Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo: Saturday, February 17, 2024, 10AM to 5PM EST
Where: Online on PC and Mac

What is SoCHEL?

SoCHEL is an online NHL’94 charity tournament played on Sega Genesis & Super Nintendo emulators on PC & Mac for the benefit of the Mario Lemieux Foundation and is run by the administrators of nhl94.com and nhl94online.com.

The first SoCHEL took place in June 2020 with over 150 registrations, with players from 30 US states, 7 Canadian provinces, and 5 other countries (United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and Japan). We raised $6,739.00 so far for the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

The name "SoCHEL Distancing tournament" is a pun on "Social Distancing tournament." For those not familiar with the term “CHEL”, it’s the sound made when you say the ‘H’ and ‘L’ in ‘NHL’ quickly and is a common nickname for the EA game series.

Entry Donation

Tournament entry requires a donation to the Mario Lemieux Foundation. See the "Registration Information" section below for the proper place and amount to donate.

Prizes

The top player on each console will receive a signed SoChel puck from Mario Lemieux. Remaining prizes to be determined.

Registration Information

Register by Wednesday, Feb. 14th - Registration Link

You'll receive an email with information about how to set up your computer to play. Once you have played and hosted a successful test game, you can complete your donation on the Mario Lemieux Foundation website: Donation Link

• Sega Genesis Tournament - $19.94 (Guaranteed 3 games)
• Super Nintendo tournament - $19.94 (Guaranteed 3 games)

We've allowed enough time so that you can sign up for both tournaments if you'd like. Also, the above amounts are the minimum. Please feel free to donate more if you wish!

Streams

The event will be live-streamed again on:

• Twitch (KingofNHL94 channel) - Link
• Streams - Start time TBD

Note - You are encouraged to stream you own games and share the link with us so we can get it out prior to the tournament.

Dates and Times:

• Registration is open now!
• Wednesday, Feb. 14th - Registration Closes
• Saturday Feb. 17th - Sega Genesis and SNES Tournaments
  • 10AM-12PM Eastern Time - Group Play
  • 12PM-5PM Eastern Time - Playoffs
  • Group Schedule will be assigned by Feb. 15th, so you can start your Group Play games early if you'd like. We encourage it!

Tournament Format (NEW):

This new format is designed so that regardless of your skill level you will automatically qualify for the playoffs and you will end up in a playoff bracket with players of similar skill level. All bracket winners will win a prize.

• Round Robin - Groups and Schedule to be determined based on final numbers
• No ties. Play until there is a winner for each game
• After the round robin, players will be divided and seeded into in separate brackets - Bracket, A, B, C, etc.
• Seeding is determined by number of wins, then overall plus/minus, then least goals allowed, and then whoever registered the earliest
• The playoff brackets are a single game elimination.
• A coin flip will determine home and away for the matchup (this is completed through an online coin flip generator in Discord)
• Prizes are awarded for each bracket champion

How to Play NHL'94 Online:

We play on PC/Mac computers using free "emulator" software. You will also need a USB or Bluetooth gamepad/controller (recommendations below)

• RetroArch Emulator (the "console")
• Link to Instructions and Package Download (this is a customized version of RetroArch) - Getting Started
• NHL'94 Playoff ROM (the "cartridge") - this is included in the RetroArch download package
• USB Controller/GamePad OR Keyboard
  • Suggested USB controllers if you need to purchase one:
    • Retrobit USB Sega Genesis controller
    • Tomee USB SNES Controller
    • 8bitdo M30 2.4g (Genesis) or SN30 2.4g (SNES) controllers (use the included USB cable to get it to work with your PC)
    • Original controllers with a USB adapter from RetroUSB.com
• Discord App - Used for communication between players and for assistance - Link to the SoChel Server - Discord
• High Speed Internet - Wired connection is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

Game Settings:

• 5 Minute Periods
• No Offsides, Penalties Off
• No Line Changes
• Manual Goalie Control

Tournament Game Rules (NEW)

• Team Choice:

  • The visiting player picks the match up for the game. The home player picks their choice of the matchup (Example: Visiting player calls “PITTSBURGH VS BOSTON”, the home team player selects PITTSBURGH as their choice and the visiting player uses BOSTON for that game)
  • There’s no restriction on how many times you can call a certain match up. Use the same matchup every time, or you can mix it up throughout the tournament. You can use the same match up in a playoff series.
  • Genesis Tier List

  • SNES Tier List

• Editing Lines:

  • You can edit lines before the game starts or during any stoppage or whistle (injury, intermission, or time out)
  • Home team gets last line change
  • Be considerate of time when editing your lineup, keep it quick
  • Allow time for your opponent to edit lines during intermission before pressing Start

• Pulling the Goalie for an Extra Attacker:

  • The only time you cannot pull the goalie is if your opponent has the puck in your own zone. We do not want to have a pause in the game to potentially ruin a scoring chance for the opponent.
  • Once your goalie is pulled you must leave him out of the net and can't put him back in until there is a stoppage of play.

• Disconnection/Crash/Malfunction:

  These situations are rare, but can potentially happen.
  • If any of the above occurs during a live game, players should stop and restart with the last known score.
    • Players should do their best to determine, how much time was left and come to a mutually agreed start time.

      Example - The score is 3-1 in favor of Player A and the game malfunctions halfway through the 3rd period. The players should restart the game and mutually agree to play the right amount of time remaining. The following scenarios are then possible:

      • In the new game, Player B scores 1 goal in the remaining time and the score reads 1-0 for Player B. The final score is 3-2 Player A, so Player A wins.
      • In the new game, player B scores 3 goals in the remaining time and the score reads 3-0 for Player B. The final score is 4-3 for Player B, so Player B wins.
      • In the new game, player B scores 2 goals in the remaining time and the score reads 2-0 for player B. The score is tied 3-3, so the next period starts overtime. Next goal wins.
    • If a save state was made at some point near when the issue occurred, the game can restart from the saved state.

      Example: The score is 3-1 for Player A and the game malfunctions half-way through the 3rd period. One of the players had a saved state after the score was 3-1. The state can be reloaded by the host, and netplay restarted. The other player can reconnect, and play can then be resumed from the savestate.

    • The NHL94.com Admin Team will be available to "referee" as needed, and if there are any questions. If there is an issue, please post in the Discord, and we will respond promptly.
      • Darrell Sampson (Halifax)
      • Michael Capewell (smozoma)
      • John Glass (chaos)
      • Raphael Frydman (kingraph)

FAQs:

Can I register for both systems?

Yes, you can register for both tournaments.

Is my registration fee transferrable?

No.

Can I play with different game settings?

No. Our tournament setting is for 5 min periods, no offsides, penalties off, no line changes and manual goalie. These settings create a simple, fast-paced game for tournaments. While the alternatives are fun, these settings allow us to run tournaments effectively.

Can I use a timeout?

Yes, but NOT during play. You can call a timeout during a stoppage (injury, goal, intermission). There’s only one time out in the game for each team and either player can use this time to change your line up.

Are glitch goals allowed?

Yes, all goals count. If it's in the game, it's in the game! Glitch goals are very rare, but some known glitches are:

• Genesis
  • Shooting the puck at the net after the whistle when a penalty shot has been called will result in a goal
  • “Goalie lock” happens when you make an errant pass with the goalie and can be “locked” as the goalie until your team touches the puck again. (Your opponent is allowed to attempt to score on you, but cannot delay the game)
  • The puck lands on top of the net and then falls through the net as a goal
• Super Nintendo
  • Your own player or goalie is behind the net and attempts to clear the puck, having it go through the back of the net for a goal
  • A penalty shot is awarded and the time expires - Occasionally it skips the penalty shot and you don’t get to take it
  • A penalty shot is awarded and the puck shoots like a lightning bolt and gets stuck in the boards and cannot be retrieved

Is there such a thing as a garbage goal or a cheap goal?

There are no garbage or cheap goals that are banned from gameplay. Goals can be stopped with great team defence or by using manual goalie to make the save.

Questions?

Contact sochel@nhl94.com for any questions regarding this tournament.