Introducing a new concept can be clunky and awkward, especially in writing. 

Do you just dive in? Do you give an intro paragraph explaining the concept? What time of relationship do you have with readers? Will they even care?

It’s weird. All of it. 

So, reader, here’s a concept that’s new to EP Rinkside with its own awkward intro. 

Starting today, every other Thursday I’ve been given the carte blanche to spill my thoughts and observations into this column space. It’ll be a collection of stories, notes, and other random musings. 

Truthfully, it’s stealing a concept from 32 Thoughts, but these thoughts will be unnumbered – they’ll actually be lettered – and story formats can’t be patented, as far as I know. 

So, awkward introduction over. Let’s go A to K around the NHL. 

A. The Seattle Kraken are g