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2013-14 NHL Twitter Guide: The Best Social Media Presence on Every NHL Team

Jameson SempeyJun 8, 2018

As a hockey fan, there's no better time than now to hop on Twitter and sort out who you're following for the 2013-14 NHL season.

There are still a few talented free agents unsigned, but for the most part, the rosters teams have now are what they'll go into the preseason with.

Here, we'll showcase every NHL team's top Twitter presence to get you started and list the rest that didn't quite make it to the top for their respective clubs.

Only NHL players listed on the active roster for each team at NHL.com were considered. If an account was unverified, it was not considered unless there was substantial evidence it actually belonged to the NHL player. 

Presence was judged on how active the player is, how often their tweets are original and how entertaining they are.

Anaheim Ducks: Dustin Penner

1 of 30

Dustin Penner may not only be the best player on the Ducks to follow on Twitter, he could be tops in the league. 

The two-time Stanley Cup champion may have a future as a stand-up comic when his playing days are over. He had the Twitterverse retweeting at will with this one:

"

Honestly I don't care if you are gay or straight as my teammate. As long as you don't listen to Nickelback. #courage

— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) April 30, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Emerson Etem (unverified), Ben Lovejoy, Sheldon Souray

Boston Bruins: Torey Krug

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@KrugTorey (unverified)

The Bruins are not big tweeters. In fact, Torey Krug is the only member of their current active roster that's got an account—and it's not verified.

We're pretty sure this is Krug, though. Based on the photos, and the fact he's managed 23,000-plus followers.

There's nothing too exciting to see here, but Krug documented a lot of his journey as a rookie last season.

If you ever wanted to know what Krug looked like as a kid, however:

"

“@zkrug_19: Talk about a throwback! @MKrug7 @KrugTorey @Krug39 pic.twitter.com/cl4VDS1oPL” bottom right... Stud #whathappenedtome

— Torey Krug (@KrugTorey) August 8, 2013"

Honorable Mention: Marc Savard

Buffalo Sabres: Luke Adam

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The Sabres are the yin to the Bruins' yang, and we're not just talking in terms of success level here.

Luke Adam, Steve Ott and Mike Weber all maintain an almost daily Twitter presence, while several other teammates do their fair share, too. Adam even keeps tabs on Calgary Sun letters to the editor: 

"

http://t.co/qPrDLJh7JP Maybe if ol shawny boy had a better education himself he wouldn't be getting his job stolen. Go on buddy #mutant

— Luke Adam (@LukeJAdam) July 29, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Steve Ott, Mike Weber

The Rest: Christian Ehrhoff, Jhonas Enroth, Jamie McBain, Kevin Porter, Mark Pysyk, Chad Ruhwedel (unverified), Thomas Vanek

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Calgary Flames: Brian McGrattan

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Brian McGrattan is a mutant. No, really, he says so himself.

McGrattan's got an interesting description and default photo. He's also sure to keep you entertained with chirps like this:

"

just got my @mikefisher1212 player card today! pic.twitter.com/sd6Nb755vB

— Brian McGrattan (@bigern10) July 22, 2013"

  

Honorable Mentions: TJ Galiardi

The Rest:  Mikael Backlund, Sven Baertschi (unverified), Steve Begin (unverified), Mike Cammalleri, Ben Hanowski (unverified), David Jones, Shane O'Brien

Carolina Hurricanes: Kevin Westgarth

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Kevin Westgrath is a heavy retweeter, but it's rarely something a hockey fan wouldn't have some sort of interest in.

When he takes to producing his own, he's quite the commentator. Anyone who's seen a Windows commercial can see why:

"

There's no way I'm a good enough dancer to get the Windows tablet.

— Kevin Westgarth (@KWesty19) May 14, 2013"

  

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Dwyer, Justin Faulk

Chicago Blackhawks: Andrew Shaw

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Andrew Shaw is a pretty likable guy. His teammates respect him for his gritty style of play, and it's hard to dislike him as a fan when he does charitable things like auction off the stitches he received in the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Final last season for a good cause. 

Most NHL fans are aware of the ridiculous stir Justin Bieber caused by stepping on the Blackhawks logo when he was in Chicago to see the Stanley Cup. Shaw took to Twitter to let him know it wasn't OK, a respectable move in itself: 

"

Bro no stepping on the logo @justinbieber that's money on the board! #gutty pic.twitter.com/DtgRo4loMn

— Andrew Shaw (@shawz15er) July 10, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Bryan Bickell, Brandon Bollig

Colorado Avalanche: Erik Johnson

7 of 30

Like a lot of his NHL brethren, Erik Johnson keeps tabs on his favorite TV shows and links to news stories that he finds interesting. 

What's most unique about Johnson's account is his recovery process after a workout. Check out this contraption:  

"

Recovering with @NTrecovery MVP pro after a tough workout. Thanks fellas. #recoverfaster pic.twitter.com/jEsLnPtvw2

— Erik Johnson (@6ErikJohnson) June 18, 2013

 

"

Columbus Blue Jackets: Cam Atkinson

8 of 30

There was some stiff competition in Columbus, but Cam Atkinson takes the crown. His love for Discovery Channel's Shark Week is beyond anything we've encountered, as seen from the tweet and accompanying photo of his dog's mutual admiration:

"

It's a bad week for Bo #sharkweek http://t.co/RrIhD5auet

— Cam Atkinson (@CamAtkinson13) August 5, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Brandon Dubinsky, RJ Umberger

Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn

9 of 30

Jamie Benn uses Vine to get the advantage here. And he has some of the goofier Vine videos you might find on the Internet, but is there really anything else Vine is good for?

"

Lunch with Vern Fiddler https://t.co/6dwWCjs40o

— Jamie Benn (@jamiebenn14) June 22, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Garbutt

Detroit Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk

10 of 30

Pavel Datsyuk doesn't seem like an outdoorsman to the untrained eye, but he's into fishing, and as seen below, mushroom picking.

If you venture to his Twitter, definitely check out his outfits when all of that's going on, too. I won't bore you with the outdoors stuff.

Instead, I'll share with you his best tweet to date, which may also be his creepiest:

"

Very cool pic.twitter.com/CL5cteRnvO

— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) August 1, 2013"

All that was missing was a "#datsyuknation #datsyukforprez" string of hashtags.

Honorable Mention: Jordin Tootoo

Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Jones

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Andrew Ference's family pictures are adorable, and Sam Gagner is pretty entertaining, but infusing humor into a tweet while paying homage to a retired NHLer at the same time like Ryan Jones does here gives him the edge: 

"

Congrats @89SGagner !! You'll always be the 2nd best Gagner to me but what can ya do. #davewasmyhero #chathamboy

— Ryan Jones (@jonesry28) July 22, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Andrew Ference, Sam Gagner

Florida Panthers: Jacob Markstrom

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Jacob Markstrom is the first goalie to make the list.

The only thing to be wary of is Markstrom's love for hashtags. It seems that he's always #buzzin.

Otherwise, he's good for a quick jab at a teammate here and there, and who doesn't love a great mod to a car?

"

Finally got my car customized and it was worth the wait #buzzin pic.twitter.com/hZie6GXslR

— Jacob Markstrom (@j_markstrom) April 28, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Erik Gudbranson, Quinton Howden 

Los Angeles Kings: Colin Fraser

13 of 30

The cultural differences that collide in an NHL locker room are unique for a major North American-based sport. In one of his more amusing pair of tweets, Colin Fraser highlights differences in the way Canadians and Americans speak:

"

For my American friends that don't believe me on the "aboot" and think its "aboat" here are some different lingo can vs USA. (1)

— Colin Fraser (@colinfraser) July 1, 2013"
"

Can-eh, USA-huh. Can-garbage USA-trash. Can-BBQ, USA-grill. Can pop, USA-soda! Enjoy your day!

— Colin Fraser (@colinfraser) July 1, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Jarret Stoll, Drew Doughty

Minnesota Wild: Zenon Konopka

14 of 30

Have you ever seen bunny hockey jerseys? Well, Zenon Konopka has. His unique tweets of his pet bunny give him the edge over his teammates in Minnesota, and the fact that he can make a contest out of it for fans is even better:

"

This is one of Hoppy's fav outfits, tweet a pic of your animals in their fav outfit-Winner gets a signed pic & puck! pic.twitter.com/mZMfDKOQLH

— Zenon Konopka (@ZenonKonopka) August 6, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Mike Rupp, Jason Zucker

Montreal Canadiens: George Parros

15 of 30

Recently acquired George Parros' online footprint is exceptional.

Wine. Mustaches. Rock bands.

It's clear enforcers are quite the entertainers. His nightly hypotheticals are the most random pieces of work featured on this list:

"

#nightlyhypothetical only able to wear the same Halloween costume whenever clothed OR sweat boysenberry syrup

— George Parros (@GeorgeParros) July 24, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Brendan Gallagher, Josh Gorges

Nashville Predators: Mike Fisher

16 of 30

Mike Fisher is a veteran leader, and he posts often on Twitter. Newcomer Eric Nystrom is another quality presence, but the incumbent wins here, in part because Nystrom still has a Stars background.

There was a lot made of free-agent forward Rich Clune posting some off-beat contract demands to his Twitter, but this may be the best commentary there's been about the incident:

"

Today we say goodbye to @richcluneshow 's account. Gone far too soon #RIP pic.twitter.com/bDOP0sdeIB

— Mike Fisher (@mikefisher1212) July 22, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Eric Nystrom, Colin Wilson

New Jersey Devils: Ryane Clowe

17 of 30

Ryane Clowe brings a power forward type of game that the Devils lacked last season, and he brings an active Twitter account, too.

The Devils roster takes an old-school approach to social media similar to the Bruins. There are not many players to choose from here.

Clowe retweets fellow NHLers and posts lots of photos of his family. It's a nice look into his off-the-ice life and gives you an idea of who he associates with in the locker room. He has plenty of commentary on other players:

"

I thought Handzus was too slow? Speed is great in late march, little different game in early June.

— Ryane Clowe (@ryaneclowe29) June 3, 2013"

Honorable Mention: Martin Brodeur

New York Islanders: Matt Martin

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Michael Grabner was an unfortunate tweet away from ranking tops among his Islanders teammates, but there's very little interest in seeing what the Austrian winger's abs look like post-workout. Colin McDonald, who got an honorable mention, calls him out on it:

"

My abs could look like that too with all those filters and enhancements on Instagram @grabs40 #thediesel #natural #nofilterneeded

— Colin McDonald (@ColinMcDonald13) July 22, 2013"

Matt Martin's passion for other sports and balance triumphs here. You won't find any half-naked pictures floating on his account, just good old-fashioned fun:

"

Yo @grabs40 where are the keys to the Bentley? I'm in town figured I'd take it for a ride and make sure it's running properly

— Matt Martin (@mattymarts17) June 28, 2013

"

Honorable Mentions: Michael Grabner, Colin McDonald

The Rest: Casey Cizikas, Matt Donovan (unverified), Calvin de Haan (unverified), Thomas Hickey, Anders Lee (unverified), Matt Moulson, Aaron Ness (unverified), Brock Nelson (unverified), Kyle Okposo, John Persson (unverified), Ryan Strome, John Tavares

New York Rangers: Carl Hagelin

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The Blueshirts have come a long way since Sean Avery's actions on Twitter made New York Rangers upper management cringe at the idea of the social media site. The honorable mentions all do a great job giving the fans what they want here, but having a laugh at a teammate's expense makes the difference for a spot on this list.

Carl Hagelin's tweets have to make even fans of rival teams chuckle:

"

Not sure if this is @SteveAngello or @zuccarello36 pic.twitter.com/CbGm4FxhxX

— Carl Hagelin (@CarlHagelin) May 28, 2013"

Ottawa Senators: Jim O'Brien

20 of 30

@HAMRofjustice (unverified)

Jim O'Brien's account is not verified, but it's safe to say it's him based on all the conversations with Sens players that have verified accounts and the selfies. The account was originally run by teammate Matt Kassian, and now O'Brien is running with it. The laughs shouldn't stop anytime soon: 

"

Hey @shakira your hips don't lie, but neither does the #HAMR .... #therealHAMR

— Jimmy O'Brien (@HAMRofjustice) May 28, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Eric Gryba, Matt Kassian, Marc Methot 

Philadelphia Flyers: Jakub Voracek

21 of 30

@jachobe (unverified)

It's odd that we didn't see much of Jakub Voracek's funny side during HBO's 24/7 series, but his Twitter account will leave a smile on followers' faces.

It's hard to stop laughing about this classic:

"

Which one Brayden Schenns picture do u guys like the most?#cantstoplaughing pic.twitter.com/H9TiSMds

— Jakub Voracek (@jachobe) February 19, 2013"

 Hey, at least Brayden Schenn doesn't look like Amanda Bynes circa 2013, right?

Honorable Mentions: Jason Akeson (unverified), Zac Rinaldo

Phoenix Coyotes: Paul Bissonnette

22 of 30

Paul Bissonnette is the NHL's social media king. Whether it's Twitter, Instagram or Vine, Biz Nasty gives the world an all-access pass on a daily basis to his nearly 450,000 followers.

He's always entertaining, but what might be most unique is how he'll chirp back at all the "haters." Here's a look at his response when someone gets a little riled up about how much money he makes:

"

Reading some of your tweets @macmurray. Your anger is disturbing. I hope your children don't read your account. #FatherOfTheYear

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) July 26, 2013"

Honorable Mention: Chris Summers

The Rest: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mike Ribiero (unverified)

Pittsburgh Penguins: Beau Bennett

23 of 30

Beau Bennett has only played in 26 regular-season games in the NHL, but that doesn't stop him from overtaking veterans like James Neal and Tanner Glass on the list.

He's hardly among the best tweeters in the NHL, but every once in a while he gets quite a few retweets and favorites with comments like this: 

"

The draft would be more entertaining if it was full contact and teams only had 10 seconds to make each pick

— Beau Bennett (@BeauBennett78) June 30, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Harry Zolnierczyk

San Jose Sharks: Adam Burish

24 of 30

There's only one thing better than someone ragging on the second-worst actor of all time, Nicholas Cage—someone chirping about maybe the worst actor of all time, Tom Cruise. Adam Burish has plenty to offer on Twitter, but this was one of his best:

"

You guys see these pressed up against the glass last night? A or B cup? @Logancouture @jasondemers5 @Burnzie88 pic.twitter.com/fyPP8VXHOX

— Adam Burish (@ABurish37) May 24, 2013"

  

Honorable Mentions: Logan Couture, Jason Demers

St. Louis Blues: Adam Cracknell

25 of 30

Picking just one Blues player is hard considering how active nearly their entire roster is on Twitter—it seems like half the team posted about Chris Stewart's wedding. But hockey humor conquers all, and that's why Adam Cracknell gets the honor:

"

Now the highways are chirping us. @BizNasty2point0 @saucehockey http://t.co/pREAyp6U9o

— Adam Cracknell (@ACracknell79) July 24, 2013"

Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos

26 of 30

It's a rarity for a high-profile player to use Twitter that often in today's NHL. It's understandable, given some of the things that can go wrong for you in the public eye, but Stamkos manages to keep it interesting without crossing the line. Just look at this gutsy photo from Nate Thompson's wedding:

"

I think we had a good time at @NateThompson44 wedding ... Suck it in boyzzzz @teddypurcell16 pic.twitter.com/ylZVGsxsvr

— steven stamkos (@RealStamkos91) July 20, 2013"

Honorable Mentions: Alex Killorn, Nate Thompson

Toronto Maple Leafs: John-Michael Liles

27 of 30

It's evident that hockey players all tend to like similar things.

A lot of today's stars seem to like the show Suits, enjoy fishing and really enjoy Shark Week.

Indiana-native John-Michael Liles is no exception, highlighting his sense of humor:

"

Twister meets Jaws starring Tara Reid and Ian Ziering. #puregold #oscarinjuly #Sharknado

— John-Michael Liles (@hoosierjm26) July 12, 2013"

Vancouver Canucks: Ryan Kesler

28 of 30

Ryan Kesler's Twitter is a mixed bag. For one, there's a lot of positive charity work in the community.

He shares a decent amount of family photos, too.

Most entertaining, however, is Kesler's "#lakelife." All summer, he's shared lots of photos from time spent on the lake. His page is littered with bromance, and if you're into this sort of thing, he's the guy to follow:

"

#actionshot pic.twitter.com/p9hWUjejUn

— Ryan Kesler (@Ryan_Kesler) July 17, 2013"

The Rest: Darren Archibald, Kevin Bieksa, Derek Joslin, Zack Kassian (unverified), Brendan Gaunce (unverified), Alexandre Mallet (unverified), Yannick Weber

Washington Capitals: Brooks Laich

29 of 30

It's extremely difficult to ignore Alex Ovechkin's photos, but snippets about his dogs, mom, Gillette razor and beauty of a girlfriend get a little redundant after awhile.

That's why, instead, props have to be given to Brooks Laich.

The inspirational quotes are...ehh...OK, and the photos of Saskatoon's countryside are gorgeous, but his music commentary is what fans should follow for:

"

What a display by @rihanna last nite, wow can that girl move! Im sure every dude took a seat at some point to avoid public embarrassment....

— Brooks Laich (@brookslaich) April 30, 2013"

  

Winnipeg Jets: Evander Kane

30 of 30

Facial hair is everything in the NHL.

Well, maybe not everything, but a nice 'stache or beard goes a long way. 

So, what's this got to do with Evander Kane?

This photo of him and a stranger on Instagram should clear things up:

"

When I saw this man I had to ask him for a pic. #mustacherides http://t.co/OC8dgadS6f

— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) July 1, 2013"
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