Hockey Fan Curses Lockout from Beyond the Grave

reuters ^ | 1-21-05

[Dan from Michigan]

Hockey Fan Curses Lockout from Beyond the Grave

Fri Jan 21, 1:56 PM ET Oddly Enough - Reuters

TORONTO (Reuters) - A Canadian man has cursed the heads of the National Hockey League -- from beyond the grave.

Archie Bennitz, 84, an ardent hockey fan from Kanata, Ontario, near Ottawa, used his own obituary to blast NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players' Association executive Bob Goodenow, for the lockout which has left fans without hockey this year.

The obituary, published in the Ottawa Citizen, was written by Bennitz's 45-year-old son David, who took dictation at his hospital bedside.

In his obituary, Bennitz called Bettman and Goodenow "skunks for denying him the pleasure of watching NHL on TV this year."

He also asked Bettman to step aside and give retired NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky the top job running the league.

"Of all the different words and profanity to choose from, the word 'skunk' sort of summed up what was going on," David told Reuters on Friday. "A skunk won't kill you, but it sure does smell."

David plans to send the published obituary to Bettman and Goodenow, who have been at loggerheads for months over a new NHL labor contract

[Mark17]

And that was just last weekend! Can't wait till Sunday for the next installment of the greatest game on earth...

Glad you are enjoying it. I wish I could still play.

[Mark17]

I love those Dallas star 3rd jerseys.

So do I, but if I am not mistaken, their 1st jersey, used to be a 3rd jersey. Do you know if I got it right?

[MetalHeadConservative35]

i heard that 2 NHL teams have started practing anything you heard?

[TheyConvictedOglethorpe]

He also asked Bettman to step aside and give retired NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky the top job running the league.

In a way I expect something like that to end up happening. If the NHL folds, and I think it's increasingly likely, Gretzky would be the one individual who'd have the credibility to get a new professional league started.

[Angry Republican]

When did you ever see a bunch of soccer players in the corner beating the daylights of each other with sticks?

Do the European soccer fans count?

[Hat-Trick]

Haven't heard that. I just got done reading an article on thn.com that I'm go to start a seperate thread with if it hasn't been posted already. According to Trevor Linden, this year's definitely a goner, and they're planning on next year without NHL hockey (strike well into next season) as well.

[jjmcgo]

Archie's playing on a line with the Rocket and Claude Provost, Doug Harvey and Tim Horton on defense with Jacques Plante in net. They're undefeated since he joined the team.

[jjmcgo]

A couple of weeks ago on a European pay-per-view.

[ColoCdn]

"But for pure violence, we have the NFL and NASCAR."

If you like watching 13 seconds of action (NFL) followed by 3 minutes of watching guys pick themselves up, huddle up butts out, set themselves at the line of scrimmage, and then prepare for 13 more seconds of "action".

Or, if you like 800 left turns in a row, I guess that could qualify as a sport, but "action"?

I'll stick with hockey.

[ColoCdn]

I heard that Sid Abel, Cyclone Taylor, Bill Mosienko, Eddie Shore, Babe Pratt, and Terry Sawchuk have been giving them some pretty good games, though!! :)

Pour water on it in January, and they will come.

[WFTR]

I've never been to an NHL game, and I may be too cheap to enjoy one if I went. However, I've been in a couple of cities with minor league teams, and I love seeing minor league hockey. Unfortunately, Baton Rouge lost the Kingfish after the 2003 season, and we won't likely get another team for some time. I've watched some NHL on TV. I like it, but I'd enjoy having a team back in Baton Rouge more than I'd like having the NHL back.

Bill