by Rick Stephens, AllHabs.net

(cet article est aussi disponible en version française: Nouvelle saison : un nouveau look pour All Habs)

MONTREAL, QC — There are so many emotions before a grand opening: excitement, anxiety and pride all mixed up with a generous amount of fatigue. I haven’t strayed too far from the All Habs ‘war-room’ for the past two months. But the overriding feeling right now is the thrill of being able to share this all with you, finally.

As you have been reading, All Habs and it’s community of fans throughout the world has been growing by leaps and bounds. We were fortunate to be recently recognized on the Edmonton Journal’s list of Kings of Hockey Coverage on the Internet. All Habs has become the meeting place for Canadiens fans around the world to get the latest information about their team, read objective analysis and to connect with others.

Naturally, we needed a location that would house all the Canadiens coverage that we wanted to bring to you.

And now we have it:

http://AllHabs.net

Simple, right? To get to the All Habs network, type: allhabs (dot) net

I hope you don’t mind a small request. Please change the bookmark/favourite in your browser. I would be grateful if website owners would change the link to All Habs in their blogroll.

Hopefully, you will approve of the new site. The idea was to combine a clean, organized look with easier accessibility to the variety of content that we have for you.

Whether you are looking for Canadiens news, game reviews, opinion pieces, fan-focused articles or something that will put a smile on your face, you have a good chance of finding it here.

One of the things I am most proud of is the superb quality of the writing staff. They are all talented but each brings a slightly different perspective and style. You will find their biographies and most recent article by clicking on the Contributors tab.

An equally important ingredient to All Habs is YOU. As a supporter of the Montreal Canadiens, you belong to one of the strongest fan communities in sport. There are so many ways that you can interact with the site, the writers and each other.

• Subscribe to get regular updates
• Participate in the Poll of the Week
• Listen to OUT LOUD audio recordings of feature articles
• Comment on pieces you have read
• Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Flickr
• Share articles with your friends
• Watch feature videos
• Contact us with a question or concern
• Access All Habs via your mobile device
• Join the site using Google Friend Connect

While AllHabs.net is the flagship, don’t forget that there are three other locations that comprise the network and each site brings you additional opportunities to be involved. You will find their links across the top of the banner.

The Montreal Forum is where you will find our discussion boards where you connect with your Habs friends to share information and debate issues.

HabsTweetup.com will keep you up-to-date on where Canadiens fans are getting together, and what happened when they did.

We Are Canadiens is a place for sharing your Habs photos and commenting on what others have posted.

With that, you’re almost ready to explore our new home, and all it has to offer.

But before you go, indulge me a few minutes longer while I introduce you to the fine people who have undertaken to join me at All Habs this season.

Different perspectives often bring humor, variety and color to a webmagazine, and I’m happy to say that there are a few new contributors to help mix things up. Please welcome @czechtacular, @HabItHerWay and @theactivestick. They are not only talented and witty writers, but they also extremely knowledgeable about hockey! In addition, their infectious personalities come through their writing to both engage and entertain you.

Lyse will tell you that her Twitter name, @touteparpillee, means “scattered all over the place.” Hardly. She may have many interests but begin to discuss a topic with her and you will soon discover her focus. She will be writing pieces en Français, doing translations and helping to moderate the Montreal Forum discussion boards.

Every good discussion board needs people to keep the conversations flowing and provide new and exciting topics to debate and discuss. The Montreal Forum has no shortage of talent in that department! @dohRG and @kyleroussel will be on hand as moderators to engage users in interesting and intelligent conversations – there’s something for everyone to talk about! @beezee05 will be featured as a moderator for the fantasy hockey and fantasy football categories – a great way to compare notes on strategy, news, suggestions and more!

One of the things I find most rewarding is providing a mechanism for people to connect with other Habs fans around the world. I especially like seeing members of the Canadiens community meet in person at a Habs Tweetup. It’s an idea which has developed into a series of popular and fun-filled events held regularly throughout the year.

In fact, Habs Tweetups have grown so much that they now have their own website! @FlyersRule manages the site, collecting and posting photos, videos, stories and ideas. In addition, as a professional voice actor, FlyersRule is the vocal talent behind the mic at All Habs OUT LOUD. This feature allows readers to become listeners – each article is recorded and available to download for an “on the go” way to get your Habs news!

To respond to requests from fans to bring Habs Tweetups to locations outside of Montreal, I’m pleased to have the assistance of several official event coordinators: @chile_pepper in Vancouver, @kuyaz in Toronto, and @chrisrbrown in New York City and surrounding areas. Chris will also be writing game reviews and fan articles when the Habs are playing road games in the U.S. northeast.

Good tech support is crucial but often hard to find. I am grateful for the expertise of @pluc who has filled an important role helping to problem solve conflicts and offer valued technical advice.

So, I suppose that just leaves me. I’ll continue to steer the ship and to write articles that make you respond “You’re dead-on, Rocket!” or “You’re dead wrong.” I can live with that. I commit to bringing you credible information about the Canadiens, unbridled praise when it’s warranted and unfiltered criticism when that has been earned.

There was one thing that didn’t make it on the moving truck. The nickname ‘Rocket’ has been left behind at the former residence. You’ll notice that my name has been added to this article and to those in the recent past.

If we meet and you forget my name, no worries. Many simply call me Mr. All Habs. It works.

Lastly, let me thank you, the loyal subscribers, for your readership and support. I appreciate your encouragement and when you challenge me to make things better.

I’ll ask for a little patience as we continue to work through some of the glitches in the new place. But I look forward to your feedback whether it be glowingly good or constructively critical.

Don’t forget to subscribe, change your bookmarks and tell your friends. And let’s get ready for the new season of following the Montreal Canadiens.

Go Habs Go!