Skip to main content

Seven Wonders of the Hockey World

Here's something silly to keep you occupied during this week. As detailed below, there are a new "Seven Wonders of the World", as voted upon in a worldwide internet survey (is there any better way to decide an issue? Of course not, wrote the intrepid blogger).

So here's your challenge - what would be considered the Seven Wonders of the Hockey World? If you had a shortlist of hockey-related trips you could make, which would make the cut? My suggestions are included a little further down, and include either places or specific events. Sound off in the comments, and next week I'll summarize the results.

Update: Greg Wyshynski over at the Fanhouse has chimed in with some hilarious suggestions, including Lanny McDonald's mustache and Don Cherry's closet...





Some items for consideration (some of them obvious, some of them my personal additions):

  1. The Hockey Hall of Fame: duh.

  2. The Stanley Cup Finals: double-duh.

  3. The World Ice Hockey Championships: Held in Europe each spring, they're largely ignored by North American fans focusing on the NHL playoffs.

  4. Madison Square Garden: The "World's Most Famous Arena" has been the stage for some fierce battles over the years, some of which have even taken place on the ice.

  5. Joe Louis Arena: It's not quite 30 years old, but it feels like it belongs to another time in this age of spacious concourses and luxury boxes.

  6. The Minnesota high school hockey tournament: 100,000+ fans each spring can't be wrong.

  7. The Victoria Skating Rink: Sure, it's a parking garage now, but back in 1875 it hosted the first known indoor ice hockey game.

  8. The National Hockey League offices: Because who wouldn't love the opportunity to moon Gary Bettman as he left the building one day?

  9. Yost Ice Arena: Home to the University of Michigan Wolverines (and where I began my adult rec-hockey career almost 20 years ago), it's a cozy little barn that provides by far the most entertaining action on a campus better known for top football programs.


That's enough to get you started, so fire away with your suggestions, from the big-time NHL stadia down to the hallowed rinks of local legend. Besides, it's 92-friggin' degrees down here (that's 33 for you hosers), and I could use something to rekindle memories of ice-cold winters...

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating a milestone month

I've been remiss in providing regular updates on my quest to turn this whole sports-blogging hobby into at least something of a significant side income, if not a career, but good news has a way of prompting action. That, and I've been heads-down busy working on a few different fronts to push things forward...

Social Media, Internet Marketing, and Real, Paying Customers - it really works!

Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.

New directions for OTF

While my writings about the Nashville Predators are being posted over at OnTheForecheck.com, rather than this old site, I thought it might be worth touching base here every now and again to touch on "meta" issues, related to blogging in general. In particular, these days I'm very much interested in how I can turn this time-consuming hobby into a bit of a revenue generator. Since I receive a small stipend from SB Nation to run OTF, I declared that income on my taxes last year, and realized that I should also be recording my expenses (for example, parking fees downtown when I go to cover a practice or press conference, mileage, etc.). It was a bit of a reality slap to see exactly how much I was spending on this endeavor, and with 3 kids heading off to college in 9-10 years, there's a bit of a financial imperative to turn the tables there. So here's a few ideas I'm considering/pursuing: A website devoted to hockey gear and accessories, HockeyGearHQ.com . The idea...