Players who retired surprisingly early

[FerrisRox]

How is Lidstrom not on this list?

How is a player who retired in his 40's not on a list of players who retired surprisingly early?

 

[wetcoast]

According to Gretzky, Bob Goodish was the best player he played against as a kid, from age 8 to 16. Goodish was 6ft 195 lbs at the age if 14, Wayne considered him an incredible physical defensenan with skills. Goodish burned out after playing for London Knights (264-30-112-142 387 penalty minutes). Turned down an offer from the Colorado Rockies to play
for University of Western Ontario Mustangs while earning a business degree, then stopped playing hockey.
THN Mike Brophy 'The Great One': "I can always remember my dad saying, 'play like Goodish and you'll play in the NHL" Gretzky told the Hockey News in 1994. "He had everything; he had speed, he had hockey sense, he had size. In pee wee, he was probably the better player than me." Goodish: "I was a victim of junior hockey. Alot of people took the fun out of the game for me, the way yhey trwated people. The coaches, the managers, the owners, they're in it to make money. I understand that. The thing is, we were just kids." Would've liked to have seen how he would've done if he kept playing, or signed with Calgary or Winnipeg and how the pee wee rivalry would've carried over to the NHL, especially playoff time.

Wow Bob Goodish, what a name, reminds me of Larry "not" Goodenough.

 

[JMCx4]

Dryden I feel never really loved hockey as much as he should. Always too occupied with useless bureaucratic political/lawyering mumbo jumbo. ...

Judgment calls, and they were his to judge which he "should" love more. Without lawyers, what would today's NHL league offices be? Empty chairs.

 

[blood gin]

Judgment calls, and they were his to judge which he "should" love more. Without lawyers, what would today's NHL league offices be? Empty chairs.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

One of my favorites: Frank McCool.

Played just 72 games over two seasons but his rookie year for the 1944-45 Leafs was something else. Set shutout records in the post season on the way to winning the Stanley cup.

Played 22 games the next year and called it quits. Even though his name suggested a cool calm goalie, he was anything but. Ulcers caused him to retire and led to his death in 1973. He was only 54.

 

[ForsbergForever]

Eric Lindros was only 34 when he retired in 2007, of course he was a shadow of his former self by that point.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Patrick Roy, he retired at the age of 37, maybe it's not so early but he was still elite at this age and the best goalie in the NHL. He could have easily played at this level for another 2-3 years at least and make the all time wins record more hard to reach for Brodeur if not impossible. But with shootout wins, Brodeur would still have surpassed him no matter what...

I don't know if more is known publicly about this....but I read/seen somewhere Roy had been dealing with arthritic hips...I don't know if this just started in 02-03 or if it started before that and got worse to the point where he had to retire?

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

I don't know if more is known publicly about this....but I read/seen somewhere Roy had been dealing with arthritic hips...I don't know if this just started in 02-03 or if it started before that and got worse to the point where he had to retire?

You're right and it must have been a factor in his decision but it was mainly because he didn't have the sacred fire/passion anymore to play the game he loved so much. Everything was become a burden for him at this point (trainings, travelling and more). He even called Raymond Bourque to ask him when he (Raymond) knew the time had come to hang his skates Raymond told him "when all will be harder for you to the point to become a burden like trainings, travelling and more". And at this moment, Patrick knew his playing days were done. His arthritic hips problems probably started before his last season but he was still great at this time.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

You're right and it must have been a factor in his decision but it was mainly because he didn't have the sacred fire/passion anymore to play the game he loved so much. Everything was become a burden for him at this point (trainings, travelling and more). He even called Raymond Bourque to ask him when he (Raymond) knew the time had come to hang his skates Raymond told him "when all will be harder for you to the point to become a burden like trainings, travelling and more". And at this moment, Patrick knew his playing days were done. His arthritic hips problems probably started before his last season but he was still great at this time.

So so cool to learn he called Bourque to bounce his feelings off/get help on the decision. I love learning new stuff. Thanks Pepe! It makes sense when the day-to-day rigors/preparations become more work than enjoyable.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

So so cool to learn he called Bourque to bounce his feelings off/get help on the decision. I love learning new stuff. Thanks Pepe! It makes sense when the day-to-day rigors/preparations become more work than enjoyable.

You welcome, my pleasure!

 

[Killion]

Certainly at the time a real head scratcher was Carl Brewer.... heres a guy "living the dream" playing for his hometown Leafs, winning Cups... "retires" in order to regain amateur status & join Father David Bauers' National Team program which at the time, international hockey considered little better than Senior, Soviets slanted the ice through the IIHF, so why bother?.... Of course there was considerably more to that story to which the public wasnt privy at the time which certainly left a lot of people wondering, criticizing Brewer. Now, he did of course return to the pro ranks, NHL & WHA.. retired, short lived come-back thereafter but that initial retirement, very strange indeed at the time.

 

[crobro]

Steve Shutt

Rene Robert

 

[Killion]

Steve Shutt

Rene Robert

I think both pretty much done were they not?

 

[Cygnusx1018]

Curtis Glencross surprised me

 

[crobro]

Always felt Ken Linsman could have played on, for the last 20 years or so he’s been the Gretzky of the oldtimers circuit

 

[Killion]

Always felt Ken Linsman could have played on, for the last 20 years or so he’s been the Gretzky of the oldtimers circuit

.... Yeah he could/can still "move" but in the heat of real competition, no chance... effective back in the day.... but today?...

 

[frisco]

Certainly at the time a real head scratcher was Carl Brewer.... heres a guy "living the dream" playing for his hometown Leafs, winning Cups... "retires" in order to regain amateur status & join Father David Bauers' National Team program which at the time, international hockey considered little better than Senior, Soviets slanted the ice through the IIHF, so why bother?.... Of course there was considerably more to that story to which the public wasnt privy at the time which certainly left a lot of people wondering, criticizing Brewer. Now, he did of course return to the pro ranks, NHL & WHA.. retired, short lived come-back thereafter but that initial retirement, very strange indeed at the time.

I know Brewer and Imlach did not get along in the slightest. I think that was the primary reason for Brewer getting out of Toronto. He actually had an agent (Eagleson) which was kind of unheard of at the time and it peeved Imlach. Just what I've heard.

My Best-Carey

 

[shadow1]

Zigmund Palffy retired from the NHL midway through his age 33 season, in the midst of a point-per-game campaign (42 points in 42 games).

A lingering shoulder injury was cited as the cause of retirement; though, Palffy went on to play five more professional seasons in the Slovak league.

 

[DanM]

Keeping with the Les Canadiennes theme ... Ken Dryden retired in 1979 at Age 31. He played just 8 pro seasons, winning 5 Vezina Trophies and playing on 6 Stanley Cup winning rosters.

Simply awesome

 

[FerrisRox]

Steve Shutt

There was nothing surprising about Steve Shutt retiring. He was quite clearly done.

His last full season in Montreal he managed just 14 goals and while he slightly improved the next year in Los Angeles (16 goals as a King, two more as a Hab before the trade) Shutt was finished. By his own admission, part of his goal scoring success in Los Angeles was because he was able to think only about offence and give zero thought to defensive player. Playing only for his totals, not for the greater good. When asked why he wore #11 as a King rather than his usual #22 (which was taken at the time of his trade) Shutt said "Because I'm half as good as I used to be."

 

[The Panther]

Always felt Ken Linsman could have played on, for the last 20 years or so he’s been the Gretzky of the oldtimers circuit

Interesting. I just looked at his stats and I had completely forgotten that Linseman came back to play for Edmonton in 1990-91. He scored 36 points in 56 games -- a pace for 51 points. That was his last full-ish season in the NHL (he played 2 games for Toronto the following year). So, his last full season was at age 32. Surely he could have signed with Ottawa or San Jose and made some good money?

The guys I sort-of feel sorry for (to exaggerate a bit) are the guys who gave up their careers voluntarily around 1990 or 1991. Those kind of guys, if they'd stuck around three or four more seasons, could have made some serious coin for playing on the third line of an expansion team.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Murray Bannerman was Chicago’s starter for a number of years and abruptly retired in his late 20’s.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

The lure of the shoe biz was too much for Ron Sedlbauer to resist. Retired at 26

 

[Big Phil]

Jacques Lemaire made good on his promise to go play in Switzerland after 1979. Between him leaving, Dryden retiring and Bowman leaving to go to Buffalo this ended the Habs dynasty. Lemaire just tied for the lead in playoff points.

While Wendel Clark always seemed "old" the truth is he was 33 years old when he retired, that's it. His back was shot so I understand it, but it was still young.

Kariya was only 35 although his stats were taking a beating.

Ziggy Palffy is a weird case because he retired mid-season and he had a point per game the year he did it. Albeit on a bad team, but he was just 33. Eventually he played a bunch of seasons at home in Slovakia but just think about what might have happened had he hung around the NHL longer. He'd have a Cup ring, at least one of them.

Bowman retired from coaching in 2002 at 68. That's not young, but there is no doubt he could have kept going. He went the Seinfeld route though, going out on top.

Rick Martin, Steve Shutt and Bill Barber. All star left wingers from the 1970s retired by the time they were all 32. Injuries played a part with Martin and Barber though.

Denis Potvin at 35. Man, he had some hockey left in him didn't he? I thought so. The Isles dropped like a stone when he left after 1988.

 

[Big Phil]

As already noted, the 47 game year was the lockout year. Additionally, the 68-game year was because of a contract holdout.

I think Larmer probably felt he had done enough. A near-HHOF career. Won a Canada Cup by scoring the tournament clinching goal. Played a decade with one of the best offensive players ever. Would have beaten Doug Jarvis' consecutive games record if not for a contract holdout...............which then landed him in New York where he won a Cup.

Maybe he thought he did everything he wanted.