The State of Hockey

Normally when I refer to the State of Hockey, I am talking about none other than the great state of Minnesota. Right now, it's not a literal state; it's a state of being. The last few months, the hockey world has been in a state of sadness and shock.


It started with the sudden death of Derek Boogaard in May. The eventual cause of death was accidental due to a combination of pills and alcohol. I was completely shaken up by this. I didn't know Boogey personally, but I was a fan of his. When he went to the NY Rangers, I was upset. He wasn't an impact player in terms of scoring, but he made a difference on the team. He stood up for his teammates and got the crowd excited when things weren't looking so hot. Even if you had NO idea what was going on in the game, you got excited when you saw #24 on the ice. To this day, it still makes me cry when I think about it.


Just a few weeks ago, Rick Rypein, another prominent NHL player was found dead in his home from an apparent suicide.


On the 31st, Nashville Predators team member, Wade Belak, died. He was also found dead in his home. No cause of death has been released that I know of.


And just today, another tragedy hit the hockey world. A plane crashed in Russia, killing the 40+ people aboard. Those on board were players for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, a KHL team. They were traveling to their first game. There were several former NHL and AHL players aboard the plane, including former Wild player Pavol Demitra.


Hockey season needs to start now. The hockey world has been riddled with bad news this summer. It's time something good happened. There's nothing like that first hockey game of the season, for a player or a fan. For a player, it's stepping on the ice and hearing the roar of the crowd. For fans, it is seeing their favorite game and players back in action. It's the back and forth, fast paced action that has us all enthralled for 60+ minutes, breathing only for a short time in between periods (just enough time to refill the beer).


We shouldn't forget about the events from the last 4 months. I am sure there will be moments of silence at the first games of the year and memorials set up at various venues, as there should be. Hockey fans need a reason to be excited about their sport again. The start of the season is just the thing that will do that.