Eddie: John always said everything happens for a reason. He refused to believe in coincidences, even how we all met. People always assumed John, Gary, Rome and I went to college together. John was always quick to say. "you think these douchebags could get into Harvard?"

The real way we met was so random. We were all on an elevator and got stuck. And there are two kinds of people on elevators: people who don't talk to strangers and John. John started talking and talking, and he got really deep at some points. And then he found out we were all Bruins fans, even Rome. And by the time the Boston fire department pried open those doors, John had convinced us to go in on season tickets.

Forty-one home games a year. In that decade, our friendship has moved outside the garden. A couple of us got married. A couple of us had kids. One of us beat cancer, and one of us got sober. John was the one who pulled me outside after Theo was born and told me that I needed to stop drinking.

I haven't had a drink in seven years because that random guy I spent two and a half hours in an elevator with was there for me, and it absolutely kills me that I wasn't there for you buddy. John, you say everything happens for a reason. I can't find a reason for this.