It’s time to take a break. Thanks to all our loyal readers and followers:
I started Winnipeg Hockey Talk as a diversion to help kill time while I was rehabbing during my first knee replacement surgery. I knew I would have time because I had scheduled surgeries for the other knee and both hips. Arthritis had got the best of me.
I also joined Twitter and started an account for the website and a personal account. Twitter was a terrific lifeline that kept me in touch with the happenings in the city and especially the Winnipeg Jets and Arizona Coyotes. It kept me occupied while being laid up.
I met a lot of great people because of Twitter and Winnipeg Hockey Talk, some in person and a lot in cyberspace. WHT has over 2100 followers. Who knew? I have made some friendships that would have never happened otherwise.
I had no idea where Winnipeg Hockey Talk would take me. I wanted to provide another voice on hockey in Winnipeg and I knew it would be a small voice because being relevant is tough. Over the past four or five years, our writers and I tried to provide a balanced look at the Winnipeg Jets and for the most part, I thought we were fair. I am very proud of WinnipgHockeyTalk.com and the work we’ve done over the past few years.
We branched off and started a podcast that is/was so much fun to do as well. We’ve had some interesting guests but for the most part, it was just the guys.
I want to thank all the writers that contributed to WHT but especially ex-Winnipeg Jets defenceman, Scott Campbell and “Media Roll of Honour” Hall of Famer Patti Dawn Swansson. Scott and I started as friends on Twitter and then after some coaxing, he started writing with us. He has since graduated to the big leagues with the Winnipeg Free Press. I would also like to thank someone I looked up to from the old neighborhood in East Kildonan, Patti Dawn Swansson. Having a professional write for us was a real pleasure. She always kept it real and made me chuckle like she used to when she was back at the Winnipeg Tribune.
WHT’s longest standing contributor is Darryl Manchulenko. I remember Darryl and I debating whether we should try doing a podcast. Darryl said, why not? We can’t be any worse than all the other podcasts out there. The first few podcasts were a little rough until we figured it out but we developed a pretty good rapport especially since we were never in the same room. I want to thank Darryl for his friendship and his terrific contribution to our podcast.
There is no single reason for wanting to take a step back from WHT and the WHT Podcast. I love my Winnipeg Jets and my Arizona Coyotes but I’ve been disenchanted with the game for a while now. I just love watching Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine, Max Domi, and Brendan Perlini play hockey but I can’t stand the NHL and where the game is right now. From the size of goalie equipment, the shootout, referees putting their hands on players when this was a major taboo in the past, the ridiculous scheduling, the loser point, gutless face washes and grabbing guys by the neck from behind in scrums, the officiating, the lack of respect players have for each other, and the constant tweaking of rules that get thrown by the wayside after a couple of seasons. All of this under Gary Bettman’s watch.
Also, Twitter used to be a lot of fun but the negativity, bickering and constant political (Trump) talk from hockey accounts I follow have become too much. It’s actually gotten worse since the election if that’s possible. This is not why I joined Twitter.
Running Winnipeg Hockey talk is/was a labour of love but it is very time-consuming. Writing articles, editing articles, researching, and re-tweeting articles on twitter takes up a lot of my day. I have let my physical fitness slip because of the time I spend sitting on my ass in front of my computer.
It’s time to get my golf game back in shape along with me getting myself back in shape.
Finally, I would like to thank our readers and our listeners. Winnipeg Hockey Talk actually did carve out a nice little niche in the Winnipeg hockey market. It was small but our readers and listeners were loyal and very supportive. Once again, THANK-YOU … THANK-YOU to you guys and gals.
I’m not foolish enough to say I won’t miss this or I won’t be coming back. I/We may be gone a month, or maybe a year. I don’t know. Until then keep cheering for the home team and keep your stick on the ice.
Mitch Kasprick
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First, thanks for the articles and podcasts. Luv’d ’em.
Second, congratulations on all the new-found freedom. Enjoy every second.
Third, hope George Bain is doing okay.
Finally, see ya’ around cyberspace – I hope.
Bye.
Thanks for your support Todd and I will definitely say hi to George for you.
I was really enjoying your new format of a 30-minute podcast, available Tuesday. If only the Jets could be as consistent. Hopefully this is a fleeting disenchantment and you & Darryl will be back soon.
to be honest there is probably a better chance of the podcast returning than the website unless somebody else takes the reins.
Geez, Mitch, just found out about this today. You stepped away from WHT two days after I put The River City Renegade on hold for an undetermined amount of time. Who knew taking a break was contagious.
I don’t know when, or if, the Renegade will be back and I see the same applies for you.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words. I enjoyed my brief time scribbling for WHT and reading what others wrote. Always made a point of reading the random thoughts.
Enjoy the golf.
I was shocked when I went to your page yesterday as well … you hinted at this a little while back but were right back at a few days later. It was a pleasure having you at WHT. Take care.
It’s too bad really, because I enjoy the honesty of Jets blogs. You read stuff on blogs that you’d never see in mainstream sports media.
Reading the Sun and Freep some days, you’d swear the Jets were in first place rather than battling to stay off the bottom of the heap. I think Ken Wiebe of the Sun, for example, has a man crush on Connor Hellebuyck. And the Freep ran a headline saying Pavelec was “near-perfect” in his first game after being called up. He let in three goals, for goodness sake. That’s “near-perfect” like I’m nearly Ivanka Trump.
Anyway, I don’t know when, or if, I’ll be back. I might bring the Renegade out of mothballs for the football season. Or I might write about general stuff instead of the Jets. Of I might just do my main blog about life. Don’t know.
I’ve often thought that instead of all the local sites competing we should amalgamate and lessen the workload
Interesting thought. It would take a special person to coordinate it all, though. And it would almost be like a full-time job. Don’t know of anyone who’d be up for that without being paid.
And, of course, egos would come into play. I don’t know the folks who run the other Jets blogs, but I’m guessing they believe their site is better than the others.
But maybe that’s something you should throw out there for the mob at Arctic Ice Hockey, HockeyBuzz and Jets Nation to chew on. They might have similar ideas, although I somehow doubt it. One never knows until one inquires, though.
Awww man…. It’s 2017. Jets suck. Trump is in office. Pace led is back in net, Patti no longer telling it like it is, now Mitch is throwing in the towel… I’m afraid to ask what’s next.
I always enjoyed your work Mitch! Enjoy the time off!
Brady
Thanks Brady … it was a lot of fun but even more hard work. We appreciated your support.
Thanks for all you have contributed to the followers of the Jets & Yotes, and to hockey fans in general. I have really enjoyed your input and opinions. I would be thrilled to buy you lunch at Skinners some time this summer. Thanks again !!!!
Thanks Wayne for taking the time to drop by … your support is GREATLY appreciated!