[Ed. Note: It is with a heavy heart that I announce the departure of staff writer Ryan Pennington from the site. Ryan is off to pursue career interests that will make it rather tough for him to continue coverage for 100 Degree Hockey. I cannot possibly say enough about how difficult it is to see him go, especially without a proper end-of-season sendoff. He was an excellent contributor, is a true professional, brought an amazing personality to our social presence (pig facts, anyone?) and has become an excellent friend as well. Please wish him the best in his future pursuits.]
In July of 2017, I emailed Stephen at 100 Degree Hockey with a modest proposal. I fancied myself a fairly decent writer at the time, and I was interested in developing that skill while learning the world of sports journalism. I was also madly in love with hockey.

I asked Stephen if he was willing to give me an opportunity to merge those interests with a potential writing role. A couple short months later, I found …