It’s a strange thought, but at this stage I’m pretty sure I keep up with the NHL because I’m highly engaged on HF, not the other way around.
Don’t get me wrong, I like hockey well enough. But the reactions and discussion on here are what make 95% of it relevant enough to hold my attention day-by-day. If I were just watching it like a TV show without coming on here to react/discuss/argue about the day’s news, I don’t think I’d make it through a 9 month season before drifting off to something else.
So there’s a decent chance I actually might stop following hockey day-to-day if HF shuts down. I’m definitely not going to go to Reddit or Twitter, which are good for finding content but impossible for having a meaningful discussion.