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***notorioustig*** · 08-24-2020, 12:04 AM

It's been a hectic and stressful couple of weeks, and now we're gearing up for my last playoff run in Hamilton. I came close to clipping the 400 point plateau as a Steelhawk, finishing with 397 in 550 games. I was able to win an award and be nominated for several others despite the balance of my career being a fairly average player. I don't want to make this too long, but I have a few things I wanted to say.

We're a few days shy of the two-year anniversary of me being drafted by the Steelhawks, and I could never have predicted how large an impact that day would have on me. When I signed up for the site, I was just looking for something fun and hockey-related to kill some time. I never expected to make real friends, much less an entire team full of them. You guys are legitimately some of my closest friends now, and my only regret from leaving is that any success any of us have on the ice will no longer be shared as teammates.

@DrunkenTeddy was the one who brought me in all the way back in S43, and I can't thank him enough for that. He's been a mentor, a team dad, and is probably the person I respect most on this entire site. Big thanks to @Waters and @TheWoZy for believing in me so much in Detroit and then pushing to bring me to Hamilton too. The fact that they were willing to roll the dice on me with a top-5 pick in a stacked draft class is the reason I've been able to build these tight friendships.

I didn't really know @nour as anything other than the Kelowna GM when I first landed in Hamilton, but over the past couple of years he's quickly become one of my best friends. Getting to be your teammate and GM partner has been incredible, and getting to be your friend is even better.

@Hallsy has done a fantastic job as GM, keeping such a tightly-knit group together and building them into a powerhouse. It's been fun to talk Oilers with him and @adamantium and I'm sure that will continue. From the moment I said I would want to apply for a GM spot in a future expansion, he was nothing but supportive. I make fun of my player a lot but the reality is that Hamilton is losing a perfectly good top-4 defenseman for free as a result of me leaving, right in the middle of a championship window. Hallsy and the rest of the guys have not just accepted this but have actively supported and helped me throughout the process, and I can't thank them enough.

I've had a ton of fantastic teammates over two years so I won't list all of you and risk leaving someone out, but it's been a great adventure in Hamilton and there's no group of people I would rather have spent the last two years building a Challenge Cup winning (twice!) team with.

@Gwdjohnson I know people give you a lot of shit, but it's completely deserved.

I love you all, let's try and close out Murphy's time with the Steelhawks with one last cup.