Most hockey-related web sites are about the present, driven by breaking news, ongoing fantasy games, gossip or any number of things that take advantage of the web's ability to deliver the latest information right now. Some other sites are about the future, focusing mainly on NHL prospects.
The past is also represented, not only by this site but also by those that focus on statistics, memorabilia, autograph-collecting, fantasy hockey games involving historical players, and a number of personal, nostalgic blogs. Some of these sites are much better than others.
Here is a list of must-visit sites that display a commitment to historical hockey information and a high level of accuracy. The bigger ones are database-driven and rely heavily on basic statistical information. The smaller ones feature insightful writing that displays the passion of their individual publishers and a commitment to honoring the game. Many of these sites have been helpful in compiling information for HockeyDraftCentral.com.
| Site Name | Site Publisher | What makes it special |
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Look It Up Hockey (lookituphockey.com) |
Dan David | For fans and professionals who know the kind of information they seek but can't seem to put a finger on it, my new site offers my services to do the research for you at low cost -- saving both time and money. |
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The Internet
Hockey Database (hockeydb.com) |
Ralph Slate | One of the first hockey sites to appear on the web in the 1990s, hockeydb reflects its publisher's talent for database design and passion for individual player and team statistics. Everybody involved in hockey (including NHL execs) uses it at some point because it has so much historical data. And even though it has been around forever, it is always evolving in new and interesting ways. If you need stats, draft lists, year-by-year rosters, and more then look no further. |
| Hockey-Reference.com | Sean Forman | Part of the larger sports-reference.com network that has grown enormously over the past decade, this oustanding database-driven site provides much of what hockeydb.com offers, as well as historical box scores, sweater numbers, and more. If you can't find a stat on hockeydb.com, your best bet is likely here. Like hockeydb.com, it's mostly about numbers, but it's all well-arranged and it's all good stuff. |
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Soc. for International Hockey Research (sihrhockey.org) |
Various Authors | You need to pay for access to the Society's historical database, but it is one of the best sources of statistical data and photos for just about everyone who ever played at any level of the game. Because it is overseen by a number of people, there are some inconsistencies and errors, but the upside far outweighs the downside when it comes to finding info and pictures for some of the more obscure players. |
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The Hockey Hall of Fame (hhof.com) |
Hall of Fame | A great place to find short, well-written bios of each and every player who played in the NHL, as well as more detailed information about the Hall of Famers. You can learn about the items in the Hall of Fame, take a virtual tour of the museum, and much, much more. A trip to the actual Hall is a religious experience for any hockey fan, but if you can't make it up to Toronto, this is the next best thing. There are very hard-working people at the Hall, and they deserve a lot of credit for making their work accessible to fans everywhere. |
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Greatest Hockey Legends (greatesthockeylegends.com) |
Joe Pelletier | It takes an incredibly passionate person to update a daily blog whose primary focus is on past events. This site has well-researched, well-written profiles of thousands of former NHL players from all points in the game's history. In some cases, you will find stories and information here that is unavailable elsewhere, because Joe Pelletier has done a remarkable job cultivating a relationship with his readers -- many of whom are former players and their family members. |
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Historical Hockey (historicalhockey.blogspot.com) |
Mark Parsons | Here is another passionate blogger who takes the time to dig up interesting historical information you can't easily find in other places. This blog isn't updated as frequently as many others, but when there's an entry here, it's usually well worth reading, and the level of accuracy is very, very high. |
