Goal Line Report
Interview with a Rangers Blogger
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/06/09 at 08:28 PM ET
Comments (0)
Here at Kukla’s Korner, I like to promote the work of other hockey bloggers out there. It’s only right considering that they link to us here at Kukla’s Korner.
Today, I would like to introduce you to Nicholas Montemagno of The Rangers Tribune, a blog dedicated to all things New York Rangers.
Nicholas was kind enough to take some time to do an e-mail interview with us to tell us about how he got hooked on hockey, the New York Rangers, how he got into blogging and his thoughts on the current team.
PH: How did you first get into hockey?
NM: Well, I was born in 1994, the Rangers cup year, but obviously I was too young to get caught in all the hype. My parents were a part of the Blueshirt faithful, so they kind of introduced me to the sport.
I would always attend/watch Rangers games as a kid, but it was not until the year after the lockout that that I became dedicated to the team. The addition Jaromir Jagr, who was a household name among hockey families at the time, had me extremely excited and I quickly became attached to the sport and began to play it.
PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team and player? Why?
NM: My favorite player growing up was actually New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. For one thing, I have always admired everything that goes into being a netminder as well as the position itself. I think the specific reason I fell in love with Mike was because of his competitiveness and tremendous work ethic. Richter was undoubtedly one of the most competitive goalies to ever play the game, and that drove him right to a Stanley Cup Championship with New York. He also had a spectacular off-ice personality and demeanor.
Now of course I was at Madison Square Garden for Richter’s retirement ceremony and I feel to this day that it was one of the most special events I have ever been a part of in my life. The thought of taking a paramount career and combining it all into one night of celebration is truly incredible. I will never forget that night.
PH: At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a hockey blogger?
NM: I only started blogging this past January, believe it or not. I was a frequent poster on online forums, mainstream blogs etc., but I just wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to contribute to the Rangers community in a special way, so after talking with several Blueshirt Bloggers, I began my own site.
At first, pretty much no one knew about it, but as time went on, the amount of visitors going to the site grew exponentially, and still is. Every month there is a higher total of visitors, and now we are beginning to form a great community of frequent readers who leave comments as well.
PH: How did you get your start as an online hockey blogger? Tell us about some of the outlets, if any, that you blogged for previously.
NM: It was sort of a spur of the moment thing. One day I just decided to start the blog and begin sharing my feelings about the team with other fans. I did not blog for any other outlets, but since blogging, I have been invited to be a writer on the well-known Rangers fan site Blueshirt Banter (http://www.blueshirtbanter.com), which some of my Rangers Tribune articles are also posted on.
Now I do not like to toot my own horn, but I have received many accolades for what I do, as well as much recognition. People are amazed at how such a young kid can run a site and bee so diligent in his efforts. I have even been contacted by the television channel VERSUS (broadcasts hockey games every Tuesday and Wednesday) for advertising purposes, so you can find their logo on my site as well.
PH: Tell us about your blog, The Rangers Tribune.
NM: I often am questioned as to why I chose the name “Rangers Tribune”, so I guess I will start by explaining that. I sort of did it after the famous newspaper “The Chicago Tribune” which is a daily paper in the great city of Chicago. That is basically what I wanted to establish here, a site that is updated daily and gives readers updates on anything and everything concerning their beloved team.
On the site, I provide pregame and postgame analysis before and after every Ranger game. In addition to that, I post updates from each and every practice courtesy of Steve Zipay and Andrew Gross (Beat Writers for the NYR), as well as any other news surrounding the team. With the new addition of twitter, news comes through rapidly, so when/if something breaks I have it up fairly quickly. When nothing else is going on, I do write ups on side stories either about the Rangers or within the NHL, providing my analysis on the specific content.
I also have exclusive coverage at times with my interview portion of the site. So far, I have interviewed Andrew Gross (beat writer, mentioned above) and Stan Fischler (well known hockey analyst who can be found on MSG Network and recently wrote his own book). I only introduced the feature this past summer, which is why I have only had two guests, but I am looking to get another person to answer my questions sometime around the holidays.
The blog is not the only place you can follow the Rangers Tribune, by the way, as I am also on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rangerstribune. Live game updates as well as links to all of my posts are available there. Updates are usually posted instantly there before they are up on the blog so if you really want updates within minutes of them occurring, you can follow me there.
The site has come a long way since its birthday on January 10, 2009.
PH: What are you looking to bring to readers who come to your blog?
NM: I look to provide fans with everything they want to know about their New York Rangers from a younger point of view. I know I enjoy reading various opinions on topics, so that is what I look to give to my readers. Different, fresh perspectives on things are always great, and that is what I bring to the table, as I am a hockey player myself, so I have a respectable understanding of the game and the emotions within it.
PH: Onto some actual hockey talk: Tell us your thoughts on the current Rangers season. Surprises, disappointments, etc.
NM: Where to begin? Well, I feel that they are a better team than what they have showed in the past month. Lack of scoring has been a major problem and things are going wrong at the wrong times for this team, and that is really what is dragging them down. However, it is a learning process with several rookies in this year’s lineup, a ton of new faces, and the first full year under John Tortorella.
No, they are not cup contenders or anything, that is obvious, but they can be a playoff team if certain players can begin to get their game back. I do not think that they will be legitimate contenders until at least one of the three useless contracts are removed (Drury, Rozsival, Redden) and I would prefer Rozsival be moved before anyone else.
As for surprises, I would have to say Vinny Prospal, Mike Del Zotto, Artem Anisimov, and Matt Gilroy. All four had high expectations coming in, but all four have already exceeded those expectations. Then you have Marian Gaborik, who is not really a surprise, but just a dominant player. Gabs has been this entire team at times, and is accounting for about 50% of the offense, which is a good and a bad thing.
Henrik Lundqvist has not played as well as he may prefer, but he still has been one of the better players on the squad—no surprise. You cannot really blame him for allowing three goals a game when his defense does not give him much help. The Rangers need to improve as a whole and as a team, and then they will be effective. It cannot always be individual performances that carry them.
I will make a prediction saying that the Blueshirts will once again limp into the playoffs, but it will not be an easy task.
PH: Any words of wisdom for our readers at Kukla’s Korner?
NM: Kukla’s Korner is one of the better hockey sites on the net when it comes to getting “up to the minute” news posted, in my opinion anyway. Mr. Hoffman here is a very hard worker and does a phenomenal job with his blog. Part of the reason I did this interview is because I would love for my site to be associated with this one, as it brings a great amount of credibility along with it. I recommend to keep on viewing the site each and every day to be updated with the most interesting and attention grabbing stories in the NHL. And if you do not already, follow Kukla’s Korner on Twitter for constant hockey information about all teams.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Tribune,
Comments
Be the first to comment.
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
An E-mail Interview with Sean Hartnett of WFAN.com
Devils’ Late Goal Sinks Rangers’ Comeback Efforts
Some Nasty Moments in The Rangers/Devils’ Rivalry
Looking for Answers Tonight in Game 5
Prust to Have Hearing Tomorrow
About Goal Line Report
Patrick has a tremendous passion for hockey. Besides covering the Rangers and the NHL for Kukla’s Korner, you can also find Patrick’s work over at Sportsnet.ca, The Red Light District Hockey Blog, NHL Home Ice, and Liam Maguire’s Ultimate Hockey web site.
Prior to writing for the above mentioned outlets, you could find Patrick’s musings at hockey web sites/outlets such as TheHockeyNews.com, TheFourthPeriod.com, Spector’s Hockey, Hokeja Vestnesis, Blueshirt Bulletin, SNYRangersBlog.com and many more.
For questions, comments and hip checks, feel free to e-mail Patrick at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Watch great hockey at a low price with Dish Network Specials
