Behind the Blog: Canucks Hockey Blog

This third installment of Behind the Blog, featuring J.J. Guerrero, follows Matt Saler at On the Wings and Eric McErlain at Off Wing Opinion. While J.J.'s blog, Canucks Hockey Blog, has only been up and running since this summer, he has amassed over 100 entries in that short period of time. He has an extensive blogroll, reviews the Canucks' games and covers other hockey related news. For those of you who don't know what Behind the Blog is, it's an email interview conducted to allow you to get to know the writer behind the blog. I ask the blogger questions about his/her passion for hockey, their favorite team, their blog, and NHL questions. Q.1 - What first attracted you to the sport of hockey? And why do you like it better than your hoops? The fans. Even before I understood the game, it was easy to see how passionate hockey fans are. As a result, it's so easy to get swept up in the game. Then when I went to my first live game - the first game in the first round of the Canucks'1994 playoff run - man, that was an unbelievable experience. The atmosphere, the excitement. I still like hoops. I follow Shareef, Mike Bibby and Steve Nash (good Canadian kid). When the Grizzlies left town, I bought a ticket package for the Sonics. But hockey is definitely a different game. It's amazing how fast hockey is and how much skill playing it requires. I also like the emphasis on the team game. In basketball, great players such as Jordan or Bird or Chauncey or Duncan can single handedly carry a team to the championship, which isn't the case in hockey. Q.2 - What made you take the passion you had for the game and put it all up on the web for anyone to see? Plain and simple, I like to talk about hockey. I figured... what the heck... I might as well post my ramblings on the web and see if anyone out there agrees or disagrees with me. Q.3 - Why did you name it the Canucks Hockey Blog and what do you hope to achieve through your blog over the next couple of years? All the good names were taken? haha! Actually I didn't put much thought to the name. I'm a Canucks fan, I'm a hockey fan. That's really where the name came from. As for the blog itself, I just hope that in a couple of years, people are still interested in my random ramblings. :) Q.4 - You've only had this blog since July 2005 according to the archives, but have amassed over 100 entries thus far. What's your secret? My girlfriend is usually in bed by 10 pm, just when the sports highlights come on. I do most of my blogging then. ;) Q.5 - Since you do write in a relatively new blog, how did you try to get the word out to the more popular blogs? And what did you think when they started to link to your blog? At first, I started asking fellow bloggers to do a blog exchange, but being new,it's sometimes really intimidating to ask someone who has been around for a while and already has a loyal following. Eventually, I decided to just add my favorite blogs to my blog roll and hope that they take notice. When they started linking to my blog, I was truly, honestly flattered. The carnivals also help get the word out. It's really cool how the carnival can bring multiple blogs together in one place. Q.6 - Why are you a Canucks fan and have you always been one? Always been a Canucks fan and will always be one. Q.7 - Where do you see the Canucks and/or the NHL in 10 years? On the ice, it's hard to tell. The current team probably has a one or two year window to do some big things in the playoffs. After that, all bets are off. Off the ice, the outlook hasn't been better for the team. Season tickets are at an all-time high (4,000 on the waiting list) and the team is generating a lot of interest, especially from the business ssector. The Canucks are also committed to having a strong presence in the community. Not just in Vancouver, but in the entire province. It's one of the things I like about them and it's a big reason Canucks fans are attached to and identify with the team. As long as ownership stays true to this committment, I don't see that changing. I really think the NHL will do some big things in the next few years. So far, the games this season have been as entertaining as I can remember. If they can somehow translate this to TV (and thus, TV ratings) and ticket sales - especially in the US - they can re-establish themselves as one of the top 4 major sports. Q.8 - What was your favorite hockey moment? Why? My favorite hockey moment was when Team Canada won Olympic gold in 2002. It was our first hockey gold medal in 50 years. I was at GM Place with 10,000 people; the entire country paused for two-and-a-half hours to watch the game. When Team Canada won and they started playing 'O Canada' and everyone was singing along, I had tears in my eyes. Wait, are you going to write this? Can I just say that I was overcome with pride? :) Q.9 - Who is your favorite hockey player? Why? Two no. 19's I admire - Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman. Both great players, both champions, both well-respected leaders. On the ice and off. Oh, and they're both from BC. Q.10 - What do you think of the NHL's marketing campaign with my NHL? If you were marketing the league, what would you do? I like the concept behind the campaign. If there is one character that identifies the heart and soul of a hockey player, it's a warrior. I just really, really, really wished they used real players in the commercials. Maybe even have a local version for each market. Instead of Will Bryant preparing himself for battle, it's Todd Bertuzzi or Jarome Iginla or Steve Yzerman. If you ask any sports reporter, hockey players rank as one of the most personable and approachable in professional sports. Hockey players are some of the most active pro players in the community. Why would the league not want to market them? Can you imagine the NBA's ads without Garnett, Shaq or Lebron? Can you imagine the Pistons' ads without Tayshaun or Chauncey or Rip? Q.11 - What team and/or player do you think will have a breakout year this season? Nashville - They have a maturing core of players who should thrive in a more wide open NHL. Plus they have one of the best, young starting goalies in the league in Tomas Vokoun. Their playoff experience last season will also help them tremendously. Jason Spezza - After a great season in the AHL in 04/05, he's been thrust onto Ottawa's top line. So far he hasn't looked out of place. Q.12 - What should the NHL do to get the fans back or even to attract new ones? They're on the right track by implementing changes to open up the game. The game resembled part rollerball and part wrestling the last couple of years. By opening up the game, it allows the skill players to show through. Play is in the offensive zone more than the neutral zone. It's in front of the net more than along the boards. Games are more entertaining as a result. The league also has to make the players more visible. Fans like to identify with the players (this applies to any sport). They like to see and feel the same emotions the players do. I think the league has to do a better job of showing them off. Q.13 - What are your thoughts on Gretzky as a head coach for the Coyotes? One word - gutsy. Q.14 - What do you think of Sidney Crosby, supposedly the next "Great One," thus far in the season? Honestly, I've only seen him in highlights so I can't really tell. I've heard his interviews however, and he is extremely well-spoken, especially for an 18-year old. The NHL is in good hands if he is to be their spokesman for years to come. Q.15 - Is there a hockey blog or site that you look up to for inspiration? Behind The Jersey, of course, is one of them. Your blog is one of the first ones I started reading. :) I also look up to veteran bloggers like Tom Benjamin (Canucks Corner), James Mirtle, PJ Swenson (Sharkspage), Eric McErlain (Off-Wing Opinion), Jes Golbez (Hockey Rants), Chris McMurty (Hockey Country), Paul Kukla (Kukla's Corner), Heather Creegan(So Very Obsessed) and John Fontana (Bolts Mag) - I really enjoy their personalities and insights.