Opinion: Jeff Marek is Back in Hockey Where He Belongs

I want to preface this article by saying that I love everything about what we do here at Inside the Rink.

We have great writers, podcasters, editors, photographers, and everything else that is needed in order for a website to be successful. In my opinion, Inside the Rink is the creme de la creme when it comes to hockey websites.

With all of that said, however, there is one website/Network that made an extremely impressive hire a few weeks ago. If you are as big a hockey person as I am, then you know that I am talking about The Nation Network’s (TNN) hiring of the great Jeff Marek.

Marek, who was a big part of Rogers Sportsnet for well over a decade, will be doing a ton as part of his new gig with TNN. Per TNN’s press release, Marek will have his own show called “The Sheet”, will write articles for DailyFaceoff.com, and will appear on various shows that are produced across TNN.

According to the release, Jeff is very excited to begin his new gig, which starts in December.

“I’m thrilled to be joining a deep hockey bench at The Nation Network and Daily Faceoff where everybody eats, sleeps and breathes hockey 24/7. This group has emerged as growing leaders in the industry, providing full-service content for hockey fans. Daily Faceoff has a roster of established, credible veteran voices along with future impact players, and I can’t wait to get started with them.” – Jeff Marek

I maybe biased because Jeff is both a friend and one of my hockey mentors, but I believe this move is terrific for several reasons. For starters, Jeff knows hockey inside and out.

Jeff is an encyclopedia when it comes to hockey information. He knows the statistics, the history of the game, random facts of the game, and is someone who can pull up fascinating hockey-related information at the drop of a hat.

Jeff also knows hockey at all levels. He not only knows a lot about the NHL, but he also knows a lot about the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), and college hockey as he is someone who stays on top of everything when it comes to hockey.

Jeff is also incredibly versatile. Yes, he is well known as a broadcaster and podcaster, but he is also an incredible writer.

Marek writes in a very conversational style and when reading his work, it makes you feel like you are sitting next to a hockey friend. There a lot of writers that try to accomplish this, but very few are able to.

Lastly, Jeff is a great guy in general. As I mentioned earlier in this article, he is one of my mentors and has been one since 2010.

In that time, he has responded to my emails and texts, has given me great advice, and has been someone who has been there for me during one of the darkest times in my life. He is someone that I have looked up to for a very long time and that will continue to be the case.

When you are not on our site reading our articles, looking at our photographs, or listening to our great podcasts, please do yourselves a favor and follow Jeff. I promise you that it will be worth it.

ITR 31: Let Them Fight – Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris to discuss WHL expansion, Thatcher Demko returning from IR, Gabe Viladri out week-to-week, Gabriel Landeskog a full practice participant, and the NHL referees stopping a goalie fight. Join in on all this and MUCH more!

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