Hockey is called a religion by its most devout followers to acknowledge a heartfelt (and sometimes illogical) dedication to the game. We are the congregation, and the arena is where we worship. It's natural, then, that in times of grief the arena is where we mourn.
On Monday night, after news that former Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien was found dead at 27 in his rural Alberta home, fans constructed makeshift memorials to Rypien outside of Rogers Arena. Canadian flags, No. 37 jerseys and homemade signs were illuminated by candlelight.
Vancouver fans Alex Ransford, Folake Adesugba and Ellen Ransford used Facebook on Monday night to organize a memorial for Rypien at the arena on Wednesday, Aug. 17; the total number of attendees is nearing 300.
It's all very reminiscent of the other hockey tragedy of 2011: The death of Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers. Minnesota Wild fans also used their arena as a temple to honor his memory.
When Boogaard passed away, the tributes arrived from around the hockey world. He was a player whose impact on fans far outweighed his ice time in the NHL. The same is true to Rypien.
Coming up, how fans and media are remembering Ryp on the day after his passing.
From the Vancouver Canucks, a statement on Rick Rypien:
"It is with tremendous sadness that the Vancouver Canucks confirm the passing of Rick Rypien. Rick has been a beloved member of the Canucks family for the past six years. Rick was a great teammate and friend to our players, coaches and staff. We send our deepest condolences to the Rypien family at this most difficult time."
From the blog Canadagraphs, a look at the arena memorial:
"This evening, just hours after the news of his death, some fans went to Rogers Arena and started a tribute to honour & remember him. I walked by there around midnight. maybe only a couple hours after the monument had been created. Several written messages adorned a pillar on the grounds of his NHL home. Some tea-candles had been placed in a pattern to read "R37R", his initials, surrounding his jersey number. I am sure by the time I get back there later today, it will be a much larger tribute.
"Rick, I wish someone could have found a way to make you happy, to make all the personal issues you were dealing with seem easier to deal with. My condolences to the Rypien family, to Ricks friends, and of course the rest of his fans who are saddened by this terrible loss."
From Mark Spector at Sportsnet:
"Rypien was, pound-for-pound, as punishing a fighter as we can recall seeing in years. Like a Wendel Clark in the old Norris Division, Rypien regularly beat up Edmonton's Zack Stortini, despite giving up five inches and 25 lbs.
"And that's what always puzzles about players who do what these guys do. They always look so comfortable in their craft when they set the ground rules with a fellow enforcer while waiting for the puck to be dropped.� You never see the fear when they stand there in front of 18,000 fans, bare-knuckle fighting under the glare of the TV cameras.
"But so many of them speak later of how scared they were at that moment; how they barely got out of the shower after the game when the thought of the tough guy from tomorrow night's opponent darkened their head space.� The toughest part, a fighter once told us, is that guys like Rypien could never let that fear show. That there was no one to talk to about it."
Josh Hall of Van City Blog on self-discovery through grief:
"Whether I loved the guy or not, hockey is a family. The Canucks as a club are a family and I believe with every ounce of my being that fans are also part of that family. It was not long ago this city lost another young Canuck and this time, it feels like it really rings close to home, all of us having gone through what happened to Luc only a few short years ago. I've been having chills all night thinking about Luc and now Rick.
"I regret not realizing my respect for Rick Rypien sooner, but I am glad I have seen it now. As already said, the man was a fighter, both on and clearly, off the ice. Lessons can and I believe will be learned from whatever is deemed to be the cause of death, but this time, I'm content with the information we have already being enough.� If I met you today Mr. Rypien, I'd give you a really good and 'fair' handshake. RIP Ryper. Forever a Canuck!"
Alix Wright of the Humming Giraffe offered a heartfelt tribute to Rypien:
"I was so fond of Rypien because in a small way he made me into a tougher person. I'm naturally shy and it hasn't always been easy to stand up for myself. Rypien always stood up for himself on the ice no matter what the other guy looked like. When I wear my Rypien jersey I feel tough. I stand up taller and I walk with swagger as the kids are saying these days. I can handle myself. It's silly but it's true.
"Thanks to Rick Rypien. Thanks for the wonderful hockey memories and everything else. I'm incredibly sad I won't get to see the rest of his career. I'm sorry I never had the chance to meet Rypien and tell him so in person."
Look, there's no ignoring the guy's transgressions. Rick Rypien's legacy as a hockey player includes a place on "The Five Best Hockey Player Vs. Fan Fights on YouTube" based on what went down last season with the fan in Minnesota.
But the reaction to his passing shows he was more than that moment. It's a tragedy he won't have a chance to show it on the ice again.
R.I.P. Ryp. As Spector said, pound-for-pound one of the best.
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