Hockeytown Blog Undergoes Facelift

Posted: 29th July 2010 by Damon
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A message on Facebook yesterday from the “Official Detroit Red Wings” page was my first clue that something was up.

FYI … a new CMS version of the NHL’s team Web sites caused DetroitRedWings.com to go haywire for awhile this week. All better now. Thanks for your patience!

That explains why I was landing on NHL.com when I was clicking links on DetroitRedWings.com earlier in the week.  I’m happy to report that the FAQ section is once again working properly.  But, this upgrade made me curious to see if any changes had come to other areas of the Red Wings’ web presence.

It didn’t take long to see that the Hockeytown Blog had been renovated in a very positive way.  More than anything it looks much more official than the previous version, with a clean two column design and a front page that has less clutter.  At the same time, there is a ton of open space for social media integration… but none can be found.  The front page features links to the official Facebook page, Twitter account, and LinkedIn group, but there are no options (read:  share buttons) for readers to easily pass along the content.

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Red Wings Bloggers and Credentials

Posted: 26th July 2010 by Damon
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Just a few of the many credentials I collected in 2010, but they're also some of my favorites.

Today I’m using bullet points as the format du jour in honor of a my first paintball experience this past weekend.  Despite several welts of varied grossness (photos available if you ask nicely via Twitter or Facebook), it was great time!  Chicago was the location, and a friend’s impending nuptials were the reason for celebration.  One recommendation for everyone:  Habana Libre at Chicago Ave. and Noble (near Ashland).  Order anything on the menu, just make sure you start with a couple of their spinach or guava and cheese empanadas.

That’s more meta than you probably wanted, so let’s get back to business.  You know, this job I’m seeking with the Detroit Red Wings.

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  • Due to my unfamiliarity with the policies of the Red Wings organization, I’ve been trying to figure out whether or not they grant credentials to bloggers who write exclusively (or almost exclusively) about the team.  If you’re a Red Wings blogger and know the answer to this question, please let me know.  I didn’t go as far as contacting the organization (since I’m applying for a job, I don’t want to stick my nose somewhere it doesn’t belong), but I did try to find some answers on the Red Wings official website.  Unfortunately, when I clicked links for both a “Frequently Asked Questions” section and a “Public Relations” section, I was taken to the front page of the NHL’s website.  That was a little surprising… and disappointing.

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HMRW Podcast 001 – Paul Kukla from Kukla’s Korner

Posted: 22nd July 2010 by Damon
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In just five short years, Kukla's Korner has become a hockey destination for members of the media and fans alike.

Finally, the debut of the Hire Me, Red Wings Podcast!

In today’s first ever episode, I start out by giving you a little more information about little ol’ me.  For some of you this will be old news, but for others it’s relevant.

Our guest is the legendary Paul Kukla from Kukla’s Korner and NHL.com.  We get into the Kovalchuk mess, discuss Stevie Y’s acquisition of Simon Gagne from Philly and whether or not the Red Wings will end up landing Mike Modano.  We also talk a little about his website… some history, some of the changes in store for next season, and how Twitter has impacted what he tries to accomplish.

At the end, I touch on the unfortunate news surrounding The Sporting Blog, and announce a contest for those of you following this site (the Twitter account and Facebook page too) closely.

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Temporarily Snakebitten

Posted: 21st July 2010 by Damon
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HEY! Have any of you seen my..........oh no.

Of all mornings, why did it have to happen this morning?

You see, my laptop has this nagging problem with its screen. From time to time it angrily flickers, sometimes fading to black, but soon returning as if nothing happened. At times I places pens or markers underneath the area where the keyboard and screen meet, in an attempt to keep the problem from flaring up.  Seriously, I do.

And, of course, it flared up in a big way this morning… right when I was supposed to be interviewing Paul Kukla of Kukla’s Korner and NHL.com fame.

Unfortunately, money is tight right now and taking the computer to an Apple store to be repaired isn’t really in the budget. I’ll continue to work on it myself, but at the moment I’m borrowing a friend’s laptop to push out the necessary communications.  Thankfully, I’ve been in touch with Paul. He’s an incredibly busy man, but incredibly gracious as well, and we’re still going to try and work something out to make him Guest #1 on the Hire Me, Red Wings Podcast. We may have to push things back a day or two, but it will happen. Oh yes… it will happen!

Until then I’m going to keep on keepin’ on.

I won’t let a minor issue like this get the best of me.

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