Day one... I believe it was a Thursday, people in the inner circle likely knew sooner but were afraid... rightly so... how do you tell Canadians that Hockey is over when there is still ice on the rinks? Like a house of cards the country crumbled, first professional sports... the NHL died leaving the Bruins top of the heap. That was the only part I was ok with, not the dying but getting to see the Bruins take that last Stanley Cup filled my heart with some warmth. But the notices started to come in... on facebook, in emails, posts on local town websites... they were taking hockey away from the kids as well. The Tournament of Champions was to be held the following day, the kids were pumped. one final blowout to finish they year off. We were hosting our division and had the home ice advantage... Now I had to break the news to the small one that there would be no games, no victories, no parade in his honor. Yet we still had hope, tournaments outside the regulated league... Night fell, the Eskimos were dead.