Let’s get into it

Let me start by saying this will be a short post. You’ll find that to be a rarity in most of the writing I do. Long reads? Give them to me. Feature stories that ask everyone involved from the main character to their parents to their NHL coaches right on down to the skate sharpening guy at their local rink that they played in as a kid? I love it.

If I’m able to recreate this handcrafted, slow-burn, artisanal methodology in all of my writing while making it coherent and a hell of a ride, I’m going to do it as many times as possible without a word limit. Or maybe it’s just my conversational tone.

In any case, welcome back to Down the Frozen River.

It looks a bit different here since you last checked or if this is your first time, pay no attention to the stack of boxes over there. I’m still getting unpacked over a year since announcing I’d be working on some longer projects– those are stuck in the development hell known as the crossroads where my brain and a Word Document meet.

I am working on an Arizona Coyotes piece. I’m working on a Vegas Golden Knights piece. I’m also working on a “history of the Boston Bruins goaltending since, like, 2005” piece for those of you that are interested.

These would take a higher priority, admittedly, if someone was paying me to write and, thus, holding me accountable to deadlines for progress reports.

I’ve also thought about being like FOX Sports and pivoting to video, where I’d change up some of what I’ve written already to fit more of a scripted format and do a series of YouTube videos with graphics and Secret Base inspired aesthetics. Jon Bois and/or Kofie Yeboah, if you’re reading this, hello.

Then there’s Goalie Hugs. It’s a podcast from the Down the Frozen River family, but if you’ve noticed it’s a little different from the old Down the Frozen River Podcast. For starters, there’s more guests than on the old show. It’s more vibes and less structure. It’s organized chaos.

We could do weekly episodes under the right circumstance– namely, a job that pays me enough to buy more storage for our show files on our podcast hosting service. Being committed to four episodes a month would tighten each episode up into a solid 60-minute effort instead of letting things breathe and run over anywhere from 75-minutes onward.

For now, the goal remains set on gaining employment, finishing grad school, making fake magazine covers with Shawn (Brews News) for the Brews & Bruins folks and being back around the written form of hockey analysis between Goalie Hugs episodes.

Think of the columns as a sort of extended edition of the podcast or any podcast I appear on, for that matter. You’re bound to see some more here as the trade deadline approaches on March 7th and I plan on making the website a bit more visually appealing again.

First up, a few thoughts on the blockbuster three-team trade the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago wrapped up late Friday night…