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A few of my favorite things...

After listing this blog at #9 in the Legends of Hockey Blog Power Rankings, Joe asked me to post a similar article, citing my personal must-reads from around the web. I think it's a great idea for all to share those thoughts on occasion, so here goes. One thing to mention straight off is that I enjoy all the sites listed on the blogroll here, and try to visit them weekly at least. Blogs that don't provide much value, or have obtrusive pop-up ads or other internet annoyances don't make it onto the blogroll in the first place. So let's take a look at my daily reads:

Kukla's Korner: The hub of my internet hockey solar system, Paul provides the quick & dirty news from around the web. I'm a longtime user over at Slashdot, the primeval techie website, and Kukla's Korner provides a similar service to the world of hockey - a survey of what's going on, whether in the blogosphere, or the mainstream media outlets.

Mirtle: James Mirtle's blog provides well-written insights from all over the hockeyverse, whether related to journalism, personal profiles, or analysis covering a variety of teams. His "Top Blogs/Full list" links provide a great jumping-off point for anyone looking to find good reading material, although it looks like they haven't been updated for a couple months.

Off Wing Opinion: Don't let the Caps-specific focus scare you, Eric McErlain and the gang offer some of the best & brightest features out there, and are good at getting conversation going between blogs, which is when things really heat up.

American Hockey Fan: Damn I wish I could write funny. These folks do a great job of that, however, making you wish you could join up with them for a beer and a wall full of games on Center Ice. The recent addition of Jen, the American Hockey Fan trainee, has brought us the funniest line I've seen all season. This from watching a game with Boston fan Ritch, while Jen is learning to love the Sabres:

"I have to admit, it was more than a little heartbreaking to
see the Bruins do such a sexy little dance for Ritch before blueballing him in
the second and third periods..."
Behind the Jersey: She's taking Econ 101 at Michigan (and I was an Econ major there), so she's already got two things working for her in my book. Besides that, however, Christy puts some serious effort into providing quality pieces covering the Red Wings, and the state of the league in general, particularly around the issue of fighting. I get the feeling that we're watching a professional career in the making over at BtJ.

Battle of Alberta: They're sarcastic, embittered, and gloriously provincial. One of the greatest things about being a fan of any sport is fostering a heated rivalry, and the folks at BoA really keep those fires burning.

Theory of Ice: Another blogger who makes me feel like a high-school English flunkie when I read her posts. ToI provides the leisurely paced mental exercises that you'd never see in a mainstream media outlet, and thus provides a perfect example of how blogging brings fresh perspectives to the world of hockey fandom.

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