Well, the Center Ice free preview is over, and I won't lie--I'm a bit bummed out by that. 

If there are any folks out there thinking about renewing, or just considering their options in general for getting more hockey than they can (should) handle, let me offer my opinion of the NHL's official online offering, Gamecenter Live.  This is my second year as a subscriber to this service, and so far I've been pretty happy with it.

You can access the service via NHL.com.  This link should work to get information.

CONS:

It's not TV.  For many, online viewing just isn't feasable.  If it is, chances are your computer screen isn't as big as your TV screen, so there's also that to consider.  I get to watch caps games locally on CSN, but if you're unable to do that, you may prefer to get a TV package.

It's not free.  The prices changes as the season goes on, so I'm not going to quote prices, you can go to the website to check it out...but it's not "cheap".  It appears they are offering a deal though the 31st.  They do offer installment payments though, which helps.  Plus, if you're considering the Center Ice package on cable, then chances are you've already considered having to spend some money anyway.

Blackouts.  Of course, local market teams are blacked out, as well as any nationally televised games on Vs or NHL Network.  If you're relying solely on your computer for hockey viewing, these games won't be available.

PROS:

Quality.  I've been really happy with the overall improvements to the quality of the feeds this year.  My cable company only offers Center Ice in low-def feeds, and I can honestly say that the quality of the online feeds I get are much better than what I can get through my cable company.  If you have decent bandwidth and can get the 1600kbps feed, it's really crystal clear (and 16:9).  I've actually hooked my PC up to my TV and watched it that way, with great results.

It's not taking over my TV.  As I mentioned, I live in the DC area, and get Caps games broadcast locally, so I mainly use this service for non-Caps viewing, but I like being able to throw a game on my computer to watch in the background and still being able to watch other programming on my TV.

Reliability (& peace of mind).  The main reason I decided to post this was due to the amount of times I see folks struggling to find pirated online feeds of Caps and other hockey games.  Yeah, they're out there if you know where to look, but the availability and quality are always a question mark, and I've also heard several folks complain about getting viruses or malware on their computer after having visited one the pirate sites.  Plus, many consider it a "gray area" legally, so you kinda take a risk there as well--most likely nothing will ever come of it if you stream a game from one of "those sites", but you're not getting help if you screw up your PC either.  Not worth it in my opinion.

Portability.  You can take it with you!  Many times when I have had to go out of town to visit friends and/or family members or even travel on business I've watched games from my computer, whereas I couldn't have done that with a CI package from my cable provider.

Features.  There are a lot of other features available as well, like in-game stats and replays, plus you can watch multiple games.  I've never been able to actually use the multi-game feature myself, but if your ADD doesn't get the best of you maybe you'll enjoy this.

VERDICT:

No, it's not for everyone, but if you're looking for a non-market viewing option, it's definitely something to consider.  As I've already mentioned, I've been quite pleased with the service so far.  I just wish they'd make it free!

Anyone else kind of disappointed at the new pre-game introduction video being played at the Verizon Center for the first 2 games?

I have to admit that I was pretty sick of the "rock band" video from last year by the time the season ended (OK, I was sick of it by November), but I also think most of us were pretty fond of the Foo Fighter's "Pretender" opening video from the previous season, so many of us were kinda curious what they were going to for this season.

The heartbeat EKG and flames don't bother me at all, I can dig that I suppose, but I thought the lack of any kind of soundtrack was a bit of a let down.  I really like some upbeat, "let's get fired up!" tunes to start the hockey game and get everyone on their feet as Wes announces the lineups, and I didn't get that at all -- this years fanfare just isn't as hyped as we've come to expect the past couple of seasons.

Also, "Unleash the Red"?!?  Seems kinda lazy to me, it's just a combination of 2 previously popular battle cries this team has used.

I don't know, it appears quite a bit of production went into the video, and I'm not saying it should be scrapped, but it could definitely be improved upon...in my opinion.  What do you think?

H/T to "Your Nation's Capital" for providing a video link.

Update:  And here's the video on the Caps' website.

1.     My dad – so many people have listed the reason the reason they got into hockey is their dad’s love of the game, and while that might be true for me regarding baseball and football, but when it comes hockey, I've always loved it because it’s “my game”.  My dad, who actually grew up in a hockey hot zone on the great lakes never really got into the sport…so for me it’s “my thing”.

2.    It’s a “niche sport”…at least in the US – being a hockey fan in a place like a Baltimore suburb is rare thing…most of my friends don’t even “get it”…and that’s what makes it cool.  Everyone loves talking football and baseball…and basketball, but few around here can really talk hockey.  When you meet someone who follows the NHL and lives and dies hockey like I do, it’s like presenting a secret handshake--it’s easy to make an instant friend…even if they root for the for an enemy team, like the Pens.

3.    It’s non-stop.  If there’s one reason I really like watching international soccer games, it’s that it just keeps on going, like the energizer bunny.  No commercials, no stoppage in play, just a constant 45 of play per half….but then of course, it’s soccer.  Hockey isn’t quite as “non-stop”, but the action is constant.  I remember last year a certain date when my favorite hockey team and my favorite (American) football team were playing at the same time—I had both games on using 2 TVs, but I found myself constantly watching the hockey TV because frankly, when you have the two stacked up against each other, hockey is just harder to pull away from because football has about 10 seconds of play followed by minutes of downtime, whereas hockey just keeps on going….

4.    The new kid.  When I was in second grade, a new kid came to our school, and this wasn’t exactly a normal thing in the small suburban town from which I was from; and this kid also happened to be Canadian, which could have made him really different and awkward; but fortunately for him, he was a really “cool kid”.  A cool kid who couldn’t stop talking about how awesome the Edmonton Oilers were and how awesome one Wayne Gretzky was.  Of course, I wanted to be cool too, and so I decided that I also thought that the Edmonton Oilers were cool…and they just happened to win the Stanley Cup that year.  This was my introduction to NHL hockey, and I still own a classic, Gretzky-era Oilers jersey to this day.  This year was 1985.

5.    The International game – I was only 3 when the “Miracle on Ice” occurred, but for some reason I remember it happening.  Not so much that I remember watching the games, but I have a memory of my parents and their friends talking about it.  I also remember rooting for US hockey in the Olympics even before I really got into watching NHL hockey…in 84, 88, 92, etc…  Frankly, I think the Olympics were better when play was restricted to amateur players, but I also know that the NHL can’t stop NHL players from participating from Sochi in 2014 if they don’t want total chaos in their hands.

6.    Alex Ovechkin. 
As a Caps fan, do I even need to elaborate?

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I found this very random blog post while searching for something unrelated the other day.  Remarkable when you notice that date that this was posted (and what has occured since).

It can be easy to find shortcommings with this Captials team, but seeing something like this can help put things into perspective.  If my math and memory are correct, the Caps were 13-19-4 at this point last season (Christmas) and just starting to show signs of life, but things still looked pretty bleak.

Thanks to all the Caps, coaches and everyone else involved for making 2008 the best hockey year this fan has seen in quite a long time--keep up the good work!