Henkka
Registered User
If he thinks AHL hockey is worth it to further destroy his knees, and have to ride buses with 20-25 year olds, then sure go for it.
I would do that for 950k. I would do a lot of worse things for 950k.
If he thinks AHL hockey is worth it to further destroy his knees, and have to ride buses with 20-25 year olds, then sure go for it.
I would do that for 950k. I would do a lot of worse things for 950k.
I would do that for 950k. I would do a lot of worse things for 950k.
Sure. But how about if you had already made 21+ million over your career? Not sure about you, but I could live off that just fine.
professional athletes can't stop. they have huge drive (and ego). that's what made cleary an effective player. and that's what still keeping him going.
Sure. But how about if you had already made 21+ million over your career? Not sure about you, but I could live off that just fine.
Cleary isn't obligated to stop playing if he is being offered a contract each year, though. 21 million is a lot, but when you factor in taxes, agent fees, and the lifestyle, you arent making quite that much.
Lidstrom and Rafalski stopped. And as way better players. That's just a generalization.
Lidstrom and Rafalski stopped. And as way better players. That's just a generalization.
Rafalski retired after his age 37 and Lids his 41 year old season... Cleary just finished 36. Obviously he hasn't held up but they aren't necessarily comparables...
those are exceptions to the rule.
most pro athletes do not retire until they are forced to either by injury or if no team offers them a contract they like
FYI rafalski only stopped because of injury
this 100% on holland
Rafalski was 37, and Cleary will be 37 in December, so yeah I'd say it's pretty comparable. And my point was that not all guys play for as long as possible. Lidstrom and Rafalski clearly could have kept playing if they desired.
No, I think this is the exception to the rule. Most long time NHL'ers don't accept ending their career in the AHL. And by the same token, most long time Wings haven't accepted ending their career in Grand Rapids.
Most guys would rather retire if it came to that.
Yeah, Rafalski's knees were shot. Guess who else's knees are shot? Cleary's.
Well I agree with you there.
One is a forward and the other is a defenseman. From my understanding defensemen tend to last longer than forwards, unless you're Jagr or some other top player.
Rafalski was 37, and Cleary will be 37 in December, so yeah I'd say it's pretty comparable. And my point was that not all guys play for as long as possible. Lidstrom and Rafalski clearly could have kept playing if they desired.
Would've been 38 when the season started. Cleary would be on the same pace if he retired next year. Plus Rafalski's retirement was really considered a year early by most.
Look, I'm not advocating for Cleary playing or anything. The guy is obviously done. But if he wants to keep playing and someone is willing to pay him a lot of money to do that, I'm not going to fault the guy. I would do the same thing (well, depends on how the body actually feels... hard to know). And for the first time his desire to keep playing isn't going to hurt the team - so I'm happy for the guy. I really like what he was at his peak.
Rafalski didn't retire just because of the right knee. It was the back problem caused in 2009 Anaheim series, that had a bigger risk to turn a lot of worse.
Sure. But how about if you had already made 21+ million over your career? Not sure about you, but I could live off that just fine.
I'm not sure. But I looked at the leaders in career games played, and in the top 25 there were 17 forwards and 8 defenseman.
and is Cleary on or even close to the same level as any of those forwards?
SPOILER ALERT: nope
Dan Cleary worked his ass off to become a viable NHL player after almost flaming out early in his career. If the Wings want to keep paying him to play AHL hockey and it doesn't hurt their cap at all... I see no harm in him continuing to play. He's a pretty darn good locker room influence and by all accounts is still a ridiculously hard worker.
The only reason people got apoplectic about resigning him in previous years was that the deals kept using salary cap money the team needed on a player that they no longer did. If the cap money isn't being used and he's realistically only "blocking" an AHL lifer who is literally in the same boat he's in, nobody should be pissed at all.
Basically, if he can get them to pay 950k for him to play in the AHL and he's still got the burning desire to play hockey, why should he walk away?
The issue is the idea of Cleary being called up to play on the Wings at any point of the season. Him getting playing time over any player with a perceived future in the organization would be ridiculous.
^Thisprofessional athletes can't stop. they have huge drive (and ego). that's what made cleary an effective player. and that's what still keeping him going.
There is absolutely no issue. Why can't people understand that. He got passed over last year while he was the 14th forward on the Wing's club. He wasn't a problem then and he isn't a problem now.
Considering all of the other players are getting clean slate, why wouldn't Cleary?