Preface & Introduction to a hockey book - Hockey’s Most Tragic Deaths
Preface It would be a collection of short stories depicting the life and tragic death of several players in the NHL hockey Yugoslavia. I was a little skeptical about the project at a time, reasoning that a wide variety of tragic stories about the former professional hockey players had met in a book, and in any case, such an undertaking would be too extensive and complete information realistically. My conclusions from the first wave of research highlights that, in fact, hockey biographies had been published in the players he wanted to profile, such as Howie Morenz, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton and John Kordic. There was however a source who attended several of these stories. My research has also confirmed my initial belief that the task will be arduous. The process of establishing the parameters and scope of the book began to emerge as soon as I began my research. It was decided at first that only the former NHL players in the offing, with the exception of hockey greats of yesteryear as Hod Stuart, Frank McGee and Hobey Baker, all those who played before the company was established. Some legends of hockey have been excluded, the vast number of Soviet star Valeri Kharlamov, who died in a car accident at a young age. It was also decided that would profile the only players who have died while playing professional hockey. There were exceptions to this rule. McGee and Baker left the game go to war, recently retired Babe Siebert was to coach the Montreal Canadiens, Yanick Dupre courageously fought leukemia and Brian Spencer has been shot dead, several years after his NHL career ended. These players have died relatively young, however, it was consistent with the guidance of the project. Some of hockey legend who died tragically, have been excluded, among others, the great goalie George Hainsworth, who died at age 55 in a car accident. My original plan was the profile of ten hockey players, including stars like Morenz, Sawchuk and Horton. But I began to uncover cases of several former NHL players who died tragically young. The life of no less than 12 players have finally been detailed in separate chapters. The last chapter has been added, in which 16 people were briefly profiled. My fascination with the often tumultuous lives of several of these professional hockey players, a little easier to stay engaged in writing the book, since progressed from one stage to another. I remain satisfied that resources are available an excellent library of my project in general: hockey books, historical documents, magazines, newspaper articles, stories, internet, and firsthand interviews with former players. I sincerely hope that readers enjoy reading more about the tragic death of hockey, and on the way to discover more about the history of professional hockey and NHL, in terms of how it develops the League and the drama that occurred within and off ice. I also hope that readers will appreciate how the lives of these players next to yours, in the sense that we all live "triumph" and "tragedies" in life. Several former NHL players Introduction of this book were the stars with special seating in the history of hockey. No fewer than six of these stars are among the twelve founding members selected for the National Hockey League Hall of Fame in 1945 Hobey Baker, Charlie Gardiner, Howie Morenz, Frank McGee, Hod Stuart and Georges Vézina. Hod Stuart was one of the best amateur players in Canada at the turn of the century, but the 28 who died tragically while swimming. One-Eyed Frank McGee was the most feared striker of his time to help Ottawa to successfully defend the Stanley Cup nine times in the 1900s but died in battle during the First World War. All-American Sports Hero Hobey Baker survived the Great War, who was killed during a routine test flight. Baker, McGee and Stuart were all stars of hockey, of course, before the formation of the NHL in 1917. The other three founding members have left their mark on the size of the newly formed league. Sustainable Georges Vézina, nicknamed "The Chicoutimi Cucumber, rarely missed a game since 1910 until 1924. Arguably, the Premier Pro goalie, Vezina led the Montreal Canadiens to two Stanley Cup. After the death of the star, veteran of tuberculosis, the NHL announced the Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the goalkeeper with the best goal average. "Chuck" Gardiner won the award twice in the seventh year of all years of star race, the last time shortly before pushing a painful infection of the tonsils as he led the Chicago Black Hawks Cup 1934, the first team . The infection had spread throughout his body, suffered a brain haemorrhage and died shortly afterwards. Howie Morenz, also known as The Streak Stratford, was the first true superstar in the league. A fast, talented center for the Montreal Canadiens, Howie helped popularize hockey in the United States in the 1920s. After working in Chicago and New York, the veteran returned to his beloved Canadiens in 1937, he fractured a leg during recovery and later held in the hospital dying, heartbroken that his brilliant career had ended so badly. Although never the Maple Leafs defender Bill Barilko reach the Hall of Fame, is still known for his winning goal in the Stanley Cup in 1951. Voicing the Maple Leafs Barilko issued its fourth Cup in five years with the club, but the young rearguard fortunes fortunes changed dramatically after the summer when he disappeared on a plane trip in northern Ontario. Corps bill was not discovered until 1962, next year the Leafs won the cup. North Stars forward Bill Masterton partner has never had the opportunity to challenge the Stanley Cup, but always fills his dream of playing in the NHL. The 29-year-old rookie, suffered serious head injuries in a collision on the ice early in the 1968-69 season. Unfortunately, he died in hospital shortly afterwards. The league was created Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best illustrate the perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship in hockey. Masterton also killed some NHL players to start wearing a helmet but the helmet was not compulsory until several years later. Without doubt, the greatest goalie ever, Terry Sawchuk captured four Vezina trophies and seven Stanley Cups during his glory years in Detroit and later in Toronto. A perennial All-Star during his distinguished career of 21 seasons in the NHL, "Uke" revolutionized the goalkeeper with his trademark style Crouch. Has been copied by generations of aspiring young goalkeepers. Sawchuk was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971, a year after his death, stomach lesions associated with age of forty. Another veteran who has experienced a long and interesting career, solid and reliable rear Tim Horton spent 24 years in the NHL, winning four Cups with the Leafs and then anchor the defense for the youth teams Pittsburgh and Buffalo. In early 1974, driving home to Buffalo late at night after a party in the gardens of the maple leaf, Horton was killed when his sports car accelerates it crashed on the road. Pelle Lindbergh, the young Swedish goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers, was another hockey star who died in a terrible car accident late at night. Its bright red Porsche crashed in suburban New Jersey in November 1985, leaving him in a coma, suffering severe head injuries. Lindbergh Porter recently became the first European to win the Vezina Trophy, if the subsequent death of this star of Pioneer shocked the hockey world. Worried and tormented death Enforcer John Kordic also surprised many in the professional hockey. A fighter adept who has terrorized opponents in the NHL with their fists during the 1980s, Kordic was popular in Montreal and Toronto, but soon exhausted their welcome. After successfully worked with a number of professional teams, the war fighter, died in 1992, probably the result of ingestion of a lethal mix of alcohol, cocaine and steroids. His disappearance sparked wide publicity to the league to finally adopt a comprehensive policy for substance abuse. Alcohol also played a role in the death of a veteran rearguard Steve Chiasson, who played for Detroit, Calgary, Hartford and Carolina Hurricanes. Chiasson has participated in much of the team after the playoffs ended in 1999, and died later that night after his truck crashed on the way home. Another advocate, talented Bryan Fogarty, never became the player many thought he would. Often compared to Bobby D'as a star in Canadian junior hockey, Fogarty, still battling drug problems throughout his professional career confused and incoherent, as a good friend John Kordic. After working with short-Quebec, Montreal and Pittsburgh, the rearguard played for several European clubs in terms of call before it finally closed in 2000. He died of heart failure less than two years later. The last chapter of this book briefly examines the lives of the other 16 former NHL players who died too young. Hod Stuart is discussed, and his death at the beginning of the century was the first true hockey "tragedy". Other initiatives include Hobie Baker, Scotty Davidson, Frank McGee, Red Garrett and Joe Turner, these players have died as soldiers in the First or Second World War. Also mentioned is "Bad" Joe Hall, a rugged defender who patrolled the blue line of clubs from Montreal, both the Maroons and the Canadiens. Hall was the only player to die from influenza during the 1919 final between the Stanley Cup the Canadiens and Seattle Metropolitans, which finally ended with no winner declared. Like Stuart, former Canadiens great Babe Siebert also was killed while swimming. Babe was a runaway star of the defense, the Rangers and Bruins, later finishing his career in the 1930s with the Canadians. He drowned on holiday soon after. Some NHL players are modern profiling at the end of the last chapter, including Michel Briere, a talented player with the rookie star of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The best player on the team in the playoffs, the 1969 Stanley Cup, Briere suffered a major head injury in a traffic accident out of season. He remained in coma for almost a year before finally dying. St. Louis defenseman Bob Gassof also suffered serious head injuries and was received in a motorcycle accident. A tough, reliable defender for the Blues in the mid-1970s, Gassof was another player who died in an accident off-season. Brian Spencer was a talented hockey player, but has never reached its true potential as a partner of Toronto, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and New York Islanders. "Spinner" was a rookie in 1970 when his father was tragically shot by the RCMP. Brian career never took off after the difficulty and former NHL player moved to Florida shortly after his retirement and eventually was acquitted of first-degree murder in a highly publicized trial, Spencer was mysteriously killed shortly after . The tragedy has also reviewed the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1990s. The left wing Yanick Dupre played briefly with the Flyers between 1991 and 1996, fell ill with leukemia. He died less than a year after its last phase of the NHL. A promising rookie defender of Russia, Dmitri Tertyshny earned a spot in the lineup in Philadelphia during the 1998-99 season, but died in a boating accident, even this summer. How many NHL players who lived and died often reflects how the players were the products of their time. Vezina, Gardiner, Hall and all Morenz died of an illness or disease in the 20th century, it is quite possible that their lives could be saved if they had access to the assistance of modern medicine and science provide regular patients. Baker, Davidson, McGee, Garrett and Turner all died fighting in the struggle dictated by the politics of his era. I Barilko addition, these hockey greats of the past have also been victims of the dangers inherent in modern aviation. Modern NHLers have also met the fate that accurately reflect the dangers of our time. Briere, Horton Gassof, Lindbergh, Chiasson, Tertyshny and Snyder have died due to the misfortune of vehicle accidents. Most of these accidents involved alcohol use, especially during or after an event that involves at least some of his teammates of the player, either a game, the role of the team or match. Alcohol also was a key factor in the death of Sawchuk, Spencer, Kordic and Fogarty, with illegal drugs and dangerous, probably play an important role in the last three cases. The recent suicide of Roman Lyashenko, suicide is only known in the NHL, is another telling sign of the relentless pressure against the modern professional hockey players. An important lesson here is that many professional hockey players have always been victims of the same problems of substance abuse, bad choices, and personal demons. No wonder so many NHL players have died as a result of accidents, often during the offseason. Late Spring and summer are the months when the hockey players have the opportunity to let their guard down and enjoy life more. They are known for having a few beers, play a few rounds of golf and spend more time with family and friends. Some players take their leisure in the heart, live life in the fast lane, take part in activities reckless or endangering life. So that players can engage in irresponsible behavior to escape from the pressures of professional athletes who do not make their actions acceptable, a little more understandable. There is no doubt that modern hockey players are regularly confronted with the most stressful situations that players of the past, and it seems that this is reflected in the increased number of deaths recently. Since 1997, seven of the twenty players in this book are dead - Stephane Morin, Dupre, Fogarty, Chiasson, Tertyshny, Lyashenko, and Snyder. Interestingly, the last three years died of misfortune during the offseason.