Social Media Keeping NHL Teams and Fans Connected

The popularity of social media has surged—it spreads news quickly and connects millions of people around the world simultaneously.

Even the NHL has adopted social media. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been instrumental in keeping fans informed about the NHL draft, the free agency frenzy and the Hunter-Stoll breakup in real time, thereby dramatically transforming news delivery.

Teams utilizing social media have a distinct advantage in getting the message out faster and driving ticket sales without geographical boundaries, but “the main benefit of social media from a pro team’s standpoint is being able to reach your fans directly, without the filter or space/time constraints that comes with traditional media,” said Nate Ewell, director of media relations for the Washington Capitals. Traditional media sometimes marginalizes smaller niche sports, like hockey, and social media offers fans the ability to get news more easily about their favorite teams.

Public relations professional Kelly Stoner adds that, unlike traditional media, social media allows users to create a dialogue by sending and receiving messages, and social media is free research. “By listening to and being part of the conversations that fans are having, sports teams can find out what the fans want by getting the info straight from the fans themselves.”

Using blogs, Facebook, flickr, LinkedIn, and Twitter, the Capitals capitalize on the opportunity to connect with fans by extending the Capitals experience beyond the ice rink. “Facebook has probably been our most effective tool,” said Ewell, because “we have more friend requests than we are permitted to accept.”

But the organization has not overlooked the value of the increasingly popular social networking site, Twitter. The Capitals created @capsmedia to communicate practice times, but the staff is “still learning the best uses of Twitter. As it has evolved and its reach has grown, we’ve found it’s an effective way to communicate a variety of messages,” explained Ewell.

While major league teams find the best use of Twitter, professional athletes have become obsessed with the 140-character two-way communication tool. Sportsin140.com is a directory of sports on Twitter with verified accounts including the NHL’s Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8), Donald Brashear (@donbrashear87), Patrik Elias (@pelias), and Gary Bettman (@Commish_Gary). With these accounts, these media magnets offer teams and the league yet another way to connect fans with their brand.

For teams and athletes alike, social media is an exciting way to give fans the lowdown on their actions, high jinks, and thoughts, but not all fans want the breakfast-status updates. “As a fan, I don’t want to know every detail of every player’s life,” said Stoner (@KellyinDC), who follows the Capitals on Twitter. “I know that the guys eat breakfast and get their oil changed…and go to the movies, just like everyone else. I am looking for anecdotes that reaffirm my appreciation of them as players and connect me with their experience as hockey players.”

Erik Johnson, Patrick Kane, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews joined the social media trend with Weplay.com, a social networking sports site more appropriate for children under 13. Weplay connects everybody involved in youth sports, including professional athletes. “Athletes on Weplay share their childhood photos and videos to help children realize that they were not always stars, they all started playing youth sports just like them. They write blogs, respond to comments and some even answer questions in the Weplay Answers section,” explained Noah Milman, account executive, KCSA .

Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for sports teams and athletes. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Weplay.com create robust connections between sports enthusiasts.

Photo (Patrick Kane) courtesy of Weplay.com

The Love the Game Bucket List

Given the recent deaths of Ed McMahon (age 86), Farrah Fawcett (age 62), and Michael Jackson and Billy Mays (both age 50), here is a bucket list before Love the Game kicks the bucket:

1. Finish business plan and launch Love the Game online clothing storefront;
2. Learn Czech then visit Prague and tour the Franz Kafka Museum and watch a HC Sparta Praha or HC Slavia Praha game;
3. Become fluent in Russian then interview Russian-speaking hockey players without an interpreter;
4. Watch the Washington Capitals play at Bell Centre, Madison Square Garden, and Joe Louis Arena;
5. Visit Toronto and tour the Hockey Hall of Fame and watch Maple Leafs game;
6. Self-publish a book about experience as a Black woman writing about ice hockey;
7. Identify a charity benefiting local hockey programs for low income or at-risk minority youth and raise $1,000 in financial and in-kind donations;
8. Read Open Ice, Saving Face, and Hockey: A People’s History (2009);
9. Get included on Caps Today’s Must Read/See/Hear Material list; and
10. Co-host an episode of “The Hockey Show” with Carrie Milbank.

Outside the Courtroom, Southern Ontario, Phoenix Wages War for Coyotes

Fighting has become a controversial aspect of hockey. Now the NHL is engrossed in another fight: the court hearings concerning the bailout and potential relocation of the Phoenix Coyotes.

BlackBerry boss Jim Balsillie extended an offer to bail out the Coyotes and relocate the team to Southern Ontario, and league, team, and the Canadian billionaire are spending countless hours in and out of the courtroom to settle the matter.

Due to mounting financial troubles, in 1996 the Winnipeg Jets moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Phoenix, Arizona to became the Phoenix Coyotes.

Over the past three seasons, the Coyotes have reportedly lost $90 million. Mr. Balsillie bid US$212.5 million to rescue the team on the condition that the Phoenix franchise relocates to Southern Ontario.

“Mr. Balsillie is a lifelong hockey fan. When he was approached to help the Coyotes through bankruptcy with bridge financing (debtor in possession) and to make an offer to buy the team, he was happy to do so, with the proviso that he could move the team to Southern Ontario, which he believes is the best un-served market in North America,” said Bill Walker, spokesperson for the Make It Seven campaign.

More than 131,000 have signed up on Make It Seven—a campaign to make the Coyotes the seventh Canadian NHL franchise—to show their support. “Clearly there is an untapped enthusiasm and latent demand for hockey in Southern Ontario. We’ll be responding to this…[on] www.makeitseven.ca and will continue to give the fans a voice in this whole process,” said Walker.

In Phoenix, over 2,250 miles from Hamilton, Ontario, proposed new home for the team, Coyotes fans have waged their own campaign to keep the team in the desert.

Indeed Coyotes fans appreciate Mr. Balsillie’s bailout but cannot bear the relocation of the team. “The bailing out part I love. The moving part makes me too ill to even contemplate it,” said Monique Reaux a.k.a Onyx of Coyotes Hip Check, a hockey fan for the past 17 years and a member of the Save the Coyotes Coalition. “I wish Jim Balsillie were buying my team to make it the best it can be, right here in Phoenix, not take it away from me.”

Mr. Balsillie has said that Southern Ontario is “one of the best un-served hockey markets in the world” and that it has “a market with devoted hockey fans, a rich hockey history.”

However, has Mr. Balsillie overlooked the market in Phoenix?

Reaux agrees that the NHL underserves Canada; however, relocating the Coyotes is nonsensical. “Given a fighting chance and enough time we, too, could have ‘a rich hockey history’. Mr. Balsillie has some good points but shouldn’t shortchange the loyal and die-hard Phoenix [fan base] that continues to stand by their team.”

If Reaux could buy the Coyotes, she would “invest in a little more talent…, change the coaching staff…, [improve] more publicity in a broader range of television outlets locally, partner with local transportation companies to make the commute during weekdays more palatable, charge for parking” to keep the team in the black and in Phoenix.

Steroids Claim Rocks Capitals

While recent media coverage has focused on widespread use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL), such problems in the National Hockey League (NHL) have eluded media attention until recently when a Florida couple implicated the Washington Capitals in a steroid bust.

Richard and Sandra Thomas claim to have sold anabolic steroids to the Capitals and the Washington Nationals in the MLB.

While the Capitals and the NHL have issued statements, the accusation still has Capitals’ fans and players feeling kicked in the teeth.

Nevertheless, it is naïve to think that no player except Sean Hill has tested positive for or used PEDs in NHL history since after the new drug testing policy was implemented—and suspended during the playoffs—in July 2005.

Given the prevalence of steroid use in professional sports, the NHL should carefully investigate the flippant claim to exonerate the players and be vigilant against PEDs as to not travel the same path as the NFL and MLB.

Three Reasons Semyon Varlamov Should Be on the Capitals’ 2009-10 Roster

The success of the Washington Capitals rested on the shoulders of the 21-year-old rookie goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

While his future with the Capitals is uncertain until training camp, there are at least three reasons Varlamov should be on the Capitals’ roster come the start of the 2009-10 season:

1. Varlamov has strong mental performance with an incredible ability to remain calm and focused for an extended period of time.
Goaltending is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. “Goaltenders have to be mentally tough to stand in front of hard hit shots. A common mental game obstacle for goaltenders is to maintain composure during those hard hit shots and perform with trust,” said master mental game coach Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

Many that have watched Varlamov in Yaroslavl, Hershey, or Washington note his mental toughness. Greg Manning of Hershey Bears Hockey thinks, “… [Semyon] is like other Russians goalies...calm and focused…. He does not get flustered and can let goals go without dwelling on them. His numbers prove how good he has been and the team seems to have immense trust in him.”

2. With shots at up to 100 mph, Varlamov has “the quiet eye” to make great saves.
The goalie’s reaction time is one of the most important defense mechanisms in hockey. The faster and more accurate the goalie’s reaction, the less likely the puck enters the net. Evžen Kindermann asserts that “Varlamov’s style is very focused on covering angles...good positioning and good reflexes.” Manning agrees that Varlamov “might be one of the most flexible goaltenders in the NHL right now. Also his reflexes are on par with anyone. He plays so far out in the crease that the saves he makes are that much more difficult and impressive.”

Utilizing this brilliant skill to make great saves, this 21-year-old goaltender robbed Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby in Game 1 with “the save of the playoffs”:



3. Coachability is a characteristics coaches desire in an athlete, and head coach Bruce Boudreau has a workable canvas to develop Varlamov into a top-tier NHL goaltender.
In six regular season games and 13 playoff games, Varlamov has garnered an impressive resume including setting a club record for goaltenders with five straight playoff wins and becoming the fourth NHL goalie to post a shutout before his 21st birthday.

A fan in Yaroslavl, the home of his former team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, commented that “Semyon has become much better compared to his playing for Yaroslavl, and it’s very nice that the Capitals’ coaches have great hopes in him, and it’s even nicer that he completely lives up to their expectations. He started playing on a new level, he’s very reliable, NHL is exactly what he needed….”

While Varlamov is already considered a hot goalie, with coaching from Boudreau and goaltender coach Dave Prior, Varlamov will develop the skills to become one of the hottest goalies since Patrick Roy, his favorite goalie.

Love the Game on Twitter

News and updates on hockey and the Washington Capitals from Love the Game, Don’t Like Puck Bunnies has been emerging in 140 characters or less thanks to Twitter.

Twitter has become a growing trend in social media linking professional athletes, the media, and fans. In March, Love the Game (@love_the_game) joined the trend.

Love the Game will tweet and re-tweet breaking news, behind-the-scenes access, and updates while maintaining a traditional blog for more detailed posts.

When Athletes Attack: Violence and Fighting in the NHL

The NHL suspended Washington Capital Donald Brashear for six games for shoving New York Ranger Colton Orr and delivering a blindside hit to Blair Betts in Game 6 of the quarterfinals.

Pittsburgh Penguin Chris Kunitz avoided suspension for a crosscheck to the head of Capital rookie goaltender Semyon Varlamov in Game 2 in the semifinals, but the league did fine Kunitz $2,500.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Scott Walker was fined $2,500, but not suspended, for slugging Boston Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward in the face in Game 5 in the semifinals.

What makes athletes viciously attack their opponents?

“All professional athletes are looking for just one thing: an edge over their opponent. If they feel doing these crazy things gives them an edge, they’ll do it,” said Noah St. John, Ph.D., who works with athletes and professionals and is the author of The Secret Code of Success.

Playing sports brings out the competitive side of many athletes.

“Some athletes are flat and anger gets them pumped up. However, too much anger can be destructive,” explains Gregg Steinberg, Ph.D., sport psychologist, professor of sport psychology, and author of Flying Lessons.

While deviant behavior is neither standard unless addressing the antics of Sean Avery nor should violence be tolerated, violence in hockey has become much more prevalent. Many fans attend hockey games to watch a fight or at least loads of hard checking. “I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out,” wisecracked the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield.

However, there is a distinct difference between a violent act—abusive or unjust behavior by an athlete upon an opponent—and fighting—individuals willingly engaged in fisticuffs—in hockey.

Hockey is a physical, fast-paced game whereby, almost like children, one minute, players are playing nicely and the next, WWIII has erupted into a spectacular ice show, but destructive behavior exhibited by Brashear, Kunitz, and Walker are unacceptable [and the NHL should fine and suspend players equally and fairly].

Fighting, on the other hand, has been argued to serve an important purpose of hockey.

According to hockeyfights.com, there had been 734 fights in the 2008-09 postseason, 28 for the Washington Capitals.

Fighting has become a controversial aspect of the game. The issue dominated two-thirds of the annual general managers meeting in March.

The differences in perspectives on fighting argue that fighting is gratuitous and alternatively that the fighting ritual serves a purpose—fighting deters acts of disrespect and dirty play.

The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting and Retaliation In the NHL provides endless quotes about the code that governs the play, physicality, and rules of retaliation in play.

Hockey is the only team sport that tolerates fighting although Rule 56 stipulates a variety of penalties on players who engage in fights.

Overall, the NHL should not tolerate violence in hockey. Fighting, on the other hand, should be one narrow slice of hockey but not treated as a trivial matter when it results in severe bodily harm or death.

Get Caught Reading: 2009 Reading List

Get caught reading these great hockey books in May for Get Caught Reading Month.


FICTION

Hockey Player For Life (Howard Shapiro)
Hockey Player For Life tells the story of the rise and fall, and the mistakes of thirteen-year-old puck-rushing defenseman Tom Leonard. Tom is the Magic Rats’ best player, who gets invited to be on an AAA team in Toronto, but after playing in two tournaments, he is abruptly cut. Thinking that his dreams to play in the NHL are shattered, Tom returns to his old team in East Slade, PA, and must earn his teammates and Coach Brantford’s respect back. It takes a friendship with the team’s worst player, Terry Adamson, for Tom to realize what it means to be a hockey player for life. Hockey Player For Life is an excellent read for ages 10 and older (including adults). In July 2008, author Howard Shapiro answered a few questions for Love the Game readers.


Home Ice (Jack Falla)
The late Sports Illustrated sportswriter Jack Falla warms the heart with a collection of lyrical essays on backyard skating rinks and frozen ponds, including his own full-scale backyard rink, the Bacon Street Omni. The essays reflect on the values and lessons on relationships between families and friends. Falla visits other backyard rink builders including Walter Gretzky, Wayne’s father. A bonus chapter in Home Ice explains how to build your own backyard rink.


Saved (Jack Falla)
Another great read by Falla. Falla wrote Saved through the eyes of fictional Boston Bruins goaltender Jean Pierre “JP” Savard. Falla takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride as Savard copes with major drama , i.e. cancer, age, injuries, family problems, romance, NHL trade deadlines while vying for the Stanley Cup. Saved is undoubtedly movie or TV series material.





NON-FICTION

Best Hockey Season Ever (Kim McCullough)
Want to dominate every game and peak for the playoffs? Kim McCullough, player development expert certified youth conditioning specialist, reveals the secrets to in-season success in Best Hockey Season Ever.


Hockey: A People's History (Michael McKinley)
Hockey: A People’s History is a lavishly illustrated non-fictional digest (and a television documentary series) that traces the evolution of the sport from hockey’s humble beginnings to its most memorable events. Hockey: A People’s History reveals a tale of hockey’s pioneers, and how hockey is infused in the heart and soul of Canada and Canadians. Though the book contends that American money threatens hockey’s Canadian identity, this book is a worthwhile read.


What books have you read and recommend?

Happy Birthday Varlamov

Семён—поздравляю с Днем Рождения!!

Желаю тебе крепкого здоровьяa, а так же
долгих и счастливых лет жизни!
И самое главное, желаю тебе счастья - безмерного счастья каждый день!


(Translation: Semyon, congratulations on your birthday!! I wish you strong health and long and happy years of life. Most importantly, I wish you unlimited happiness every day!)