My weekend plans for The Show got scrapped because tragedy struck this weekend. After a yearlong battle with aplastic anemia, my friend Fred died yesterday (Friday) evening at the age of 34. He leaves behind a wife and three sons, all under the age of 9. Basically, for no apparent reason, his body quit making blood properly. He went through chemotherapy and transfusions too numerous to count at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, but he was cleared to return to his State College home last month. He still had to travel to Johns Hopkins every Monday for more treatment, but we all thought he was getting better. That is, until yesterday afternoon when he was Life Flighted to Johns Hopkins. I don't really know why - maybe I was too stupid to recognize the severity of the words "Life Flighted" or maybe I'm the queen of denial - but I was no more prepared for his death yesterday than I would have been prior to his diagnosis.
I spent today in a fog making phone calls and trying to make sense of things. Everything that was once important seemed completely pointless. I wasn't even going to watch tonight's game, let alone recap it, but my husband (who might just be the smartest, best man on this planet) was so sure that I'd change my mind that he decided to try to take the notes after I refused to do it. And he was 100% right. Now, I don't just want to do this recap, I need to do it. I need to distract myself from this awful new reality just for a bit. So I am going to work on it right now. If it doesn't get done tonight, it will get done tomorrow because I'm determined to do it to reclaim some normalcy.
The Pens' win and Sid's and Geno's benchmarks all gave me something to smile about after a terrible day. You can start discussing the game in The Friends' Zone. I'll get started on the recap now.
In an age where you can't do anything without the knowledge that someone is nearby with a camera of some sort at the ready to record your every move, it's not really a surprise that the video of Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov's last moments on this Earth were captured and posted to YouTube. I don't want to post the video here because, after watching the clip, I felt like a voyeur. In the clip, you can't actually see Cherepanov's face. What strikes you immediately is the confusion. Jaromir Jagr is standing at the end of the bench just, well, panicking. The most you can see of Cherepanov himself is a glimpse of his feet still strapped in their skates that appears when the training/medical staff and some of his teammates desperately lift the dying 19-year-old off the bench and whisk him away from prying eyes.
If you're curious to see the clip for yourself, you can find it pretty easily with a simple search of his name. Rest assured that the clip isn't graphic. It's not like he was shot or anything, so it's NOTHING like the video of goaltender Clint Malarchuk's throat being cut by Steve Tuttle's skate. But that doesn't make it any less disturbing. After all, you are watching a kid die. The difference is that Malarchuk's story has a happy ending; Cherepanov's does not.
I finally started my new job today! It was a day full of meetings, but even so, it was a lot of fun. I think I'm really going to like it there! An added bonus: it's 5:30pm, and I'm already home and in my P.J.s!! NO MORE FIVE O'CLOCK TRAFFIC!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!! :D
Anyways, it looks more and more like I won't be having a chance to answer emails during the day as I did at my old job, but with the extra time I now have at home every night, I hope to be caught up in a week's time. (I'm sooooo far behind on Roaming Penguins it's not even FUNNY.) So I'm going to scratch the surface tonight and get to some of the stuff I've received.
First up, Friend of The Show Paula C. sent in this clip of Sid on TSN's Off The Record - The Next Question:
Friend of The Show Stagerat sent this next tidbit along. IFHSA™ is at it again, and the season just started last week! In the NHL, a player can receive only 2 game misconduct penalties per season without consequence. Once said player gets nailed with a third, he is suspended. (Do you see where this is going?) From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Sean Avery used both of his lifelines Saturday night against Nashville.
He's a douche with a capital bag.
Avery, the much-ballyhooed agitator who signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the Stars in the summer, received an automatic game misconduct penalty for participating in a "second altercation" -- a fight away from a fight that had already started. He then received a second game misconduct penalty for arguing with referees.
A suspension? It should be an expulsion. In the NHL, there are the guys you love to hate (like Hossa - because you have to admit, he's a lot of fun to watch), and then there's IFHSA™. That guy is an embarrassment to the game.
The Russian Web site Allhockey.ru reported the cause of death as cardiac arrest.
According to the Russian daily Sport-Express, Cherepanov’s collapse was not preceded by a collision with another player or blows to the head or chest. The newspaper reported that doctors were able to resuscitate Cherepanov for only about two minutes during their efforts.
The newspaper reported that Jaromir Jagr, the former Ranger who joined Avangard this season and was seen as a mentor to Cherepanov, was distraught and in tears after the game.
So, so awful.
Changing the subject back to happier things, Friend of The Show Lisa-Marie W. recently had a birthday. Her family got her the BEST. BIRTHDAY CAKE. EVER.:
That's quite a cake! (Click to enlarge)
Check out some sweet pictures from Saturday's home opener that Friend of The Show Lizzybeth8771 took from her amazing seats (click them to enlarge):
And finally tonight, we had our first Roaming Penguin land overseas! Marc-Andre Penguin arrived in Duisburg, Germany to visit the home of Friend of The Show Anne H. Her own words explain the photos:
First of all he learned to know some of his new familiy members (pic 01)...
...and became friends with a mascot of my favorite soccer team (pic 02).
On Friday we went cycling and he saw the Regattabahn Duisburg, where several world rowing and canoeing championships took place (pics 03-05).
Afterwards I showed him the stadium of our local soccer team (pic 06).
Today we took a walk through Landschaftspark Nord, which is part of the industrial landscape characteristic of the area I live in (pic 09).
That is AWESOME, Anne!!! I was thrilled to pieces to see the little guy in Europe!
Thanks to everyone - Paula, Stagerat, Maria, Lisa-Marie, Lizzybeth8771, and Anne - for their assistance with tonight's post.
Promising young Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luc Bourdon died yesterday in a tragic accident when he lost control of his motorcycle and crossed the center line and head-on into a tractor trailer. He was only 21. He was a really good friend of Kris Letang (from Bleacher Report):
A talented defenseman, he brought the Gold Medal to Canada twice at the World Junior Championships; in 2006 and 2007 with one of his closest friends, Kristopher Letang. In 2006, he got 6 points in 6 games, and was named among the Tournament All-Star Team.
Stephane Leroux, a Sports writer and journalist on RDS, recalls Bourdon's moment at the World Junior. "During a practice, Bourdon pretended to be a RDS reporter and interviewed Letang. During the discussion, he would press the microphone on Letang's nose and forehead. Letang could not contain his laughs."
When contacted by the Medias, Kristopher Letang did not want to answer any question or make any comment, visibly shocked by the tragedy.
The two young men played together at the World Junior and for the Val d'Or Foreurs. During a game between Cap-Breton and Val d'Or, Bourdon had to face for the first time his former team and Letang. The Screaming Eagles lost that night, but fans could see the mark of a true friendship as Bourdon made a big hug to Letang on the ice.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bourdon family and to all who knew him.
I just got this sad news in an email from Friend of The Show and Halifax resident Rhonda M.
A gentleman by the name of Bruce Emberly has died of cancer. Our Canadian Friends may have heard of him, but for all us Yanks, he was the Penguins' Official Number 1 Fan. Rhonda told me about a news story about Bruce that ran on the CBC. Neither she nor I could find a clip of it, but she found this comment about the news segment that a viewer left in a CBS Sports forum on May 9th:
Wow just saw an amazing item on CBC news...about the Pens #1 fan... His name is Bruce Emberly and he lives in Halifax Nova Scotia... You have to see this guys house " the Pens Den"... every room is full of Pens memorabilia, sweaters posters, you name it...even his car has a large Pens Logo on the hood of his car ( black of course)... One one of his many visits to Pitt to catch a game he fell ill. was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The pens heard of this and the players sent him a jersey, Emberly #1 Penguins Fan... On his 50 th birthday Sidney Crosby called him up , they talked hockey and health... Apparently Crosby will bring the Stanley Cup to his house if they win... Great Story...
EMBERLY, Bruce Michael EMBERLY, Bruce Michael - 50, Bedford, passed away Saturday, May 17, 2008, in the Halifax Infirmary, QEII, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Halifax, he was a son of Sylvia (Hynes) Emberly and the late William "Bill" Emberly. Second only to his love and compassion for his family and friends, Bruce was a loyal and passionate follower of the Pittsburgh Penguins and was recognized as their No. 1 fan. In his early years, Bruce enjoyed his long term involvement at the Halifax Forum with events such as hockey and bingo. Bruce was an employee of Metro Transit for 29 years. Bruce is survived by his wife and best friend, Denise; brother, Darrell (Susan), Dartmouth; stepchildren, Stephen (Rhonda) Brunet, Sackville; John (Lisa Wright) Brunet, Saint John, N.B.; Jake (Pascale Collette) Chiasson, Bedford, and Jodi (Jason Deal) Chiasson, White's Lake; stepgrandchildren, Devon, Marissa and Celeigh Brunet, and Cameron Chiasson. He was predeceased by sister, Debbie; brother, Thomas, and first wife, Glena Brunet-Emberly. Visitation will be held 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, May 20. Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, with Pastor Micheal Trites officiating, with a reception to follow. Visitation and funeral to be held in Atlantic Funeral Home, 771 Main St., Dartmouth. Family flowers only. Donations may be made in Bruce's memory to Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Canadian Diabetes Association or Canadian Cancer Society. On-line condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: Atlantic Funeral Homes.
While I was searching for the CBC video, I found his entry on Slots For Mario, which was a petition to keep the Pens in Pittsburgh. Here are Bruce's own words:
4/6/2006 Bruce Emberly, Halifax, NS Bruce's Comments: I'm Sidneys #1 fan and live in his home town. My wife and I made it down to Pittsburgh for Sidneys first home game . We fell in love with Pittsburgh and we know that Sidney fells just like he is at home. the people of Pittsburgh has taken him in just as one of his own. We can't wait to make another trip back. Please keep the Pens in Pittsburgh . It is our new getaway that we have made lots of friends. GO PENS GO
In the off chance that anyone who knew Bruce reads The Show, I offer my sincerest condolences on his loss.
