Boogaard thought his hockey career was over. His parents were divorcing. Len Boogaard was reassigned to Regina, the provincial capital. Joanne Boogaard, a Regina native, moved from Melfort, too. Derek Boogaard was failing classes at his new high school. The family worried about the people he hung around.

How do you replace tight end Keith Glascoe, who was so good onlya bum shoulder kept him off the New York Jets' roster in theearly '90s? Or big lineman Bronko Pearsall, who insisted onsinging Wild Rover after every game, win or lose? Who's going to kick now that Billy Johnston is gone? Everybodycalled him Liam because he looked so bloody Irish. He wasautomatic on extra points, which was a luxury.

Even if you can replace the players who were lost, how do youreplace all the other guys who made the team so damn much fun?

Came the first team meeting, and the club didn't get anywherenear its usual 60 guys. It got 120. All the lineup holes werepatched. Guys who had retired signed up again. Guys who'd beenasked 10 times said yes on the 11th. You cry together at enoughfunerals, you figure you can bleed together on a football field,too. One thing about firemen, they don't let each other fightbattles alone.