by Gary Pino

After 3 years of frustration, on and off ice tirades, Theo Fleury will not be playing for the New York Rangers this upcoming season! It’s been tough for Theo to get a handle on his career as a player, husband, and father.

Why can’t Fleury handle adversity like the rest of the National Hockey League’s players? The answer, we may well never really know? As for his substance abuse, which was well publicized after the midway point of the 2001 season when the fiery winger checked himself into the League’s Substance Abuse, program.

I did some research on Fleury’s past when he was playing junior hockey and that Graham James name keeps catching my attention. Graham James, a highly respected and nationally famous coach, as a junior-level hockey player in Winnipeg, and then during the late 1980s on the Swift Current Broncos of Canada’s Western Hockey League. Between the ages of 14 and 19, James sexually abused Sheldon Kennedy. The abuse went on, twice weekly, between 1984 and 1990.

Kennedy testified he was first abused when he received permission from his parents to spend the weekend at James’ house to discuss his future in hockey.  Kennedy has said that James sexually assaulted him more than 350 times, beginning when Kennedy was 14. He said he was assaulted while playing on several clubs with which James had an affiliation.

Now, this story has been beat to death over the years, and it’s something that you as a fan can really never fathom a junior hockey player would have to deal with this! Which leads me to this, Did Theoren Fleury have any association with James up there at any time during his stay in junior hockey? “Yes”

A very good and personal friend of mine lives in Saskatoon, and he followed this story every day in the papers, and since he was a Fleury fan, he paid extra special attention to detail regarding James and Fleury on a coach to player relationship.

What I did find out from him was Theo played for James for a half of season. I know this because we have a team photo with Fleury, James and of all people, Joe Sakic! When the press and papers use the word “Demons” regarding Fleury, it brings me to this question, could Graham James have anything to do with the problems the star winger is going thru right now?

I am not saying Fleury was abused or anything like that, although it could have happened? But if anyway I could be on to something here, maybe someone should take him (Fleury) by the hand and get him the help he needs so he is not a danger to himself or anyone around him.

I have always said “Hockey is just a sport” but having a family is life at its best. I’d really like some of your thoughts on this story.