If you’re like me and you can’t get enough hockey, then simply just watching Ducks games likely doesn’t quench your thirst. Over the years, I have found dozens of sites and apps that have scratched whatever itch has come up on my hockey journey. Below, I have compiled a list of my favorite resources for my various hockey needs. I’m sure many names on this list are familiar to you, but I want to give a breakdown of how I use these sites and what kind of information they can provide.
News and Articles
The Athletic is the sports branch of the New York Times. In terms of sports journalism, it is tough to find a better one-stop-shop for whatever piece of sports news you are searching for. The website is divided by the sport (or league) of interest. As Ducks fans, we are only really concerned with the NHL portion of the site, as that is where we can find team pages with all the recent Ducks-related articles. Eric Stephens (@icemancometh), formerly of the OC Register, is the Ducks beat writer on the site. Unfortunately, Stephens has recently taken on the beats of both the Kings and Sharks, so his coverage is not as regular as it once was. Still, even with three teams on his plate, Stephens does a great job posting semi-regular articles on all the big Ducks news, as well as pieces that look ahead to the future.
In addition to Stephens, The Athletic boasts a stable of impressive writers who post articles with tidbits on all 32 NHL teams. Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman post prospect reports and rankings. Dom Luszczyszyn has a player card series that uses analytics to grade the performance of every player in the league. Pierre LeBrun has all the latest rumblings on trade talk and free agency. Each article that mentions the Ducks will pop up on the Ducks team page, even if the article isn’t directly about Anaheim.
Disclaimer – It is important to mention that The Athletic is not a free platform. The current cost of a subscription is $1.99 per month. I understand that may not be worth it for many people. However, speaking for myself, I find the price is very fair for how much I use the site, especially since it gives access to articles in all sports, not just hockey.
The Hockey News was founded in 1947 as a hockey magazine. These days, they still have a regular print issue, but they also post regular articles on their website. For a long time, they did not have any Ducks-focused content. However, they recently hired both Derek Lee (@Derek_Lee27) and Patrick Present (@PatrickCPresent) as contributors to their new Ducks team page. Derek posts more regular, day-to-day coverage of the team, especially during the season where he posts expected lineups and firsthand quotes from players and coaches. Patrick, on the other hand, deals more with team analysis, including pieces on management, prospects, and systems. Derek and Patrick are both relatively new to writing about the Ducks, but they are both doing a wonderful job creating content for fans.
Highlights and Updates
Twitter/X
Twitter/X is the ultimate destination for instantaneous news, videos, and updates. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the site, so I won’t go into detail about it and instead I will just name a few of my favorite follows.
The Anaheim Ducks main account (@AnaheimDucks) is an obvious shout. For most official Ducks-related news, they will be the first to post about it. I already mentioned Eric Stephens, Derek Lee, and Patrick Present, but I will mention them again because they provide excellent coverage of Ducks news and games. If you want to stay up to date with all the Ducks prospects outside of the NHL, then I cannot recommend Ducks Prospects (@DucksProspects) enough. I do not know who is behind the account, but whoever it is does an incredible job of posting regular updates on virtually every game in which any Ducks prospect is participating. Seriously, this person provides such a wonderful service to Ducks fans. For national news and NHL player movement, there is nobody better than Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC). You know it’s legitimate news if he posts something about it. There are countless other Ducks-centric accounts out there. The beauty of Twitter/X is that there is something for everyone and you can react to live events with other people in real time.
NHL’s official website is far from perfect, but it’s highlight packages are a useful resource to use if you want to see what happened in a game you missed. Every game page houses a short game recap showing the goals and the biggest saves from the game. There is also a goal summary section on each game page that allows you to pick a singular goal to watch.
Podcasts
Ducks Stream
Ducks Stream is the Ducks’ official 24/7 audio network. Not only can you listen to live audio broadcasts of all Ducks games on Ducks Stream, but it also is home to exclusive podcasts covering all aspects of the team. Host Alexis Downie has done a wonderful job building up her flagship “Light the Lamp” show where she goes over Ducks news and interviews big names from all over the world of hockey. Former Duck and Southern California native Emerson Etem also has his own show on top of his new color commentating role. Other shows on Ducks Stream include interviews with current Ducks players, Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek, and legendary Ducks players. If you are looking for audible Ducks content, there is no better place to go than Ducks Stream. For more information, here is the link to the Ducks Stream page on the Ducks’ website: Ducks Stream.
32 Thoughts
If you are looking for the best source of general hockey news, then Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek is my recommendation for you. Both hosts have been in the hockey business for years, and their borderline obsession with hockey news and trivia will make sure you learn something in every episode. In terms of breaking news and discussing legitimate rumors, there is no comparison to 32 Thoughts. With their reputation, they are also able to get some of the best interviews in hockey, and they typically get the best out of their guests.
Spittin’ Chiclets
The most popular hockey podcast out there, Spittin’ Chiclets has exploded in recent years. It will not be everybody’s cup of tea given its raunchiness and locker room humor. However, while that aspect of the show turns some people away, it also is a major reason why it is such a success. Spittin’ Chiclets is hosted by former NHL players Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette. They have connections all throughout the hockey world, allowing them to interview almost anybody. Spittin’ Chiclets made its name by pulling back the curtain on players, showcasing their favorite stories and their personalities. Hockey players are typically very reserved, but Chiclets has the uncanny ability to open them up and let the audience see that they are more than just athletes. If you are looking for a hockey podcast that leans more toward entertainment, then Chiclets is my top choice for you.
The Athletic Hockey Show
The hockey arm of The Athletic has its own podcast where its many writers collaborate on multiple episodes every week. The frequency of their shows allows them to stay up to date on all the latest hockey news. Their prospect writers come together to do a show most weeks to go over the latest draft information and take mailbag questions from the audience. So, if you have a burning prospect question, you can shoot them a message and there is a decent chance they will answer it on the show. The volume of episodes they put out will give you something to listen to whenever you are looking for a hockey podcast to pass the time.
The Hockey PDOcast
This podcast was created for hockey nerds like me. Host Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) has a fantastic network of hockey’s brightest minds. If you want to learn about goaltending, he has goaltending expert Kevin Woodley regularly come on and explain the nuances of the most important position in the game. Daryl Belfry is a prestigious skills coach, and he dissects video with Filipovic to see how the best players in the game make things happen. Then there’s frequent guest Jack Han, who is a former professional coach who specializes in tactics and systems. Filipovic has a recurring guest for nearly every sector of the game of hockey. One thing I appreciate about Filipovic is that he clearly does a lot of research to make sure his takes aren’t just lazy, regurgitated information that you can hear from anybody. He puts a lot of work into his shows, and he surrounds himself with people who know what they are talking about. If you want to feel more knowledgeable about the game of hockey and learn something new with every episode, then check out The Hockey PDOcast.
Game Reports and Stats
The worldwide leader in sports has the best website and app for game reports, stats, and box scores. Their resources are fluid, easy to navigate, and easy to read, making for a great user experience.
Elite Prospects (EP) is a fantastic resource for big hockey fans. While EP has made its name through prospect and draft reports/rankings, its database of hockey players of all levels and leagues is as good as it gets. ESPN is my choice when it comes to game reports, but in terms of statistics for individual players, EP can’t be beat (HockeyDB would be a close second). Each player’s page has links to yearly stats for the teams they have played on, which allows the user to give more context to their raw numbers. There is so much information on EP that it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole and spend hours learning about players, prospects, and Hall of Famers.
Community Message Boards
HF Boards is an offshoot of an old prospect website called Hockey’s Future. The prospect site is now defunct, but HF Boards is alive and populated with hockey fans everywhere. Every team has its own page filled with threads dedicated to any topic that fans want to discuss, including prospects, players, team news, and free agency/trade talk. There are also main boards where fans of all teams can talk about NHL news, trade proposals, popular draft prospects, and international tournaments. You are exposed to many different thoughts and opinions, giving you the opportunity to be a more informed hockey fan.
Reddit is a popular community site that houses pages dedicated to almost every topic imaginable. Joining the Anaheim Ducks Reddit page (r/AnaheimDucks) will give you access to posts from Ducks fans from all over the world. If you are like me, then you don’t have too many close friends with whom you can discuss the Ducks, but Reddit brings together people who share a common interest in a singular place.
Salary Cap Information
Quite possibly my favorite website, CapFriendly is the ultimate resource for NHL salary cap information. The homepage lists out every team sorted by their total cap hit, letting the user get quick snapshot of every team’s cap situation. You can visit team pages that have every player’s cap hit and remaining contract term laid out in an easy-to-read list. Team pages also contain a team’s current draft picks, recent roster moves, and injury updates. Beyond team pages, you can view upcoming free agent classes and find players that fit whatever criteria you want using dozens of filtering options. Another useful part of CapFriendly is its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) FAQ page. For the average fan, the CBA is much too complicated and cumbersome to read, so CapFriendly has a page dedicated to popular questions that fans have about specific elements of the CBA, including pages on waivers, buyouts, long-term injured reserve (LTIR). One other popular feature on CapFriendly is Armchair GM. For those of you that have ever played an NHL videogame, this is essentially a franchise or season mode where you can build a roster using the current roster of a team as a base. So, if you want to see the Ducks’ cap situation if they were to sign Steven Stamkos, Brett Pesce, and/or Sam Reinhart, you can put in their contract details to see how they fit. CapFriendly offers even more than what I’ve described here, and I highly recommend anyone reading this to spend time on their site if you want to learn more about the team-building and financial side of the sport.
*Unfortunately, we recently learned that the Washington Capitals have purchased CapFriendly and will be shuttering the site on July 5, shortly after free agency begins. Puck Pedia is the best alternative to CapFriendly and will likely be my new go-to hockey site.
Advanced Statistics
If you like numbers, then you will like Natural Stat Trick. NST uses NHL tracking data to create reports for every game and aggregates all that data over a season to create season reports. One of its most useful features is its on-ice metrics, measuring the events that take place while a certain player is on the ice to see if that player’s team is controlling the puck while he is playing while also giving extra context to those numbers (teammates, opposition, zone starts, etc.). NST also measures “expected goals” based on shot location, meaning it is a measure that takes the quality of scoring chance into account (i.e. a shot from center ice is not equal to a shot from the slot in terms of likeliness of creating a goal). Like CapFriendly, you can get lost learning about how players are performing on the ice.
Money Puck is another advanced statistic site, but it is more user-friendly and more pleasing to the eye than Natural Stat Trick. If you are new to advanced statistics and want to learn more, I recommend MP’s Glossary where they explain the most popular advanced stat terminology. Some of MP’s most popular features include performance of line combinations, advanced goalie statistics, and team metrics. MP would be my choice for someone interested in getting into advanced statistics in hockey.
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