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As NHLers Eric Staal and Niklas Lidstrom prepare to pick their all-star teammates later this week, a new smart phone application designed for this very purpose is gaining traction around the world.

The TeamChooser application – developed by Professor Jonathan Rose (ECE) of The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Paul Eisen (IndE 8T6), a Toronto-based software designer – is designed to produce teams that are evenly matched. The user enters each player’s name plus the numerical effectiveness of their ability, and the application calculates fair teams.

“Classic methods of choosing teams – throwing hockey sticks onto the ice, drawing straws or having two captains choose players like the NHL is doing with its all-star game – can be a nightmare,” says Professor Rose. Not only do people’s feelings get hurt in the process, but you also end up with unevenly matched teams and total blow-outs. With the TeamChooser application, all you have to do is enter a number representing each player’s skill level and it will choose fair teams for you.”

Sales of the application – available through the Apple iPhone app store – are picking up steam in recreational sports leagues in Canada and elsewhere. It has sold in Australia, Romania, Britain, Ireland, Norway, Japan and the United States.

“This is a great tool to consult when picking your winter sports teams. Since we’ve used it in my pick-up hockey league, the games have been far more even and everyone has a lot more fun,” says Professor Rose. He adds that it could be a handy tool for the NHL all-star captains as they prepare to choose their teams this coming weekend.

“TeamChooser would certainly help ensure a good, fair game for fans to watch,” he says.

Follow the link to read coverage in the Toronto Star.

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