BY DEREK CARSON – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Dear sports fans,
As we sit by the yule log on the fire, with the Christmas tree, Menorah or Solstice lamp lighting our homes, let’s take some time for a look back on a significant year in hockey. Today we look back at the month of May.
So sports fans, why don’t you sit back, relax, and enjoy a trip down memory lane with some of the most memorable moments in hockey from 2011.
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May: the rebirth of a franchise and the untimely passing of a young man
During the break between the end of the Conference Finals and the start of the Stanley Cup Final, it was formally announced, on May 31, 2011, that the Atlanta Thrashers would be moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Winnipeg was elated! Canadian hockey fans rejoiced with their Manitoban brothers and sisters. Winnipeg Jets fans had been robbed of their team in 1996. Fifteen years later, hockey had returned.
Sure, the haters were still out there. “Your arena’s too small!” they shouted. “The NHL is a gate-driven league!” they cried. But Winnipeg, and more importantly, True North Sports & Entertainment, didn’t listen to the detractors. They listened to their hearts (and their own business savvy) and got an NHL team back in the ‘Peg.
It was the rebirth of a franchise.
However, May was not solely about hockey, nor was it solely a month for celebration. May handed the hockey world its first tragedy of the year, and hockey took a backseat to life.
On May 13, 2011, Derek Boogaard died of an accidental drug overdose. He was only 28 years old.
Boogaard’s death rocked the hockey world and it’s something to remember during the holiday season. Life is precious, don’t take your loved ones for granted, we don’t know how long we have together.
Live your life as best you can every day. It may not be your last day, but it’s your only life. And it’s worth something.