Upcoming interviews!

I have two interviews lined up on Thursday afternoon with David Walsh, Herald-Dispatch sports writer who was on the Huntington Blizzard beat, and Dr. Clark Haptonstall, head of Rice University's Sports Management program and a Marshall alum--he had written a piece in Goldenseal magazine in 1993 on the Huntington Hornets that served me quite well in my preliminary research, and in addition was in town during the early stretch that the Blizzard were here, AND he has a Ph.D. in Sports Administration. So we'll have all our bases covered there.

When the interviews are done, I will have transcripts up ASAP on here.

The story so far

WHAT I HAVE SO FAR:

--a large stack of photocopies of newspapers and notes

--a medium-list of people to interview, that is still somewhat incomplete

--a half-complete chonological narration, which I have been recording in the studio. I have 10-11 minutes down already; the whole piece, with interviews and everything, is to be 30 minutes.

WHAT I NEED AT PRESENT:

--some looking up on that 1998-99 season, in particular a lawsuit filed by Bank One against the ownership group at the time

--actual interviews, and some play-by-play bits as well

--to type up the last couple seasons of the narrative, a post-mortem, as well as bits on Tri-State Ice Arena, which would have to be inserted in the middle there

--still have to do that write-up on the research done

Good day to all who've ventured thisaway

This will be the new home of updates on the research and progress of an as-yet untitled documentary on the ice hockey history of Huntington. It is a remarkably rich history, dominated by the seven-year tenure of the East Coast Hockey League's Huntington Blizzard (1993-2000), whose time also heralded the construction of a local ice rink, the Tri-State Ice Arena (1995-2005). Huntington also had a very brief stay in the now-defunct International Hockey League with the Huntington Hornets (1956-57). Even before them, there was a team--which I have found little on--known as the Huntington Aces (1940?-45?), which was an amateur/semi-professional outfit stocked primarily with off-duty factory workers.

As much as there was going on on the ice, Huntington's ice hockey history has been equally tumultuous, if not moreso. Absentee owners, financial difficulties, relocation threats, cult followings, all the fun of small-market hockey south of the Mason-Dixon, with a cameo by Mike Killbreath too (If you've never heard of Mike Killbreath, these links should help)!

I've got lots of different roads to go with on this one. As I said elsewhere, there's going to be a "director's cut" of this ultimately, as I want to include everything somehow. I intend to get deep with this, looking as much at the off-ice situation as on-ice play. I'm especially intrigued at looking into what problems Huntington has in terms of hosting a hockey team--or any team, for that matter. Economics, fan patterns, facilities, the works.

This page will be a place for me to A--make announcements on progress, and B--solicit ideas and help. Anything anyone can contribute would be colossally appreciated.

--Lenny