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All Is Quiet in the Hub of Hockey: Calm Before the Storm? |
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Cricket. Cricket. That, my friends, is about the only sound coming from the Boston Bruins these days, as all is quiet in the Hub of Hockey. I guess I didn't realize how lucky we were last summer.
The town was abuzz over the announcement that Fenway would play host to the Winter Classic. The Phil Kessel saga entertained us with its twists and turns on seemingly a daily basis. Contract talks, free agency pick-ups and trades were balanced out evenly enough to string us along until training camp. Since July 15, when the B's announced that both Adam McQuaid and Gregory Campbell were inked, there has been silence. Not a peep, not an update, not a rumor. Nothing.
Blake Wheeler's arbitration hearing on Tuesday will finally force us out of our caves and get a little chatter going again. Maybe it will set off a chain of events that will, at long last, give us an idea of how this cap crunch will be resolved. For now, we must remain idle, wondering if this will prove to be the calm before the storm.
And while there may be no astonishing, eye-catching news to scoop up and share with you on the Bruins' front, I do have a major personal announcement of my own.
THE FINAL BLOG: SAYING GOODBYE TO HOCKEYBUZZ
As much as I'd like to go out with a bang, offering up a wildly entertaining masterpiece of a blog, the Hockey God's just refused to play along. Today will mark my final day as the resident Bruins' Blogger for Hockeybuzz. And while it is a bittersweet moment, leaving behind the good friends and familiarity of HB, I am infinitely excited about the opportunities that now lie ahead of me.
As of tomorrow I will be taking over the Bruins' blog for the New England Hockey Journal. In addition to covering the team on a daily basis for the website (www.hockeyjournal.com), I will also be contributing multiple articles to the monthly magazine.
I was fortunate enough to have sat next to Doug Flynn, who previously held the position I'm about to take on, this past season up in the press box at the Garden. Doug, an extremely talented and incredibly friendly fellow writer, was kind enough to put in the good word for me after accepting an offer to join NESN. I owe him an infinite amount of gratitude for this. Infinite.
But, I also must share a boatload of appreciation I have for a few other individuals as well. Here goes...
TO THE HOCKEYBUZZ COMMUNITY...
Without your support, your following, your feedback and your friendship, my experience here just wouldn't have been the same. There are so many incredibly knowledgeable and friendly people on here that truly make Hockeybuzz a great place to visit and to work for. I was even lucky enough to befriend a good number of you outside of the confines of the internet, and I thank you all for providing top-notch entertainment during our meet-ups on the balcony level between periods.
I truly hope you all keep in touch and encourage you to keep up with my work over at the Hockey Journal. I'll have some more contact info below.
TO MY FELLOW BLOGGERS...
Not only do we all share a profound love for the game of hockey, but we all have the same goals, the same dreams. To form a bond with such classy, witty and intelligent individuals has been an absolute pleasure. Many people out there don't understand just how much time and effort we put into what we do. Once in a great while the stories write themselves. But more often than not it takes work, a lot of work.
It has been an honor to have been your colleague and your friend for the past 2+ years. I wish you all the best and hope you all keep in touch. I'll be damn sure to keep reading your work, so don't be afraid to check out mine when you get a shot.
TO JULIE ROBENHYMER...
Here's a story many of you probably don't know. In December of 2008, after about eight months on the job with HB, Julie reached out to me and offered me the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to join her in the press box at the TD Garden. I nearly went into cardiac arrest at the mere thought of it. It was a destination I always wanted to reach but, having never been there before, it scared me a bit.
Julie showed me the ropes. She guided me through the behind-the-scenes areas of the TD Garden. She gave me the rundown on press box etiquette, how to wiggle your way through a media scrum and, most importantly, made sure I never set foot on the sacred spoked-B at the center of the Bruins' locker room. From there, after visiting Bruins' practice and meeting up for another regular season game, it was all on me to procure my own press pass. I've hardly missed a home game since.
But without Julie, who opened the proverbial door for me, I could very well still be pondering what it's like to attend a hockey game as a credential member of the media. So, Jules, thank you so much for everything that you've done for me. It means the world.
TO EKLUND AND ERIC...
Once in a while, life is kind enough to throw you a bone. But rarely, and I mean extremely rarely, do you ever catch the kind of break that I was lucky enough to get back in March of 2008. After being alerted to a writing contest being held by Hockeybuzz, as the site was in search of new writers to join their team, I whipped together a 1 1/2 page essay on a game I watched on NBC between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
I was outraged that so many posters on various hockey forums were ripping the Capitals for showing so much emotion after one of their own players (I believe Semin) foolishly shot what would prove to be the GWG into his own net. I simply couldn't fathom how fans could constantly plead for their heroes to wear their hearts on their sleeves, only to spit on them when they finally did.
I waited on pins and needles for a reply. As the days passed, I grew more and more anxious, dying to find out if my article had impressed the big man. And when a reply came, I thought I was toast. I suppose I have Gmail to thank for arguably the biggest surprise of my lifetime. Unlike other emails, Gmail shows you the first 10 or so words of a new email. So, upon seeing "Jesse, I didn't put you into the contest...", I feared all hope was lost. That was until I read it all in its entirety, and was directly offered a gig writing for Hockeybuzz. I called Eklund an hour later and was elated to share the great news with my family.
Fast forward two years. Thanks to both Eklund and Eric, I have accomplished so many things that I never thought would be possible. I am a credentialed member of the media, a well-known name to many a Bruins' fan. I got to witness hockey being played at Fenway Park. I have been lucky enough to attend the Beanpot Tournament, over a dozen playoff games and somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 regular season games at the TD Garden. I have been given a platform and the exposure to showcase my talent, enough so that I was personally invited to join the Professional Hockey Writers' Association this past season.
It has been the most amazing, life-changing opportunity. Words can not properly show how grateful I am for everything the two of you have done for me. This has been a dream come true, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
WHERE TO FIND ME
So, to wrap this all up, here's a little reminder of where you can find me going forward:
* The Hockey Journal Magazine: Be sure to pick it up at local rinks throughout New England every month.
* The Hockey Journal Website: I will be regularly posting on www.HockeyJournal.com, so please be sure to swing by.
* Facebook: As many of you know I've got a Facebook dedicated to hockey. A name change will likely be in order, but be sure to visit www.facebook.com/hockeybuzzbruins. Add me on there and I'll let you know if I'll be starting a new page, what the latest blog I'm working on is, etc.
Once again, thanks to all of you for checking out the blog for the last two years. I'll be sure to swing by and check in once a new blogger is in place. I'm sure he or she will do a phenomenal job of keeping you entertained.
In the words of the immortal Porky Pig, that's all folks!
JC
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