Welcome to Hockey in Society’s Weekly Links post. This feature highlights articles or blog entries that are related to Hockey in Society’s areas of interest and that may be of interest to the site’s readers. Please check out some of the great writing that is happening in the hockey media and blogosphere!
- NHL coaches are typically part of an insular group and have long histories in professional hockey. Katie Baker has an interesting examination of an exception to this trend in her profile of Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper. Cooper left a career in law to become a full-time hockey coach and, against the odds, is now coaching in the NHL. [Grantland]
- An old article (December, 2012), but one that is hugely important: how Belarus’ authoritarian President is using the 2014 World Hockey Championships to try to legitimize his rule. We will have a much more in-depth post on this topic early next week. [Open Society Foundations]
- Support to ban fighting in hockey continues to grow in the medical field. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, as well as Ken Dryden comment on the severity of head injuries caused by fighting. [Globe and Mail]
- Jeff Marek works through some of the pro- and anti-fighting arguments in an attempt to stake out a middle ground in this polarizing debate. [Sportsnet]
- An interview with hockey journalist Chris Botta examines the implications of the New York Islanders’ relocation to Brooklyn. [Puck Buddys]
- An interesting read on two different arena funding models for QMJHL teams. Jacques Potrais examines the role fans and taxpayers play in the support of two franchises. [CBC News]
- Joe Thornton’s comments about what his celebration would be like if he scored four goals drew a lot of laughs, but was it appropriate to publish? Greg Wyshynski questions if the Vancouver Province crossed the line in reporting the quote from Thornton. [Puck Daddy]
- Penn State, more (in)famous for its football program, launched men’s and women’s hockey teams last Fall. This article looks into this new NCAA hockey program and its brand new arena, funded by Buffalo Sabres owner and billionaire Terry Pegula. [SI.com]
- Hockey Canada unveiled the jerseys for all the hockey teams participating in the Sochi Games. Reviews, as expected, are mixed. [National Post]
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