherry Hockey!

Player Nationalities! You may have noticed that team rosters now list a player's nationality next to his name, represented by that nation's flag. FrozenCherry Hockey is a completely fictional fantasy hockey simulation utilizing fictitious player names and teams. Therefore, care is always taken to create a plausible game world. For player nationalities, nations are represented in a way that recognizes the popularity of the sport of ice hockey in that country as well as other factors such as the country's population and the location of the league in which he will play. More on this below.
There are two new hockey leagues in the FrozenCherry hockey management game! The CPHL is a new North American fantasy hockey league with nine teams to start but rumors are that the league is looking to compete with the RPIHL for marketshare and is expected to add more teams in the seasons ahead. The CPHL is named after, and inspired by the creative imagination of artist Joseph Caylor. Almost all of the CPHL team logos are based upon his sketches and all of the CPHL teams were named by him.
Fantasy International Ice Hockey Begins! The World Ice Hockey Association (WIHA) will bring international fantasy hockey to FrozenCherry! 40 countries from around the world are currently represented with rosters that include players from the RPIHL, BMHL, SWHL and CPHL. Player skill is biased toward the countries in which ice hockey is most popular. Sweden will be tough to beat while South Korea is a good choice for a manager who is up for a challenege. Management of WIHA teams is currently granted by request only. If you are interested in managing a WIHL team in addition to your current team, please click on the "Home" tab and select the Email icon to contact me.
New 2 month format! Based on feedback, FrozenCherry will be switching to a format which plays each season in 2 months as opposed to the current 3 month format. 6 game seasons will pass each calendar year, allowing teams to evolve more quickly from a bottom of the barrel team to a cup winner while balancing retirements, entry drafts and wise trade decisions. Thank you for the feedback! Your continued support helps make FrozenCherry better every day.