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It is hard to put into words where my life is now and where it was when I started writing for HockeyBuzz back in 2008. For those who don’t know, I started as a caller to the Maple Leafs post-game show back in 1997 and gained some notoriety as “Mike In Buffalo” thanks to the likes of Andy Frost, Bill Watters, and Jeff Marek.
I found HockeyBuzz after the NHL lockout as an avenue to express my bottomless pit of opinions, and I then started calling the prehistoric Buzzcast podcast call-in show on Talkshoe, hosted by Eklund and Julie Robenhymer. That eventually led me to become a member of the HB community in the chat room with people like Flamestr (Randy Workman), bloggers, and fans from the site, and I started submitting blogs as a fan.
When Howard Berger left the site, and Alec Brownscombe decided to form Maple Leaf Hot Stove, Ek asked me to take over as the Toronto blogger and thus began 16 years of working for the website.
During that time, I was still working full-time at a bank, with HB as a second job, but a few years later I was laid off and hockey writing became a full-time gig. Over the last 10 years, I became a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, worked for other outlets like Sporting News Canada, Full Press Hockey, the Fischler Report, and most recently the Hockey News, and I was offered positions with other outlets, but I remained with HockeyBuzz out of loyalty and because I had the freedom to express what I wanted.
My responsibilities have increased over the years; becoming the day-to-day host of the HockeyBuzzcast, editing various other blogs, managing Cap Central, and in the last few months taking over a managerial role with the site. As Bill Meltzer indicated in his note today, we took over Eric O’s responsibilities at the beginning of October, which was an arduous task to be sure, since he has been primarily responsible for keeping the site going all these years.
Bill and I formed a three-headed management team with Eklund, with each of taking on a heavy workload on top of what we already do. After a month, we have come to realize that this structure is untenable and that is why we with a heavy heart have decided to resign from the website effective immediately.
The HockeyBuzzcast, which I’ve invested a lot of hours in, may continue with Eklund or others as the host, but I will no longer be involved.
I would like thank a number of people who I’ve encountered through HockeyBuzz. Former bloggers like Brian Metzer, Karine Hains, Kevin Allen, current writers like Jan Levine, Ty Anderson, Bill, my Off The Post co-hosts Anthony Mingioni and Russ Cohen, and many others over the years who have put in a lot of hard work covering a game we all love.
Most of all, I’d like to thank the thousands of Leafs fans who have read my work, who I’ve interacted with in the comments section over the years, and even met on occasion. You are the best and will always have my appreciation. As for my future, I’m not sure where you will be able to read my Leafs-related content, but I would recommend watching the Leafs Convo on YouTube with Norman James, all those who watched the Buzzcasts to check in on Off The Post with Russ and Anthony (which will be expanding to twice a week starting this week) and follow my on X @MikeInBuffalo.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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