I don't know how many people will see this post, but as the European club seasons are all launching this week and next, I figured it was a relevant question to ask. Right now, Puck Worlds is a one man operation, with help on the way on one front. Trying to cover all the professional hockey going on in Europe, plus international competition (which I won't compromise on, it's the #1 reason for this site), is quite a formidable challenge. So how exactly would you like to see the content presented?
The KHL is the big fish of European hockey, and I feel if any league will be getting priority, it will be it. It also involves the most clubs, and the highest quality of players outside of the NHL. There's a lot of material there, and while there is some decent coverage of it to be found, there's not a lot being covered on English language sites considering the influence the league has on the game worldwide. The teams in Belarus, Latvia, and Kazakhstan are considered key to promoting hockey development (and national team competitiveness) in those countries.
I'll ultimately try and divide up the coverage on my own, but I'm up for ideas. How much interest is there for the Elitserien on Puck Worlds? SM-Liiga? Czech/Slovak Extraliga? The DEL or NLA (Germany/Swiss)? What about lower level international club competition, like the IIHF's Continental Cup? Or women's club hockey, like the newly organized Canadian Women's Hockey League and the Western Women's Hockey League?
Ideally, Puck Worlds will grow with new writers designed to cover specific leagues/countries. If someone out there wants to contribute to one of these areas (or you have a recommendation), give me an email, it's at the bottom of the webpage. I've got some ideas for help, but I'm opening to casting a wider net. As the season moves on, I'm looking at posting some kind of coverage every day, or close to it.
And yes, I realize I'm still due the final edition of the European Hockey for Dummies series on the SM-Liiga. It'll be up within the week, before the launch of their season on Thursday. And also, just so you know, SB Nation is looking into adding CHL blogs, so Canadian major junior hockey won't be a focal point here. I'm also planning on doing a couple of posts regarding international content in the NHL as the season launches, but that's kind of an added bonus more than anything.
I'd post a poll, but it's kind of a layered question, so I hope you leave your opinion in the comments.
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