R.I.P., Jim Kelley

Another great hockey guy passes away. Jim Kelley died today of pancreatic cancer.

Kelley covered the Sabres for the Buffalo News beginning in the early 90's and covered 23 Stanley Cup Finals and was a regular on TV & radio up here, co-hosting Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown for a year or so.

I believe he also taught some journalism courses at Ryerson University here in Toronto.

Always came across as a nice, down-to-earth guy.
.

 

That's terrible.

Didn't he get into a spat with Hasek? Or am I wrong?

 

I think he did get into the Hasek incident. RIP.

 

Yes
And just eleven days ago he wrote this story on Pat Burns

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/11/19/kelley_burns_remembered/

One of the most respected men in the industry

 

More sad news for the hockey community. I must have been living under a rock, I didn't even realize he was sick. Mind you I hadn't read the column that JR posted until now. Wow. completely unexpected for me.

 

I'm heartbroken at this news ... Besides all the other irons he had in the fire, Jim was valiantly trying to make a go of the WNY Hockey Mag, and was my editor there ... a very warm soul, and, by the way a member of Hockey's Hall of Fame ... He was determined to beat this, and I think managed to extend his stay at least a little ... Rest in His Mercy, amigo ...

 

Nice article and photo here:

http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article270178.ece

 

Can't get any higher praise than this:

"All Jim ever wanted to do was write the story. And he went from covering high schools in the 1970s to the Hockey Hall of Fame because he knew how to write the story," said Buffalo News Sports Editor Steve Jones. "He knew people in every town, at the back door of every arena, taking tickets at high school games and Game Seven of the Stanley Cup finals. He knew the commissioners and the parking lot attendants. Because he cared about the stories. And he told them so well."

 

Jim did write a column about his cancer last December on sportsnet.ca, but only after he was "outed" by a blogger. The column essentially asked people not to treat him any differently - he just wanted to do his job. If Jim had his way, his cancer would have remained private for as long as he could keep it.
He was a true pro. He actually filed a column for sportsnet.ca the day that he died.

Here's the link to his column where he talks about cancer:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/12/24/kelley_christmas_column/

The world - nevermind the sports world - just lost a good man

 

Man, seems like pancreatic cancer is everywhere these days. Horrible disease. RIP.

 

Lovely tribute from one of Kelley's lifelong friends, Eric Duhatschek

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/remembering-jim-kelley/article1820121/

 

got to know jim a little bit when he covered the bills briefly in '91, i believe. but his huge heart was always with hockeyhe and he went back to that beat as soon as he could. i always thought it was because he was tired of fielding phone calls on the road for bills qb jim kelly...

god bless jim, yet another good man taken from us far too soon...