GettyEvery August, Puck Daddy dabbles in some massive project that hopefully helps puckheads pass through the doldrums with debate, nostalgia and a few giggles here and there.
In 2010, it was Mount Puckmore, which inspired both the "What, No Jagr?" meme and, potentially, the Bleacher Report two years later. Last year, it was the "Guilty Pleasures" series that featured everyone from John Buccigross to Dolph Ziggler.
This summer, it was The Essentials project, in which we asked bloggers for every NHL team to tell us The Essentials for their franchises — everything from the defining player and trade, to the indispensable fan traditions.
Thanks to everyone that participated, because we love how it turned out. We learned things about each team we didn't know before, especially when it comes to local fan traditions and the fact that Daniel Alfredsson is the franchise villain for the Florida Panthers.
With that, yours truly heads offline for a little R&R that would have happened a few weeks back had it not been for those meddling Olympics. Sincere thanks to Leahy and Harrison for keeping this thing running during an untypical schedule this summer, and to you for coming back here every day even when next season is clouded in uncertainty. I can only assume this is because you like reading words such as "Hockey Related Revenue," "linkage" and "transitional contracts."
Anytime you need us, puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com. See you in a week.
(FYI: Marek will keep the podcast rolling next week while I'm off.)
Coming up, the full list of Essentials. Woo!
The Essentials: Anaheim Ducks Edition
The Essentials: Boston Bruins Edition
The Essentials: Buffalo Sabres Edition
The Essentials: Calgary Flames Edition
The Essentials: Carolina Hurricanes Edition
The Essentials: Chicago Blackhawks Edition
The Essentials: Colorado Avalanche Edition
The Essentials: Columbus Blue Jackets Edition
The Essentials: Dallas Stars Edition
The Essentials: Detroit Red Wings Edition
The Essentials: Edmonton Oilers Edition
The Essentials: Florida Panthers Edition
The Essentials: Los Angeles Kings Edition
The Essentials: Minnesota Wild Edition
The Essentials: Montreal Canadiens Edition
The Essentials: Nashville Predators Edition
The Essentials: New Jersey Devils Edition
The Essentials: New York Islanders Edition
The Essentials: New York Rangers Edition
The Essentials: Ottawa Senators Edition
The Essentials: Philadelphia Flyers Edition
The Essentials: Phoenix Coyotes Edition
The Essentials: Pittsburgh Penguins Edition
The Essentials: St. Louis Blues Edition
The Essentials: San Jose Sharks Edition
The Essentials: Tampa Bay Lightning Edition
The Essentials: Toronto Maple Leafs Edition
The Essentials: Vancouver Canucks Edition
