Confirmed with Link: Chris Phillips retires: the Big Rig rides off into the sunset

[Laphroaig]

I was pretty hard on Phillips in the later stages of his career but now I regret it. My son works at the rink insists that no other Senator treats the lowly working stiffs with as much respect as does Chris Phillips. Classy guy.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

The true ending of an era.... They are all gone now save for Neiler.

Bittersweet, soooo many heartbreaks, soooo many amazing memories and 'firsts' for this franchise.

....

This sums up my reaction as well. The core of that team from the early 2000's was a special group, we didn't realize at the time how lucky we were.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Tip of the cap

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I just want to say....players have 98 different numbers to choose from. We are a young team with 1 (iirc) number in the rafters. I'm pretty darn sure the Sens won't run out of numbers to use in our lifetime, or even our grandkids lifetime.

Go for it. Add 4 and 11 to 8.

 

[Human Megaphone]

Clutch player and a classy guy. He will be missed.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

I just want to say....players have 98 different numbers to choose from. We are a young team with 1 (iirc) number in the rafters. I'm pretty darn sure the Sens won't run out of numbers to use in our lifetime, or even our grandkids lifetime.

Go for it. Add 4 and 11 to 8.

I agree.

Had Phillips played for a team with a more lengthy history, i don't retire his number. But the Senators are so damned young . . . why not add a bit of history to the franchise?

Phillips meant a hell of a lot to this franchise over his career.

 

[tony d]

We had 3 #1 picks in our history I believe. This guy was the best of them. Didn't have the best #'s but he always was such a good player, all the best to him in retirement.

 

[MarkStone]

I just want to say....players have 98 different numbers to choose from. We are a young team with 1 (iirc) number in the rafters. I'm pretty darn sure the Sens won't run out of numbers to use in our lifetime, or even our grandkids lifetime.

Go for it. Add 4 and 11 to 8.

I think honoring numbers is a nice middle ground between the people who want a number retired and those who don't. I think even the people against Phillips (or some other player) number being retired can live with his number being honored but still be in circulation.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

We had 3 #1 picks in our history I believe. This guy was the best of them. Didn't have the best #'s but he always was such a good player, all the best to him in retirement.

Well technically yashin was the best

 

[topshelf15]

Well technically yashin was the best

He went number 2 though

 

[BonkTastic]

He went number 2 though

Man, where does Roman Hamrlik rank among #1 overall picks of the last 25 years?

Easily in the bottom 5, right?

Daigle was worse, Stefan was worse, DiPietro was worse... maybe Yakupov, depending on how the next 3-4 years play out?

 

[topshelf15]

Man, where does Roman Hamrlik rank among #1 overall picks of the last 25 years?

Easily in the bottom 5, right?

Daigle was worse, Stefan was worse, DiPietro was worse... maybe Yakupov, depending on how the next 3-4 years play out?

I remember the early sens management liking him a bit more because of the Roman tie in with the logo of our team ....sad days

 

[slamigo]

I remember the early sens management liking him a bit more because of the Roman tie in with the logo of our team ....sad days

synergy!

 

[Micklebot]

Well technically yashin was the best

Probably Berard was the best (as Yashin was a 2nd overall as someone else noted).

Berard's career was never the same after getting a stick in the eye and losing almost all his vision in that eye, but he was a great player with tons of potential before that.

 

[Micklebot]

Man, where does Roman Hamrlik rank among #1 overall picks of the last 25 years?

Easily in the bottom 5, right?

Daigle was worse, Stefan was worse, DiPietro was worse... maybe Yakupov, depending on how the next 3-4 years play out?

DiPietro Legit looked like he was going to turn into a star goalie before injuries started to rack up in 2007.

 

[The Professional]

Phillips was a defensive pillar for so many years. A class act all the way and a warrior for this team. It's sad to see him retire because of an injury, considering he put together an Ironman streak a few years ago. Between 2006 and 2013, he only missed 3 games

Sad to see another player from those 1990's/early 2k's sens teams ride off in the sunset. Phillips has been a Senator since I was a young kid. Now, only Neil remains as the last of the mohicans from that era Philly was a leader and he will be missed. Hopefully he stays in the organization in another role.

Thank you Big Rig!

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Man, where does Roman Hamrlik rank among #1 overall picks of the last 25 years?

Easily in the bottom 5, right?

Daigle was worse, Stefan was worse, DiPietro was worse... maybe Yakupov, depending on how the next 3-4 years play out?

The Senators wanted Hamrlik too. If the he had been available at 2 they would have taken him over Yashin.

 

[Senator Blutarsky]

A big reason our goal differential was so huge those years when we were challenging for (and won) the President's trophy. 1 half of the best defensive pairing in hockey at the time. A classy act throughout his career, he will be missed.

I remember he spent some minutes as a forward with the team early on... it's weird just thinking about it.

Glad they found such a great role for him in the front office.

 

[Super Cake]

Phillips was a defensive pillar for so many years. A class act all the way and a warrior for this team. It's sad to see him retire because of an injury, considering he put together an Ironman streak a few years ago. Between 2006 and 2013, he only missed 3 games

Sad to see another player from those 1990's/early 2k's sens teams ride off in the sunset. Phillips has been a Senator since I was a young kid. Now, only Neil remains as the last of the mohicans from that era Philly was a leader and he will be missed. Hopefully he stays in the organization in another role.

Thank you Big Rig!

It has already been confirmed that he is staying in the organization in another role.

 

[Super Cake]

I for one wouldn't be opposed to having his number retire. There is only a small number of players who have played more than 1000 games with one franchise. Phillips is one of them.

He stuck with us no matter what. He had the opportunity to go to a contender awhile back i believe, but he declined. He has been extremely loyal to this organization.

I will understand why the Sens might choose to not retire his number, but i kind of hope they do.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Bye Chris. Your wife is awesome.

 

[18Hossa]

Apparently he had his retirement party at Moxies

 

[Laphroaig]

Man, where does Roman Hamrlik rank among #1 overall picks of the last 25 years?

Easily in the bottom 5, right?

Daigle was worse, Stefan was worse, DiPietro was worse... maybe Yakupov, depending on how the next 3-4 years play out?

In the last 25 years I'd rank Hamrlik above Daigle, Berard, Phillips, Stefan, Dipietro, Erik Johnson and Yakupov. The last two might surpass him but I doubt it. Hamrlik was actually pretty good. 1395 games played with 638 points is nothing to scoff at. Played in three all-star games as well.

 

[Vaclav Varada]

In the last 25 years I'd rank Hamrlik above Daigle, Berard, Phillips, Stefan, Dipietro, Erik Johnson and Yakupov. The last two might surpass him but I doubt it. Hamrlik was actually pretty good. 1395 games played with 638 points is nothing to scoff at. Played in three all-star games as well.

Yupp. Hamrlik was a stud on D for years but never really got credit.

He was unreal in Calgary.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

He went number 2 though

Did he really ? Woops.