As I write these words my country is in mourning. Television commentators speak in hushed voices of the calamity that is upon us. Their guests are red-eyed, ashen-faced, and choking on their words. They are uncomprehending. They seem inconsolable. This is Canada, and hockey is dead. Well, sort of dead anyway. You still see backyard rinks with kids in replica jerseys swarming after frozen pucks. But the National Hockey League, showcase of the world's best, is shut down. Having locked…
Len BatterinkMarch 16, 2005