Site Review: HockeyBuzz

Leading the charge of hockey's internet renaissance is HockeyBuzz.com, an interactive, fan-driven Web site that is run by a man hidden behind a veil of anonymity.

Eklund, "the anonymous hockey blogger," is the chief operator and founder of HockeyBuzz, which was begun during the National Hockey League's labor dispute and subsequent lockout in 2004-05. What originally began as an independent blogger's random thoughts and musings has developed into a hockey media giant, and this postseason, HockeyBuzz and TV network VERSUS entered into a partnership. HockeyBuzz writers whose teams are competing the Stanley Cup Playoffs will have their content displayed on VERSUS' official Web site, and will also feature content from rival bloggers as their playoff series go on.

A few years ago, Eklund was hosting his site using Blogger, and now he is the CEO of his own brand and his site brings tens of thousands of hockey fans together under one umbrella. Some blogs by high-profile hockey media members such as Howard Berger (FAN 590 radio, Toronto) and Tim Panaccio (Philadelphia Inquirer) often achieve more than 1,000 comments in their respective feedback sections.

That perhaps is the hallmark of HockeyBuzz: feedback. Not only is the site a world-class hotbed of hockey information and a one-stop shop for the rabid fan, people from across the globe can interact and talk hockey all day and all night, which is what frequently happens. Throughout the regular season and playoffs, fans of every team comment not only on their respective team blogger's posts, but also those of other teams and especially their rivals or game-day opponents.

Few sites can say that they boast the degree of interactivity HockeyBuzz delivers. The NHL has became gradually more welcoming to the blogger as a member of the hockey media, and this revolution is due large in part to the annual growth of HockeyBuzz. Many local bloggers on the site have received full-season press credentials to NHL teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators.

But what do people come back to this site for? Rumors.

Rumors, rumors...and more rumors.

Eklund is an interconnected member of many hockey circles and has access to inside information that hockey fans loathe for. During the prime time of rumor season (after the season is over until the following season begins), Eklund provides fans with daily updates of the rumors and scuttlebutt that he is hearing from the many sources he communicates with. Some are far-fetched, others are well-placed, but in the end Eklund rakes in a significant amount of web traffic.

After a site make over last off-season, HockeyBuzz has introduced several unique features to its fans. Salary Cap Central is a feature that allows readers to view each NHL team's payroll structure, and how much money each franchise allots to its players. Contract terms are also available, so fans can see when each player's contract is set to expire or renew.

The Rumor Chart is Eklund's most popular feature. He analyzes the fate of hockey's upcoming free agents, and categorizes their potential destinations by percentages. He bases the percentages on hearsay and rumors he collects from sources while also taking into consideration salary cap situations.

But where does Eklund go wrong? His name.

While HockeyBuzz has developed into a highly marketable Web site that attracts some of the highest web traffic numbers among hockey-specific sites, Eklund's anonymous moniker has fueled controversy amongst his rivals. People have tried to unveil Eklund by scoping around the Web, but his real identity still remains a secret. For this reason, critics have a hard time believing some of the things Eklund writes or comments on--simply becasuse without a face to a name, credibility takes a big hit.

Hockey fans across the world have converged upon HockeyBuzz to discuss their favorite team, talk about free agents or vent about something Eklund or one of his bloggers said. The credibility issue continues to loom large, and the sad part is, the day Eklund reveals his identity (or he's outed) is the day his site begins to suffer. He has turned his anonymous blogger gig into a prime time show, per se.

Without the questions of Eklund's identity or source credibility, this site earns an "A." But for outstanding content, appearance and fan interaction, HockeyBuzz gets an "A-" from 16 Teams, One Dream.