I’m not big on change.

I had my last truck 14 years and would still be driving it if somebody with the peripheral vision of ex-Blue Kelly Chase didn’t back into me. I’ve been a member of the same gym for 16 years – notice, I just said member. And for those of you familiar with St. Louis pizza and ice cream destinations, I order the same thing at Imo’s (Canadian bacon and sausage with extra sauce) and Ted Drewes (strawberry Oreo concrete) every single time I go.

That’s why deciding to leave the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last month after 23 years of writing stories for my hometown newspaper was the most difficult decision of my life.

I was blessed beyond belief to have my dream job that long, and if you would have told an 11-year-old glued to the Monday Night Miracle in 1986 that he’d one day be the beat writer of the St. Louis Blues, he would have told you to shut up. It took hard work, but the lucky bounces and unwavering support from colleagues far outweighed the hours I put in. The people at the Post-Dispatch are why I’ve led the life I have thus far, including the unimaginable memories of the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium and opportunities like writing “100 Things Blues Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.”

It did not have to end.

I was not laid off, and in an industry that has suffered far more than its fair share recently, I might have had one of the “safest” positions at the newspaper. I thought I’d be at the Post-Dispatch until I retired, and even after a phone conversation this summer with Alex Mather, co-founder of The Athletic, that was still my mindset. But the more I heard, the more I read and the more I thought about the future of sportswriting, I was convinced that the ambitious new website developed by Mather and co-founder Adam Hansmann had a real chance to be successful and I wanted to be in on the ground floor.

I am joining The Athletic and will be covering the Blues starting on Sept. 15 because I believe that in a day and age when fans wake up to alerts on the latest transaction by their favorite team, they still yearn for well-written, well-informed stories. You will not read one criticism of newspapers or their websites in my message – they are filled with quality journalists doing hard work to deliver the headlines – but I am at a point in my career where having the extra time to write a more thought-provoking, poignant piece is especially attractive to me. I don’t mind being a rink rat, but it doesn’t have to be a rat race.

When I asked Mather how he wanted me to cover the Blues, he responded with a question.

“How long have you been the beat writer?” he asked.

“Twelve seasons,” I answered.

“Then you know better than anyone how to cover the Blues,” he said. “So go do it.”

And so, here I am. I don’t know how many stories per week I’ll write, and right now I have no idea what they’ll be about. Perhaps one day we’ll dig into whether Alex Pietrangelo is overlooked among today’s top NHL defensemen and another day we’ll revisit Jay Bouwmeester’s contract. Incorporating analytics into hockey coverage is an important part of what The Athletic is doing, so maybe one day I’ll look at Jaden Schwartz’s productivity beyond his points.

But it won’t be all nuts-and-bolts. If Robby Fabbri will let us, maybe we’ll tag along with him to the barbershop and witness the team’s best head of hair getting trimmed up. All I can guarantee you is that we are going to go rise above the practice updates and game stories.

Before we go any further, I must tell you that The Athletic is a subscription-based site, which I know may turn some of you off. But at a cost that’s cheaper than a trip to the concession stand, and with the writers that have been assembled – James Mirtle, Craig Custance, Aaron Portzline, Scott Powers, Arpon Basu, Pierre LeBrun and today’s announcement that Mike Russo has been added to the lineup – I might even cut out the hot dog combo and buck up.

I still can’t believe that I’m going to be a part of it.

When I was contemplating The Athletic’s offer early in the process, I had an NHL executive ask me how I could pass up an opportunity to be included among a “Who’s who” of league writers. I couldn’t pass it up. Former beat writers with decades of experience will bring you the most in-depth content you’ll find around the league, and for one low subscription price you’ll get it all and advertisement-free. That’s right, no ads.

For those in St. Louis, there’s even more reason to be excited. As some may know, The Athletic already has U.S. hubs in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia and the Bay Area, and on Tuesday announced that it will expand beyond Toronto and open up in every Canadian NHL city. Well, I’m told that AthleticSTL is in the plans at some point, meaning the St. Louis Cardinals and University of Missouri will eventually be included in the local coverage. In the meantime, my stuff will be part of a hockey vertical, a one-stop shop that will promise Blues fans as much coverage as any club in the league.

I’ve done this job for more than a decade with you as the focus and that won’t be any different at The Athletic. When I announced I was leaving the Post-Dispatch, I was truly humbled by the number of well-wishers. I’m thrilled to finally be able to tell you about my new plans and hope that you will join me.

I’m not big on change, but changing with the times is another story that I want to help write.

If you’re with me, click here to start your subscription today for 40 percent off.