All mediocre things must come to an end. After five years and 125 issues, LCS Hockey has run its course.

When we started back in the day, our goal was to provide an alternative to the mainstream hockey coverage. We wanted to be different. We wanted to be informative, yet entertaining... 50/50, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I think we achieved what we set out to do. I mean, c'mon, it wasn't like we were shooting for the moon. How hard is it to be more entertaining than The Hockey News? I've read funnier warning labels.

The reason for us calling it quits is really quite simple. We've lost the love of the game. This isn't the NHL we fell in love with as kids. Back then, the glory of the sport was enough to inspire us to dedicate our lives to the cause. I can't imagine today's NHL inspiring people to do anything, except maybe turn the channel. It's a garage league. The NHL has placed money ahead of tradition and in the process alienated the true hockey fan. It can make all the cash off expansion it wants, it will never be enough to buy back its lost pride.

We could have returned next season, but our hearts wouldn't have been in it. Frankly, my heart hasn't been in it for the past six months. It's just time for a change. We need to move on. Now that LCS Hockey is dead, I can turn my full attention towards trying to be a real writer of some importance or, in other words, unemployed. Ace Reporter Jim Iovino is well on his way to realizing his dream of being a big time sports journalist, already owning a gig with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Matthew Secosky is currently working for a technology firm in Pittsburgh and is biding his time until one of his many fraud/bunko ideas pays off. As for Zippy, well, he's a corporate whore.

Before parting, I'd like to take time out for a few needed thank yous.

First, I'd like to thank all of the correspondents, writers, and contributors that volunteered their services over the years to help make LCS Hockey a success. We were extremely lucky in finding quality individuals that stayed loyal despite little reward. Nothing would have been possible without their help and kindness.

I'd like to thank Susan Aglietti of the NHL for shafting us at the Draft in Hartford back in 1994 and providing even more incentive to stick it to The Man.

Thank you to Andy McGowan and the other members of the various NHL media departments for eventually treating us like real reporters even though we were just a bunch of worthless punks.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Zippy wrote the following paragraph.)

Thanks also go out to Marc Boucher, our former publisher. Early statements concerning our former publisher, Marc Boucher, were printed in error and we would like to apologize to Marc Boucher for those comments. Mr. Boucher was a firm believer in LCS Hockey and made several financial and professional commitments to our publication. He helped LCS Hockey grown in our early years and without him we probably would not have lasted as long as we had. If you want to learn more about Canada visit his Internet Directory, Maple Square.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Now back to the original letter as written by me, Michael Dell.)

Thank you to Johnny Cullen, LCS Hockey hero and the idol of millions form eight to eighty, for being so generous with us in the past and for keeping us in mind even during the toughest of times. Cullen made us all proud to say he was our hero.

And finally, on behalf of everyone at LCS Hockey, I'd like to thank you, our valued readers. You're twelve of the nicest people I've ever met. Your support is what kept us coming back week after week. We liked to consider ourselves a publication for the fans, by the fans. We never wanted to let you down. I just hope you can understand our decision to leave.

While we'll be stopping production, the web site will remain online in order to act as a permanent reminder of all we've accomplished and to serve as a warning to future generations on how not to live their lives. And who knows? Maybe one day the spirit will move us and we'll come back and start writing LCS again.

But regardless of what the future brings, we'll never be far away. For wherever there's an obscure reference to popular culture, we'll be there. Wherever there's blatant sarcasm and indifference to authority, we'll be there. And wherever there's an open bar you damn well better believe we'll be there.

Thank you all very much.

Sincerely,

Michael Dell
LCS Hockey

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