from Scott King at Forbes,

Like the NBA and NFL channels, the NHL Network has to keep fans of the sport engaged and coming back for more on a daily basis. How do they do it?

"I just finished a skills competition with Gritty, the mascot from the (Philadelphia) Flyers," said NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek of the bit from late January. "I mean that's a little silly right there, to be [running] around with a big, orange mascot."

Hradek, joined by his colleagues at the network, never shies away from fun despite his impressive credentials. Before joining the NHL Network, he spent 13 years as a Senior Writer for ESPN The Magazine and as an associate editor assisting with hockey coverage, helped launch the publication in March of 1998.

"For me, I always look at sports as [it] should be fun and you should have a smile on your face," Hradek said. "We're not talking about things that are really of ultimate importance, let's say. It's sports, it's fun, people love it, it's their passion."

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