BillsFever
06-29-2003, 03:28 PM
PETERBOROUGH, Ontario -- Commissioner Gary Bettman and former coach Scotty Bowman were among 1,400 people who attended a memorial service for Hall of Famer Roger Neilson on Saturday.
Neilson, 69, died June 21 at his home near Peterborough after battling skin and bone cancer.
In addition to Bowman, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn, Vancouver Canucks coach Marc Crawford and St. Louis Blues coach Joel Quenneville were also at the North View Pentecostal Church to attend a 90-minute tribute for their popular colleague, whose last coaching job was as an assistant with the Ottawa Senators.
Members of the Senators and New York Ranger Eric Lindros also were in attendance.
"He had such a tremendous realm of friends and so many people that shared his life with him,'' Crawford said. "It just touches so many areas. He knows so many people and if you are a friend of his, it opens up your world to a whole vast group of other people. He always found a way to make you feel special.''
http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2003/0628/1574327.html
Neilson, 69, died June 21 at his home near Peterborough after battling skin and bone cancer.
In addition to Bowman, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn, Vancouver Canucks coach Marc Crawford and St. Louis Blues coach Joel Quenneville were also at the North View Pentecostal Church to attend a 90-minute tribute for their popular colleague, whose last coaching job was as an assistant with the Ottawa Senators.
Members of the Senators and New York Ranger Eric Lindros also were in attendance.
"He had such a tremendous realm of friends and so many people that shared his life with him,'' Crawford said. "It just touches so many areas. He knows so many people and if you are a friend of his, it opens up your world to a whole vast group of other people. He always found a way to make you feel special.''
http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2003/0628/1574327.html