Get to know Teebz!!

Teebz
Hockey Blog in Canada

1.    How long have you had your blog?

January 21, 2007 is when I started, so it's been a year and a half or so at this point.

2.    What made you get into blogging?

It was actually the pushing of ESPN.com columnist and UniWatchBlog writer Paul Lukas that got me started. I would routinely comment on his blog regarding hockey uniforms because I used to work in the industry. He would email me with questions, and I'd answer them as best as I could. After a couple of conversations, he inspired me to start my own hockey blog to get my thoughts out there as I was quite opinionated on his comment forum.

3.    Who is your favorite player?

I've always been a Mario Lemieux fan. We have the same birthday, and I thought that was pretty cool as a kid, but for as long as I can remember, I took a liking to the Pittsburgh Penguins, even during their dark days of the 1980s. From there, it got better with the Stanley Cups, but Mr. Lemieux was always the one player I wanted to play like, even though I was a defenceman during my playing days.

4.    Who's your team and why?

I don't really have a team. I guess I still follow the Penguins, but ever since the NHL ripped the beating heart out of my chest and delivered it to Phoenix, I haven't really had any sort of allegiance to any NHL team. The Jets were the only way I could see the superstars in the NHL, and they took it from me.

5.    What do you think sets you apart from other blogs?

The fact that I don't have an allegiance to one team or one league makes me a little different. I try to update people on happenings in hockey, whether it be the NHL, AHL, ECHL, IIHF, Olympics, or whatever form it takes. I think there are a lot of excellent team-focused and league-focused blogs out there, but no one really covers them all. I try to do that.

6.    How did you come up with the title of your blog?

Well, we all know that Hockey Night In Canada is the be-all and end-all for hockey programming in Canada. I was trying to come up with interesting and funny titles, but kept coming back to Hockey Night In Canada as my source for most of my hockey knowledge. When I searched for "Hockey Blog In Canada", there were no hits on that phrase, so I decided to use it since it sounded highly knowledgeable and informative.

7.    What do you think your team needs to do to have a successful 2008-2009 season?

Being that I don't have a team per se, I think the NHL needs to start doing some serious housekeeping. I think the AHL needs to continue to be the major development system for the NHL, and should push the NHL to make visors mandatory in the NHL like it is in the AHL. I think the ECHL needs to lay down some strong foundation teams in the southeastern United States, and possibly look at expanding in Canada and the northwestern US some more. I believe the IIHF is doing a great job, and should work to promote the international game even more. They need to get all the European countries onboard with a comprehensive transfer agreement so that these countries can be rewarded for developing the next NHL stars, but that might be difficult.

8.    Is there a hockey blog or site that you use for inspiration?

Not really. I've tried to be as objective as possible in my articles in order to bring a sense of journalism to the blogging world, but I certainly am not a journalist. I like reading all the blogs that are out there, mainly because differing opinions and ideas give me a greater scope on the hockey world. As long as people are writing, I'll be reading. I may not stop by everyday, but I'll be there to read up on all the stuff that people post because I like the hockey blogging community.

9.    What is your goal to accomplish with your blog this season?

I'd like to increase readership. In the first year of HBIC being around, there were 33,183 visits. I'm truly honoured by that number, and would like to see that number increase if possible. I'd like to have more "feel good" articles like the Charitable Organizations I've been outlining. I'd like to do more "You're Wearing That" articles as well. Most of all, I'd like to actually get to meet more of the bloggers in this community - either face-to-face, or via teleconferencing. I really like the round-table discussions that have been started on here, and would like that to continue in the future.

10.  What made you want to start a hockey blog?

There was a distinct lack of hockey on most of the hockey blogs I was reading. Don't get me wrong, though - people were writing about their teams, and that was great. However, I wanted more. I grew up with hockey. Saturday night was Hockey Night In Canada night when I was a kid, so it has always been a part of my family, so to speak. My dad got me hooked on the international game through the Canada Cup. When the Jets left, the AHL became big news in town, and I started taking a liking to that brand of hockey as well. Junior hockey games in Brandon, Manitoba were special weekend trips for me. All in all, my insatiable desire for hockey knowledge caused me to start reading, and my desire for additional coverage of all things hockey caused me to start writing.