"As the images flickered by on the JumboTron, stripping away the years, indelible snapshots of a life fully lived, but cut cruelly short in the most tragic and shocking of ways, Kelly McCrimmon, staring up from ice level, felt a flood of pride and a wave of grief well up inside him simultaneously.

"Yes, he was,'' Kelly said softly, standing outside the Calgary Flames owners' suite later Tuesday evening, eyes glistening. "He was my hero. A man's man.

"I was always his biggest fan. I was always proud of him. I had a great deal of respect for him. I admired him.

"We were very close, but very competitive. We fought all kinds of time. I usually finished second but you know how it is with younger brothers — it only made me more determined.

"I miss him so much. We all do.''"