We had another retirement today in the National Hockey League.  After twenty years, the last seventeen of which were spent in Detroit, Kris Drpaer has called it a career.

Draper was not a scorer, but that was not what he was paid to do.  An incredible grinder and defensive specialist, Draper would hoist the Stanley Cup on four occasions and would capture the Frank J. Selke Award for the best Defensive Forward in the National Hockey League. 

Players like Kris Draper generally don't find themselves enshrined in Toronto, and we are not saying that he should be.  However, take a moment to celebrate a man who lasted twenty years playing professional hockey at the highest level mostly in the rough corners of NHL rinks.  

Thank you, Kris Draper.

Today marks the passing of Amy Winehouse, who like many talented musicians passed at the age of 27.  Winehouse garnered far more attention for her issues with substance abuse then she did for her musical talent, which was a shame as her talent had few equals.

Her incredible vocal range and sultry R&B sound crashed the International charts and her 2006 album, Back to Black was a critical and commercial success.  Musically, she did little to follow it up, but she remained in the public eye with her constant issues with paparazzi and drugs. 

What we wonder about is how will she be remembered?  Not to be callous, but death has a way of deifying a musician whether they deserved it or not.  Winehouse was talented and unique and deserved the musical success she got, but her output of music was limited not because she died at 27, but because she recorded virtually nothing after 22.  Although we mourn the loss of her life does not seem tragic; rather it was expected.  Does she become a legend like many other premature Rock and Roll deaths?  This is what we wonder, and did her musical output land her a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame spot?  Rather then debate that today, we are going to listen to Back to Black and just enjoy the music.