It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No, it's not because of 8 nights of presents (yes, I enjoyed that well into my 20s). It's not about playing dreidel or lighting the menorah (sorry Mom). It's certainly not because of any reindeer games, or jingle bells (sorry Mr. Tebow).

While the Stanley Cup won't be awarded for another six months, two key dates on the hockey calendar have drawn near, and they couldn't be more different from one another. One is a right of passage for future NHL stars and has deep roots north of the border with interest having stretched from Victoria to St. John for decades. The other is of recent vintage, and if last year's premiere season has given any indication, it's that hockey is the ultimate form of reality TV. So on the eve of HBO's 24/7 Rangers-Flyers Road to the Winter Classic and less than two weeks from the opening faceoff of the World Junior Hockey Championships, let us (or perhaps in this case, just me) rejoice.

Besides holding a special place in my heart, the World Juniors and 24/7 are amongst the most effective marketing vehicles that the sport of hockey currently possesses. The only catch is that one of these seems to have been conceived solely for this purpose, while the other seems akin to the Tragically Hip: Revered in Canada and completely unknown in the United States.

Over the next few weeks I'll make a number of posts assessing the overall effectiveness of both 24/7 and the World Juniors as key marketing vehicles for the sport of hockey. In the meantime, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few highlights from last year's Penguins-Capitals Road to the Winter Classic, interspersed with a little Eberle magic from World Juniors past to whet your appetite.

Maxine Knightengale. Absolutely timeless.

Yes Pierre, I can believe it.

"Hockey won't hold still to give you a better look. You wouldn't want it to anyway."

Ladies and gentlemen of HBO, you've got your work cut out to top that one.

Yours in hockey,

JK