Dear THW and readers:
This was not easy, believe me. Words normally come very natural for me and yet after three plus years and over 200 articles, The Hockey Writers and the THW family will always be a part of me. There are so many people I have been fortunate enough to come in contact with. Without this place, I do not know if I ever would have made those contacts.
The simplest way is to thank all of the writers at THW for putting up with me. Simply I am like the black sheep of anything. If there was an award to describe the most noted jerk, Joe Yerdon might be beat here. Someone like myself does not always come across the best, no matter the intention.
Anytime I would write something on the site, there was always support, even if there was respected debate and/or disagreement. Hey, those things do happen. The point is any person that sits there and publishes an article on a site is going to be criticized at some point. Sometimes that displeasure is vociferous and loud to say the least. It does take a lot of risk to write an article knowing the world is going to see it. Picture it like being an artist trying to work with his muse, etc.
For Bruce Hollingdrake, yes we have had our philosophical differences but there are few people in this world that would have given me the platform you did. This is a true story. I really did write about food articles surrounding a hockey draft in Newark. There was even that one time where writing about Rick Nash being crossed with “Mike Tyson’s Punch Out”. That really did happen thanks to the great work of Josh Smith. I consider Bruce a much, respected friend not to mention his love of wine rivals mine. That is rare in this world.
When there is a group of over 100 people, sometimes writers just get lost in the shuffle. That never happened at THW. You always expected it and yet it never did. That was always the most incredible thing.
For the fantasy hockey writers, there have been so many but Toli Metter has been here almost as long as I have been. Thanks Toli for all that you do and for all the great fantasy hockey writers on the site. That wing will always be in good hands.
To all of the New Jersey Devils writers out there, thank you! Being a fan from the early days affords a different perspective and yet it was pleasant to always find someone at THW who remembered the very old days just like I do. The Devils wing is excellent and can always look forward to what comes out next.
For the humor side of things, I never expected The Injury Ninja to become what it has today. That is all because of the people from THW who supported this crazy notion of a ninja dementedly injuring players at a moment’s notice. When one writes from so many different angles, you never really forget what got you there…ever!
I will not be completely going away. There will be some late winter and spring writing on prospects for the upcoming 2015 NHL Draft in June. However, for now, I am taking a nice hiatus from THW.
Good luck everyone and be well. Always remember, you do what you love.
Sincerely,
Chris Wassel
I’ll raise a glass of B.R. Cohn Can to you as you move forward. Best of luck, and thanks for all the fish ;)