Being a teenager in New England in the late eighties/early nineties it was impossible NOT to be a Boston Bruins fan. Some of the greatest players to ever put a black and gold sweater on played during this era.

I remember sitting in front of the TV in the living room at exactly 7:05pm, watching such great players like Don Sweeny, Adam Oates, Ray Bourque, Andy Moog and of course Cam Neely.

Cam was a human highlight wheel, one minute he would be stick-handling circles around players the next minute he was bashing somebody’s teeth in with his fist. He defined the role of the power forward in the NHL.

If Cam was rushing down the wing and an opposing defenseman decided to try to be cute take the puck away -- Cam would go through him hitting with the force of a mac truck … if they decided to be physical and tried to stand him up at the blue line -- he would just skate right by them with a flick of the stick.

Cam Neely was one of those players that at any moment could turn the tide of a game so you could never flip away.

Yesterday Cam was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame where he shall ever live as the fat lipped power forward he is.

No to get too off topic here –- but I was very fortunate to catch a 10 minute all Cam highlight reel this morning on NESN. When I was watching the clips of hits, fistfights and goals I realized one major difference between hockey today (when they actually fucking play) and hockey in the early nineties. Hockey now is neutered -– the NHL commissioner (Gary “Fucking” Bettman) has done a fantastic job chopping the balls right off the sport so now its more of a scorers league and less of a hard nosed blood bath.

Bettman should be taken back in time and hung from the highest rafter in “The Bahstin Gahdin” for what he has done to the sport. If you just look at the faces of players around the league now .. you’ll see a lot of pretty-boys -- look at some footage from the 80’s and 90’s – every face was scarred, scabby, crooked and toothless.

Bastard.

Anyways –- I am very glad to see that Cam has now found a new home in the Hockey Hall of Fame.