Thursday, December 16, 2004

It is with a tremendous amount of sadness that the Travellers Hockey League announces that one of its long standing referees, Ken Obrien, passed away Wednesday night after a battle with cancer. Our condolences go out to Ken's family. I would like to thank all the teams and players who took the time to send Ken a "get well" message last February.

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Previous Messages

Sunday, February 15, 2004

Message to Ken Obrien

I wish to advise all of our present and past teams associated with the Travellers Hockey League that one of our long standing referees, Ken Obrien, is suffering from a form of cancer and is obviously going through some difficult times. He is slated to have surgery in about 10 days time. Ken has likely been the most respected and well-liked referee for as long as I can remember, and has been with the league since the late 1980's. This red haired gentleman, who will always greet you with a smile, can often be seen at the end of each game standing at the doorway, ready to shake each player's hand. Never the fastest skater or one with the highest level of refereeing certification, Ken has always been respected as a "players referee" and understood the real concept of recreational hockey. I have been involved with the Travellers Hockey League for the past 14 years and have never had as much respect for a referee as I do for Ken.

If you would like to offer a get well message to Ken, I know that it would be very much appreciated. Please email me at brian.kukulka@magma.ca with your message and it will be posted the next day on the website. Ken, I hope you get better real soon as you are truly one of "the good guys" in our game.

Brian Kukulka

Convener, Travellers Hockey League

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Ken:

Me and all my teamates from Irene's Jets wish you a speedy and full recovery. We'll miss you out on the ice -- we wondered if you somehow chose to ref our games, because you seemed to be such a constant presence.

If I didn't know you better, I'd suspect that you'd somehow timed your illness to coincide with the final part of the season. But then again, being a playoff performer, I'm sure the doctor had to drag you kicking and screaming off the ice.

Courage, my friend. I hope to see you out on the ice again next season.

Peter McKinnon

#13 Irene's Jets

(and Canterbury Rusty Blades)

Ken,
I absolulutely could not agree with Brian more that you are truly a
players' referee.  We have had the pleasure of getting to know you over
several years with the Travallers League and we all appreciate your
personal touch on the ice.  It's nice to play in a game where a referee
actually calls you by name or kids around with the teams on the ice in
order to keep it light. You definitely have a gift for making the game
more enjoyable and it says a great deal about your style of refereeing and
about you as a person, when guys are actually happy to see that you will
be refereeing a given game. All of us on the Piccolo Grande squad would
like to wish you a speedy recovery and we hope that you will be back on
the ice with us soon.

Steve Allard
Piccolo Grande (Div 8 Travellers)

Ken,

Get well soon!  We're all rooting for you.

All the Bulldogs are wishing you to a speedy recovery.

Derrick Oey

(On behalf of Bulldogs Div7)

Kenny,
We have had many good conversations both on and off the ice at many
different times.  Mostly about friends and family in Atlantic Canada.  On
behalf of the members of the FritoLay hockey team I would like to extend
our best wishes and a speedy recovery. "Never Surrender".  All the best
Corey Gregory and the FritoLay team.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ken, Get well soon.

Looking forward to seeing you at the rink real soon.

From myself (Kevin Bridgen) all of us on the Icemen Team (Div. 5).

KEN

On behalf of ALL the players on the Traveller's Div 5 NE Pub & Minto's Div 4 WANDERERS I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery from your surgery and nothing but success beating your cancer.

Get better, soon RED!

See you at the rink,
Paul CAMPBELL
NE Pub, WANDERERS

Although I have never known Ken's name, I knew who Brian was talking about
as soon as I read the message. I have played goal for a few years in the
Travelers League now and longer in other leagues in the city in which Ken
has referred. I now realize I know this fine red haired smiling gentleman
very well, and Brian's description is accurate to a tee. I have shaken Ken's
hand many times, thanked him for an outstanding job and never questioned his
intensions or calls as it is so obvious he just likes a good clean and fair
game both ways. It is always a pleasure to return his ever present smile and
I look forward to doing so many more times.

Get well soon Ken and best wishes, good things come to good people.

Kevin MacKay
Villa Deli Phantoms

Ken ,    We are all saddened with the news of your illness , you have been a voice of support , encouragement and laughter in our long struggle to win one for our team , your a class act and we all   Barbarellas hockeyclub will be rooting for you.....

many thanks and our prayers

Jose Nunez

Barbarellas

Brian,
this is truly sad.

I cannot tell you how many of these types of emails I have received in the
last while.
Cancer is something that scares us all. It seems so random and inexplicable.
When it enters our web of relationships, it really hits home.
We all like to think of ourselves as immune, excercising on the rinks as we
do.
News like this exposes our frailty and humbles us.

Ken reffed some of our early games and they were excellent games.
The kind of games where the ref goes un-noticed, truly a compliment for any
referee.
We on CMC Coyotes wish him all the best,
and hope for the opportunity to have Ken ref one of our games in the future.
Sincerely,
Dave Brach,
Team Rep CMC Coyotes (Div 14).

Ken is the best ref I have ever had the privilege of playing on the same
ice with.  Brian could not have put it any better!

All the best Ken.  Good luck.  I know you'll pull through it.  Can't
wait to have you on the ice again.  Oh ya, do we have to keep sending
our payments now that your not on the ice?

Steve Hambling

Piccolo Grande

Div.8

Ken,

If every ref was as good as you, we would have nothing to complain about!  After every game that you called, win or lose, your name is always brought up in the room with great praise on how you make the game more fun for all of us.  On behalf of the Saucers I would like to wish you a speedy recovery and we look forward to shaking your hand next season.

Best Wishes

Local Heroes Saucers

Hey Ken,

We wish you all the best. The league truly misses you!! See you soon!

Tony Curkovic

Villa Deli Phantoms

Ken,

I've been in the OTHL league for 2 years and knowing you is a privilege.
Even with a bad call you can make us smile.
Just keep fighting as we players and referees and league management are all
on your side for a change  :-)
I wish you the best of luck and hope to hear good news pretty soon.

Christian Perrier, # 91, Distinctive, division 14

Ken,

All of us bitHeads were floored to hear of your problem, especially after you just refereed our game a couple of nights before we heard the news (doing an excellent job, as always, though you still owe me a goal!).

It is always a pleasure to be playing with you out there, and we wish you courage and strength to get through this, as weÕre all sure that you will.

Take care, Ken. Our best goes out to you and your family and weÕll see you out on the ice real soon!

Scott Simpson

Bitheads

Ken,

On January 29th just over 3 weeks ago, I lost my Father to Cancer.

Last December 26th I lost my best friend to Cancer.

In my grief I have come to appreciate the opportunities I have had to meet and befriend some very good people over the years.  A lot of those people are the convenors, timekeepers, and certainly referees I've worked the games with, and there have been many. 

Ken O'Brien, you are an example of all that is right with recreational hockey.  Never over excited over a game, always a calming influence in the change room, and always in control during a game.  Your pleasant personality, and that ever-present smile make it a pleasure to have you as a partner on the ice.  The pleasure was always mine.

I have never heard any player or referee have anything but nice things to say about Ken. (or for sure I would've thrown them in the box!!)

This is certainly a statement on the measure of the man.

Cancer... CAN.. be beaten...........

On behalf of my Family our wish is that you will continue to enjoy a happy and active lifestyle,  Be strong...stay positive.......Beat this Ken.

Your friend and fellow referee,

Jeff Gerro

Ken,

On behalf of Mexicali RosaÕs (formerly Beatrice, and before that the Titans), we wish you all the best.

As you know, our team is pretty difficult to handle, but you always put us in our place, and we always respected you

and the way you called the game.

We hope all goes well.

Regards,

Gary, Snake (Peter), Stew, Jim, Kiall, Mark, Gordie, Al, Guy, Micker, Steve, and Jeff.

Hi Ken , I am shocked and very sad to hear of your situation , I am sure however that you have the strength and Character to defeat this thing !!  Let me know how you are doing and if you need anything at all . it will be my pleasure to help out the only Referee who never through me out of a game !! LOL  Your Friend Stewart Watson (Mexicali Rosas)

Best Wishes to you and your family Ken,

Jim Ambridge

Mexicali Rosa's

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Ken,

Thank you for all your hard work on the ice. Thank you
for understanding that even rec hockey, can be
emotional. Thank you for your patience on and off the
ice. Thank you for always shaking our hands at the end
of the game, (regardless of the out come). On behalf
of the Clubhouse Moose Division 2, we wish you a
speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing you on
the ice soon.

Remi Syrenne
Clubhouse Moose

Ken:

Your presence at the rink when we are playing is
always a welcome sight.  Your demeanor and outgoing
attitude during games benefits everyone, and your love
for what you do is evident at all times.

We were shocked and saddened to hear about your
illness, and we wish you all the best for a quick and
full recovery. 

See you around the rinks again real soon.

Silver Kings Hockey
Div 4 Travellers

Good Morning Brian:

Would you kindly pass the following email to Kevin OBrien for me?  I am sending it from Florida.  Thank you.

Hello Ken:

Marilyn and I were shocked about the news of your illness. 

Ken Morton emailed me and told me about it.

Marilyn said that Ken OB was the very nice gentleman with the reddish hair that came over to the house a couple of times.  I told her NOÉ  He certainly is NOT a gentleman and he is almost baldÉ

I did agree with her when she said that you were a down homer.

We would both like to wish you and your lovely wife the strength and the ability to face what must surely will be the most trying time in your lives.  We sincerely hope that the experts have found it in time, and that they will have the expertise to cure you.

We are in Florida at the present time, reading about the terrible storm that they did have down home.  Unbelievable, eh?  Otherwise of course I would have given you a call.  I shall ask Ken M to keep me apprised of what will happen with you, with your treatment.

I missed you this past winter.  I had asked any number of refs if they had seen you, but of course most of them worked Minto and the RA.  I would dearly love to see you again on the ice and doing a game with me.  Could we make that a "for sure" for the coming season?

Night

Cy Piccott

Referee

Brian, I read about ken and just wanted to offer my wishes and prayers that ken does well in dealing with his illness.  a good ref and good guy.   Dave Flynn - Millers Crossing

Ken - If you deal with your health problems the way you managed a hockey
game, there is no doubt that you WILL referee next year.  All of the
Spitfires wish you a speedy recovery.

Spitfires/Division 10 (Henry Zygowski)

Hi Ken

On behalf of the Matrix team, we wish you a very speedy recovery.

Although we donÕt play in the top division in the league (quite the opposite actually), we do have a lot of fun and always give it our best effort. That way, win lose or draw, we can always feel good about the games that we play. But at times we do get a bit serious, around the time that the playoffs are on. It is then that the role of the referees really becomes important. The need for correct calls as well as keeping the players from developing too much animosity, i.e. letting the players play hockey within the rules, is the fine line that is skated by a referee. And that is the line that you have skated better than anyone in this league. We always came away from the games that you had refereed knowing that the best team that day had won.

See you on the ice.

 John Weaver and the rest of the Matrix Hockey Club

Ken - on behalf of all of the Network Knights (Div 1); I am writing to wish you a speedy recovery .... we're all looking forward to seeing you back in your stripes and on the ice! You truly are a players' ref .. and I know these players are looking forward to having you ref us again real soon!

Cheetah

Mark Cepella

Clock Tower/Network Knights

Hi Ken

My wife works at the General Hospital on Smyth, in a cancer ward on the 5th floor. She says that in her 17 years of being a nurse, one thing has remained stable, and that is that patients with a positive attitude fair much better when battling this illness. You've got the best attitude I've ever seen in a ref, and I'll bet you're the kind of guy who can apply that in just about any situation.

BEAT THIS Ken, and we'll see you on the ice next season.

Best Regards, Tom Kay, Remax Spitfires goalie.

Dear Ken,

This sort of news puts what is most important in life into perspective. On behalf of everyone on the Grace O'Malleys Div. 3 team I would like to wish Ken nothing but the best in his time of need and of course, a very speedy recovery. You're in our thoughts Ken, get well soon! 

Sincerely yours,

Pete Thornton and all the boys from Gracie's.

Kenny, with out a doubt, all of the Arch Rivals wish you all the best
for a safe and speedy recovery!  There's no question that you have
removed the barriers between the referee and player relationship, and
to say you are a players' ref is as accurate as it gets!

You're a good man Kenny, both on and off the ice, and we wish you
well!

Looking forward to seeing you back on the ice soon!

-Al (for the Div12 Arch Rivals)

Get well soon Ken, the ice is a colder place without you.

Jason Wilkinson
#23, Shawinigan Stranglers

Ken,
You know that yappy, loud mouth, pain in the ass goaler for the Network Knights in division #1??   That's me, Don Breedon.  I am one of the more ref critical guys in the league.  However, I don't rip you that often - I can only remember 2 times over the years and that is my standard for a single game in most cases.  That could be cuz you're a better official than the others or it could be that I know I'll be shaking your hand at the end of the game and you always have that big "it was a good game smile" - it's likely a mix of both.
Anywho - I understand that you are going in for some surgery shortly.  I wanted to send you a brief note to wish you well and to let you know that myself, and I am sure all of the Knights, are thinking of you. 
By-the-by, the Knights (last place in Division #1 all year)  are playing for the Championship this coming Sunday.  Hoping you have the same sort of turn around.
Take care,
Don

Hi Ken,

All the best from the Heavy Metal and Storm players. Definitely our favourite referee, you seem like the kind of person that can battle through this horrible disease.

Our thoughts and prayers will be with you. Hope to see you on the ice again soon.

All the best,

Greg McNamara

Heavy Metal & Storm hockey clubs

Hello Brian,

The Minto Adult Hockey League staff, officials, and players want you to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this challenging time.  We wish you all the best in the coming weeks and we hope you'll be back again soon.

Davide Dal Grande & Jim Walman (MAHL)

Ken,

On behalf of The Lieutenant's Pump hockey team (now back in the Minto League) we think the world of you and hope to see you on the ice again soon!

Giddy-Up!

Ken/Brian,

This season the Red Wings (Division 15) received the "Most Gentlemanly Team Award"  - I personally am honoured to be a part of that very noble distinction.

The Red Wings would like to dedicate this award to Ken O'Brian - without referees like Ken,  recreation Hockey would not be the same!

The plaque will be displayed at the Red Wings home base (The Fox & Feather Pub on Elgin St.)  with Ken included on the list of names with dedication to him.

A team photo will be provided to you shortly Brian to be passed on to Ken!

Thanks Ken - God Bless & Giddy-Up :)

I only played one season with the Travellers....but I remember Ken fondly. Great man...get well soon Sir.

Marc

Ken,

I played in the Traveller's League for three season's before moving to
Toronto in 2002.  It was always great to share the ice with you and you are
truly one of the best ref's I've seen.  I've yet to find anyone in this
city that even comes close.  I wish you the very best and a speedy
recovery.  Hopefully I can make it back to Ottawa and play in the League
again as it would be a privilege to see you in action once you're back at
it.

Get well soon and best wishes,
Chad Ross, former backstop for the Devils

Hi Ken:

On behalf of the Network Knights, we all wish you the best in these trying times. You'll be in our thoughts and prayers, as we wish you a speedy recovery. We all look forward to sitting exactly three minutes each in the ole penalty box next year in your honor, of course penalties received from you of course!

Sincerely - Tim
#24 Network Knights