One year ago today, Hockey in Society launched with its inaugural post. The past 365 days have been a very exciting time on the blog, which has doubled from an initial writing crew of three to a group of six contributors and has seen 127 posts made. We hope to add to this writing crew in the coming year in order to expand our content and diversify the voices being represented on the blog.

I hope you, the reader, have found the blog to offer an insightful and original take on various social and political issues in hockey. All of us sincerely appreciate your readership and comments – please keep them coming in Year Two!

In addition to our readership, I would like to extend a big thank you to the many people on Twitter who shared our posts and to bloggers who linked to our website from their blog. The latter group includes Spector’s Hockey, Puck Buddys, Super Fan 2.0, Left Hook, Raw Charge, Lighthouse Hockey, Nucks Misconduct, Silver Sevens, and Puck Daddy. This site has grown in large part to this support and I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for this support from the hockey blogosphere.

After the jump, some stats about Year One at Hockey in Society and an overview of some of the best work from our contributors. Please check it out and enjoy!

Sincerely,

Mark Norman

Editor, Hockey in Society

Hockey in Society Stats – Year 1

By the Numbers

127 total posts

24,399 total page views

1,192 views for our most read article (thanks Puck Daddy!)

Most Read Posts

1. The Hockey Hall of Fame and the Politics of Hockey Legacy: How and Why are Certain Players Remembered?
2. The Sad State of Women’s Hockey Coverage, and Some Suggestions for Change
3. The Politics of Sending Stanley Cup “Loser Gear” to the Developing World
4. Understanding Goon: Nice Guys Finish First
5. Hockey is a Family Sport (and by family I mean a man and a woman)

The Best Writing from Our Awesome Contributors

Our writing team has produced many insightful and critical posts over the past 12 months. Below is a list of the writing team, with links to each author’s first post and my own choice as a “must read” post by him or her. If you missed these posts earlier, check them out now!

Sunil Agnihotri

First post: Importance of Hockey Analytics (June 11, 2012)

Must read: “Together We Can”: How Hockey Fans Can Influence the NHL Labor Negotiations (September 13, 2012)

Simon Darnell

First post: The Unbearable Lightness of Sean Avery (September 29, 2011)

Must read: Brian Burke’s Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (January 7, 2012)

E. Martin Nolan

First post: Hockey Fighting and the Justice Loving Soul (December 16, 2011)

Must read: Jack Adams Arena: A Fragile Island of Hockey Diversity (May 17, 2012)

Courtney Szto

First post: Manny Malhotra and the Politics of Injury (October 3, 2011)

Must read: Visors: An Evolution in Manhood (November 6, 2011)

Matt Ventresca

First post: Mo’ Than Just a Moustache – Hockey, Masculinity and Movember (November 30, 2011)

Must read: John K. Samson and the Intersection of Sport, Music and Politics (May 1, 2012)

Stick Taps: Thanks for Your Support!

Thanks for reading and participating everyone! I hope that Year Two of Hockey in Society proves as enjoyable as the first.