Never forget

On a more serious note, we all should remember what happened five years ago today. Our lives have changed since that terrible day and with each passing of yet another brave American soldier, the death toll mounts because of terrorism.

The family of hockey should remember, too, the passing of two of our brothers, Garnet "Ace" Bailey and Mark Bavis, who were among the 2,973 killed and 24 who remain missing on Sept. 11, 2001.

Mr. Bailey, a former NHL player, and Mr. Bavis, who starred at Boston University, worked in the Los Angeles Kings' scouting department. With training camp only days away, they were headed to the West Coast aboard United Airlines Flight 175, the hijacked airliner that struck the World Trade Center's South Tower.

Please keep them, their families and their legacies, as well as the other victims, in your thoughts today and the days ahead. And, don't be ashamed to shed tears -- you won't be alone.