Let me be the first to say Thank You for all the contributions to this site, all your valuable knowledge and the way you approach things has certainly opened the eyes of many.
Thank you for all you've done!
And good luck on your new gig!
Dobber Nation,
Just wanted to thank everyone for what has been an awesome 4.5 years. Today's piece "Late-Season Sleepers" is my final weekly fantasy goalie article for Dobber Hockey.
I owe much of my success since September of 2007 to Dobber. He opened the door for me to start writing articles focused exclusively on the inner-workings of the goaltender and goaltending position. He took a chance -- he knew right away I was not the traditional fantasy hockey writer....I remember the first few pieces I showed him, pieces I wrote on my own accord....I never imagined he would have been so receptive. But he was, and I can't think of anyone out there that covers fantasy hockey that has a more keen perception and understanding of goalies than Dobber.
The opportunity he gave me not only opened the door for me to hone my skills as a budding goalie scout, he allowed me to gain confidence in my unique perspective. I have no pro experience, I have never played a game in front of more than a few hundred people, and I will never, ever, ever consider myself an expert.
Many of you have been so supportive, and it all added fuel to my fire over the past five seasons.
Making this decision was not easy. I still love writing weekly articles for Dobber. I don't really want to stop, but it's something I have to do in order to keep moving forward with my own personal goals and ambitions. It may seem crazy or way far-fetched, but I am really working hard to be hired by a pro hockey organization as a "goalie-specific" scout or consultant. It is needed at all levels. One person in an organization dedicated to scouting and evaluating nothing but goalies. The goalie coach can't do it all, and you see more and more NHL teams hiring assistant goalie coaches as well. My hope is that it's only a matter of time, maybe four or five years, maybe 10...before I can be legitimately considered as a viable asset for a pro organization.
That is my dream, and I have come too far to not go for it.
Dobber and I are still very much partners for GoaliePost. Even though I am somewhat phasing out the fantasy element of what I do, my insights and analysis won't change. I will still be powering GoaliePost, and I hope you guys will continue to support it as your exclusive resource for starting goalies and everything else that comes with it.
For those of you that are long-time readers of mine, I can't thank you enough for the support, the advice, the feedback, the comments and the questions. Your search for deeper knowledge and a better understanding of the position has pushed me to learn more as well, and without you guys asking solid questions, I am not able to research solid topics and understand the position on such an intricate level.
I feel like, with all of the crazy and off-beat topics I've presented over the past 4.5 years through the School of Block and GoaliePost updates, I have accomplished what I set out to do for Dobber Nation since 2007. Every article is archived, and I feel like I've provided Dobber with a library of insight on goaltending that you simply won't find anywhere else.
The School of Block is being re-launched on The Goalie Guild later today. I'll follow up in here with some basic links. I am taking things to a whole new level, using the Periodic Table of Goaltending Elements as the main "textbook" or backbone of what the School of Block is all about. In essence, it's a new method of thinking I'm ready to develop within my own mind.
I call it goaltending alchemy. It's nothing like I ever imagined I would be doing, but I'm so excited to roll it out, showcase what it's all about, and allow it to channel my energy and ideas to a new level.
Sincerely, from the deepest folds of my mind, I am really honored to have had this opportunity to teach and enlighten all of you. In turn, you have done the same to me. Much of what I become, a lot of where I am going, is credit to the insanely awesome community found right here on these forums, and that's why my "goodbye" note is on here, and not included in the article.
Good luck to everyone with their fantasy teams and leagues!! Remember, I'll still be powering GoaliePost, and Dobber and I still have an awesome partnership going with that. But with more responsibilities being handed to me over at NHL.com, and my process of relocating up north from my current residence in Denver underway, the time has come to close the book on weekly articles for DobberHockey.
Let me be the first to say Thank You for all the contributions to this site, all your valuable knowledge and the way you approach things has certainly opened the eyes of many.
Thank you for all you've done!
And good luck on your new gig!
Dobber Expert Pool Champion 2011-12
You'll definitely be missed around here my friend!
I really hope your dreams coming true and can't wait to see your name tied to an NHL team.
Thanks for everything and best of luck!
P.S. I'm assuming that since you'll still power GoaliePost that the SGRI will also stay?
Justin,
I am probably not the right person to represent Dobber nation in thanking you, but I did not want to miss an opportunity to pass on my gratitude for the insight and ingenuity you have provided.
As a long time player, fantasy GM and fan I will openly admit that will probably never understand goalies and likely assume that all of them are indeed insane. But, I have always recognized their intrinsic value to the success of any team or organization both in reality and within our fantasy leagues.
What I have always appreciated about your articles is the way you can combine your admiration and respect for a goalies craft with scientific fact and logic to create articles that I can understand. So often I tune out after the first few sentences when goalies get into specifics but with you I always felt that you genuinely cared that I understood where you were coming from.
I will definitely miss your articles and your insight, but I completely understand your need to follow your aspirations. My guess is that you will miss doing these articles as much as we will miss reading them. Thankfully we know where to find you.
Best of luck to you in your endeavors, at Goaliepost.com, the NHL.com and whichever NHL team has the insight and wisdom to give you a chance.
Thanks, you two!!
Yes, the SGRI will remain. Right now it's staying housed on The Goalie Guild through the end of the season, but it will probably be transported over to GoaliePost and tied in to the starter's grid for next season! That will save me tons of time, so expect that to happen. It continues to be a good useful alternative tool for poolies looking for an extra edge, and I have had nothing but good feedback, so it will remain!
Thanks Justin.
Best of luck.
Not really much else that needs to be said Justin, you're a champ and we've all appreciated the great insight that you've given here over the years.
Wish you the best of luck for your future endeavours, glad to hear that goaliepost will still be going strong.
Thanks for everything man. Take care.
Goalies: If I'm pickin em you best be sittin em!
good luck Justin!
i don't think there are too many other people i trust as much for their hockey insight, and i think you're well on your way to being an important cog in revolutionizing how the goaltending position is analyzed and evaluated.
Best of luck, Justin. It's been a pleasure reading your articles and I haved used your advice on more than one occasion to get a leg up on the competition.
Ultimate Fantasy Hockey League - 2nd Place
Teams: 12
Players: G,A,+/-,PIM,PPP,SHP,GWG,SOG,FW,HIT
Goalies: GS,W,L,GAA,SA,SV,SV%,SHO
Pro(23) Keep(17)
3C - Toews/Spezza/Rask/Backlund/Dubinsky(LW)
3LW -Palat/Abdelkader(RW)/Henrique(C)/Soderberg(C)
3RW - Simmonds/Smith(C)/Little(C)/Jenner(C)/Stafford
6D - Doughty/Ekman-Larsson/Chara/Braun/Klingberg/Stone/Theodore
2G - Hellybuyck/Lehner
IR - Wisniewski/Perreault(C)/Savard/Pavelec
Farm(10)
C - Dvorak(LW)
LW -Lindberg(C)
RW -
D - Pulock/Gustafsson
G - Darling/Hutchinson/Condon/Ullmark//Johnson/Raanta
I hope you get to where you want to be. You have been great and I wish you the best.
Thanks for everything!
Go get 'em!
Thanks Justin, and all the best in your future endeavours.
I've benefited from your unique (and thorough) perspective on goalies since you joined, and I'm happy to have been a supporter.
thanks for all the hardwork. would be fun to see how well your real life goalie skills have improved since you started writing!
I posted this under your last article but thought i would post it here as well.
Since I have been reading Dobberhockey it has been fantastic to have someone who eats, sleeps and talks about nothing else but goalies. You have provided some real gems that would have otherwise been overlooked.
Good luck with the School of Block and everything else besides.
12 Team H2H keeper league
G, A, +/-, PPP, SHP, Hits, GWG & SOG. W, GAA, SV% & SHO
Daily changes, Start: 3C 3LW 3RW 6D 1F 2W 2G - 10 Bench
Best of luck with your ambitions Justin. Given your tenacity and work eithic, I have no doubt you will be successful.
"Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent" - Calvin Coolidge