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!
- I just discovered the blog Puckology this week, and it’s pretty great! This article from Clare Austin gives an insightful commentary of how women hockey fans are rendered invisible in marketing. [Puckology]
- New Englander Charles Pierce reflects on a lifetime of Montreal Canadiens fandom, including comments on Habs legends Jean Beliveau and Ken Dryden. [Grantland]
- The Ontario Hockey League is stepping up its compensation package for its players, which is huge news. Check out Vicky Grygar’s great piece on this topic that was published on this blog last year for another take. [Sportsnet]
- In light of Nicklas Backstrom’s failed drug test, which caused him to miss the men’s Gold Medal game between Sweden and Canada, Justin Bourne discusses prescription drug (ab)use in hockey. [Backhand Shelf]
- Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin were apparently extremely frustrated with the management of Russia’s Olympic team in Sochi. Some really interesting commentary on the politics of the KHL and Russian hockey. [Pittsburgh TribLive]
- Ken Dryden examines how the USA grew to become an international hockey superpower. [Grantland]
- After hosting the Olympics, Sochi will be getting a KHL franchise for the 2014-15 season. Former NHL star Pavel Bure may be hired to run the club. [NBC Sports]
- With a number of NHL stars, including John Tavares (New York Islanders), Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens), Ryan Kesler (Vancouver Canucks) and Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings) injured as a result of their Olympics participation, will the NHL refuse to send its players to the 2018 Pyeongchang Games? [The Hockey News]
- Latvia, along with Slovenia, was the underdog hockey story of the Sochi Games. But, with a second player testing positive for a banned substance, the team may be ex post facto disqualified from the tournament. [Sportsnet]
- Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is investing $172 million into a downtown Buffalo hockey complex that will be adjacent to the First Niagara Center. The centre will likely get heavy use from USA Hockey. [AP]
- Sean Leahy has an interview with NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins and TV producer Ross Greenburg about the NHL’s HBO 24/7-style series “NHL Revealed.” [Puck Daddy]
- Justin Bourne gives kudos to Lane MacDermid, who made the unusual decision to retire from pro hockey at age 24 citing lack of passion, for walking away from the sport. [Backhand Shelf]
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