CanesAllStars blog to Assist NHL All-Star Game voting (revised)
Posted by gercohen on December 1, 2006
Original Assignment for Module 12: Draft a press release on behalf of your organization or publication. You choose the topic or purpose. Post to your blog.
Module 15 assignment: Complete final revisions on your press release (Module 12) and post to your blog.
For More Information Contact:
Gerry F. Cohen
(919)247-xxxx
CAROLINA HURRICANES FAN BLOG
TO HELP COORDINATE NHL ALL-STAR GAME VOTING
CanesAllStars helps fans vote for Ward, Brind’Amour, Cole and Staal
in online balloting beginning November 15; hanging chads gone
Raleigh, NC, November 12 – Fans Sound Off, a website that helps Carolina Hurricanes hockey fans to connect with each other on message boards and blogs has announced plans to launch a “CanesAllStars” blog devoted to Canes fan online balloting for the 2007 National Hockey League All-Star game to be held January 24 in Dallas. The blog will link the online ballot for Canes hockey fans, and have sections for fans to comment on the Canes nominees and encourage others to get involved. According to the NHL, fan balloting begins November 15 and ends January 2, 2007.
The NHL released the official 100-player ballot list on Friday, which includes Carolina Hurricanes forwards Rod Brind’Amour, Erik Cole, and Eric Staal, as well as goalie Cam Ward. For the first time, all fan voting will be online. For Ward and Staal, this is their first time on the All-Star ballot. Brind’Amour played in the 1992 All-Star game while a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Cole has been on the All-Star ballot.
Fans will be able to vote and enter a sweepstakes once per day. The top vote-getting goalie, three forwards, and two defensemen in each conference will be the starting lineup for the game to be held at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The past six years, in-arena punch paper ballots and ballot boxes supplemented the online voting, but this year the NHL has eliminated the paper ballots and hanging chads. Fan in-arena paper balloting began in 1985. Sweepstakes prizes including a trip for two to the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, Mark Messier autographed jerseys, and NHL 2K7 video games will be awarded in a random drawing among voters.
Brind’Amour, captain of the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, was acquired by the Hurricanes on January 23, 2000 in a trade with the Flyers. He has played 1,205 NHL games, tallying 388 goals and 616 assists for a total of 1,004 points, the 72nd player in NHL history to surpass the 1,000 point threshold. As of today, his 17 assists this season are 4th in the NHL, while his 23 points are 7th. Brind’Amour is a native of Ottawa, Canada.
Staal, a center for the Hurricanes, is a Thunder Bay, Ontario native. Staal was the Canes 1st round choice (2nd overall) in the 2003 NHL entry draft. He has tallied 151 points in 181 regular season games, and his 10 goals this season puts him 11th in the league.
Ward, the Canes starting goalie, received the 2006 Conn Smythe award as Most Valuable Player during 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. He was the Canes 1st round choice in the 2002 entry draft. He is a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Cole, who plays left wing, is an Oswego, New York native. He was the Canes third-round choice in the 1998 NHL entry draft. He has 101 career assists and four hat tricks, the latest a three-goal effort against the Washington Capitals on November 9.
Among tactics being considered by CaneAllStars is soliciting fans of other teams to vote for one or more of the Canes nominees. Fans can vote for both Eastern and Western Conference teams, so an alliance with fans from a Western Conference team could assist both teams.
ABOUT US: Gerry Cohen, a Carolina Hurricanes season ticket holder since 1999 is the creator of both Fans Sound Off and the CanesAllStars blog. He received the team’s “7th Man award” in the 2002-2003 season. A Hartford, Connecticut native, Cohen was a team fan before the franchise relocated from Hartford in 1997.
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