Ed Versteeve lives with his wife and children in Buytenwegh De Leyens. Founder and editor-in-chief of Face-Off, owner of Bench Boss, writer, reporter, ambassador of Dutch women’s ice hockey and partner of Dutch U18 women. For Ed, ice hockey is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle.
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Ed grows up in Rotterdam South. He enjoys watching Eurosport and is introduced to the National Hockey League (NHL), the most important ice hockey competition in the world. When the ditches are frozen over in winter, he goes out on the ice with his friends. With branches serving as their ice hockey sticks, they reenact the games. Ed is in goal, not on skates, but in wellies! “I love the sport, but I absolutely can’t skate! My friends all chose names of famous football players. But me, the only one without skates, was Wayne Gretzky!”
100% ice hockey
The love for ice hockey grows with the years. But ice hockey is barely visible in the major media. At the beginning of 2017, Ed decides that this must change. And he is not alone. Together with a number of other enthusiasts, he founded Face-Off, an online platform with the slogan “100% ice hockey”. After months of preparation, content writing and so on, the website will go live on September 3, 2017.
To the world championship in Mexico
From that moment on it goes fast! Ed says: “In no time everything was gaining momentum. Face-Off was a huge hit. With over 10,000 followers on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, ice hockey is more visible than ever.” Partly due to this large reach, Ed is able to change things for the sport in the Netherlands. When he hears that the Dutch U18 ladies (14-17 years old) have to pay for their trip to the World Cup in Mexico themselves, he does everything he can to pay for this for them. “I think it’s ridiculous that athletes of this level, who represent our country, have to pay for this themselves. Through Face-Off I approached companies and offered them sponsorship packages. I organized little promotions and auctions where shirts of famous players were auctioned. And it worked! The U18 ladies went to Mexico and I went with them!”
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The weekends are for ice hockey
In addition to his work as an ambassador for women’s ice hockey, Ed writes articles for Face-Off and reports online about the games. What does a weekend look like for Ed? “The ice hockey weekend often starts on Friday evening with a match somewhere in the Netherlands or Belgium. I get into the car on time, so that I have enough time to prepare before the race. After the preview I will report on the match. Finally, I do interviews and the review. Then I drive back home. It is often well past midnight when I go back to bed. I will put everything online on Saturday morning and then a new match will follow in the evening. Sometimes there is also a match on Sunday.”
“It’s not about money or prestige, it’s about fun and passion”
A busy schedule, but that’s not all. After the foundation of Face-Off, Bench Boss will follow in September 2020, a webshop where you can buy casual ice hockey clothing. You will find hoodies, shirts and other clothing as part of the ‘ice hockey lifestyle’. It doesn’t make Ed rich, the proceeds are reinvested in things like cameras and other equipment. “For me it’s not about money or prestige, but about fun and passion. My goal is to get people interested in this great sport. I want to get people excited and give the heroes of this sport more visibility.”
‘The boss of the bank’
What do the names Face-Off and Bench Boss actually mean? Ed explains: “Both names come from ice hockey. Every match and every set piece starts with a ‘Face-Off’ and so it is the beginning of everything. Bench Boss is the American name for the coach. It literally means the boss of the bank.”
Do Ed’s wife and children love ice hockey just as much? “No, that’s really my thing! But luckily they support me and they think it’s fine if I go out for a whole weekend! Everything has been shut down for almost two years because of corona. I am also still recovering after a heart attack. But as soon as I can, I will take it easy again!”
Has this story made you curious and do you want to know more about ice hockey? Then come and have a look at Zoetermeer Panthers in Silverdome. For more information, see face-off.nl or on their social media.