FerrisRox
"Wanna go, Prettyboy?"
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?
How is Lidstrom not on this list?
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.
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.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.
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...
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.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.
You welcome, my pleasure!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.
Steve Shutt
Rene Robert
Always felt Ken Linsman could have played on, for the last 20 years or so he’s been the Gretzky of the oldtimers circuit
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.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.
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.
Steve Shutt
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?Always felt Ken Linsman could have played on, for the last 20 years or so he’s been the Gretzky of the oldtimers circuit
As already noted, the 47 game year was the lockout year. Additionally, the 68-game year was because of a contract holdout.