Throwback to 2009, we had just made the playoffs for the first time and 14 year old me was incredibly hooked on hockey after just being a casual watcher for the last 4 years. I casually visited here (when Brassard got hurt against James Neal was my first time visiting) and followed along with the playoff GDT's after the games to see the reactions but had no intention of joining. On a day in June I saw reports on this new site I found (hockeybuzz, Eklund) that Martin Havlat was going to hit the market and the CBJ were interested. So I hopped over here and noticed nobody was talking about it and I HAD to tell people that we were getting him according to this guy. So I signed up, under the username CBJBrassard16, my favorite player who won a coin flip over Jake Voracek for the honor (Because everyone else loved Rick Nash I had to be different) and told everyone about this new report. I got post after post complaining about how bad hockeybuzz is and how I was posting wrong info. I learned pretty quickly not to post hockeybuzz.
From then on I was pretty hooked on here. I was incredibly pumped to participate in the board avatar theme "Call to Arms" from Skraut's youtube video compilations (which I loved and helped fuel my love for the CBJ when I was learning). I was very vocal against the Ryan Johansen pick because I thought for sure that meant we were trading Brassard. I think Robert is one of the very few who recalls this username for me, as he still calls me “Brass” when he pops in. Good times.
Inevitably when Brassard was traded years later came CBJWennberg41. I thought Wennberg was going to be my next favorite player. I had just graduated high school the day he was picked, he was the top overall pick for the Jackets that year, and he seemed like a top tier prospect.I should have waited to see him play before picking him as the next username. Not that he was bad, but Wennberg was never really my style of player (although I did think he was solid, I was more drawn to players like Jenner)
But at the same time I still did like Wennberg, he just wasn't the type of player I would have as my favorite. So I stuck with my guns when he changed his number, and changed to CBJWennberg10 when he changed his number from 41 to 10. I was ride or die with Wennberg apparently.
When Wennberg got bought out, I already knew exactly what the next username was going to be. CBJDubois18, for my favorite player, and next franchise cornerstone of the CBJ. All I was waiting for before switching was a contract to be signed....Well...we all know what happened. I am very glad I waited.
So, scrambling, I decided to go with Werenski as the new name. As most people now were referring to me as CBJW, I figured I'd stick with it.
I've literally been on this site since before I was in high school and now I'm 27 and working full time with a college degree. This makes me feel so old.
TLDR; CBJBrassard16-CBJWennberg41-CBJWennberg10-CBJWerenski8
Why is my username CBJ(player)(playernumber)? Good question. No clue. 14 year old me was just trying to make a profile as quick as I could to post a hockeybuzz rumor about Martin Havlat.