We mourned Derek [Boogaard], and we moved on. Then we were slapped across the face by the death of Rick Rypien. We openly discussed our sport, but we moved on again. This time, maybe a little faster. This is too much to bear we said. Too much to think about. Too much to accept. Easier if we just move past it. Don't talk about it, don't think about it. Just. Move. On.

Hockey season will save us. October is just around the corner. August is gone. Nothing more can happen to our hockey family. It just can't. It was time for our heroes to return to the ice, to remove the pain and let us escape once again, unscathed.

Then, the news of Wade Belak came to us.