The First Installment of "Chirps"

As you may have read on Shannon Paul's Very Official Blog, I am starting a new segment here at From The Blue Seats called "Chirps."

"Chirps" will feature my 5-question interviews with executives and others from the National Hockey League.  They will usually - but not always - be focused on the business and/or fan interaction aspect of the NHL.

The "rub" is that I will field the questions from the good people at Twitter.  So send me a Tweet or Direct Message with a question, and I will take the five "best."

The first "Chirps" subject will be Perry Cooper, the NHL's Sr. VP of Direct/Digital Marketing + Fan Analytics.  Perry manages the League's direct-to-consumer product portfolio (think: Game Center Live, Shop.NHL.com, Center Ice), as well as developing and managing 1-to-1 relationships with fans.

Please send me your suggested questions for Perry - ideally focused on his area of expertise!

Also, I would be pleased to take guest suggestions.

It's the Customer, stupid

You may know Colloquy Magazine as the journal that follows, "the art and science of building customer value." They recently spoke to Perry Cooper (image at left), the NHL's senior vice president of direct/digital marketing and fan analytics. Josh Milner filed a piece entitled, "Hat Trick: How The NHL Scores Goals With Customer Centric Power Play."

If you're a NHL fan, especially one that has a transactional relationship with the League (buy merchandise, subscribe to Center Ice or GameCenter Live), curious to know if you're feeling the positive effects of this approach.

The Daly Download

As reported on Shannon Paul's "Very Official Blog," I am launching three new interactive segments here on From The Blue Seats. Here's the first, called "The Daly Download." It's intended to be a short-form "vlog" with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. Our first segment focuses on the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline.

I invite you all to comment and critique so we can make this better.

By the way, this was shot with my nifty Flip Video camera, and the cameraman was our own John Dellapina.

Zamboni Patent

Found this while searching for remote-control Zambonis for my kids' birthday this Friday.

Leafs vs. Habs and The Sin Bin

NHL Premiere Logos Unveiled

NHL Delivers

Deliver Magazine talking to our boy Perry Cooper about how the NHL uses direct mail.

NHL.com: 10 Most Innovative

I was excited to read that Fast Company Magazine had named NHL.com one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports in its "50 Most Innovative Companies" issue. In my years as a media relations pro, Fast Company has been a bit of a white whale.



It's been a tough nut to crack even here at the NHL. I do believe, though, that we are innovating - developing the NHL Winter Classic from scratch, leveraging our natural advantages in digital media, etc. Fast Company refers to the NHL as a "challenger brand" and I do think one thing that COO John Collins has the League doing is getting people to think about the business - a $2.6b business - differently.

A Brand Resurrected?

MediaPost's Marketing Daily recently ran a piece contending that the NHL Winter Classic has helped to resurrect the NHL brand on the basis of in-game experience, media exposure and youth development. What do you think?

NHL Trades This Season

As we approach the trading deadline (remember #NHLTrade, all you Tweeters), my associate Greg Inglis thought it might be appropriate to recount the trade activity thus far.
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2008-2009 NHL TRADES (since Sept. 1, 2008)

Sept. 2, 2008: Vancouver traded RW Ryan Shannon to Ottawa for D Lawrence Nycholat.

Sept. 2, 2008: Toronto traded D Bryan McCabe and its 4th-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft to Florida for D Mike Van Ryn.

Sept. 11, 2008: Phoenix traded LW Kevin Cormier to New Jersey for D Sean Zimmerman.

Sept. 12, 2008: Chicago traded C Robert Lang to Montreal for Toronto’s 2nd-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft (previously acquired).

Sept. 26, 2008: Anaheim traded D Mathieu Schneider to Atlanta for D Ken Klee, LW Brad Larsen and LW Chad Painchaud.

Sept. 29, 2008: Tampa Bay traded C Nick Tarnasky to Nashville for a conditional 6th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Sept. 30, 2008: Anaheim traded D Sean O’Donnell to Los Angeles for a conditional pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Oct. 1, 2008: Pittsburgh traded D Michal Sersen to Tampa Bay for its 5th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Oct. 6, 2008: Tampa Bay traded D Shane O’Brien and RW Michel Ouellet to Vancouver for D Lukas Krajicek and LW Juraj Simek.

Oct. 8, 2009: Chicago traded D Doug Janik to Dallas for a conditional pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Oct. 9, 2008: Phoenix traded C Michael Zigomanis to Pittsburgh for future considerations.

Oct. 13, 2008: Boston traded D Andrew Alberts to Philadelphia for a conditional 4th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft and LW Ned Lukacevic.

Oct. 30, 2008: Philadelphia traded D Tim Ramholt to Nashville for LW Josh Gratton.

Oct. 30, 2008: NY Rangers traded RW Hugh Jessiman to Nashville for a conditional pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Nov. 3, 2008: Phoenix traded D Drew Fata to Ottawa for C Alexander Nikulin.

Nov. 7, 2008: Tampa Bay traded D Matt Carle and its 3rd-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft to Philadelphia for D Steve Eminger, RW Steve Downie and Philadelphia's 4th-round pick in 2009.

Nov. 16, 2008: Pittsburgh traded D Darryl Sydor to Dallas for D Philippe Boucher.

Nov. 24, 2008: Toronto traded D Carlo Colaiacovo and C Alex Steen to St. Louis for RW Lee Stempniak.

Nov. 25, 2008: Tampa Bay traded C Wyatt Smith to Phoenix for future considerations.

Nov. 27, 2008: Nashville traded C Nick Tarnasky to Florida for RW Wade Belak.

Nov. 30, 2008: Tampa Bay traded D Andrew Hutchinson to Dallas for RW Lauri Tukonen.

Dec. 3, 2008: Phoenix traded D Logan Stephenson to Anaheim for C Joakim Lindstrom.

Dec. 8, 2008: Vancouver traded D James Sharrow to Chicago for a conditional pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Dec. 14, 2008: Anaheim traded C Brian Sutherby to Dallas for C David McIntyre and a conditional pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Dec. 19, 2008: Pittsburgh traded RW Jonathan Filewich to St. Louis for conditional pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Dec. 30, 2008: Los Angeles traded G Jason LaBarbera to Vancouver for Vancouver’s 7th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Jan. 5, 2009: Pittsburgh traded D T.J. Kemp to Montreal for a conditional pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Jan. 7, 2009: Anaheim traded LW Brad May to Toronto for a conditional pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Jan. 10, 2009: Chicago traded LW Michael Blunden to Columbus for RW Adam Pineault.

Jan. 13, 2009: Atlanta traded D Brett Skinner to NY Islanders for RW Junior Lessard.

Jan. 14, 2009: Atlanta traded C Jason Williams to Columbus for D Clay Wilson and San Jose's 6th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft (previously acquired).

Jan. 17, 2009: Edmonton traded G Mathieu Garon to Pittsburgh for G Dany Sabourin, C Ryan Stone and a 4th-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft.

Jan. 21, 2009: Minnesota traded LW Ryan Hamilton to Toronto for LW Robbie Earl.

Jan. 29, 2009: NY Rangers traded C/LW Dan Fritsche to Minnesota for D Erik Reitz.

Feb. 3, 2009: Anaheim traded C David McIntyre to New Jersey for D Sheldon Brookbank.

Feb. 4, 2009: Anaheim traded D Nathan McIver to Vancouver for RW Mike Brown.

Feb. 7, 2009: Carolina traded LW Wade Brookbank, D Josef Melichar and its 4th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft to Tampa Bay for LW Jussi Jokinen.

Chelios on his Favorite Coach

Statements from Avery, Sather

STATEMENTS FROM SEAN AVERY AND GLEN SATHER

Regarding Avery’s assignment to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League

New York, February 10, 2009 – "I would like to thank Glen Sather and the Rangers organization for giving me the chance to resume my hockey career by affording me this opportunity with the Hartford Wolf Pack. I am looking forward to getting back on the ice, working my way back to the NHL and playing the game I love. While I appreciate the many interview requests, at this point in time, I would like to focus on hockey and will not be making any further statements while with the Wolf Pack." – Sean Avery

"Sean and the Dallas Stars approached me looking for an American Hockey League team for him to resume playing, and I am happy to provide him with the opportunity to continue his career. Sean was a good player for the Rangers during his time here and has worked extremely hard off the ice over the last two months. He remains under contract to and property of the Stars, therefore, any further comment would be inappropriate." – Glen Sather

And The Winner Is ...

Congratulations to goaliemom31, who is the lucky winner of a free subscription to NHL GameCenter Live for the balance of the 2008-09 season!

The winner was randomly selected from all Tweeters that used the #NHLonNBC hashtag over the last week.

Thanks to @shannonpaul of the Detroit Red Wings for her help with this one.

The NHL on NBC: Bigger than the Bailout.

Here is how the #NHLonNBC fared against the terms "bailout," "pro bowl," and "golf" yesterday on Twitter.

Real-Time Communications Conference

On January 14, I attended the Business Development Institute's "Real Time Communications Conference and Roundtable."

Here was how the event was billed:

The world is changing fast. The economy, political landscape, and global events dynamically affect our businesses. Organizations don't have the luxury of reacting and responding over long periods of time. Consumers are empowered by embracing social media tools over the internet. Twittering moms recently caused Johnson & Johnson to remove an advertisement and issue an apology within hours. This is only one of many examples. Valuable brands need to know and respond, real-time, to what is being said about them. Marketing and communications leaders need to understand what strategies and tools are available for them to embrace their consumers. This event will gather the best and brightest minds to explore how the communications industry is becoming more and more real-time.

As a result, I was hopeful to get some insights into how leading brands are using New Media and Social Media applications to improve how they listen and engage with consumers.

The keynote, I thought, was devoid of such insights. The subsequent panel, however, was really interesting. It featured Sarah Milstein, Author, Twitter and the Micro-Messaging Revolution; Paul Gennaro, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, AECOM Technology Corp.; David Sacks, Founder and CEO, Yammer; Morgan Johnston, Corporate Communications Manager for JetBlue; and a representative from J&J.

Here's a link to the audiocast; curious to hear what others think.

The Sweet Sixteen

Here are 16 people that I like to follow on Twitter, along with their Twitter bio and my two cents.

@abigvictory - "writing. photography. hockey. punk rock. QOTSA. sushi. sacramento. Left 4 Dead. last.fm: destroy_oh_boy"

As I have said before, one of my guilty pleasures on Twitter. Very witty, if a little off-color.

@Scobleizer - "Tech geek blogger who writes about and videos innovators in tech industry."

Still hoping he'll reschedule his trip to the NHL offices, which were canceled back in the early Fall.

@OntheDLpodcast - "Sports. Media. Kvetching. We interview everyone from bloggers to public officials to...Chuck Norris. Twice a week, plus some writing around the interweb. "

A sensibility that is right up my alley.

@BrianBurke - "General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Maybe."

Another guilty pleasure.

@mediaphyter - "ZDNet social business blogger + Fortinet strategic communications director + Security Twits founder + hockey fan (btw: thoughts expressed here are solely mine)"

A good resource for social media stuff.

@baconsalt - "Everything should taste like bacon."

Well, obviously.

@jeggers - "Spreadshirt CEO, customer advocate, innovation leader, wife+friend, triathlete (IronMan)"

Arguably the most energetic person I know; also adept at coining thought-provoking phrases for tee shirts.

@nhldigest - "Commercial Banker by day, NHL Evangelist and Hockey Junkie by night (and sometimes day)"

The guy knows hockey.

@bigguyd - "Just a dad, moonlighting as a PR, photog, and citizen journalist"

Fellow Boston Globe alum; he "gets it"

@timcoyne - "I am an actor, writer, and podcaster living in Los Angeles. I am the host of The Hollywood Podcast."

Like his sensibilities with respect to pop culture, humor and relationships.

@ranajune - "Rana is never more than 3 inches away from her phone. That's why she's so effective"

A very well-networked individual.

@cselland - "B2B marketing & bus dev guy, social media skeptic (but willing to be proved wrong), ex-analyst & Met fan in Boston"

I appreciate his balanced approach to subject matter.

@jspepper - "Taking your lunch. Eating your cookies. PR Generalist."

Arguably the most important figure in my Twitter history.

@shannonpaul - "I do social media stuff for the Detroit Red Wings. I also blog"

Has been an important social media resource for the NHL, and her blog is a "must read" for communicating in whatever century this is.

@melwebster - "Expert Communicator/Agitator/Likes to have a little fun"

I don't want to give away the goods here. Follow Unky Mel and you'll know what I mean.

@acitrano - "pundit, writer, photographer, agent provocateur"

He needs dough like anyone. Ask him about "Baked Acadia."

Twitter Chatter During the Super Bowl

As I do more with Twitter on behalf of the NHL, I am increasingly interested to see how the NHL fares versus other Twitter chatter. For example, how did the NHL Winter Classic compare to the college bowl games being played that day? Are we moving the needle with regards to public interest? And is fan engagement/activation via Social Media increasing? And as a result, can I make a case for putting more resources there?

In that context, I found this interactive map of Super Bowl Twitter chatter to be very interesting. I need to get me someone to build that sort of map, which would update in real time, for me here at the NHL!

Where's there's smoke, there's fire

As you might have gleaned by reading my Super Bowl blog, or if you follow me on Twitter, yesterday I slow-cooked some baby back pork ribs.

I was recently invited by Dave Garr (he'll be guest authoring soon) to participate at Memphis in May, and figured I should be taking more opportunities to refine my low-and-slow craft. So here are a couple of recipes I concocted over the weekend to help my ribs taste better. I made two full racks, about 5-6 lbs.

The Rub: "Rosemary's Seven Pepper Explosion"

• 3 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Seasoned Salt (I prefer Morton's, but it's hard to find)
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Ancho Chile Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Chipotle Chile Pepper
• 1 tsp Lawry's Coarse Seasoned Pepper Blend
• 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 2 tsp Dried Jalapeno Flakes
• 2 tsp Dried Rosemary

A real nice balance of sweet, salt, savory, and several layers of heat. The topper is the rosemary, which added a really nice flavor.

The Paint: Garr's Mustard Paint

• 3 cups plain yellow Mustard
• 8 oz. Bud Light
• 1 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Hot Sauce (I like Hoboken Eddie's)

Bring to a simmer. Paint your ribs with this and then apply your rub liberally. The mustard paint will break down the meat, making it more tender. And it will protect your ribs from drying out. In the final analysis, though, you don't get any mustard flavor on your meat.

The Sauce: Acme Finishing BBQ Sauce

• 12 oz Root Beer, reduced
• 12 oz. Five Alive, reduced
• 1 x 29-0z cans of Tomato Puree
• 2 cups White Vinegar
• 16 oz. Dark Corn Syrup
• 2 cups Worcestershire
• 1 tbsp concentrated Habanero Brine
• 2 tsp Liquid Smoke
• 1 oz. Hot Pepper Paste
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 3 tsp Lawry's Coarse Seasoned Pepper Blend
• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 2 tsp Dark Brown Sugar

Mix all ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours, letting rest in a refrigerator overnight.

Yesterday, I cooked over a combo of hickory and applewood. I brought the temp up to 500 by burning hickory, then killed the airflow. I put fresh applewood chunks on, and let an initial smoke take place for 45 mins with no ribs on the rack. I then put the ribs on, and adjusted air flow for 3.5 hours, keeping the temp between 225-250 degrees.

In final 30 mins of the smoke, I raised the smoker temperature to 300-325 and brushed the sauce on twice, in 15-minute intervals.

Random Super Bowl Thoughts

If you're looking for a game score prediction or commentary on the ads, you came to the wrong place. But here is a quick-and-dirty on the party.

You can't make a good rack of ribs without mustard paint.

Underrated: Potato skins (prepared properly; thin sliced, crispy, w/butter, salt, pepper and maybe some Boar's Head bacon).

Overrated: Nachos with too much "stuff" on them, rendering the bottom chips flimsy and wet. (this is known as gorpy food).

Stock on the rise: Sliders. Steamed bun preferred. Think: White Castle. Can also find good value in pulled pork sliders.

Stock falling: Boneless wings.

Hall of Fame Appetizer: Cheesecake Factory's Buffalo Blasts. Here's a recipe. If you aren't looking up the number for take-out already, you should be.

If you make only one thing yourself today, let it be: Sausage and cheese bread roll

Speaking of: Do yourself a favor and buy a Big Green Egg.

Beverage selection: I like to start seasonal, and in a nod to the advertisers, get progressively lighter.

Speaking of: Do yourself a favor and become a homebrewer. If you start now, in 30 days you'll be sampling an early-spring seasonal.

Most important thing missing from today's game: Phil Simms. Second place: The New York Football Giants.

If you put only one mass-produced snack food out this year, let it be: Chex Mix.

Cocktail of the day, if you must: Absolut Vanilia with Polar Vanilla Seltzer.

If you've never made flank steak with dry rub, you are missing out. Take a nice flank steak. Totally coat it in your favorite rub. 100% coated and rubbed in. Grill on high heat, 7 minutes per side. Slice. Then have at it. A superlative tailgating option.

Alright, enjoy the game; I am off to play men's league hockey!