Thank You

Thank you. Thank you to each and every one of you reading this right now. Thank you to everyone who ever read anything I, or my colleagues, wrote for Five For Howling over the last couple years.

After two years and seven months, this will be my last post for Five For Howling. It has been an incredible ride -- one I've enjoyed immensely. I am taking a full-time position at FanRag Sports starting in February. They are based in Phoenix, so I will still be around to chat, talk and write about Coyotes hockey, just on a different forum.

I appreciate everyone that ever liked or hated my writing and every commenter who thought I was a genius, a moron or something in between. This site has doubled in traffic since my first days here and it would not be where it is today without all of you. I hope you have all enjoyed our content and found it useful, informative, thought provoking or at least entertaining.

I spent my last two years of college and my first handful of months as a graduate at this site and I consider the experience invaluable. I've grown as a writer, reporter and a person during my time here through my interactions with other media members and readers alike.

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank a few people that helped me along the way. I look up to and respect Craig Morgan as much as anyone. He took me under his wing for no other reason than he was a nice guy who saw a young adult trying to find his way in the journalism world. Craig's advice and willingness to treat me as just another professional media member helped give me the confidence to continue on my career path. Whether he knows it or not, he's my biggest professional influence. I cannot thank him enough for going out of his way to help me.

Many others have helped me along the way with either advice or kindness. Sarah McLellan is a consummate professional and one of the best beat writers around. She was always nice to me and I looked at her work for ideas and tricks of the trade. Coyotes fans are very fortunate to have her covering their favorite team.

Dave Vest was kind to me from day one -- always asking how my day was going. He may not remember this little interview (I've lost about 70 pounds of fat and 10 pounds of hair since then), but that was my first interaction with Dave.

Graham Taylor and Brett Hansen at FOX Sports Arizona have always been kind to me as well. Graham sought me out at a Coyotes practice a few years ago and we still chat every now and then. Brett and I have interacted both via the Coyotes and a college program. In early 2014 I was a part of the winning group for FOX Sports Creative University, helping create a campaign you might remember.

Rich Nairn, Chris Wojcik and Greg Dillard gave me the opportunity to cover the Coyotes as a credentialed media member and for that I'll always be grateful. It allowed our readers to get a different perspective on the game in a market not terribly saturated with hockey content.

The folks over at KTAR/Arizona Sports were great to me as well. John Gambadoro gave me more than a few pieces of advice over the last couple years. The web team of Tyler Bassett, Adam Green and Vince Marotta were always kind, thoughtful and helped me grow as a journalist in the past five months. I will miss working with those guys.

Last but not least I would like to thank Carl Putnam and Travis Hughes for giving me this opportunity. Who would have thought answering a Facebook help wanted post in 2012 would have led to all this? Carl gave me the chance to write for this site initially and made me an editor then eventually managing editor. Travis runs the show for SB Nation's NHL coverage and he's always been around with advice and words of encouragement.

I know I am probably forgetting some people and for that I apologize.

Thank you to everyone that has helped me along the way and I can't wait to see what the future holds because I'm just getting started.

If you would like to follow me on Twitter, you can do so here. I've been the one doing 99.9 percent of the tweeting from the Five For Howling Twitter account in the last two years.

I am done rambling as the powers that be are playing "Howlin' For You" to get me off the stage. Thank you all and welcome your new FFH overlord Brendan Porter.