The Internet age

CARDIFF,U.K- The 21st century has marked a revolution in communications. The power and scope of the internet have allowed news to be delivered instantly and discussion to commence seconds later. We’re now experiencing things which did not seem possible just a decade ago and more and more organisations are learning the importance of the internet in communicating with their stakeholders. The internet can work for you, but can also work against you.
Over recent years we’ve seen the birth of magazines that exist solely on-line (like this one). Bloggers have brought corporations to their knees and ended the careers of television personalities, remember Dan Rather? The infamous Christian Bale rant on what was supposed to be the closed set of Terminator Salvation circulated across the globe in hours.
In contrast, Sacha Baron Cohen and Eminem’s ‘close encounter’ at the MTV movie awards just days ago has been viewed by millions on YouTube already. (No doubt to the benefit of Cohen and Eminem’s upcoming respective film and album releases). Most notably of course, the US now has its first black President. Barack Obama achieved a massive swell of support (and donations) by utilizing the internet to connect to groups in a way they had never been connected with before.
Hockey has embraced this technology to interact with fans more and more. Fans can now vote for their all-star line-up by taking a few moments to cast a vote online. European hockey fans can catch up on the best and most crucial moments from the NHL without having to stay awake until 5am.
With hockey’s attempts to embrace the European market this is crucial. Of course, I should have written ‘ fans in Europe’, as the many North American hockey fans living in Europe can still feel a part of the ‘NHL community’ thanks to the vast array of media content available online that can be viewed at a time and place that suits them.
I recently took part in what I believe is a first for the Cardiff Devils franchise; a live fans webchat with Cardiff Devils head coach Gerad Adams. This, in my opinion, is sure to be a concept that will grow and grow until it becomes a staple part of hockey and professional sports as a whole.
Ok…I’ve been writing about the President of the United States and now I’m writing about a minor league hockey club in the UK. However, the principle stands. Who’s to say this form of communication will not end up a weekly ritual for NHL head coaches in years to come?
Adams took questions from anybody that had access to the internet during a Friday lunchtime. The questions ranged from player recruitment to players Adams would like to drop the gloves with next season.  As a writer for PHN, I’ve found it a privilege to have access to figures within the game. I’ve interviewed Adams before, but this time thought I’d get the full experience by e-mailing in my own questions through the webchat.
Within minutes of writing each question, I had an answer from Adams on the web for all to see. I’ll repeat them now for those who missed it.
I asked Adams what the make-up of his team would be next season. “Honestly, for a long time I have had a plan of going with seven import forwards and three import D” was his reply.
I also asked whether the strength of the new ownership had helped with his recruiting. “It has. That comes down to Matt and Fleur Burge and everybody who works at the club. The front office is important to us and they all did a great job last year, which makes my job easier,” Adams said.
Enough about me, a number of great questions showered in from all directions, so much so that the webchat exceeded it’s time limit. If an answer to a question you put to Adams is below, then thank you. This article would not have been possible without you.
Adams had high praise for new signing Mark Richardson; “I believe he is one of premier British D-men. With only half a season under his belt he is already that good and he will improve.”
“Richie is brought in to be a skating puck moving D-man. He will improve as the year goes on. I intend spending a lot of time with him to improve his game. He wants to improve as a defenseman first and then the offence will come. He will be one of the best signings of the year throughout the league.”
After weeks of speculating fans learned direct from Adams that; “Mark Smith is unfortunately priced out of our League.” He was; “in contact with Sly (Sylvain Deschatelets) and unfortunately his asking price was too high. And, (Tyson) “Teplitsky almost certainly won’t be back.”
Fans also learned that;
“Matt (Elich) is another player whose price has gone up. I have spoken to Matt through e-mail and he is also looking at mainland Europe.” And, “talks have started” with Max Birbraer.
It was a mixed bag of news for the fans who learned that some of their favourite players would not represent the Cardiff franchise, but Adams’ transparency earned their respect and confidence.
The key to this concept, is trust; a core element in any successful organisation’s relationship with its stakeholders. In the age of the internet, it’s something that is constantly under attack – from business competitors to individuals with internet access. Organisations are fighting back, by aiming to be (or to appear) as transparent as possible.
With Adams’ adoption of a refreshing openness and refusal to turf out pre-prepared media friendly answers, the Devils showed how it can and should be done. Not only did fans get a fascinating insight into Adams’ recruitment process, but the Devils (and importantly the organisations’ head coach) have enhanced their reputation with one of its key stakeholders – the fans. Contact the author at Aled.lloyd@prohockeynews.com