For the last few weeks, a famous Black Sabbath refrain has been playing on loop in my head: “I’m goingggg through changesssss.”

Losing the late, great Ozzy Osbourne this summer surely plays a role, but the line hits home for other reasons, as well. After more than 15 years with lohud.com and the USA TODAY Network — the place that gave me my first shot at this whole sports journalism thing and allowed me to experiment and grow in multiple roles — I’ve accepted a position as senior writer and New York Rangers beat reporter at The Athletic.

Changes, indeed.

It comes with mixed emotions and first-day-of-school jitters, but in my experience, that’s a good thing. We all need to be pushed out of our comfort zone every now and then to find out if we can rise to the challenge. That’s how I felt in 2017, when I was encouraged to try my hand on the management and editing side and ultimately gained a new perspective on how to build and sustain an audience without sacrificing substance.

And it’s how I felt in 2019, as the itch to return to writing and reporting lingered in my mind and inspired me to jump at the chance to cover the NHL. I wanted to prove then that I could handle a pro sports beat and deliver consistent, compelling coverage to a devoted fan base. That’s where the Rangers — and you, the readers — came in.

The team held up its end of the bargain by giving me plenty to write about during my first six seasons on the beat. Despite winning just one Stanley Cup in the last 85 years, there’s never a shortage of storylines coming out of Madison Square Garden. I covered the fascinating final years of the late-2010s rebuild, followed by a stunning front-office upheaval in May 2021 that kicked off the Chris Drury era. That gave way to a thrilling run of two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one Presidents’ Trophy in three memorable years.

Then came the faceplant that was the 2024-25 season, as the Blueshirts fell apart around Thanksgiving and never fully recovered, missing the playoffs for the first time in four years. The mounting losses were overshadowed by a slew of jarring trades and bubbling unrest behind the scenes, which only adds intrigue heading into a pivotal 2025-26 campaign for the Drury-led front office, new coach Mike Sullivan and several core players.

It’s been a wild, dream-like ride, but the desire to surprise readers with creative new wrinkles continues to fuel me. Your passion drives me to immerse myself in every facet of the organization and produce stories that I, as an avid sports fan myself, want to read. My goal is to report with accuracy, depth and urgency, but not just for the sake of leading the news cycle. I want my coverage to stand out because it offers unique insight, prioritizes big-picture analysis, and pulls back the curtain on every player, prospect and consequential decision.

The approach has evolved over time, often shaped by fan feedback and backed by information from trustworthy sources who helped me understand the inner workings of lineup construction, locker room dynamics, player development, roster and salary cap management, and everything else that goes into running an NHL franchise. We introduced a podcast, “New Ice City,” which I proudly hosted, produced and edited for 189 episodes. I’ve also been humbled by the opportunity to step in front of the camera as an on-air analyst for SNY TV, beginning in 2020.

At The Athletic, I’m thrilled to join such a talented staff of writers and editors — some of whom I’ve gotten to know in recent years and many of whom I’ve admired from afar. The possibilities seem endless with this level of support and resources, and I’m especially excited to collaborate with fellow team beat writer and friend Peter Baugh. We’ll make a killer duo and provide subscribers with the most comprehensive Rangers coverage anywhere.

So, while change can be daunting and uncomfortable — especially when it comes to saying goodbye to many who have helped me along the way — it also represents an opportunity.

Ozzy was singing about a bad breakup, but this feels like a perfect marriage.

(Photo: Wendell Cruz/ Imagn Images)