By Don McIntosh, Publisher /
October 2009 will mark the beginning of the second decade of Hockey Now, Alberta edition. Some of you may still know us by our original Alberta Hockey Now moniker. It's been a fun, stimulating and rewarding 10 years. And we are looking forward to building on that legacy again this year.
We'd like to take a moment to thank all the companies and organizations that have helped us over the years, including Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta, the WHL, the AJHL, CCM, Bauer, Warrior, Easton, dozens of hockey schools, leagues, and small businesses.
Regular readers will know that Hockey Now focuses most of its editorial on Hockey before it turns pro: on Major Junior, Junior A, high level provincial and Team Canada teams, on down to the minor hockey ranks. But we also now cover the Canadian NHL teams through our NHLPowerPlay supplements, which we produce in cooperation with the league.
We're going to add to our coverage at both the top and the bottom ranks this year.
A new affliation with Sportsnet will add a new flavour to our NHL coverage this year - look for reports from Sportsnet Connected experts in every issue.
We'll also be adding onto our Local Hockey Report initiatives, which deliver regular on-going reports on specific hockey associations. The program is backed by a companion Local Sponsorship package, which delivers a local community audience and offers special low rates to companies that step to underwrite the cost of reporting, printing and distributing association news around your town and the province.
Like every other business that operates in the province, Hockey Now is not immune to the effects of the economy. And as we all know, last year's downturn turned out to be much more significant that anticipated. Is it over? We think so. Our fall bookings have returned to earlier levels of renewal.
With the economy on the mend, we are confident that we will be able to provide more hockey news than ever this coming season as businesses return to more normal states of operation. If you are in a position of influence in your company, and would like to get know more about the program, drop me an email at [email protected] and I'll get the details out to you.
What else is new for 2009-2010? Our albertahockey.com website is continually being upgraded.
Once a simple archive of the print contents, the website has evolved to include our favourite videos (instructional and otherwise), daily updates of NHL, WHL, AJHL and minor hockey news. We'll also be adding more contests, polls and curiousities to keep you interested. So be sure to visit our websites regularly: you can access all four of sites (including new Prairie editon), from hockeynow.ca.
We've also jumped on the social networking bandwagon and have Facebook, Twitter and blog extensions as well now too. Look for a mobile friendly version in 2010.
Our efforts are all aimed at providing you, the active hockey player, coach, manager, official, volunteer, parent, grandparent and fan, with an ever growing perspective on Hockey in Alberta, most of which you won't find anywhere else.
Here's to a rewarding, eventful, memorable 2009-2010. It's going to be a great year for hockey, with the World Juniors in Saskatoon, the Olympics in Vancouver, and of course, the best hockey of all in your own home rink. We encourage you to pick up all 17 issues of Hockey Now this year, check us out online from time to time, and send in your minor hockey stories and photos for publication on line and in print. |
