Lack of Coverage

[hshockeyfan8]

No featured games on the Hub, nothing on MNhockeycenter, Prep Zone non existent. Anyone know if any of these thing will start up again during the season?

[HockeyGuy85']

The hub and Mnhockeycenter are both under new ownership so who knows what will happen

[northwoods oldtimer]

No featured games on the Hub, nothing on MNhockeycenter, Prep Zone non existent. Anyone know if any of these thing will start up again during the season?

It is brutal this year. Coverage has gone back 30 years in one turn of the calendar.

[puckbreath]

Place isn't even worth visiting.

What brought on the change ? Seems like a classic case of fixing something that wasn't broke.

[karl(east)]

Place isn't even worth visiting.

What brought on the change ? Seems like a classic case of fixing something that wasn't broke.

One would assume it was money-related. The complete lack of an explanation was disappointing, though.

The production quality and commentary may not be as good, but there are some good options for live streaming video out there. A whole bunch of teams broadcast many of their games...just off the top of my head, I can name Cloquet, White Bear, Benilde, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, and Eagan, and I'm sure there are more. I'm not finding it any harder to get a look at the top teams than I have in the past, though I do miss the professional quality on MnHockeyCenter and Fox Preps and all of the other things we've had over the past 5 years or so. Usually a new one appears for each one that disappears, but for whatever reason, no one's picked up the slack this year.

Losing the Hub's spotlight games and articles is a shame as well, but you don't have to go too far back in history to remember a time when there wasn't any of that. This forum used to have a lot more game updates and summaries and such, but that dropped off some because we got so spoiled by the Hub. So I guess I'd challenge users of the forum to do what they can and post updates and little write-ups after they attend games...obviously, it's not going to be half as detailed as the Hub, and in many cases, more biased. But when one person gets the discussion flowing, things tend to flow from there, and before long we can have a pretty good idea of what happened in a game.

[puckbreath]

Place isn't even worth visiting.

What brought on the change ? Seems like a classic case of fixing something that wasn't broke.

One would assume it was money-related. The complete lack of an explanation was disappointing, though.

The production quality and commentary may not be as good, but there are some good options for live streaming video out there. A whole bunch of teams broadcast many of their games...just off the top of my head, I can name Cloquet, White Bear, Benilde, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, and Eagan, and I'm sure there are more. I'm not finding it any harder to get a look at the top teams than I have in the past, though I do miss the professional quality on MnHockeyCenter and Fox Preps and all of the other things we've had over the past 5 years or so. Usually a new one appears for each one that disappears, but for whatever reason, no one's picked up the slack this year.

Losing the Hub's spotlight games and articles is a shame as well, but you don't have to go too far back in history to remember a time when there wasn't any of that. This forum used to have a lot more game updates and summaries and such, but that dropped off some because we got so spoiled by the Hub. So I guess I'd challenge users of the forum to do what they can and post updates and little write-ups after they attend games...obviously, it's not going to be half as detailed as the Hub, and in many cases, more biased. But when one person gets the discussion flowing, things tend to flow from there, and before long we can have a pretty good idea of what happened in a game.

That's the strangest part.

Maybe we've been spoiled, but what the hell; it is hockey in Minnesota, so we should have "first class" coverage dammit !

I really liked the spotlight games.

[MNHockeyFan]

Who knows, maybe the lack of coverage will prompt more people to get out and actually attend the games, like in person! With the Holiday Tournaments approaching there will be plenty of great matchups to go see.

[almostashappy]

The production quality and commentary may not be as good, but there are some good options for live streaming video out there. A whole bunch of teams broadcast many of their games...just off the top of my head, I can name Cloquet, White Bear, Benilde, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, and Eagan, and I'm sure there are more....

Wildcat games have been streamed for a few years, now, but at first it seemed as if this was supposed to be a semi-secret...something to tell the grandparents in Arizona about, but not necessarily something to advertise (for fear that it provided free scouting material to other teams). But now, webstream links are being posted on the team's twitter account, so I guess it's less of a concern (yes, yes...I can already hear the snarky comments about whether opposition scouting is needed this year).

For those who are interested, Eagan plans on streaming every varsity game it can this year, and when it's a night in which the local cable access channel is broadcasting, the webstream is a three-camera production with replays that includes both JV and Varsity games. Tonight's home game against Rosemount is one of those nights (JV at 5:15, Varsity 7:15). Link to broadcast page is here: http://www.wildcat-hockey.com/page/show ... s-webcasts

Losing the Hub's spotlight games and articles is a shame as well, but you don't have to go too far back in history to remember a time when there wasn't any of that. This forum used to have a lot more game updates and summaries and such, but that dropped off some because we got so spoiled by the Hub. So I guess I'd challenge users of the forum to do what they can and post updates and little write-ups after they attend games...obviously, it's not going to be half as detailed as the Hub, and in many cases, more biased. But when one person gets the discussion flowing, things tend to flow from there, and before long we can have a pretty good idea of what happened in a game.

Live Spotlight game coverage can be approximated by anyone who takes it upon themselves to post frequent updates to an open, well-publicized Twitter account. I've done this before (sharing live updates with all 9 of my followers ). There are a couple of issues that might limit the Spotlight game comparisons, though. First is the challenge that comes when a parent is publicly commenting on a game in which their kid is playing, knowing that the kid's coach will probably see what you wrote. Second is knowing that the kid's teammates and their parents are going to see what you've posted. Nobody wants to appear to be the boorish parent who is bragging about their kid and/or questioning ref calls or coaching decisions. Third is the work that is involved. Maybe it's easier for the younger generation who can write and send text messages in school while their smart phone is hidden in their pocket, but it takes me a while to crank out a semi-legible tweet on a mobile keypad. And time spent doing that is time that I can't use to actually watch the game that I came to watch. Much easier (and safer) for a neutral reporter to comment on a game using a laptop in the press box.

Of course, there's always the opportunity to comment on a game after the fact in this forum, like karl said. But I seem to remember scorekeeper, HHF, and me getting ripped last year for starting up discussion threads after nearly every Eagan game. If folks in this forum want to see more post-game recaps, they ought to be a little less critical/snarky when somebody actually does what karl is suggesting here.

[dueling21]

The well certainly dried up quickly, that's for sure. That said, there is a bit of coverage starting up at http://minnesotahockeymag.com/

Top 10 rankings stories for Class 1A and 2A are up and I've heard there will be some streaming of games coming from Pete Waggoner, starting with the Edina Holiday Classic.

I might even decide to bring back the top-10 games of the week that used to run on the Hub. Spotlight game coverage? Not as certain on that one but we'll see...

[karl(east)]

Of course, there's always the opportunity to comment on a game after the fact in this forum, like karl said. But I seem to remember scorekeeper, HHF, and me getting ripped last year for starting up discussion threads after nearly every Eagan game. If folks in this forum want to see more post-game recaps, they ought to be a little less critical/snarky when somebody actually does what karl is suggesting here.

I think the best way to do it is to create discussion threads *before* games happen, so that it doesn't seem like you're just saying "look how great we are" with the benefit of hindsight. And I think the, umm, "exuberance" with which some of those threads were created turned people off more than the actual existence of the thread.

That said, let it go on the record that I don't think any game is necessarily unworthy of a game thread. If people aren't interested, they won't comment, and it'll drop off. For relatively less important games, we have the daily games thread that gets stickied, and updates can go there. In the pre-Hub-and-Twitter days, that thing could go on for pages and pages.

I'd also invite people to start threads for games their teams aren't involved in. It's not like you need any knowledge of a game to start a thread and ask "who wins?" I don't think anyone will find that overly biased or self-interested.

[almostashappy]

I think the best way to do it is to create discussion threads *before* games happen, so that it doesn't seem like you're just saying "look how great we are" with the benefit of hindsight. And I think the, umm, "exuberance" with which some of those threads were created turned people off more than the actual existence of the thread.

Speaking of exuberance , scorekeeper jr. has another dance video posted on hockeyfights.com....third fight with the same kid from Moose Jaw (who first tussled with him last spring after Eagan's season ended). All part of the game that is being destroyed by all these new rules, eh?

[ZachHalverson]

Can't share specific details at the moment, but MinnesotaHockeyMag.com is about to fill this void in a big way! High School Hockey is going to get the coverage it deserves again!

[northwoods oldtimer]

Can't share specific details at the moment, but MinnesotaHockeyMag.com is about to fill this void in a big way! High School Hockey is going to get the coverage it deserves again!

Great news!

[hshockeyfan8]

Just listened to Pete Waggoner's radio show on Minnesotahockeymag.com, seems like they will be having a mix of the old Hub and mnhockeycenter. Says they will be having a top 10 games of the week, weekly rankings as well as live streaming games starting with the Edina Classic.

[Frequent_MN_Flyer]

Does anyone know who was the announcer on 1490 last night for the East/Elks game? That guy was brutal. It was like listening to a 1950's broadcast. Paused way too long between speaking. Horrible, I mean damn horrible description of what was going on. Not to mention the station went out the last few minutes of the second and a good stretch of the third.

[elliott70]

Does anyone know who was the announcer on 1490 last night for the East/Elks game? That guy was brutal. It was like listening to a 1950's broadcast. Paused way too long between speaking. Horrible, I mean damn horrible description of what was going on. Not to mention the station went out the last few minutes of the second and a good stretch of the third.

Ditto for the Bemidji -Warroad game.

[Slap Shot]

Elk River and MG will be on 105.3 5 and 7 tonight.

[almostashappy]

It was great to see Loren Nelson at the Burnsville-Eagan game last night, bringing a Spotlight Game back to the Hub:
http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/news_articl ... r_id=32770

Might be too much to expect everything to go back to the way that it's been past couple of years, but I'll take what they can afford to give.

[Nebhoc471]

Look's like Edina Holiday Classic games also on PSBMN.com

[green4]

its nice to see some recaps on hockey hub coming up recently

[TheHockeyDJ]

Just a couple of interesting sites to follow for those interested: mnhockeycentral.com and minnesotahockeymag.com. Both have rankings and minnesotahockeymag.com has a podcast normally every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with interviews and discussion about previous and upcoming games. A very good listen with Pete Waggoner and Tim Koleminen.