Sombre Start to the Season

In a perfect world I would like to restart my hockey blog under happier circumstances, however recent events prevent that plan from coming to fruition. Today's news from Russia about the untimely deaths of players and management of the Lokomotiv hockey club of the KHL cast another shadow on the already grieving hockey world family. The deaths of Derek Boogaard, Ryan Rypien, and Wade Belak are enough to bring a tear to the hardest of hearty hockey fans, not just because they were world-class athlete at the top of their game if not among the leaders of their families and communities, but now scores of families, friends, parents, children, and countless others are without the men, who graced their with the power and speed as exemplified in the tenuous ballet dance on the sheet of ice. These are only a few pictures of the men who tragically lost their lives over the summer; as hockey begins all over this planet, let us remember these men, their familes and friends, and how fleeting life is. The September 11th anniversary is mere days away, and the shadow of the ominous day is augmented with the tragic passing of these men.

Derek Boogaard

Ryan Rypien

Wade Belak The Lokomotiv Hockey Club, including ex-NHLers Pavol Demitra, Alexander Karpovtsev, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins, Karel Rachunek, former NHL player and newly named head coach Brad McCrimmon. All are seated in this Getty Images team photo taken a month before the tragic event.

(courtesy Vancouver Sun) For a complete synopsis of the Lokomotiv tragedy, click on this link to access the Vancouver Sun homepage for their in-depth coverage. There is also a front page article on NHL.com.