Behind the Blog: Japer’s Rink
Today’s Behind the Blog features Japers’ Rink, a blog run by Jon (more commonly known as JP) dedicated to covering the Washington Capitals and other NHL news. His daily roundups recap the previous night’s Caps game along with who would win the end of the year NHL awards if it was based solely on the previous night’s performances. Be sure to check out his blog if you don’t regularly read it already!Interested in answering 15 questions to be in next week’s Behind the Blog? Drop me an email or leave a comment to this post. Thanks guys!
Q.1 – What made you decide to create an online hockey blog and why did you name it Japers’ Rink?
I actually started writing the blog last summer while I was studying for the Maryland State Bar Exam. I needed to break up the monotony of studying (I’m sure you can relate) and thought a hockey blog would be a good way to do it, since I felt like I had some things to say on the subject and my fantasy hockey league was probably sick and tired of reading about it on our message board.
As for the name, “Japers†is sort of a spin on JP, but also a japer is “one who says or does something jokingly or mockingly†or “one who makes mocking fun of,†which is very fitting for me and this blog. Japers’ Rink sounded good, so I went with it, though if I had a nickel for every incorrect variation of it - Jasper’s Rink, Japer’s Rink, etc. - I’d have, well, a medium-sized handful of nickels.
Q.2 – What do you hope to accomplish with your blog over the next few years?
I don’t have any grandiose plans for The Rink, but from the start I’ve wanted to make my site sort of a homepage for Caps fans (and other hockey fans as well), somewhere fans would start their hockey-surfing day. I aim to aggregate all the Caps-related info out there, provide some analysis on it and other hockey issues, link to other hockey-related resources, and have a good amount of discussion on the team and the game, generally.
I also wouldn’t mind a co-contributor for the site, and would love to do a rivalry-type page a la the Battles of Alberta/Ontario, so if there are any Penguin (or similarly detestable team) fans interested, let me know. Of course, I’m not sure they have the internet in Western Pennsylvania yet, so that might be a problem.
Q.3 – When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
It was back in 1982-83 against the Islanders in the playoffs (the first time the Caps had ever made the postseason). I was eight and remember going out to the old Capital Centre in Landover with my dad, though I can’t remember the game itself.
Q.4 - Why is the Washington Capitals your favorite team? Where do you see them in 5 years?
They’re my favorite team because I’m a masochist. And because I’m from the D.C. area and my dad’s had season tickets for the past 20 or so years. From the time I was eight until I was 22, the Caps made the playoffs every year and they’ve had some great teams with great players, including Rod Langway, Scott Stevens and Mike Gartner on through recent stars like Peter Bondra, Olie Kolzig and some new Russian kid. Until very recently they’ve always been both competitive and entertaining (now they’re only usually competitive and frequently entertaining), and I latched onto them.
In five years I see the Caps as an annual contender. With Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Eric Fehr and whichever center they choose in this year’s draft, a stable of good forward prospects and a solid blueline of Steve Eminger, Shaone Morrisonn, Mike Green and Jeff Schultz (and who knows which other prospects will turn out to be the real deal), the only question mark may be in goal, and the ownership has shown that they are willing to open up the checkbook once the team is only a piece or two away from completing the puzzle.
Q.5 – Since you have seen him play throughout the season, what are your thoughts on rookie sensation Alexander Ovechkin?
He’s unreal. I’ve never seen a player that combines his speed, strength, scoring ability, physicality and, perhaps most importantly, love for the game. The rest of the world got to see some of that in Turin, but to see it night-in, night-out has been a real treat. If there’s a negative aspect to his game, he does try to do a little too much sometimes, but I chalk that up to being young, confident and not having the best supporting cast. As he gets older and the team gets better, he’ll become an even better player, as scary as that is to imagine.
Q.6 - Which team has surprised you with their performance thus far? Disappointed you?
Carolina has really surprised me. I looked at their roster on paper at the beginning of the year and didn’t see a playoff team. I’m still not sure how they’re getting it done, exactly, but there’s really no reason to think they’ll let up any time soon. As for disappointments, I thought San Jose would be a contender in the West - great goaltending, deep blueline, some talented forwards and an excellent coach. Similarly, I expected more out of the Bruins. And I’d say that the Penguins have been far worse than I expected, though that doesn’t disappoint me in the slightest.
Q.7 – If you had to predict two teams that will be in the Stanley Cup finals, which ones would you pick?
If I pick someone other than the Wings in the West, will you still post this? 
Actually, I think the Wings will come out of the West, but if Marty Turco somehow turns into a playoff goalie and Guerin remembers how to score, Dallas could be tough, as could Calgary or Nashville if their great goalies get hot. In the East, Ottawa needs Hasek back, but even with the Dominator, Carolina has shown that they can handle the Sens. I’ll make a surprise pick in the East, though - how about the Flyers? Once they get healthy and Bobby Clarke makes a move or two, they’re going to be tough to beat. You said predict seven teams, right?
Q.8 - Who is your favorite all time NHL player? Why?
I’ve had favorite players by era. As a young Caps fan, I loved Scott Stevens for his toughness and Bengt Gustafsson for his grit and offensive ability. Then in the early ‘90s I became a huge Peter Bondra fan - his speed and shot were so exciting to watch. Later in the ‘90s I became a big fan of Olie Kolzig because of all he has meant to the team both on and off the ice. Now, it’s hard not to love Alex Ovechkin. But my favorite of all-time is probably Rod Langway. When he came to D.C. he turned the franchise around and ushered in 15 or so years of (relative) success. Remember when the Norris Trophy was given to defensemen who played defense? That was Langway.
Q.9 - What are your thoughts on the 2006 Winter Olympics and its outcome concerning the Ice Hockey tournament?
I think the tournament is better in theory than in practice. Can you really expect great hockey when you basically have all-star teams flying across the ocean for one or two practices before playing 7 or 8 games in 11 days? But it was a bit of a coming out party for Alex Ovechkin, so to that end it made me happy. I think the elephant in the room that no one’s talking about is that early US and Canadian exits exposed the inability of the North American game to translate to the international ice surface. As much as the “new NHL†has opened up the ice, the game over here is still a relative clutchfest interrupted by all-too-frequent powerplay (not that I don’t love it).
Q.10 - Which division do you think has been the most competitive this season?
Probably the Northwest. You’ve got all five teams within 12 points with the top three separated by just two points. The last place team (Minnesota) is only five points out of the playoffs as I write this - pretty tight.
Q.11 – Aside from the many things you wrote in your blog, what did you enjoy most about your trip to the owner’s box with Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals?
Winning. The night would have been much different had the Caps lost, but it was a good, hard-hitting game that the home team won, which put everyone in good spirits and provided us with the opportunity to go to the locker room afterwards to meet the team. Had the game gone the other way, it still would have been a nice night, but the win made it nearly perfect.
Q.12 – What did you do to pass time during the NHL lockout?
Graduated from law school and passed the Bar. But honestly, looking back on it, I have no idea how I made it through last winter. I mean, “Lost†wasn’t that compelling.
Q.13 - For your daily roundup posts, you post the winners of popular NHL awards if it had been based on the previous night’s performances. When and why did you start doing that feature?
I don’t recall when I started doing it, but it goes back to my desire to be part of people’s daily routine. By providing people with a quick recap of what went on the night before and acknowledging impressive performances without much editorializing, it’s a quick stop to start your hockey day. To be honest, I figured the feature would spark more discussion - people disagreeing over who was the best defenseman of the night, etc. - but I guess I’m always right.
Q.14 - What advice would you give to fellow hockey bloggers, especially newcomers?
Chickity-check yo self before you wreck yo self ‘cause shotgun bullets are bad for your health. Yeah, you know who you are. Just kidding. I’d say the key is focus. The most successful blogs, I find, are the most narrowly-tailored - there are tons of hockey blogs out there. The easy way to distinguish yourself is to do so by the subject matter you cover (the hard way to distinguish yourself, btw, is to be really really good at what you do). The more specific your blog is, the easier it is to find an audience and it also helps you to focus your writing.
Q.15 - Is there a hockey blog or website that you look up to for inspiration?
Eric at Off Wing has been tremendously helpful to me on more than a few occasions, and his blog is both informative and insightful. I love Jes Golbez’s blog - wicked sense of humor, appropriately snarky and condescending. As I alluded to above, I like the rivalry sites (Alberta/Ontario) a lot as well - trash talking is such an integral part of hockey and being a third-party observer to buddies (I think) dishing it back and forth in a friendly manner is great fun. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Capitol Punishment, a Washington Nationals blog that is probably the most comprehensive and entertaining team-specific blog I’ve ever seen.
Any additional comments?
If Esa Tikkanen didn’t miss that empty net in Game 2 of the 1998 Cup Finals, the series would’ve gone back to Washington tied 1-1 and anything could have happened from there. Sigh. On the plus side, I did get to meet the Wings at the White House the following January.
JP’s photos from the event:
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