It’s going to happen, or has happened at some point in your hockey viewing life, fellow Montreal Canadiens fans. The game is on and you are nowhere near a TV or a computer.
Not very many years ago, unless you were within radio range of your favorite NHL city, you were not going to know the outcome, or what was going on, until you saw the highlights on your local 11 o’clock news at the earliest.
Fortunately for the fans working the night shift, have to leave the TV to pick up the kids or go to your beer league game, you do have some options.
Modern technology’s biggest advancements have given the die hard hockey fans some great ways to keep tabs on there favorite teams on the ice, night in and night out.
The radio of course is the old standard to catch a game be it in your car, or in an office. But as I mentioned earlier, that is only as good as the nearest NHL city you are in. For Habs fans in Toronto, you’re stuck with you know what.
The other alternative is satellite radio. XM carries every NHL game live, usually using the home team radio feed, as well as live games for evert other major league.
There’s also a large variety of talk shows, such as Sirius/XM’s Hockey Night in Canada Radio to fill your daytime sports listening needs.
For a $50 radio, and $15 a month fee, it is well worth it, not to mention the huge assortment of other radio channels available. Various adapters allow you to move your satellite radio from home/office to your car with easy convenience. the downside to indoor use is having your antenna in a clear reception area.
XM even has a 14-day free trial offer to try it online.
Radio also comes in the form of the internet. Keep in mind you would need access to a computer to do this, but the connection allows you to tune into CJAD or TheTeam990 from anywhere in the world and keep up to date with the latest on the Habs.
Probably on of the best friends a hockey fan can have these days is a cell phone or smart phone. WIth an affordable data package that fits your budget, any cell phone with web capability can connect you your favorite page for score updates or text messages.
Of course the better the phone, the more options. Smartphones such as the BB or Android Galaxy S offer a variety of apps (most of which are free) and mobile web sites to keep you connected..
The Hockey News may have one of the best Apps to keep you posted on news and game scores, allowing you to customize it when a goal is scored, the period ends or the game is over. Versus NHL, and of course NHL.com, offer their own apps as well, and most the teams have an app or mobile site in place.
Another apps, such as Nobex Radio Companion, allow you to connect to any radio station in North America, free of charge. This gives you another option to tune in to hear the game. The problem here can be your data package. Unless your Smartphone is connected to a WiFi though, you better be forking out for an unlimited plan or be prepared for some unexpected charges on your next bill.
For Canadian residents, Bell subscribers probably have the best packages available. Partnered with the NHL, Bell offers NHL on the Go and NHL Centre Ice Mobile, allowing subscribers to watch or listen to games and watch video highlights right on your phone Bell subscribers can also text their picks for the game’s Three Stars.
For those with the urge to chat on the game on their mobile, there are several apps for Twitter users and you can chat on HabsInsideOut.com, but you have to use the regular site to login.
Fans can also customize their screens, or purchase a protective cover with the Canadiens logo, to show their pride.
For some fans, some of these options may not be in your budget. But the days of having to wait to get home for game results are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Just remember not to use you phone while driving, folks!
