Here We Go

After a year long absence from the blogosphere, I am back. Let me assure you, I am back for good this time.

A lot has changed in the world of sports and blogging in the past year. More and more blogs are created each day by experts, fans, executives, players and coaches. I figured why not pollute the world wide web with more opinion?

I like to think that I have somewhat of an interesting take on the world of sports and more specifically, the world of hockey. In the past year, I have become a member of the sports media. It's been a very interesting ride. Sometimes I can't believe that I'm actually being paid to watch, research and talk about sports. I literally look in my bank account and sometimes wonder whether I am actually being paid because in all honesty, the money sucks. I think about what else I could be doing with my life and realize this is the right field for me. I have a very long way to go, but I like to think that I'm at the beginning of my journey.

While I am a member of the media, I grew up as a fan of a variety of sports but none more than the great game of hockey. At times it can be hard to discern between being a fan of the game and being an objective observer. While one becomes less of a fan of a team or a player alone, my love for the game of hockey itself has only increased. I've bought into all of the cliches surrounding Canada and our love for the game. But I'm not going to wax poetic about why we love the game or where it fits into the fabric of this country, I'll leave that to Roy MacGregor and the late great Peter Gzowski. I'm going to write simply because, like several other males in my demographic across this country, I love writing, discussing and debating all things that surround this great game.

I want to focus on hockey rather than a variety of sports because it is what I know best. I did not play the game at a high level, but I have devoted much of time, beginning at early childhood on to adolescence and straight into "manhood" to observing and learning all there is to know about it. I have a great deal of interest in the history of the game, but also in its future. While the NHL took great strides coming out of the lockout in 2004, I still believe that more changes can be made to improve the game. The game is always changing and the decision makers that surround it need to implement ways to improve the game on a consistent basis. This is no easy task by any stretch of the imagination, but it is absolutely necessary to do so in order for the game to live a healthy life and mean something to those who love it.

But I think that's enough rhetoric for now. Without further ado ladies and gentlemen, here we go.