Celebrating 25 years, New England Hockey Journal evolves into a dynamic multimedia experience

Publisher Eric Seamans with the debut issue (1996) of New England Hockey Journal

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Twenty-five years ago this January, New England Hockey Journal published its debut issue, with Boston Bruins icon Ray Bourque on the cover.

So much has changed since 1996, when my father, Robert J. Seamans (1929-2001), and I founded the magazine, working out of our garage in Quincy, Mass., and first published New England Hockey Journal, where we’ve been able to tell the stories of players and teams from this part of the country who excite and inspire us.

While the magazine is still a must-read for New England athletes and their supporters, today it represents just one way that we’re able to deliver our inspiring, informative and insightful content to readers, viewers and listeners throughout the world.

Starting with the January/February 2021 issue and across other Seamans Media titles, readers will notice major enhancements; to go along with our strong journalism, world-class photography and eye-catching design, the format is now a glossy magazine that we feel is an unmatched product, a keepsake for the home or office.

That’s not the only change at Seamans Media as we continue to evolve with our deeply engaged audience. Our media portfolio includes six websites that are updated daily, two Emmy-nominated TV shows and three podcasts. We are reaching more people than ever before to feed their demand for insight and analysis on the region’s best sports topics.

The acclaimed New England Hockey Journal TV show is now in its eighth season and airs on NESN and NESN National throughout the country.

We recently have entered the podcast space, with a state-of-the-art studio we constructed at our headquarters for audio and video content distribution. New England Hockey Journal’s “The Rink Shrinks” podcast is the No. 2 most-listened-to hockey podcast in the United States and ranks No. 8 in Canada.

NEHJ readers will notice the magazine is no longer free in the region’s rinks like it has been for the past 25 years, and there’s a reason for that. In June 2018, we began a new era at Seamans Media as we pivoted to a digital/print paid subscription model. That strategy has allowed us to invest in higher-quality journalism and photography for our magazines and websites, and we continue to do so, delivering content on a daily basis.

Since making the move in 2018, we’ve seen subscriptions grow substantially across all our platforms. That’s continued even during the pandemic when many rinks were closed and many sports stopped. It’s a testament to our team of great journalists, editors and hosts that they were able to develop inspiring and insightful content in the face of these challenges. And we have great thanks for the faith our magazine readers, website visitors, viewers and advertising partners have placed in that journalism. Our total multimedia audience has never been larger.

As we move into an exciting 2021, we continue to invest in the journalism and products you demand. Our glossy magazine, a best-in-class product whether you enjoy it in print or digital format, is a reflection of that.

Thank you for subscribing, reading, watching and listening. Who knows what new media platforms we will have in the future, but one thing is certain: New England Hockey Journal will be there.

— Eric Seamans, Founder and Publisher