Support Future Coverage of the Buffalo Sabres

Hi, my name is Melissa Burgess. I am the Managing Editor of Die by the Blade, which covers the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, as well as their prospects, draft info & more. Die by the Blade has served a wide community of Sabres fans since July 2007. Our staff over the years may have changed, but our mission remains the same. We pride ourselves on our unique, in-depth coverage that provides insight, opinions and analysis, from game highlights and recaps to player profiles, features and more.

Earlier this month, we learned that our site will no longer be "managed and monetized" by our parent company, Vox Media, effective February 28. In other words, our financial support that allows our staff to be paid will be pulled. We are also uncertain at this point what other support we will have, and may be required to change the site name and/or start fresh with a new site completely. If you're reading this, I probably don't need to point out that these cuts are coming in the middle of the NHL season, just a few days before the trade deadline, leaving the future of the site up in the air during a season when the Sabres could legitimately make a playoff push.

As we try to plan for our next steps amid this uncertainty, our first goal is to be able to finish out this season with minimal disruption. We are also looking to the future - the offseason, next season and beyond - and hope to be able to continue providing the content and community you've all come to enjoy over the years.

Our current operating budget is $800/month, which pays for one managing editor (myself), two editors and two staff writers. We previously had our budget cut from $1300/month in October, which forced us to restructure a bit and also meant we lost some wonderful writers.

Any & all funds raised will be used in the potential acquisition of our brand name/domain or transition to a new one, to pay for the website, domain & design costs, and most importantly: to pay our editors & writers!

Also: if you run a local business/company and would be interested in a potential sponsorship to help us get through the end of this season and/or beyond, please fill out this Google form.

We are currently facing a lot of uncertainty regarding the future, but these funds will help us hopefully get to the next step & ensure minimal disruption in our coverage as the NHL season rolls on.

Thank you to all our readers, friends, fans, and followers, who have read Die by the Blade over the years & enjoyed our content. We are so grateful for your support, and we look forward to what's to come.