FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – HockeyIndependent.com seeks to provide a unique voice to the NHL blogosphere
BDGallof | Sep 15, 2009 | Comments 0
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HockeyIndependent.com seeks to provide a unique voice to the NHL blogosphere.
HockeyIndependent.com will be going live tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16th. Any mention or coverage would be tremendously appreciated.
We have over 50 bloggers. Initial coverage will be strong for the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Chicago Blackhawks, with at least 5 bloggers each, but HockeyIndependent strives to provide that same level of coverage for all 30 teams. The bloggers are a mix of experience: some credentialed with teams, some established bloggers looking to expand their audience, and some new people, prominent commenters or knowledgeable fans, who are ready to cross the chasm into mainstream blogging. They range from journalism graduates & current students, journalists in-the-field, former coaches, former scouts, and regular hockey fans, but they are united in their passion for hockey and commitment to good coverage.
All HockeyIndependent.com bloggers have received a blog etiquette guide, site rules and image/posting guidelines. We are happy to work in partnership with other blog sites, the NHL, and other groups seeking a mutual vision and a goal (or goals) corresponding with our own.
Goal:
Our goal is as follows: A focus on team quality coverage. We aim to provide the straight dope with some humor, insight and a desire to be unique voices on the hockey landscape.
We plan on creating downloadable PDF content for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft as well as the 2009-2010 NHL Playoffs, and we are considering other proprietary content.
Technology:
We are currently using a commenting software called IntenseDebate. The system allows us to track and moderate comments from one place with features like threading, comment analytics, user reputation and comment aggregation. It allows users Facebook and Twitter integration, link their profiles, make friends and syndicate their comments. The system holds commenters responsible for their comments across various blogs.
A secondary technological advance is forthcoming on the HockeyIndependent.com website in October when it comes out of a closed beta. It will provide a new type of commenting that can occur anywhere in the blog. We are pretty excited about it. It will allow the audience and the blogger a new level of communication and collaboration.
The Blog Roll by tomorrow will include your websites, if applicable. Please include ours in yours. At the least, please check the site out and tell me what you think.
Preview of the site in test-mode is here: http://hockeyindependent.com/wordpress/
Much Thanks,
B.D. Gallof
bd@hockeyindependent.com
Owner: HockeyIndependent.com
IslandersIndependent.com
Hockey Columnist: TheFasterTimes.com/hockey
www.twitter.com/bdgallof
B.D. Gallof is one of the charter members of the NY Islander’s Blog Box program. His website IslandersIndependent.com has been featured or mentioned in Yahoo’s Puck Daddy, NY Times SlapShots blog, The Montreal Gazette blog: HabsInsideOut and even referenced in an article by TSN.ca. In seven months, he had over 200,000 views and on to a building target of over 360,000 just for the Isles site alone. On Hockeybuzz, he built up the Isles readership to just under half a million in one year. Later this Fall he will be a hockey writer on the highly anticipated Huffington Post sports vertical.
By day, he is a Technology & Production Guru for a 110 year old Publishing firm in New York City.
- TSN
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=276184
Skating Around: On HockeyBuzz.com Brian Gallof has a good analysis of the final three candidates for the Isles head coaching job.”
http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/the-morning-skate-cammi-in-the-hall-a-russian-on-the-farm/
Driving Miss Tanguay, a visual representation of the pace of his UFA negotiations (funny, that doesn’t look like Bob Sauvé) and a Bob Gainey cartoon on a good New York Islanders web site.
- Mike Boone, Montreal Gazette Columnist, HABS Inside/Out
http://habsinsideout.com/main/20956
“Islanders Independent. It’s informative, inflammatory, hysterical…the kind of stuff we love . . . Welcome back, Mr. Gallof.”
- Chris Botta, former VP of Media Relations of the NY Islanders
http://www.islanderspointblank.com
“Blogger, B.D. Gallof, from the Islanders Blog Box as well as Hockeybuzz.com had an excellent article about the party and his perception of the mood of the crowd. Apparently, the Islanders have no intention of shutting down the Blog Box, at least for now. The bloggers had full press access for the proceedings and were sitting alongside reporters from Newsday and Inside Hockey.”
-Canes Country
http://canescountry.com/blog/2008/06/23/thoughts-about-the-weekend/
“But I’d imagine at least 91-96 percent of us, however, will agree with Gallof was the MVP of the “Portraits in Heroism” contest, from the Superman to the Ultraman. This ode to “300″ is his masterpiece. Perfectly executed, it captures everything we wanted out of this contest.”
- Greg Wyshynski, Yahoo Puck Daddy blog
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Finally-your-Gary-Bettman-Portraits-in-Heroism?urn=nhl,98937&
“Gallof, a graphic designer, is one of the better-known hockey bloggers. He has written extensively on Hockeybuzz.com. and was impressive in taking the lead during the inquisition of Campoli.”
- Richard Dietsch, Sports Illustrated
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/richard_deitsch/10/08/islanders.bloggers/index.html
“One must wonder about Rick DiPietro’s(notes) longterm health and future by the actions taken this summer. For it almost looks like they are also even hedging some bets that The Rick might not be back at all.” - BD Gallof, IslandersIndependent.com, July 21
- Greg Wyshynski, Yahoo Puck Daddy blog
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Marty-Biron-signs-with-Islanders-for-14-fewer-ye?urn=nhl,178173
BLOGS:
Tittered by Twitter: The Story of an NHL Player, A GM Dismissal and Some Dirty Laundry
http://thefastertimes.com/hockey/2009/07/15/tittered-by-twitter-the-story-of-an-nhl-player-a-gm-dismissal-and-some-dirty-laundry/
The State of Hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke Talks Shop
http://thefastertimes.com/hockey/2009/07/20/the-state-of-hockey-toronto-maple-leafs-gm-brian-burke-talks-shop/
Lighthouse Dogs
The Tavares Effect:
http://islandersindependent.com/2009/04/15/the-tavares-effect-what-holding-the-1-pick-means-and-why-picking-tavs-is-a-nobrainer.aspx
Lighthouse Project: How Far Does The Rabbit-Hole Go? As Far As the Republican GOP Says One Source
http://islandersindependent.com/2009/03/23/lighthouse-project-how-far-does-the-rabbithole-go-as-far-as-the-republican-gop-says-one-source.aspx
