HockeyAdventure.com officially launches today

Why did I choose September 15, 2007 as the official launch date for my new hockey site, HockeyAdventure.com?

International hockey fans will quickly realize that today marks the 20th anniversary of Game Three of the 1987 Canada Cup final. That thrilling conclusion to Canada’s high-tempo clash with the Soviets culminated in a third consecutive 6-5 score, with Mario Lemieux tallying the late winner on Wayne Gretzky’s set-up.

Sure, lots of other first-rate hockey has been played since then, whether you’re talking about, say, the seven-game 1994 Stanley Cup series between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks, or Canada’s golden performances in the 2002 Olympic and 2003 IIHF World Championship finals.

But to me, the ’87 Canada Cup still stands up as the best. It had the greatest players of their generation in their prime, from Gretzky and Lemieux to Sergei Makarov and Slava Fetisov, delivering full-tilt, end-to-end hockey. Watching the DVDs with Dan Kelly’s classic CTV play-by-play still gives me the chills.

So naturally, I wanted to associate my web site with that vibe. Hockey is always at its best when elite players manage to transcend systems, pushing themselves to the limit and letting speed and skill rule supreme.

Hockey should be an adventure.

In the weeks and months ahead, I’ll comment on hockey news stories that pique my interest, bring you exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the NHL and international hockey (past, present, and future), create off-beat features and analysis that you won’t find anywhere else, and much more. If there’s something you’d like to see on HockeyAdventure.com, by all means drop me a line.

With a combination of hard work and good fortune, I’ve been able to support myself as a freelance journalist since 1999. The Internet gave me my start in hockey writing, and I want to thank Pete Marsch, the publisher of The Pro Hockey EuroReport, for making that initial opportunity available to me. In addition to the inherent thrills it offers, hockey has enabled me to travel the world and meet countless remarkable people.

Today, I believe the Internet offers unlimited editorial prospects to journalists, and the freedom of self-publishing is a major attraction. I’m excited about making my voice heard in the blogosphere.

I invite you to join me on this hockey adventure.