The NHL has lost three family members this summer. Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien, and now Wade Belak. There are differing rumors out there as to what happened with Belak, but so far Boogard's was a drug reaction and Rypien was reported a suicide.
It brings the question to mind: What happened to Belak and why?
Hockey is a very demanding sport, but it doesn't get the press in the US that it does in Canada. People in Canada LIVE for hockey. Kids are out skating and playing hockey all the time. It's a passion. It's like American football in the USA or Football/Soccer just about everywhere else in the world.
Wade Belak played for five NHL teams in his career, including a stop in Toronto, which has some of the best and most critical fans in the league. The pressure of playing in a city that lives, breathes, and dies for their beloved Maple Leafs makes playing there very difficult. One mistake and the fans are all over you. They want you traded. They want you benched.
Wade had a career as an enforcer. He was a fighter but also stood up for his teammates. He seemed to be well liked by his colleagues and teammates. He had a family and seemed very happy with his wife and children.
What happened? Why did we lose Wade? At the same time, why did we lose Derek and Rick? We will probably never understand why. All we can do is keep them in our memories and enjoy the time we got to watch them play.
The games will go on. Training camp starts in just over a week. Some players have already been hitting the ice. In just a few weeks we will cheer for our Leafs, Habs, Caps, Pens, or whatever team you root for. But we will be without three members of the NHL family that we lost this summer, all very unexpectedly.
It brings the question to mind: What happened to Belak and why?
Hockey is a very demanding sport, but it doesn't get the press in the US that it does in Canada. People in Canada LIVE for hockey. Kids are out skating and playing hockey all the time. It's a passion. It's like American football in the USA or Football/Soccer just about everywhere else in the world.
Wade Belak played for five NHL teams in his career, including a stop in Toronto, which has some of the best and most critical fans in the league. The pressure of playing in a city that lives, breathes, and dies for their beloved Maple Leafs makes playing there very difficult. One mistake and the fans are all over you. They want you traded. They want you benched.
Wade had a career as an enforcer. He was a fighter but also stood up for his teammates. He seemed to be well liked by his colleagues and teammates. He had a family and seemed very happy with his wife and children.
What happened? Why did we lose Wade? At the same time, why did we lose Derek and Rick? We will probably never understand why. All we can do is keep them in our memories and enjoy the time we got to watch them play.
The games will go on. Training camp starts in just over a week. Some players have already been hitting the ice. In just a few weeks we will cheer for our Leafs, Habs, Caps, Pens, or whatever team you root for. But we will be without three members of the NHL family that we lost this summer, all very unexpectedly.
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