It has been a shocking and awful summer for the NHL, where we've seen the tragic death of 3 fighters/tough guys including the latest shocking death of fan favourite Wade Belak. I have tried to stay away from this topic, because each death has been extremely tragic and I don't want to write anything rude/out of line. With that being said, I finally thought it was the right thing to do to pay tribute to these players. Before even understanding how awful the loss is, many people point directly to fighting and blame that as the "Cause of Death" in all 3 circumstances. While no one knows what role it could have caused, fighting is not the problem in hockey and it won't be taken out regardless. The tragic loss of these 3 enforcers were each harder to take in as they happened, the worst being Belak because I grew up in watching him crush and destroy people in Toronto, always with that huge smile on his face. This summer has been a great concern for the NHL and NHLPA, and after losing Boogaard, Rypien and now Belak, something has to be done to ensure better safety for our players. The toughest and most frequent story I have heard in all 3 cases, is that the road to the NHL as a tough guy is extremely difficult, often one that takes a lot more patience and persistence than a normal NHL career. These guys are not go to guys, not your best defensive players, but they go out there any give it all they've got to defend their teammates and lay out the body. Often times these players don't get the credit they deserve, but they always know their place on a hockey team as Belak did for many years with the Leafs. Regardless of the fact, all three of these players all seemed to have bright futures and none were expected to have any issues off the ice. But that's not how things always happen, and we must remember each of these special players by the game they brought to the ice everyday. Tragedy will happen, and sometimes as a fan/writer we don't know how difficult it could be to watch a teammate go just like that, but all there is to do is remember the positives and hope for the best for family/friends/teammates etc. Wade, Rick and Derek were all special players in their own respects, and you can tell how much support all the players have as pretty much everyone has weighed in on each of these 3 circumstances and how tragic it really has been. RIP Wade - you were truly a special player to watch on the ice, Derek - you weren't afraid of anyone and were the toughest player I've ever watched, and Rick - he was just your stand-up nice guy but played an extremely tough game, one that surprised many people. My most sincere apologies to the family, friends and teammates of these 3 guys and hope for a more positive future in the NHL as the season nears (about a month away). RIP Wade, Rick and Derek, you will be truly missed.
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News
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