On hockey blogging

About a week ago, Puck Daddy wrote about a leaked a document that gave a rough draft about a proposal for a credential policy aimed at bloggers/web-based media. After this article was written, it was then discussed, and then written about because, well, bloggers tend to be opinionated.

At the core of the issue was whether hockey bloggers should be accredited in the same way that beat writers or other sports media reporters are accredited. A press pass that would allow bloggers to watch the game from the press box and give them access to get in on the media scrums/player interviews down in the locker rooms. It would give the blog a different angle at covering the game or their team than a blogger who is getting his/her news from beat writers/media.

First off, since I do write on multiple blogs about hockey, I do think blogs are an interesting medium that teams haven't fully understood how to use yet. Some teams, like the Washington Capitals are have been very good with their blogger outreach in giving press passes to some bloggers, which I think is great. For some other teams, their policy is a strict no blogger policy.

I ultimately think it's up to the team to say whether they allow bloggers the perks of having the same access or a modified access to the press box or media access. For some teams that don't get the same media coverage as other sports franchises in the city, bloggers can fill the hole or the need for information to the fan. But for other cities, like the city where I live (Vancouver) for example, the coverage is already so well done/over saturated that there isn't a pressing need for bloggers to pick up the slack.

If the Canucks organization never accredits a single blogger with a press pass, well it probably will not have any impact on how well the Canucks generate revenue. The bloggers that I know will still go on to blog about the team whether or not they get a press pass.

I don't feel like I need to have press access to the team. Sure it would be nice to be given the chance if it comes up to just see what it's like, but blogging is my hobby not my job. I already have a day job that takes up the majority of my time and funds the life I live. Blogging about hockey gives me balance in my life and passion for something other than my job.

I know that my blog will never be the site for breaking news stories or instant analysis because I'm only able to write at night in my free time. Maybe my blog will never be as great as it could be because of it but I think my readers understand that and frequent my blog despite me not having press credentials. I know I don't have the time to go watch practices, watch games in the press box or interview players post game day in and day out. There are media who do that as their job full time and as a blogger who uses their articles as news or a springboard for a topic of conversation on my sites, I'm glad that they do what they do.

It seems that bloggers who started out as being considered 'lowly' bloggers have gotten a bit of an ego these days. It's not a right that the NHL/team has to accredit you, so why were you so insulted by their rough draft? It is their loss to the organization and the fans if co-operation with you would be beneficial to their organization and they chose not to do so.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

A few months ago on twitter, I was talking with another hockey blogger, Chris from The Hockey Program about our love of cooking. He already had a food blog that he had posted to and had at the time asked for suggestions of things to make. I had said that I would send some ideas, but then time passed and I never got around to it.

Then I spent over a month away from my kitchen this summer, and realized how much I missed it. So after a few e-mails I challenged my hockey blogger friend to make a recipe I suggested. Maybe he will, maybe he won't but this is my attempt at the recipe that was sent to him.

The recipe is from Nigella Lawson's book Forever Summer and the recipe is a Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova which can be found at the Food Network website.

When I think of pavlova's, I knew they were similar to meringue but more chewy in texture. This recipe is surprisingly easy, and if all pavlova's are similar, then despite the name's foreign sound making it sound complicated, well it's dead easy.

And if you are wondering where the name came from, a pavlova is a meringue based dessert that was named after a Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova.

So how did I do?

After whipping the egg whites and sugar into a meringue, chopped chocolate and cocoa powder was folded in.
Then the meringue was mounded onto a baking sheet with parchment.
And then smoothed out with a spatula before being put in the oven.

The finished product with fresh berries and juicy peaches from the Okanagan looked like this:
Which went really well with some of this:Or at least the ladies who enjoyed this dessert with me thought so...

Moved!

The Vancity Canuck has now joined the Bloguin family!

I have a new name and new home at: http://www.benchedwhale.com

Don't worry the blog will still be the same as before, except for a site design change and a spiffy banner. I love my new banner...

See you all there!

Luongo v. Brodeur

Um, the only place that headline mattered was in Canada. More specifically in Vancouver. Most hockey fans in Canada know Brodeur will be the starting goalie for Team Canada (barring some crazy losing streak or injury). Only delusional Vancouver fans think that Luongo should be the starter instead.

This is no knock on Luongo being a bad goalie, but Brodeur truthfully has the big game experience. He has cups. So when people in Vancouver start discussing who should be the starter, well isn't the answer obvious? Brodeur will be.

This really is only a story because media wants to make it into a story. Media like TSN, they want you to watch the game that they aired tonight, so they set it up to be a battle of the Team Canada goaltenders. Yzerman wasn't even watching.

What was nice about the game: Goals and speed. Even though the Devils choked out most semblance of good fun hockey watching in the neutral zone, the Canucks still prevailed. They were speedy, especially in the 1st. They had goals. They let a few in, took some stupid penalties (I'm looking at your Bieksa) but found a way to come back. Bieksa played like a forward on that rush with Hansen. Loved it.

Luongo will start in net again tomorrow night against Philly. It's PPV, so catch it at a bar on your way home or listen to it on the Team 1040. Let's hope the team brings their feisty game tomorrow and give the Flyers another loss. I hear the Flyers' coach's days are numbered?

This and That: O'Brien, Defensive Defensemen, Brodeur

So the Canucks begin December with a little eastern roadtrip starting off in New Jersey. It begins 15 games in 30 days for the month of December which includes one back to back game (on the road) and one 10:30am PT start time (in Carolina).

Wednesday's game against the Devils will be on TSN, while Thursday's game against the Flyers will be PPV. Strangely enough, two of the Christmas shopping days for ticket holders fall on those days where they have a game. It's kind of lame of the Canucks to make us choose to either watch the game or take a photo with Santa Fin instead.

Anyways, links about Canuck related things:

• O'Brien should get to play soon, either on Wednesday or Thursday because of the back to back games, with Schneider sitting out the game against the Flyers maybe? AV said to the press that O'Brien needs to play like Douglas Murray of the Sharks "There's a guy who, when he was on the ice, our guys knew it. He was physical, he was hard to play against. He was a guy, who if something happens on the ice you know he's going to be in there and he's going to defend his teammates," -AV to The Province
• Mirtle put together a list of the top 25 defensive defencemen in the NHL so far (a little past the quarter mark of the season). Christian Ehrhoff and Willie Mitchell come in on that list at #22 and #25 respectively.
• Brodeur was just named this past week's NHL second star of the week. Tommorrow's game could be great to watch for the goaltending alone. Brodeur and Luongo face each other in net on Wednesday for what is going to be the matchup of the starter and backup for Team Canada (with Fleury taking the 3rd goalie spot) (barring any crazy injuries or terrible play for either player).
  
• Even though New Jersey had a coaching change this past summer, don't expect their games to have gotten any more interesting to watch. Their new coach is former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire. Yes, the hated defensive style Minnesota coach. Does this help Brodeur look better in net? Oh maybe. Though what Brodeur has going for him on his resume that Luongo does not is Stanley Cups and lots and lots of playoff experience
• Brodeur just became an American citizen, actually dual citizen, but don't worry, he'll still play for Team Canada
  
• Jeff Vinnick is on the road with the Canucks to capture their Eastern roadtrip, check out his first set of photos here. I love the candid one of the Sedins having lunch (click to enlarge, photo from Canucks.com). Feel free to throw captions in the comments.
  

Pizza Shark Time

People eat pizza, but sharks eat people. Protect your pizza by shaping it like a shark.

Maybe if I shape a pizza like a whale, do you think that gives the Canucks better odds to win tonight? The photo is a screen cap of one of my favorite websites called F-ck Yeah Sharks, if you need some time to waste, do check them out. For your enemy blog needs, check out my friends over at Couchtarts for your Shark needs.

I don't think there is a team that I fear more than the Sharks. I keep up with the Sharks quite a bit since I know the biggest Sharks fan in Vancouver. They win with efficiency, and in a way that is entertaining to watch (not like Detroit). When they lose, then tend to do it in blow out fashion, see last game against Chicago, but then they bounce back and look like they didn't even miss a beat.

Of course, they haven't had success in the postseason, which if you need to make fun of a Sharks fan is your fall back conversation ender.

If I was a hockey player, I think San Jose would be my choice of the team I would play for. They have a great fanbase, great weather, great looking jerseys (love the black armour) and have teal, black and white as their colours. The only thing that they have going against them is that they play the Ducks 6 times a year.

What will happen tonight? Me and Nate were talking last night and could agree that the final score would end up being 4-2, well 3-2 with an open net goal. Nate thinks the Canucks will win and I disagree and think the Sharks will take it (I'm just being a realist here). Last year they took 3 out of the 4 games that we played. Currently the team is the best of a ton of categories: best team in the league, goals, in the top 3 of the PP, the PK and my current favorite fantasy player leads the league in points, Joe Thornton.

This is the first time that Christian Ehrhoff will face his old team. And though I don't think I've written about Ehrhoff yet, I love this guy on our team. Due to this years' weird schedule, after this game, we won't play them again until March, where we will face the Sharks 3 times in the last 24 days of the season.

On the San Jose team, the tandem of Thornton (set up guy) to Heatley (finish man) has been on fire, what a great trade for the Sharks for Heatley. Oh, and Cheechoo has how many goals these days? Yeah. Anyways, I can't wait to see those two play on Team Canada (maybe together?). Patrick Marleau, who was stripped of his C during the summer (it was given to Blake who is currently out on the IR) is having a great year with the lowered amount on pressure on him. The Sharks also have great goaltending, who if you ever get a chance to see, give great interviews on SharksTV. The only thing the Sharks are lacking, to me, is a really good checking line.

Tonight will be a great test for the Canucks, who with Daniel back, are now healthier. Up against a great team, it will show us how good the Canucks really are (or aren't).

Meet 2 Young Swedish Prospects..

...that will probably never crack the Canucks roster.


Meet Anton Rodin and Peter Andersson. They also don't have the best interview skills, even when being interviewed in Swedish. Some answers of "Nope" and lots of "Yeah, me too"s in there. Their answer about contact with the Canucks training staff elicited a peculiar answer (see below), it makes me want to know what kind of e-mails Dave Gagner send them, sounds...um a little weird. Elaboration clearly is not their strong point, for their sake, I hope they are better at hockey.

How much contact do you have with the Canucks training staff and do they provide you with tips or advice on how to improve your game?

AR – I usually talk to Inge Hammarstrom because he lives almost where I live and I have also talked to Dave Gagner a few times too.

PA – Dave Gagner has sent me some emails.