An interesting fact about Keith Primeau

By Ron Kantowski

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 1:54 p.m.

NOW

Here's something you may not know about former NHL all-star Keith Primeau, who the Wranglers named as their new director of player development today.

He has donated his brain to science.

How many hockey players can say that?

Well, at least four I've read of. In addition to Primeau, former NHLers Steve Heinze and Ryan VandenBussche and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Noah Welch say they'll donate their brains to science when they are through using them.

No word yet on whether science will accept.

All jokes aside, this is Primeau's idea of giving a little back to the game that made him famous. He was forced to retire due to repeated concussions and his hope is that scientists will be able to prevent other players from suffering the same fate by studying his brain after he's gone.

THEN

There once was a rough-and-tumble hockey player who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs named Eddie Shack, whose intelligence was questioned by then-Chicago coach Rudy Pilous.

"Anybody who can't spell shouldn't be allowed to skate in our league," Pilous said (or something to that efffect) about Shack, an admitted illiterate.

The next night, after he scored a goal, Shack skated by the Blackhawks' bench and spelled out what he had just done.

"S-C-O-A-R!"

While I'm not sure if Eddie Shack donated his brain to science, if I had to guess, I'd say not.