Read the Moving Story of an NHL Fan Who Continues to Buy Season Tickets for His Deceased Girlfriend

Here's the story of Columbus Blue Jackets fan John Kennedy, who continues to buy season tickets for his deceased girlfriend 5 years after her death.

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Depending upon your view on life this is either a touching story or a total bummer. It's the tale of 76-year-old diehard Columbus Blue Jackets fan John Kennedy, and comes courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch.

Kennedy has been a Blue Jackets fan since the team's first season back in 2000, as was his girlfriend, Jane Williams. Williams died more than five years ago after being diagnosed with cancer. Despite her death, Kennedy continues to pony up $1,500 annually for season tickets to keep the Nationwide Arena seat next to him empty. The Dispatch wrote about his justification for cutting the check:

“I keep it because it’s her seat,” said Kennedy, swaddled in his familiar Blue Jackets coat, scarf and cap. “She is there, she is at the game. Can you ever imagine what will happen when we get into the Stanley Cup final and she doesn’t have a seat?”

Perhaps, if you're in the area and wondering why you can't get tickets now that the squad is good, you should have gotten on the bandwagon earlier like they did. Furthermore, Kennedy and Williams were such fans that they had been traveling on the road to watch their favorite team up until her death. At that time, Kennedy contemplated bailing on the sport. The Dispatch explains:

His world unraveled. He went to preseason games that year and was reduced to tears when fans, unaware of Jane’s death, inquired about her.

About the only time there's a physical butt in Williams' seat is the handful of instances per season that Kennedy invites a member from his support group for men who've also lost partners. Anyways, speaking of those Stanley Cup ambitions, the Blue Jackets currently have the best record in the NHL, at 23-5-4, thanks to a current 12-game winning streak.

Again, we're not sure if you're putting this story in the "heartwarming" or "bummer" category. But, if you want, you can check out the rest of it over here.

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