User talk:JGBC17

The impact of Twitter on the National Hockey League (NHL)
The number of Players, Coaches, GM’s and Owners in the NHL using Twitter

The numbers constantly fluctuates due to the fact the many associated with NHL stop using Twitter, because of personal preference or in some cases due to negative feedback from that user’s followers and new accounts of those associated with NHL are being created almost daily.

As of 13/03/12…

Players (approximately 690 players currently on a team in the NHL) – approximately 155 players currently using Twitter

Coaches (30 head coaches, 90 assistant coaches) – 0 coaches currently using Twitter ''*Ron Wilson (Toronto Maple Leafs) was using Twitter, but was relieved of his duties as head coach this season '' GM’s (30 General Managers) – approximately 2 General Manager’s using Twitter; Brian Burke (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Mike Gillis (Vancouver Canucks)

Owners (30 Owners) – approximately 1 NHL owner using Twitter; Geoff Molson (Montreal Canadiens)

NHL’s Policy on Twitter Use

The policy, the NHL Social Media Policy for League and Club Personnel, governs both players and hockey operations staff and is designed to promote the value of social media as a tool for communication with fans. It also highlights issues surrounding social media, as well as limits the use of social media by players and hockey operations staff on game days.

As per the new policy, there is a total "blackout period" on the use of social media on game days, which for players begins two hours prior to opening face-off and is not lifted until players have finished their post-game media obligations. The suggested blackout period for hockey operations staff is longer, beginning at 11 a.m. on game days.

Also, the new policy makes it clear that players and club personnel will be held responsible for their social communications in the same manner in which they are held responsible for other forms of public communications. As a result, discipline is possible for any social media statements that have or are designed to have an effect prejudicial to the welfare of the League, the game of hockey or a member club, or are publicly critical of officiating staff.

Prior to this policy being implemented in September of 2011, there were no rules or regulations in place for anyone in the NHL using Twitter.

Number of Followers

The amount of followers that people associated with NHL varies between a few thousand and 238,000+ (those 238’000+ followers belong to Paul Bissonnete of the Phoenix Coyotes aka @BizNasty2point0). The average amount of followers for those in the NHL on twitter is roughly 30,000 to 40,000.

Examples of the consequences and advantages of freedom of speech being used by those associated in the NHL on Twitter

-	Raffi Torres is the teammate of Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0). Torres himself is not a member of Twitter. The Phoenix Coyotes were having their annual Halloween party. Bissonnette throughout the night was posting pictures of some of the better costumes his teammates were wearing on Twitter. He posted a picture of Torres dressed up as Jay-Z. Torres is Caucasian and after the Twitter world saw that he dressed as an African American rap artist, the backlash came at a rapid pace. Many accused Torres’s decision to dress as Jay-Z as racist. Many media members follow Bissonnette on Twitter and thus the story made headline news a few days later.

-	Doug Maclean (@DougMclean), an analyst with Rogers Sportsnet learned first-hand the possible consequences for speaking your mind on Twitter. After a controversial hit made by Raffi Torres last season while he was playing with the Vancouver Canucks, the league suspended Torres 3 games for the hit. After learning of his suspension, Torres said that if he does make the hit, he will be out of a job. Maclean decided to go to Twitter to express his opinion on Torres’s comments; stating “Saw raffi torres comment. “If I don’t make that hit I will be out of job” No Raffi, continue to make that hit, you will be out of the game...” He immediately began receiving copies amounts of vulgar and hatful responses by Canucks fans that followed him on Twitter. It got so bad that Doug Maclean choose to stop using Twitter. This year, Maclean decided to start using Twitter again and now frequently blocks users that posts hateful comments to him.

-	Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) the player with the most followers on Twitter has been attributed by many to the increase in NHL players using Twitter. Bissonnette plays very limited minutes with the Phoenix Coyotes. Many times throughout the year he is made a healthy scratch by his coach. He only averages roughly 5 minutes a game and is known his toughness and fighting skills. Players of his stature don’t normally receive a lot of attention and endorsement deals. But with Bissonnette’s popularity on Twitter, he has made an exception to that rule. He is now sponsored by Sauce Hockey, Designer Clothing. He has become one of the most popular players in the league and even Bissonnette will admit it is not because of his hockey skills. Many very famous celebrities follow Bissonnette on Twitter and he continues to rub shoulders with some of the rich and famous in North America due to Twitter.

-	Even NHL Players look to Twitter for information

Michael Cammalleri (@MCammalleri93) was traded this year from the Montreal Canadiens to the Calgary Flames mid-season. The trade happened during one of the Montreal Canadiens regular season games. After the second period, Cammalleri was pulled from the Canadiens bench and sent to a hotel and was told to await word as to where he had been traded. The NHL media on Twitter was exploding with speculation as to where he might end up. Many media members have connections and are able to find out information such as this before it reaches main stream media such as television. The media that find this information out will then usually post it to Twitter so they can be the first to leak the information to the public. Knowing all this, Ryan Whitney (@ryanwhiney6) of the Edmonton Oilers made a very interesting post on his Twitter account which some insight into how Twitter has changed the way players themselves find out things such as trades. He posted “The funny this is Cammalleri is checking twitter just as often as everyone else right now. 50/50 that’s how he finds out where he is going”.

Players can now freely speak their mind, even if it goes against the organization they play for

Prior to the birth of Twitter, members of the NHL had to go out of their way to express their views directly to fans and media members. Players would have scheduled press conferences and be interviewed after games. Those comments were seen and heard directly by all of their peers and everyone in their organization. Twitter has given every player in the NHL an unfiltered platform to say whatever is on their mind. No longer do players just give cliché answers to the same questions asked by media members. Now players can comment on incidents, trades, etc. on Twitter without question and not have to worry about immediate consequences if they were to express these comments in a television interview or press conference.

Twitter has given NHL fans a new and intimate way to connect with their hockey idols

Anyone that is a member of Twitter has the ability to follow any of the members of the NHL that have Twitter accounts. For those that cannot afford to go to see their favorite players play live and get a chance to meet and talk to the players after the game, can now try and connect with them through Twitter. Fans constantly send NHL players messages on Twitter asking for the player to re-tweet their message to every one of the player’s followers to acknowledge that the hockey star has noticed them. Many NHL players wish happy birthday to fans that follow them and ask for a birthday shout-out. If fans don’t like the questions that players are being asked by the media, they can take to Twitter and ask the player themselves. There is no guarantee the player will respond, but lots of players do and more and more. NHL players continue to join Twitter and become more active and interactive with their followers.

References

www.nhl.com www.twitter.com www.sportsnet.ca www.espn.com

--JGBC17 (talk) 23:48, 13 March 2012 (UTC)