News Article: Cheechoo ESPN Interview

[rangerssharks414]

Checking in with Jonathan Cheechoo

Cheechoo!

Click to read more...

 

[Alaskanice]

Checking in with Jonathan Cheechoo

Cheechoo!

Thank you for sharing that.
Looking back, that was a magical season, up to trading for Thornton, we had never really had a superstar player. A lot of cast offs and run of the mill or at the end of their career players.
Suffering through 11 win seasons and wondering when a draft pick or a trade would make things better, here comes Thornton on the Cheechoo train! Outrageous! What a blast! Watching Cheech and his celebrations turned my wife into the fan is today. We still have the whistle!
Now we’re in the playoffs every year and we’ve had quite a few superstars wear the teal. These are good times. This is and has been a good team. I enjoy this, very much.

 

[LeeIFBB]

That 05/06 run with Joe was absurd.
49 goals in 58 games.
5 hat tricks.

At what point did his skating become worse than Pavelski's is now?

 

[SnarkAttack]

Cheechoo is amongst my favorite Sharks of all time. I always hate when people bring him up on the main boards as an example of a player who had a lucky season, but wasn't really that good. He was the perfect complimentary player to Joe Thornton. He brought energy, heart, the knowledge of where to be when Thornton had the puck, and that shot. The only thing that stopped that was his body not keeping up.

Cheechoo's skating was always bad, and he was slow. After a run of injuries, it was even slower, to the point of just not being able to keep up, pairing with his inability to stay on the ice. Pavelski's skating is dangerously close to reaching that unplayable territory. Pavs kinda reminds me of Cheechoo right now. He does something at an elite level, and the rest of his game is hoping that his elite skill is a net positive. At this point it is, but it's not unlikely that the NHL will soon pass him up, as well.

 

[TheWayToRefJose]

Cheechoo is amongst my favorite Sharks of all time. I always hate when people bring him up on the main boards as an example of a player who had a lucky season, but wasn't really that good. He was the perfect complimentary player to Joe Thornton. He brought energy, heart, the knowledge of where to be when Thornton had the puck, and that shot. The only thing that stopped that was his body not keeping up.

Cheechoo's skating was always bad, and he was slow. After a run of injuries, it was even slower, to the point of just not being able to keep up, pairing with his inability to stay on the ice. Pavelski's skating is dangerously close to reaching that unplayable territory. Pavs kinda reminds me of Cheechoo right now. He does something at an elite level, and the rest of his game is hoping that his elite skill is a net positive. At this point it is, but it's not unlikely that the NHL will soon pass him up, as well.

Pavs seems different though. He consistently proves you wrong when you doubt him just based off hard work and sheer determination.

 

[Beethovens 10th]

Remember when music peaked?

I sure do.

 

[SnarkAttack]

Pavs seems different though. He consistently proves you wrong when you doubt him just based off hard work and sheer determination.

Anyone who think that the things that separates Cheech and Pavs are hard work and determination need to watch more Cheechoo. That was his entire game. Cheechoo was a better offensive player than Pavs. His knees, back, and hernia are what killed him. His hard work and determination allowed him to even stay on the ice for as long as he did.

Pavs will prove people wrong until he doesn't. I just don't want the Sharks locked into an albatross contract when he does. There are not a whole lot of players like Pavelsi in NHL history (small and slow) who had careers lasting much longer than Pavs, and the game is faster than ever.

 

[McDeez]

Remember when music peaked?

I sure do.

What the hell did I just watch?

 

[bluefunnel]

What the hell did I just watch?

It was a different yet amazing time.

Cheechoo will always be one of my favorites though, he was always fun to watch even before "the trade" happened.

 

[Alwalys]

That 05/06 run with Joe was absurd.
49 goals in 58 games.
5 hat tricks.

At what point did his skating become worse than Pavelski's is now?

after the double sports hernia

 

[Lebanezer]

Remember when music peaked?

I sure do.

This is particularly brilliant because of your username.

 

[SabresSharks]

Cheechoo is amongst my favorite Sharks of all time. I always hate when people bring him up on the main boards as an example of a player who had a lucky season, but wasn't really that good. He was the perfect complimentary player to Joe Thornton. He brought energy, heart, the knowledge of where to be when Thornton had the puck, and that shot. The only thing that stopped that was his body not keeping up.

Cheechoo's skating was always bad, and he was slow. After a run of injuries, it was even slower, to the point of just not being able to keep up, pairing with his inability to stay on the ice. Pavelski's skating is dangerously close to reaching that unplayable territory. Pavs kinda reminds me of Cheechoo right now. He does something at an elite level, and the rest of his game is hoping that his elite skill is a net positive. At this point it is, but it's not unlikely that the NHL will soon pass him up, as well.

This is a pet peeve of mine as well. It's a lazy, uninformed opinion that is stuck in the heads of most HFB posters, and will likely never be dislodged.

Regardless, Sharks' fans from those days know better.

 

[RussianShark]

Forever my favorite player.
I started watching the Sharks in 2003 and nobody on the team celebrated as passionately as he did. Wicked shot too.


Personally, my favorite goal in Sharks history


This one wasn't too shabby either

 

[Sharksfan83]

It'd be interesting to hear where Jumbo rates Cheech. It was an amazing ride in both their primes. One of my favourite players of all time. Sad day he was traded, but we all know it was needed.

 

[LeftHeartInSF]

People want to say it was all Joe, but Cheechoo's shot was a big factor in that Hart.

 

[Evil Janney]

It's funny how people always diminish Cheechoo as a "scrub" who was only elevated by Thornton.

Yet, the season before, Cheechoo had 28 goals and 47 pts, playing on the 3rd line! That season was only his 2nd year in the league.

He was definitely amplified by Thornton, but he wasn't someone who had an easy ride.

 

[tiburon12]

I watch this from time to time, though I wish there was a better quality version out there

 

[tiburon12]

This one wasn't too shabby either

This may be my favorite Sharks game of all time. This was a back and forth game between two top teams that also had the Campbell spin-o-Rama and Jumbo's repetitive goal.

 

[tony d]

That was a good yr. for sure. I remember him going to Ottawa after, wasn't the same guy in Ottawa he was during that 56 goal yr. with San Jose.

 

[Ronnie Residue]

Favourite Nhl player of all time for me. Still got my old Cheechoo jersey in my room. Was so sad the way his career turned out due to injuries, but I’ll always cherish the time we got to watch his passion for the game shine.

 

[Pavelski2112]

It's funny how people always diminish Cheechoo as a "scrub" who was only elevated by Thornton.

Yet, the season before, Cheechoo had 28 goals and 47 pts, playing on the 3rd line! That season was only his 2nd year in the league..

Tied Marleau for the team lead that year. In a vastly lower-scoring league (the Richard was only 41 goals).

 

[one2gamble]

Everything about Cheech is amazing. If he's happy that makes me happy.

 

[The Nemesis]

That was a good yr. for sure. I remember him going to Ottawa after, wasn't the same guy in Ottawa he was during that 56 goal yr. with San Jose.

He'd already had the sports hernia issues by then. For a guy who wasn't the world's greatest skater to begin with, he needed every ounce of what he had in order to hang with the big guys. The moment he lost a step he was toast because he could no longer get any separation or evade any defenders.

I remember reports from one of his final AHL years where people were saying that d-men were beating him up the ice going backwards while he was skating forwards.

That's shades of me watching the 2005 CHL top prospects skills contest where there was a d-man who got beat on a lap around the rink by the goaltenders in full goalie gear.

 

[CBJenga]

It's funny how people always diminish Cheechoo as a "scrub" who was only elevated by Thornton.

Yet, the season before, Cheechoo had 28 goals and 47 pts, playing on the 3rd line! That season was only his 2nd year in the league.

He was definitely amplified by Thornton, but he wasn't someone who had an easy ride.

Hey, he still benefited greatly from Thornton in that 28 goal campaign. Just, you know, a different one.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

People also forget he went on to put up very good numbers in the khl. He wasn't an nhl-quality player after his injuries, but he still could play.