One thing we are (I am) pretty crappy at around here is linking and generally interacting with other hockey blogs. There's no slight intended, because there are quite a few which are really quite excellent. Below are five that (A) I enjoy a lot, and (B) haven't given a ton of recognition to; I invite my co-publisher to add his own if he sees fit. There's more, too, but this is a start.

Hockey Country
There is a sub-category of hockey blogs which are generally about following one particular team on a game-by-game basis, and this is probably the best of the bunch. When I read a blog about (say) the Ottawa Senators, I don't want to see AP game reports and recaps of the coach's press conferences; I want to see original takes based on the writer's own two eyes.

Chris McMurtry has found his own original format for rehashing Senators wins (usually), and it works well for him. He has his own (informed) opinions, and doesn't give much thought to the media's conventional wisdom (or the team's own statements) on who's good, who's bad, what's right, and what's wrong. Good on him.

Japers' Rink
Lots of Caps/Ocho content here, but JP also finds lots of other interesting NHL goings-on to link to. He also hands out the NHL trophies on a day-by-day basis, which is a terrific way for readers to keep up on what's up with the rest of the league. And handing out the Aiken Award for hapless performances is definitely inspired - it's enough to make a guy forgive him for the pop-up ads.

Vancouver Canucks Op Ed
I think everyone knows about the folks with the bookshop. The simplest way to describe their site is that they have a lot of fun writing it; ergo, it's a lot of fun to read. They're Canucks fans, but a good chunk of their items are about the NHL at large, including their famous Thursday Quote Sheet. It's generally very funny, and I suppose I should also mention that they have the best-looking hockey site there is.

Behind The Jersey
Call me a snooty MCP, but I would never have expected a hockey blog written by a 19-year-old girl to be readable, let alone interesting. More impressively, Christy's blog is probably the best one out there for appreciating the Game of NHL Hockey as a whole. It doesn't hurt that her home team has a lot of excellent and interesting veterans, but I frequently find myself reacting to her posts with, "Yep - hockey kicks ass."

Her regular "Behind The Blog" feature is original and inspired, and she also recently reminded me of this awesome quote:

"Aww, don't worry Doc. If that happens, I can always come back as a forward!" - Harold Snepsts after being advised by a doctor to wear a helmet to avoid brain damage

Read the whole entry; there's a bunch of beauties.

Covered In Oil
What can I say? I love their blog despite the fact that have little or no interest in their subject matter. It's quite possible that the three best writers in the hockey b***osphere are the three contributors to this site. I think I'd like their blog even if I hardly knew the first thing about hockey [shut up!].

The liberal use of boldface type; the stupendous metaphors; the clever post headers; the semi-comprehensible game ratings; and yes, the frustration at being on the wrong end of the name of this site: it all adds up to a fantastic read.

Bonus Up-and-Comer: Hello Hockey Fans!
Since we started this site, I've been looking for a Flames blog that consists of something more than the aforementioned off-the-wire game recaps, and it looks like frequent commenter MetroGnome might have the formula. Best of luck to you, sir: we're all depending on you here in the South.