The NHL is set to launch a MySpace-style social network in time for the 2006/2007 season. The service is called NHL Connect - it's currently in private beta, but you can view publicly accessible pages here. The feature set is fairly standard: users can create profiles, add friends, upload photos, insert YouTube videos, add comments, join groups and subscribe to new content via RSS. There are also some hockey-specific features: the latest NHL news, lists of scheduled games and the ability to find users based on their favorite teams and players. The site was built by CA-based FiveAcross, and they've done a great job.
Social networking plus sports seems like a great combination - rather than having to build new communities, these sites just represent existing groups (fans of certain teams) on the web. That means user acquisition is easier. What's more, there's actually a common goal (to talk about sports) - that's in stark contrast to the sprawling, generic and seemingly directionless networks that dominate the scene.
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