Eddie LeBec and his bride, Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec.

The late Boston Bruin goalie Guy (rhymes with 'me') Raymond "Eddie" LeBec, immortalized in the TV show Cheers, is now best remembered for being killed by a Zamboni machine while working in "The Wonderful World of Ice," dressed as a penguin. But these trivial facts cannot hope to sum up such a complicated man.

In 1987, the new goalie for the Boston Bruins (who wore #33 or #38, depending on the TV episode) came into Cheers, a bar in Boston. An extremely superstitious man, Eddie would have the same drink before every game: A club soda, no ice, with two slices of lime and a red straw. After finishing the drink, he would put the napkin on top of the glass and put the straw on top of the napkin. Observing this ritual, the waitress at Cheers, Carla Tortelli immediately fell in love with the dashing goalie. Eddie gave Carla tickets to a Bruins game, and she took bar patron Frasier Crane with her (Frasier got into a brawl).

Lebec looks for his mask as the puck sails between his legs during the infamous "Carla jinx" season.

Eddie and Carla began dating regularly. But as soon as they started seeing each other, Eddie's game started going downhill. Carla believed that she was the cause of Eddie's jinx. And amazingly, when Carla broke up with Eddie, his game improved spectacularly.

But Eddie eventually realized why Carla dumped him, and told her that he wanted her back, anyway. They did finally get back together, but agreed to break up before every game in order to avoid the jinx.

Eddie then proposed to Carla... but being the superstitious people they were, they had to get married at a certain time, or wait until the year 2042. But after a series of wedding-associated disasters, Eddie called the wedding off. With help from bartender and ex-Red Sox pitcher Sam Malone, the bad luck was corrected and the wedding was finally consummated... and Frasier caught the bouquet.

Eddie then found work in a touring ice show, "The Wonderful World of Ice" (dressed as a penguin), while Carla raised their twin children, Elvis and Jesse, alone. (They were conceived outside of wedlock.)

But then tragedy struck: Eddie died in the aforementioned freak ice show accident. Furthermore, LeBec's name is now shrouded in controversy because his beloved wife Carla discovered that her husband actually engaged in some romantic ice-capades while on tour: A second widow showed up at his funeral--a skater named Gloria. Carla agreed to split her late husband's estate 50-50 with Gloria, but didn't realize that there was a $50,000 insurance policy. (Carla tried to hide the money from Gloria, but her conscience got the better of her.)

Then, in 1990, the appearance of Eddie's ghost at the bar compelled Carla to call Madame Lazora, an exorcist. But the seance was not a success.

Eleven years later, another seance was held -- this time sponsored by SportsHollywood. Eddie spoke through actor Jay Thomas, who portrayed Eddie in the television show Cheers for three seasons. We pulled no punches, and many nagging questions were finally answered.

TEN QUESTIONS

Eddie at practice

SportsHollywood: What's your favorite sports movie?

LeBEC: Slapshot, you f*ckin' idiot -- what do ya think, eh? I especially liked the goalie character -- just this undersized, foul-mouthed guy who always got scored on. That was great fiction.

SportsHollywood: Which was more physically dangerous: Playing hockey or dating Carla?

LeBEC: The bad thing about dating Carla was kissing. The constant complaining about stubble was more than anybody could take.

SportsHollywood: Why didn't you shave closer?

LeBEC: I was talking about Carla's stubble.

SportsHollywood: Which do you consider yourself first: An ex-Bruin or an ex-penguin?

LeBEC: I consider myself first and foremost, a lovable ex-cast member of Cheers. They paid better.

This photo explains why Eddie never had children after his marriage to Carla.

SportsHollywood: What's your proudest hockey moment?

LeBEC: When Roseanne Barr came up to Ottowa and sang the Canadian National Anthem. She was great.

SportsHollywood: After all the hockey errors, your release from the Bruins, and the Zamboni accident, would you say that Carla is bad luck?

LeBEC: There are worse things than hanging out in a bar with Carla--ask Shelley Long.

SportsHollywood: What is the real story behind your separation from Carla?

LeBEC: The real reason we separated is because she couldn't stand the emphasis I put on my career. She always wanted me at home instead of on the ice. She loved it when I went "Tweeners."

LeBec in his playing days.

SportsHollywood: Who did you really prefer: Carla or Gloria?

LeBEC: Gloria, you f*ckin' idiot - what do you think, eh? I loved Gloria for her looks and personality. I loved Carla for different reasons.

SportsHollywood: There were rumors that you didn't really die, but went on to lead a third life as sportscaster Jerry Gold, who was the boyfriend of Murphy Brown. Any truth to this story?

LeBEC: Okay, it's true. Which would you rather do, sit around getting yelled at and hit by Carla and a bunch of Tortelli kids or make out with Candice Bergen? I got an Emmy for doing one of those things. Guess which one?

SportsHollywood: So when you...

LeBEC: (interupts) ... Mmmm ... Candice... She got me this special deal on my phone rates, too: Dime a minute.

SportsHollywood: What actor would you like to play you in a film?

LeBEC: Danny DeVito... Only he knows the horror...

Interview by Rodney Lee Conover and Jeff Hause

Jay Thomas TV: Mork & Mindy, Married People, Cheers, Murphy Brown (Emmy Award, Best Supporting Actor), Love & War Movies: An American Daughter, My Date With the President's Daughter, Monkey Business, A Smile Like Yours, Killing Mr. Griffin, A Strange Affair, Encino Woman, Mr. Holland's Opus, Straight Talk, Little Vegas, Miracle Landing, Dirty Laundry

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