Theoren Fleury

Theoren Fleury was an NHL star in the late 80's and through the 90's. He was known as one of the feistiest and hardest working players. Being only 5'5", he was the smallest player in a league known for it's physicality and violence.

On the ice he was regularly seen antagonizing opponents with his relentless play, but also with his mouth, "yapping" at others.

Off the ice, he had a reputation as a bad boy who drank a lot and rumours of drugs followed him.

In 1997, Graham James, Fleury's former coach at the junior level was convicted of more than 350 incidents of sexual abuse involving at least two former Swift Current players and served three years in prison.

Fleury never came forward as being a player James molested until now.

Fleury's autobiography "Playing with fire" is coming out next week. In it he talks openly and graphically about the abuse James inflicted on him and how it has affected him to this day.

Why am I talking about this? Am I pimping Fleury's book? No, Theo's story is just all too common.

Not necessarily the the sexual abuse (although that is rampant is all spheres of society), but rather how he was left to himself, and no one was interested in his reality.

I'm just as guilty as anyone else, as a hockey fan, I loved his enthusiasm on the ice, and learning of his off ice indiscretions was always funny.

There's nothing funny about Theo Fleury's life, and having gone through depression, I share the pain, emptiness, and loneliness he lives. Circumstances are very different, but the feelings of uselessness are wearily similar.

People loved Theo for his on-ice prowess, for his "manliness" of partying, but when he crossed the line (by the same others definition), they bailed on him. We fans, his team, the league gave up on the trouble-making Theo.

Now he's clean, sober, and freeing himself (very publicly) of horrors he's carried for over 20 years, and we love him (personally, I find that rather hypocritical since we weren't there when he truly needed help).

Theo, you're an absolute hero, not for trying a come back this year (he tried out unsuccessfully with his old team the Calgary Flames), not for writing a book, not even for "coming out".

Theo, you're a hero for being clean, sober and healthy again.


Excerpt from Fleury's book:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/10/10/book-excerpt-fleury-s-playing-with-fire.aspx