We are pleased to announce that Puck Yeah has teamed up with the NZIHL as the official media partner for New Zealand’s premier national ice hockey league.

The podcast began in 2017 because hosts Logan Swinkels and Joe Durie were two guys that just wanted to hang out and talk hockey. They discovered that with the right tools this could be a great platform to promote the New Zealand game and the local communities around it. With the vision of providing more coverage than ever before, this new partnership is the key to making it possible.

Included in the new partnership fans can expect the following throughout the 2018 NZIHL season: weekly podcasts featuring interviews from around the league, game highlight packages, animated GIFs posted on the NZIHL Twitter feed of key plays moments after they happen, plus additional video and written content for the recently upgraded NZIHL website and the official NZIHL Facebook page.

Live streaming will continue as is from last season, with the five teams and their hard-working volunteer crews providing this service. However, live streams will now be moving from Facebook to the NZIHL’s YouTube channel instead. If you’re interested in getting involved with the video production that is needed to make the live streams possible, we encourage you to get in touch with your nearest NZIHL club.

With Joe’s digital media expertise that sees him capturing the antics of the Alternative Commentary Collective team and engaging Radio Hauraki listeners with an array of visual mediums, he brings to the NZIHL the kind of social media savvy that a hockey league needs today to stay in touch with fans across numerous platforms.

Logan’s involvement with the league has grown since 2015 where he traveled the country with Slapshot Productions to film games and produce a weekly online show called ‘TopShelf’, to now becoming the Director of Media and Communications for the NZIHL. With his sports media background working for Newshub and currently The Crowd Goes Wild, his experience will help see the league’s news coverage grow – both internally and nationwide.

NZIHL General Manager Paul Scott is excited about the new partnership and what it means for the league. “Since this partnership was formalised, we have seen a more professional media production for our League. Followers will have noticed an increase in coverage of the recent Ice Fernz campaign and the 2018 Ice Hockey Classic series. I look forward to the 2018 season and the exciting media opportunities ahead,” said Scott.

With the new season beginning May 26th, Puck Yeah is now searching for hockey writers to help with the coverage of all five NZIHL teams. We are also in need of two graphic artists/designers. If you’re interested in volunteering in either role for the 2018 season, send your submission to Logan Swinkels at logan@nzihl.com – please include a couple of examples of your work if applicable.

Main photo: Mike Froger.