The Opening Day That Wasn't

It's Opening Day in Detroit and I should be there. A friend passed away a few days ago and there's yet another funeral to find myself at instead of being down on Woodward, but I couldn't really miss Dion's big day. He will, however, get a cold earful about his awful timing.

Dion was a different guy. He certainly had his demons, but dead and gone before 40 wasn't what I'd have ever expected from the scrappy little forward with the powerful stride. Dion was a caricature of himself on most occasions but never on the ice. On the ice Dion was exactly the guy he was supposed to be, and in the middle of a hockey game you had the most honest relationship with him that you might ever have. Dion was himself with skates on. I think he struggled with finding himself without them on. I know he did.

So no Opening Day...maybe next year. Today I'm going to say goodbye to Dion.