Question of the Day
Who are your favorite hockey writers? (Rink writers excluded...or not, whatever.)
over 1 year ago
Becca H
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Justin Bourne.
read my crap at http://somethingsbruin.net or I'll fling milkcrates at you.
Follow me on twitter @sarah_connors
Great call. His blog gives you a view of the game through a very different set of eyes.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
today’s Puck Daddy column was great. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you get traded to Boise.”
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
Could be worse… he could have landed in Toledo, home of one of the dumbest mascots, yet also one of the coolest logos ever.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
having spent way too much time in Toledo, yes, could be worse! Mr. B actually owns a Walleye shirt, proudly wore it to games last season.
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
I really like Bourne’s stuff that gives an inside look at moving up through the ranks of the major amateur leagues and trying to make it to the NHL. I’m not as impressed with his stuff when he actually tries to talk about the NHL teams and games. It comes off as though he doesn’t watch the NHL much at all and just buys into the old irrelevant cliches and major talking points.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 12:33 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I don’t care what anyone says, I love Bucci. You guys can go to hell.
I am also a big fan of Justin Bourne.
Also, Ken Campbell is always offering up brilliant articles full of fresh thoughts and ide…hhahahaha…sorry. I couldn’t keep a straight face when saying that.
Bucci is OK, but he’s also a Pittsburgh homer, which it took me a while to realize.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
He is. But it’s very rare that he puts down any team. It’s sort of like when he “slighted” the Wings by saying that Datsyuk and Zetterberg’s best years were behind them. He then devoted an entire column to all the good things he had said about the Wings after he got an email barrage from Wings fans.
Bucci is a hockey homer. He can be a little over-sentimental, but I love the guy.
Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal, but every once in a while it pokes through. Occasionally something he wrote didn’t seem to make sense, and then I discovered he grew up in Ohio. Made sense then. Writing takes all types, and he does manage to bring out some of the nicer human interest stuff.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
Justin Bourne, Earl Sleek, Rudy Kelly, Mr. Plank for entertainment. Alan Ryder for analysis. Hooks Orpik when I need to kill some brain cells.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’m convinced that’s how Jordan Staal keeps his hair platinum blonde
It's The Wait for Red October. Except rather than Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin, and Sam Neill, it's George McPhee, Bruce Boudreau, and Alex Ovechkin.
Not Tom Clancy, but Gary Bettman. Not the Soviet Kremlin, but. . .well. . . .yeah, the Soviet Kremlin
I’m assuming this includes columnists.
Bob McKenzie
James Mirtle
Elliotte Friedman
Helene Elliott
"The most important thing - to get to the playoffs and move on." Evgeny Kuznetsov
by Carl Putnam on Sep 8, 2010 2:55 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Damien Cox
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 8, 2010 2:56 PM EDT reply actions
I see your answer and I raise you a Pierre LeBrun.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
LeBrun is alright, but I’d have raised him a Scott Burnside.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
I’ll throw out a Don Cherry(as a journalist in the same way news anchors are) and call.
All i got it a pair of 2s.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
You could even throw him in for best baseball writer. Only incredible writers can accuse a player of taking steroids with no real evidence
It's The Wait for Red October. Except rather than Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin, and Sam Neill, it's George McPhee, Bruce Boudreau, and Alex Ovechkin.
Not Tom Clancy, but Gary Bettman. Not the Soviet Kremlin, but. . .well. . . .yeah, the Soviet Kremlin
…can’t even describe the sound I just made :P
(And this is what brings you out of hiding??)
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
.....
HE’S ALIVE!!!!!!
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 8, 2010 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions
.
I was thinking along these lines:
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
by Bald Pollack on Sep 8, 2010 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And then just like that…. “poof”…he was gone
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 8, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Kaiser Soze insta-Rec.
Great. Now I have to change my name to "Jaromir meet Alex".
by Chris meet Alex on Sep 8, 2010 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Bourne has been enjoyable for his player’s insights and humor.
He’s not a writer, but I like EJ Hradek’s commentary on NHL Live.
Larry Brooks is fun, too.
You had me at no problem.
Hradek is a writer, but I guess you think of him otherwise. I like him on NHL Live, too, but I know a lot of people don’t care for him. I appreciate his approach, but I hate that his content is behind the ESPN pay wall most of the time.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
SBN wise I like the crews at OTF, BSH, C&B, PPP, Gabe at BTN, Travis at FFH and Dominek at Lighthouse Hockey. That being said none of them come close to the six folks that call this place home. Seven if you count Peerless.
"The most important thing - to get to the playoffs and move on." Evgeny Kuznetsov
Don’t for get Habs Eyes on the Prize. Robert L wrote some epic posts this past postseason (constant complaints about Mike Knuble in the crease notwithstanding).
good call on Dominek. ..i’ve seen him write some epic stuff
It's The Wait for Red October. Except rather than Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin, and Sam Neill, it's George McPhee, Bruce Boudreau, and Alex Ovechkin.
Not Tom Clancy, but Gary Bettman. Not the Soviet Kremlin, but. . .well. . . .yeah, the Soviet Kremlin
Agree. Lighthouse Hockey is a highly underrated SBN site – guess that’s what happens when you cover the Isles :P
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
by Becca H on Sep 8, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Whale4Ever doesn’t get a lot of mentions, but he does some damn good stuff.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Justin Bourne
Greg Wyshynski
Michael Russo
Elliotte Friedman
Bob McKenzie
Sean McIndoe (a.k.a. Down Goes Brown)
My oddball choice: though he infuriates me sometimes, but I kind of like reading The Chief over at Abel to Yzerman.
You can actually read A to Z? You are a braver man than I.
When it comes to humor its hard to beat McIndoe.
"The most important thing - to get to the playoffs and move on." Evgeny Kuznetsov
I enjoy the Chief, because his writing totters between religious fervor and winking, which is nearly pitch-perfect and unmatched, really, in other fan blogs.
The guy who’s been posting over there in his absence (VooX) drives me through the wall, though, because he falls a little too much on the sports-as-religion side. It’s a hard thing to get right.
more than once, I’ve been tempted to hurl my laptop out the window after reading A to Y. Most Caps fans get their stupidity fix reading PensBlog, I apparently feel the need to get it from the founder and President of the Tin Foil Hat Club.
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
Pensblog crew are trying to be funny on purpose. Those loons are actually serious.
"The most important thing - to get to the playoffs and move on." Evgeny Kuznetsov
DGB is another great call. The first time I stumbled on his blog I laughed for a solid hour.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
DGB + Bloge Salming + Pension Plan Puppets = all the inter-division reading i ever need to do
:D oh, and occasionally Four Habs fans. Their Halak’s Journal entries had me ROLLING.
read my crap at http://somethingsbruin.net or I'll fling milkcrates at you.
Follow me on twitter @sarah_connors
It’s a sad fact of life that the damn Leafs have some of the best writers in their blogosphere.
And FHF is hiiiiilarious, holy crap.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Great call on DGB. Occasionally his humor gets a little tired (usually when he overuses a joke) but more often than not he’s hilarious.
Fantasy Teams: Baby Got Backstrom (Ladies of Twitter) and All's Fehr in the Crease (Six Beers Too Many)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Though I think making fun of fat people is just.plain.rude, his Wellwood placements always make me laugh.
back to cool special
This comment thread is snarktabulous.
I gotta go with McKenzie and Mirtle. Both of them make sense and are pretty evenhanded.
Fantasy Teams: Baby Got Backstrom (Ladies of Twitter) and All's Fehr in the Crease (Six Beers Too Many)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I just threw up in my mouth a little. KPD? really?
read my crap at http://somethingsbruin.net or I'll fling milkcrates at you.
Follow me on twitter @sarah_connors
I’m with you. I like a lot of Ken Campbell, tho I admit occasionally I think he’s on Mars.
Great. Now I have to change my name to "Jaromir meet Alex".
by Chris meet Alex on Sep 8, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t even hate Ken Campbell. Just had to take a shot at someone. I agree with some stuff he says, but when I disagree with him, I REALLY disagree with him.
I can buy that…
Great. Now I have to change my name to "Jaromir meet Alex".
by Chris meet Alex on Sep 8, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
btw, looking for someone to take a shot at, aim squarely at Larry Brooks, who is a joke, yet often taken seriously.
Great. Now I have to change my name to "Jaromir meet Alex".
by Chris meet Alex on Sep 8, 2010 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Brooksy is bi-polar. Either he is hilariously ridiculous or he is right on the money. When he’s not in “everyone wants to play for the Rangers because they are the best team ever” mode he actually writes some insightful pieces.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I like your style, Dude.
Great. Now I have to change my name to "Jaromir meet Alex".
by Chris meet Alex on Sep 8, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Oddball favorite – Justin Goldman over at The Goalie Guild. He provides another really interesting perspective on the game.
read my crap at http://somethingsbruin.net or I'll fling milkcrates at you.
Follow me on twitter @sarah_connors
Great choices cited already. I’d add Michael Russo at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
For grating entertainment value and the occasional scoop, Larry Brooks at the NYP keeps delivering. He and Torts have a great tag team going.
The ice will show everything.
My favorite hockey writer, hands down, is Slava Malamud. He writes mostly in Russian so I either have to wait for Tuvan to wrestle with it or go slumming with Googletranslate, but Slava has a very deft touch with words and ideas.
His wordsmithery best illustrates the fierce poet deep in our Russians’ souls.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Online interviews posted at Hokej.cz
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Sep 8, 2010 3:59 PM EDT reply actions
The original, or the Dave Fuller translation?
read my crap at http://somethingsbruin.net or I'll fling milkcrates at you.
Follow me on twitter @sarah_connors
They’re different?
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Sep 8, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Some major omissions so far
Michael Farber
Allan Muir
Scott Burnside
Pierre Lebrun
Darren Dreger
The Maven
Well. . .some of those were omitted for obvious reasons. .
It's The Wait for Red October. Except rather than Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin, and Sam Neill, it's George McPhee, Bruce Boudreau, and Alex Ovechkin.
Not Tom Clancy, but Gary Bettman. Not the Soviet Kremlin, but. . .well. . . .yeah, the Soviet Kremlin
Indeed, espn’s coverage of hockey is what you’d expect from a kindergardener.
Case in point, Barry Melrose as TB Lightning coach saying Stamkos will never be a nhl regular. hmmmmmm
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
The Maven? Is this a “worst of” list? The Fucking Maven?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’m going to go with Earl Sleek at Battle of California. . some of the most creative stuff i’ve seen
It's The Wait for Red October. Except rather than Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin, and Sam Neill, it's George McPhee, Bruce Boudreau, and Alex Ovechkin.
Not Tom Clancy, but Gary Bettman. Not the Soviet Kremlin, but. . .well. . . .yeah, the Soviet Kremlin
damn. . .i’ve got to get my sarcasm detector ready for this season. .
It's The Wait for Red October. Except rather than Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin, and Sam Neill, it's George McPhee, Bruce Boudreau, and Alex Ovechkin.
Not Tom Clancy, but Gary Bettman. Not the Soviet Kremlin, but. . .well. . . .yeah, the Soviet Kremlin
No love for Corey?
I’m not a huge fan, but I thought JP and many others in the commentariat surely are…
He’s a “writer”, but perhaps people are thinking only columnists and not those considered beat writers?
As a beat writer, I would have had TEB on the top of my list.
Great. Now I have to change my name to "Jaromir meet Alex".
by Chris meet Alex on Sep 8, 2010 4:53 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
As for beat writers, I desperately miss “In the Room”. I thought Corey was head-and-shoulders above TEB.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Easy...
Sean McIndoe aka DownGoesBrown.com :)
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
I’ll stop and read just about anything written by Friedman, Wyshynski, Mirtle and Down Goes Brown.
Elliotte Friedman’s 30 thoughts are must reads each week. DGB is generally hilarious and I love Wyshynski’s sense of humor at Puck Daddy even if I don’t agree with his view point all the time.
I disagreed with Mirtle’s take on the Ovechkin/Campbell incident last year but I still find most of his columns worth reading.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
Of those not really talked about, I like Pierre LeBrun. He’s very calm in his analysis, and even when he’s on HNIC, he’s able to say his peace without having to act like a clown (as some other on the after-40-minutes section do).
Tom Awad
Alan Ryder
Gabe Desjardins
Vic Ferrari
JLikens
Sunny Mehta
Sean McIndoe
Bruce McCurdy
Elliotte Friedman
Bob McKenzie
Adam Proteau
Corey Masisak
James Mirtle
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 5:03 PM EDT reply actions
Of course you’d have the murderer’s row of statisticians in there.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Hahaha, you knew it was coming.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions
The problem is, I think most of the statisticians are actually not great writers, even though their ideas are interesting.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
That is a problem, most of them can’t write their way out of a paper bag (but I really ought not to cast stones while living in a glass house).
As far as writing artistry goes, Peerless and Proteau are my go-tos. Elliote Friedman is also very clean in his prose, even if it’s not the most evocative thing ever written.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve been keeping the local writers out of it so far, but as far as writing artistry I’m putting Pepper right at the top with anyone else you’d care to name.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
The only reason I didn’t name Pepper is because I’ve not been mentioning Rink-Writers at all, yeah. All the contributors here have pretty serious writing chops.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions
And I think that most of their ideas are more interesting than they are useful.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
As a be-all end-all, stats have a long way to go and I don’t think any of the guys on my list would tell you any differently. The hockey stat community is still in the stage where they’re figuring out basic truths about the game and not even all of those have been uncovered.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions
My main problem is that a lot of them use the baseball stat revolution as the model and I have a fundamental problem with that because the teams aren’t constructed the same (so replacement player doesn’t mean the same thing in each sport) and played differently (so you have discrete events in baseball but not hockey). As you know, by far my biggest problem with the stat community in hockey is the attempts to quantify “quality” and the faith and confidence the proponents put in those “quality” stats.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Duhatschek (for sources), McKenzie (not a great writer per se but well informed and very dependable and a must around the trade deadline), McIndoe (for humour), Friedman (very steady and good sources), Bourne (good writer) and here at the Rink DMG (fair minded and always well thought-out pieces, Thanks David)
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory
McKenzie is also one of the best people to listen to at draft time.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
As a media talking head, he’s great, but his written pieces are too rare and sparse for my tastes.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
The Peerless, Alan Ryder, and Mirtle.
Tic Tac Toe Hockey -- Original Caps Photography For The Fan With Compromised Standards
Jack Hazard Photography
by turnituptoeleven on Sep 8, 2010 5:41 PM EDT reply actions
in that order.
Tic Tac Toe Hockey -- Original Caps Photography For The Fan With Compromised Standards
Jack Hazard Photography
by turnituptoeleven on Sep 8, 2010 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions
speaking of Ryder, is his 2009-2010 analysis out yet?
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
Speaking of Alan Ryder, does anyone know if he’s going to publish another analysis this season?
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I assume he will, I just don’t know when. When did he release the last report?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I couldn’t rightly tell you. I want to say that it was late summer, but I wouldn’t swear to it.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Sep 8, 2010 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions
that was my recollection as well, by I’ve also been off by months on occasion.
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
Eklund. He always seems to know everything before everyone else.
#NeedsMoreBradley
by Addison H. on Sep 8, 2010 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Malkin to the Kings.
/thread.
The stache is back!
by Knubles and Bits on Sep 8, 2010 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Stan Fischler, and that other guy.
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.
by hotdog88gt on Sep 8, 2010 9:05 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
This gets a rec just for not calling Fischler “The Maven”.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions
maven – a person who has special knowledge or experience
“Special” is the key word.
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.
Ha, I guess I’ve been wrong about him all along.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
In the past year, the one writer who has pleasantly surprised me the most has been…
Andrew Gordon
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 12:49 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
I’m biased, but I would have to go with the writers of BoC and FTF. Also Gabe of Behind the Net – love his analysis. There are really too many to name.
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality?
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -- Benjamin Franklin
Having only found JR via Caps Report last season it was immediately clear that this is a whole other level of hockey fandom, . But seriously, how does everybody find time to read all these writers’ columns/articles/blogs? Between job, school, errands, pets, and friends it’s a wonder I make it to most of the home games and catch an away game once a week. After counting 10 sets of initials referring to either writers or sites/publications about which I was clueless, I took the dogs—and my sad-sack hockey fan status—for a long walk in the ignominy obscuring morning fog.*
*self-pity hyperbolized
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
Mike Heika’s one of my favorites. My non-homer pick would have to be the BoC and PPP people. I like a little humor in my hockey reading.
Here's to all us girls who love hockey...and the men who play it.
by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Sep 9, 2010 2:03 PM EDT reply actions
So many to name.
A lot of guys I like you all have already picked, but I gotta go with some West Coast bias here and go with the trio at BoC as well as the guys at FTF.
Don't let the name deceive you, I'm not just a Sharks fan but a Lakers, 49ers, Angels, Giants (and to a lesser extent) Capitals, and Titans fan.
by SharksFanEst.1994 on Sep 9, 2010 9:00 PM EDT reply actions
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