Pieces of My Adolescence...Gone....

Two stories are in the ether these days that touched me.

The death of John Hughes

The retirement of Jeremy Roenick

Both are only related in the intersection of who I was when I was younger and who I'd ultimately grow into. John Hughes's movies were fantastic and spoke to me. I never saw "Pretty in Pink" as I never really dug Molly Ringwald, and James Spader was creepy. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was just an inspiring movie. The whole "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around, you might miss it" is still good advice today (and some that I think I need to heed, with the boys growing so quickly). "Weird Science" was funny and a little naughty but had a similar theme that anything was possible. Not that you could make a barbie doll into Kelly LeBrock (when she was SMMMMMOOOOKIN' HOT!!!), but that two social misfits to rise above, be popular, and get the girl, so I guess the whole thing was a fantasy. Add into it "The Breakfast Club" and then "Sixteen Candles" (one of the most quotable movies this side of Caddyshack) and you have something REALLY special. I didn't even know he wrote "Vacation".

JR. The first personalized jersey I ever bought. And I bought it when you had to have the letters and numbers put on at a specialty shop, rather than one off the hanger at "the Sports Authority" or from NHL.com (no, there wasn't an NHL.com when I was a kid, there wasn't even a .com when I was a kid). I bought it as a consolation prize. I had ordered an authentic Montana Jersey at a Merle Harmon's Fanfair for a girl I was dating at the time. The relationship went bad and the jersey wasn't in, so rather than give it to her anyway, I couldn't return it for cash, only store credit. So, I got a home Blackhawks jersey and took it to get the 27 on the back and sides, and ROENICK across the back.

He was a great interview, played MUCH bigger than he was, and he was REALLY FREAKIN' talented. "Swingers" was right on with his rating in NHL '94.

He never should have been traded for Zhamnov and a bag of magic beans (cardinal rule in trading, ALWAYS GET the marquee player in the deal), and really until last year it extinguished the flame that was my passion for Blackhawk hockey.

I was really befuddled that the Blackhawks didn't sign him to a one day contract so he could retire a Blackhawk. When I read about his press conference, I knew why and it was because the Sharks gave him the chance to leave the game on his terms. Bravo!

At least he'll be a Blackhawk when inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.