The Sounds of Hockey.

Visit our hockey music section for some essential and fun collections available on iTunes.  Ideal songs for any hockey family.

Do you want a playlist created for your business or team?  Get all the details here.

NBA takes out the trash.

NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, took swift and unwavering action with the banning of the L.A. Clippers owner from the NBA today for racial comments. An historic event yet one that we would have not expected to see in this day and age of sports and society but obviously a signal that we still have work to do about how we treat others. Hopefully today's events will resonate in all sports and remind us that racism will not be tolerated at any level.

Digital Health of Your Business | HP MagCloud

Use this guide to check on the digital health of your organization. Ideal for hockey companies, brands, training centres, leagues, associations and tournaments.



Learn about mobile media, code that you should add to your website and how to get more using social media tools.



Digital Health of Your Business | HP MagCloud

Terry Trafford.

It is with great sadness to hear about the passing of Terry Trafford.  This is a difficult and emotional time for his family, friends, teammates and many others in the hockey community.

I never knew about Terry until the news about him missing started to surface on various media channels.  It didn't take long to sense his passion for the game though.  As parents, coaches and instructors, passion for the game is a hard skill to teach and a hard one for some players to acquire.  It sets you back when you get news of a hockey player's life ending so early.  Terry was only 20 years old.

His circumstances and release from his OHL team raises questions.  Does too much passion for the game close opportunities beyond hockey?  Does the OHL have a policy and procedure for releasing players?  Does that policy take into consideration emotional and mental state of the player?  Should a teammate, team official or family member accompany the player home?  Did his teammates try to intervene in Terry's violation of team policy?  Did the teammates have a neutral mentor to go to for additional help?

Hockey or not, 20 is a tough age of transition for many.  Not finding a job after university, looking for a place to live, looking for money to finance a lifestyle or looking for a new passion.  It's difficult to do it alone.

His death could have been prevented and the world would have known him for other contributions to life.


- Dean Sprung

Related articles

• Body of missing Saginaw Spirit hockey player Terry Trafford found, team says

Hockey Threads Media Guide

We just published our Hockey Threads media guide. The Hockey Threads media is targeted at the hockey market across North America. We reach thousands of parents, players and fans through our apps, magazine, social media, blog and online retailing efforts. The back drop to the content is hockey lifestyle apparel. The market makes a strong connection this way. These apparel brands are integrated into editorial and advertorial content.

Slapp Shot Media Guide

We just published our Slapp Shot media guide. App discovery can be a challenge. Promote your hockey app, song or book with Slapp Shot media.

Stick Business Media Guide

We just published our Stick Business media guide. Advertising services and rates. Reach sport retailers, sport services owners and athlete trainers.

Bauer taking a beating over "Grow the Game"

Bauer is getting a beating over their "Grow the Game" initiative and I'm sure they weighed the market perception of "grow the game and sell more product" vs. "do something to help the game" vs. "do nothing at all".  If their efforts do reach 1 million new participants by 2022, there will be many companies who will benefit too and not just Bauer.

In Canada, male hockey growth has stalled.  Why?  A number of factors have been presented from economic conditions that prevent families to either enter or continue the sport to the media coverage that hockey is "dangerous" (i.e. head injuries).  Those things can be addressed with a lower cost of participation and injury prevention.

Ironically, female hockey growth continues to increase.  70% over ten years since the 2000/01 season (based on Hockey Canada numbers).  Why?  And this is a group that struggles to find ice time!  I think it has to do with what the game has to offer the athlete and families plus there are more recognized female role models in the game from World, Olympic and CWHL teams.

There are pockets of successful affordable and fun participant models spread across Canada and the U.S. already. These come from private rink operators and a few local associations.  They just don't have the funds to bring this to the masses whereas a large hockey brand does.  In the end, everyone has a role in the integrity and development of the game.

Sponsored Updates

This will be helpful for hockey businesses wanting to connect with other businesses.  Linkedin has announced Sponsored Updates.  Ideal for building your brand, creating awareness for your product or service and doing content marketing.  Essentially, you pay (credit card) to get your post or update out to profiles that are not already following your Company Profile. 

You need a Company Profile and an advertising account to use this service.  Most profiles I visit do not have a proper company profile or have not linked their personal profile to the company they work for.  Our "How to Linkedin for Hockey" guide will help you with this.

Sponsored Updates is set to launch to the rest of us on July 27, 2013.

Related articles

• LinkedIn Sponsored Updates: The Best B2B Social Advertising Option Yet?
• LinkedIn Launches Sponsored Updates in Your Feed
• LinkedIn continues path to publishing platform with Sponsored Updates

Describe your business without using the word "website"

"I have a website that...", "Our website is almost ready", "visit our website", "I run a website".

I see this often in LinkedIn and Twitter profiles and when talking to my new clients.

Websites were commercialized over 20 years ago. They are still a multi-keystroke commodity that rely on search engines to be discovered.  There's more SEO companies on every "internet" street corner than there are Starbucks. 

Classics (Photo credit: Rob Ketcherside)

If your business is solely digitally present on a website, it's like saying 8 track and fax machines are still effective means of playing music and sending documents. That same generation of users has now gone mobile for content, services, music and file sharing. 

I can understand that if your business provides a digital service, a website could be needed but have you considered being a mobile-first company instead? Our own HockeyGPS service was a web service while the app was being developed. After one year of app service, we shut the web service down. Only 10% of the arena searches were done on the website. 

If your website is mainly for product and information, how many clicks and keystrokes does it take just to find your phone number, address or email address? Add more keystrokes just to make a connection by phone or email. By comparison, your phone number in your own app will take about 2-3 taps to locate and dial. 

Does your advertising and brochures only include yourcompany.com?  That's another indicator that you are behind on digital marketing.  Access to information through 'www' is slowly winding down.  Digital leaders are using touch, visual sensing, audio sensing and proximity sensing as ways for their market to access information via mobile apps. 

So stop promoting your company just using the word "website". If its a service (software or server driven), explain to people that you have an app that runs on multiple devices.  If your site is mainly content, start promoting across social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram), blogs, in digital magazine format (we use MagCloud) and of course on your own app.  While I have seen good company websites, I have seen even better content marketing from others.  Having a solid content marketing plan helps optimize those digital resources that are available to you and your brand. 

How to Twitter for Hockey

I see hockey companies and brands with their own Twitter account but they seem to stall after 10 tweets or don't follow others or post personal stories and opinions (nothing to do about the brand).

I put this guide together to help you get the most from Twitter (part of your digital marketing and content marketing plan).

Follow us: @HockeySciTech

How to Twitter for Hockey | HP MagCloud

How to LinkedIn for Hockey

Many of my Linkedin contacts own hockey companies but do little on Linkedin to promote them.  I put this guide together to help create a company profile on Linkedin.

Follow ours at:  http://www.linkedin.com/company/Hockey-science-&-technology

How to LinkedIn for Hockey | HP MagCloud

Content marketing

These two slides expand an area of digital marketing (applies to print too).  If you post on social media, blogs, website or send marketing emails, you are already doing content marketing.  However, if you don't have a well thought out plan behind this, you could be missing out on new opportunities in your business.

Content marketing

Digital marketing

We put this slide together to show the different platforms (levels) of digital marketing.  Basically, you can spin your wheels in email and websites only or reach your market on more popular fronts.

Digital marketing

Business Services for Hockey Companies

We've updated and added PDF brochures that detail our services and media properties for hockey companies who are looking to develop their business.  They can be viewed on your desktop or downloaded (for free).

Collection Business Services | HP MagCloud

The Hockey Season | The 98s - June 21.2013 - Issue 4

I had fun putting this issue together.  Having a '97 player (son), I thought it was important to share the experiences and information about "the draft year" for the '98s.

Hockey is amazing.  It allows you to meet some really influential and knowledgeable people in the sport.  Some of them contributed to or were interviewed for this issue.

There's a lot of great advice in this issue from scouts, players and coaches for the 98s but can benefit any hockey player aged 10 to 20.

Enjoy.

The Hockey Season | The 98s - June 21.2013 - Issue 4 | HP MagCloud

Ladies First - Good As Gold

Here's your chance to see and support the hockey players before they represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  Enjoy a round of golf, a winery dinner, entertainment and more.  June 21-23 in Niagara Falls, ON.

View the Good as Gold sponsorship opportunities PDF

The Ladies First Hockey Foundation specifically supports the Canadian National/Olympic Women’s Hockey Team & Development Program; while also working in partnership with Hockey Canada for team fundraising support and Olympic support through the “Family and Friends” program initiative.

1997 Hockey Players

Your 16th year is like the Tyke years of hockey.  Development on balance, flexibility, strength and endurance is required because your body height, weight and skate size has changed so much and so quickly.  You are now starting the high performance level of the game.

You are eligible to get into highly competitive hockey leagues where teams have players that are 1 to 5 years older than you.  They are big, fast and tough.  Many of these teams only have room for 2 to 4 players of your age.

You and your parents stress about getting you on one of these teams.  It's early, don't give up and don't panic or get frustrated about not getting to this level from where you were last season.  Some players will achieve Midget AAA and Junior levels the following season even after playing down a level for a season.  Be open to that as your other options might not come through this year.

Look at it this way.  Some professional hockey players are in their 40s.  That's a 24 year difference from where you are now.  You have several years of development ahead of you before you reach your peak (early 20s).  Keep at it.  Source out qualified hockey training companies.  80 Hours Hockey is a service that we offer to help you keep track of your development and find training companies (www.80HoursHockey.com).

I'm almost at a point of suggesting that you take the year off from playing and put your time and money into development instead.  Major Junior players are often told to work on their skating.  They too need development.  No matter what level you play at next season, don't ignore working on your skating skills especially over the next 5 years.

Clarkson Cup - wrap up

Last night, the Clarkson Cup organizing committee met to review participant surveys and have a brain storming session on enhancing future Cups.

I can say this, the future of women's professional hockey looks bright.  The feedback from fans, volunteers and sponsors about their experience at the 5th Clarkson Cup was very positive.  The transformation of the Markham Centennial Arena (my barn in my minor hockey years and home to many well known hockey personalities) into a first class championship venue did not go unnoticed. 10,000 hockey fans over four days,  including former Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson and Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, enjoyed the competitive action and personal engagement with many of the players.  Impact on the hockey community in the City of Markham was huge.

The event was put together in 3 months by a small but talented group of volunteers who just love the game.  Many ideas were generated to make the Cup even better for next year.  If your company sponsors hockey, this is where you want to be.  If you are an aspiring female hockey player, this is where you want to be.

Related articles

• Clarkson Cup Finds Permanent Home at Hockey Hall of Fame

Clarkson Cup - Markham, ON - March 20-23

Canadian Women's Hockey League (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I'm helping the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) as a member of their Clarkson Cup Sponsorship Committee.  This is the women's professional hockey finals being held in Markham from March 20-23.

I'm looking for sponsors and advertisers to make this prestigious event successful and to support the CWHL.  Participation ranges from silent auction items, player gift basket items (120), $200 ad space up to $20,000 sponsorship.  Most of the packages are ideal for business to consumer marketing while the Awards Night is ideal for business to business or as an employee incentive.

Contact me for the Sponsorship package that provides details of rink boards, TSN coverage, ad space, tickets to games and the awards night.  The Program advertising rates are also available.