Our tour through the Pacific Division continues today with a stop in the Bay Area to check out the work of San Jose Sharks beat writer for The Athletic, Kevin Kurz. Kurz is everything you expect from a great beat writer, and has worked the entirety of his professional career in the hockey world and has spent the last seven years covering the Sharks at various capacities.
Kevin Kurz – Hitting the Hot Topics
For nearly 13 seasons Joe Thornton has been a household name for Sharks fans when he joined the team via cross-country trade from Boston to San Jose in a blockbuster move that sent Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart to the Bruins back in November of 2005. It is hard to believe how fast time flies. Thornton was 26 years-old when that trade happened, now he is 39.
Thornton missed nearly half of the 2017-18 season with problems in both of his knees. Now he is healthy and feeling great according to an interview with Kevin Kurz.
Photo Courtesy of the National Hockey League
While when conducting a player interview, the meat of the story is often written based off of what comes out of the player’s mouth, yet a good interviewer makes sure to ask questions in a way that give interesting and informative answers. From this piece on Thornton, Kurz alleviates the fears some fans may have had about the health of their former captain and star player. Thornton, who said his body feels “really, really good” will still be leaned on this coming season if the Sharks are expected to return to the playoffs after being eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
Reporting Away from the Locker Room
It seems as though every off season teams are updating their arenas and practice facilities to continue to meet the ever-rising standards now expected of players and fans league-wide. With brand new practice facilities in Boston and Minnesota, and more on the rise in Anaheim and St. Louis, it is clear that NHL teams are taking initiative to grow hockey in their local communities. Along with state-of-the-art practice facilities, that sometimes house up to four sheets of ice, multi-million (sometimes billion) dollar renovations are required to keep home arenas up to the expectations of NHL fans.
Kurz recently caught up with Sharks co-presidents Jonathan Becher and John Tortora to discuss summer renovations at the team’s home at SAP Center. The arena has gone over a slew of renovations in recent years to improve everything from dehumidifying equipment to lighting displays, and though it is one of the oldest buildings in the league, ownership has no plans of moving the team elsewhere.
Stories like these are important to fans because they enhance their experience with the sport. When it comes to the product on the ice, fans want to know what to expect from their star players. And when they show up for a game in person, they want to know that the arena they enter is one that competes with others around the league. For Sharks fans looking for a place to go to stay up-to-date with the team, Kevin Kurz is a must-follow as he brings exceptional, all-encompassing coverage of not only on-ice events, but also of happenings that heighten the fan experience.
In Conclusion
Kurz approaches his Sharks coverage with a straight-forward style that is easy to read and keeps fans informed. Beat writing by nature is heavy on information and quotes from players and personnel, so generally there isn’t a ton of room for personality. But when it comes to quality coverage, Kurz covers stories that touch on all aspects of the organization, and he is someone all Sharks fans should be familiar with.
You can find the work of Kevin Kurz at The Athletic by clicking here.You can follow him on twitter @KKurzNHL.
