Peter Zezel class act right to the end

You never heard Peter Zezel complain, even when he knew he was heading into the twilight of his all-too-brief life.

On borrowed time or not, it just wasn’t his style.

The hockey world lost a gem Tuesday when Zezel passed away after his family made the cut-wrenching decision to take him off life support following complications during surgery to remove his spleen. He had been battling haemolytic anaemia, a rare blood disorder, for the past decade.

He was just 44 years old.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, Zezel, who quickly became a heart throb to legions of young ladies in Philly, set a Flyers’ rookie record for assists in 1984-85 and was a vital cog for the Toronto Maple Leafs in back-to-back runs to the Western Conference final in 1993 and 1994.

Considered one of hockey’ clutch faceoff men, Zezel retired from hockey following the 1998-99 season.

Despite his condition, Zezel remained active in the Toronto community and conducted hockey/soccer/golf camps in Markham, Ont.

In recent years, even as his weight ballooned due to his condition, even as his clock ticked down, Zezel never gave in. He was a regular guest on TSN’s Off The Record, conducted his camps, coached his hockey teams, bettered his community.

A class act until his final hours.

And now Peter Zezel is gone, far too soon.

And if that team north of the clouds is looking for a centreman to shut down those other guys, their guy has just arrived at camp.