Farewell to Vincent Lecavalier

[Chainshot]

Weird to think I was at the draft when he was selected. Where has the time gone?

 

[Hoek]

Vinny ranks first all-time in Lightning history in games played and goals and is second in assists and points. MSL is second in games played and goals and first in assists and points. I'm not saying anyone's wrong for ranking MSL ahead of Vinny in terms of on-ice achievements but the topic is certainly arguable, and it's close enough that bailing on the team in the middle of a playoff hunt is reasonable to consider as a deciding factor.

Well it helps that Vinny had a two year head start.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Kinda sad to see what happened to Vinny as he fizzled out after POS Matt Cooke. What a damn good player when he reached his prime though and I'll never forget 2004.

 

[PALE PWNR]

Thank you for letting us off the hook of your contract. Sorry you sucked while you were here.

 

[tjs*]

Well it helps that Vinny had a two year head start.

True, but it also helps that MSL didn't get his career ruined by Matt Cooke.

 

[jimmythescot]

I was born on the exact same day as him. I guess I'm officially old now.

 

[Iceman]

I was born on the exact same day as him. I guess I'm officially old now.

Time to get traded and retire.

 

[Soundwave]

What if he just didn't retire? Can the Kings contractually force him?

NHLPA would murder the Kings for even trying it.

Anyways good for Vinny. Man time flies fast, remember when the Lightning were the young "they're gonna win a bunch of Cups, team of the 2000s" type talk? Seems like yesterday.

 

[Danko]

Congrats on a great career. Didnt fit with philly however always respected him.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Great player, will be missed. Glad to see he had some life with LA towards the end.

 

[tony d]

I think he's retired. Best wishes to him, guy was a good player back in the day.

 

[Proust*]

Any chance is jersey gets retired in Philly?

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Yes he was, in his 50g season.

You mean the season when Crosby finished with 120 points?

 

[Curufinwe]

Any chance is jersey gets retired in Philly?

They should donate all those unsold Vinny jerseys to people who need them, like losing team Superbowl shirts.

 

[Kent Nilsson]

Disappointing career for the promise he had. Won't make HOF yet I thought he would become an all-time great.

Greatest player in Lightning history and he's done so much for the city off the ice. His #4 should be the first number officially retired in Tampa.

Ugh, no.

 

[Tripod]

Trade him to Tampa...retire a Lightning.

Then unretire and sign with the Kings for a year...then retire a King.

 

[bennysflyers16]

Trade him to Tampa...retire a Lightning.

Then unretire and sign with the Kings for a year...then retire a King.

Once you retire Im sure you have to sit out a year. He could terminate and resign I think. Highly doubt Kings would want him back tho for a full season,

 

[Jumptheshark]

Just played his last game as reported one of the conditions of the kings acquiring him is to retire at the seasons end.

Amazing career and amazing player !

Not officially yet

 

[weastern bias]

Would have rooted for him had he been on just about any other team, always liked him as a player in TB

 

[Runner77]

He sets off to pasture on a California sunset. A nice way to leave the game.

I remember his dad doing hockey clinics 20 years ago. And owning his rookie cards, which aren't as valuable as I thought they'd be when I bought them at the start of his career.

I wish him well.

 

[Kimota]

It always pains me that as great as he was in his prime he could have been greater. But did not achieve what he could have cause of a mix of bad team management and injuries.

 

[The Panther]

It always pains me that as great as he was in his prime he could have been greater.

His prime was maybe a bit shorter than you'd like (3 or 4 years, reduced by lock-out), but don't you think he achieved whatever he was going to?

But did not achieve what he could have cause of a mix of bad team management and injuries.

Well, his team won the Stanley Cup, so...

 

[EpochLink]

Good career, sadly he won't make the HOF. Martin St. Louis on the other hand will make the HOF.

At least he got a ring, ride off into the sunset.

 

[Rorschach]

I was born on the exact same day as him. I guess I'm officially old now.

Can you play defense?

 

[Hoek]

His prime was maybe a bit shorter than you'd like (3 or 4 years, reduced by lock-out), but don't you think he achieved whatever he was going to?

Well, his team won the Stanley Cup, so...

True but we didn't adjust well post cap (granted we got screwed by contracts losing a year) and OK Hockey wasted a couple more years of his career. At least he did get that deep run in 2011 and played really well in it, but we probably should have gotten a couple more runs with that core than we did.