In my senior year English class in high school, we had to open class by writing journal entries. I would always write about the Flyers, and I would usually write about the games that happened the night before. This was during the 2016-17 season, so I would write about some of the storylines that year too, which included Shayne Gostisbehere being healthy scratched, Claude Giroux allegedly being on the decline, and whether the Flyers would re-sign Michal Neuvirth or my favorite Flyer ever, Steve Mason.
I also took a journalism course that year, and on top of writing about the Flyers, I also sprinkled in other teams as well. I wrote about how Steve Mason, at the time, should be re-signed. I wrote about the Flyers’ 10-game winning streak that year. I wrote about the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 16-game winning streak and profiled some of the players along the way in it. I even pieced together an argumentative essay on fighting in hockey and did a presentation on why it should still remain in the game in a smaller role while understanding why it’s being phased out.
I knew that I could turn this into something. I began my own small blog during the 2019-20 season, and after just freelancing on there for a little while, I decided to play my cards and apply to Broad Street Buzz back in February. A week later, I joined the team and I ended up writing my first piece on March 4th, covering the game recap for the Flyers’ 0-3 road comeback against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was only the beginning of something I couldn’t have imagined would take me this far this quickly.
I’ve always been pretty involved with the site since then. I covered a lot of the game recaps over the season, and I helped with some of the news pieces and wrote up my own editorials as well. Over the summer it was almost daily that I’d have something published, and I was proud of myself for trying to achieve my dreams and continuing to produce content for readers all the time.
I had, and still have, a great team of people behind me. But all good things must come to an end, and today is my last day with Broad Street Buzz. I won’t stop writing, and I’m sure you’ll see me around at my new gig soon enough. I’ve accomplished a lot in my time with the site and I want to publicly thank my entire group of fellow contributors. You all do a tremendous job with Broad Street Buzz, you all made me feel very welcome from the beginning of my time here, and I can’t wait to see the things you all accomplish in the future.
I want to give my largest thank you to my site expert and editor, Ariel Melendez. You’ve given me all the tools to succeed so far and you’ve helped push me to become a better observer of the game, a better observer of the Flyers, and a better writer as well. I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I received without you and I’m forever grateful.
I also want to thank all of our readers as well. You guys help keep this site going with your support and we’re incredibly thankful for it, and I can assure you you’re in great hands. Broad Street Buzz was where I really got my feet wet in hockey writing, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. This website and this city and this team have all given me the inspirations and opportunities to keep my dream of working in hockey alive, and I cannot wait to begin the next chapter of my journey, much as the Flyers are beginning the next chapter of their journey in the quest to quench their 46-year championship thirst.
Thank you to everyone, and I’ll see you all again soon.