The perpetual search for hockey’s top blog

Gone are the days of traditional media dominance; today, in sports and otherwise, it only takes a few clicks before you’re up and running as a blogger. Unlike the generations prior, this new wave of prototypical “connected sports junkies” are making their mark voicing their opinions online through various new media outlets and specifically blogs.

The hockey world is no different, as the puck blogosphere encompasses everyone from hobbyists to full-time professionals.

All in all, the majority of content is produced through free – or very inexpensive – publishing services and tends to reach out to only a few hundred fans per day. However, there are a selected few that have garnered significant attention in the online community.

Some are informative, others thought provoking and some humorous. All have one thing in common: readers come back time and time again. When it comes to the form the leading blogs have taken, the results vary as widely as the men and women who pen them.

Here is a look at what one hockey journalist deems some of the best the community has to offer.

Best Team-Specific Blog – Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Whether you are a Maple Leafs fan or not, there’s no doubting the quality of the content consistently pumped out by Maple Leafs Hot Stove.

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Led by editor Alec Brownscombe, Hot Stove specializes in the latest happenings in Leaf land through a balance of in-game analysis and investigation.

Where the blog has seen its presence felt is its initiative to create an annual publication with over 100 pages of analysis, statistics and predictions from a host of talented hockey writers, ranging from the mainstream media to the diehard fan that isn’t afraid to voice his support for the team.

Since launching in 2008, the blog has rapidly increased in popularity, rivaling all of the top specialty blogs available.

Best General NHL Blog – Houses of the Hockey
For the casual fan who doesn’t care to scour through team-specific blogs and prefers a general overview of the league as a whole, Houses of the Hockey is their go-to destination.

Houses of the Hockey, the resident hockey blog for The Score has risen leaps and bounds since it opened it’s doors two seasons ago. Led by well-respected blogger Scott Lewis, along with a team of experienced writers, HOTH is the Canadian equivalent to the highly recognized Puck Daddy blog an has quickly carved it’s own niche in the blogosphere.

While major media outlets can be counted on for breaking news, Houses of the Hockey digs up interesting stories and covers the game from a more analytical, thought-provoking approach; often asking questions about issues in the game that fans really care about.

Best Junior Hockey Blog – Buzzing The Net
What do you get when you combine the expertise of a veteran sports journalist with the proven blogging platform of Yahoo! Sports?

It’s referred to as Buzzing The Net – a comprehensive junior hockey blog led by Neate Sager, a former mainstream writer who has made a smooth transition to blogging.

Sager provides daily news roundups from the three major junior leagues – OHL, WHL, QMJHL – while authoring a plethora of other themed posts, such as prospect profiles.

Even if you are not a an avid follower of junior hockey in Canada, Buzzing The Net has regular features, including the popular “Five Questions With…”, which shines a more personal light on some of junior hockey’s rising stars.

In a market where most junior hockey blogs are intended for scouting and providing detailed evaluations on prospects, BTN appeals to fans of all audiences who support hockey beyond the professional level.

Best International Hockey Blog – Puck Worlds
Another relatively underserved fan base is international hockey, which is comprised of the best players in the world, yet there is an underwhelming amount of independent coverage besides the major media outlets.

That’s not a knock against Bruce Peter, also known online as “SaskHab,” who works hard to cover all of the major tournaments, ranging from the Olympics to the World Championships.

He has a deep knowledge of every hockey nation and continually researches and profiles players from obscure nations who are, or should be, of note to fans.

So, next time that you are watching a Norway versus Belarus preliminary game and you need a scouting report on Mikhail Grigorenkovich, look no further than Puck Worlds.

Best Hockey Humor Blog – Down Goes Brown
Although blogs are a very useful tool for information and off-beat discussion, they rarely reveal the true personality and character of the author inking each post.

In the case of Sean McIndoe, however, his personality couldn’t be more present via the popular humor blog, Down Goes Brown.

Arguably the funniest blogger in hockey, McIndoe pokes fun at the Toronto Maple Leafs and NHL in general with hypothetical posts discussing some of hockey’s biggest issues. He has been known to mock the likes of Gary Bettman, Kyle Wellwood and Colin Campbell.

While it may cross the line once in a while, DGB understands the game and doesn’t take himself – or his writing – too seriously.

While the media can be relied on as a trusted source for breaking news, professional analysis and straight edge reporting, fans need the blogosphere as a source of added discussion and insight into topics that may not be talked about in the papers or on the radio. Down Goes Brown delivers that.

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