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!

Congratulations to the Canadian Women’s hockey team on winning the gold medal in Sochi!

• John Barr reports on the rumours of NHL expansion to Seattle. [Sonics Rising]
• A great comprehensive post arguing for the continuation of women’s hockey on the Olympics program, a topic that was also addressed last week in this blog’s Olympics Roundtable. [Japer’s Rink]
• On the topic of women’s hockey, Finland’s star Olympic goalie Noora Räty is retiring from women’s hockey at the age of 24, citing the lack of competitive leagues in which to play. What does Räty’s decision say about the state of women’s hockey? [The Pink Puck]
• Latvian netminder Kristers Gudlevskis put on a remarkable performance against the Canadians in the quarter finals. James Mirtle provides some details about the netminder and his difficult path to professional hockey. [Globe and Mail]
• TJ Oshie gained significant attention for his shootout performance against the Russians early in the tournament. Sam Laird looks into how it all played out on social media. [Mashable]

• Barry Petchesky looks into TJ Oshie’s shootout performance and uncovers some interesting patterns. [Deadspin]
• New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow expressed frustration over the severe injury to John Tavares at the the Olympics. Tyler Dellow looks into how the Islanders will be reimbursed by the IOC and if season ticket holders can receive any sort of reimbursement. [mc79hockey]
• Sportsnet and the Canadian Hockey League have agreed to a 10-year contract extension to maintain exclusive broadcast rights through the 2025-26 season. [The Guardian]
• An interesting story on a player whose ECHL team folded mid way through the season. San Francisco Bulls captain Scott Langdon provides insight into how it all unfolded and the challenges minor league players face. [The Spec]
• The CIS is gearing up for the University Cup. For a full preview including the team rankings, check out the work by Colby Pridham. [Sportsnet]