Worst swan songs

[TrevorLinden16]

I came here to add Linden. Once he left Vancouver he quickly came undone and by the time his disastrous stint in Montreal was over he should have retired.

he was still a 20-goal player when he came back to the nucks, and defensively strong. Hardly a player who absolutely needed to retire. I thought he should have retired after 05-06, but then he came back and surprised me in 06-07 with a much better season including some pp time. He had a strong playoffs that year and was a good shootout specialist right to the end.

Also, check the username bias. Love the guy.

 

[Hab-a-maniac]

Terry Sawchuk hung around longer than he should have. In his case I think he needed the money.

He was a chronically depressed guy who became an alcoholic (from what I've read) and his last game was for the Rangers as the backup getting a start. Then he died in a horseplay incident with a teammate. Doesn't get much worse of a farewell than that.

 

[Hab-a-maniac]

I'm a Rangers fan. Saw every game (pretty much)

Messier was a liability on the ice. He was a shell of his former self and was for a long time.

In the 1997 playoffs, Messier showed distinct signs of wearing down. It played a big part in why Checketts and Smith chose Gretzky over Messier for the next 3 seasons.

I love Messier to death but he went from almost 50 goals and being a Hart finalist in 1996 to a one-trick pony set-up man for the rest of his career.

His 2nd tenure with the Rangers was arguably the 2nd biggest PR fiasco in team history, slightly behind the decision to let Moose walk in 1997.

Well it gave us a chance to see him cry... again. Seriously, he was like the Brendan Fraser character in "Bedazzled" when he asks the Devil to make him a more sensitive man to appeal to women. Crying at the sight of a beautiful sun and whatnot. But Messier hit 35 and things started to unravel which seems to happen to fierce, power forward types of that age if they don't find a way to adapt. Gordie Howe might be the only physical scorer ever to not slow down at all after hitting 35 (which he did in 1963 if you can believe it).

 

[Hab-a-maniac]

Guy Lafleur's "comeback" with the Rangers and Nordiques was not the stuff of legends either.

He scored in his last game and last visit to Montreal though. He wasn't what he used to be but went out with some flair nonetheless.

 

[arrbez]

42 posts and no mention of Claude Lemieux's stellar San Jose Sharks career?

That comeback was incredibly impressive. He's not a guy who ever had God-given talent like Mario Lemieux or Lafleur. And he makes the top team in the league at the age of 43 after 6 years out of the game? I was completely shocked that he was still anywhere near NHL calibre.

 

[arrbez]

Ranford will forever be remembered as the goalie who failed in Detroit.

You might be the only person who remembers that Ranford even played for Detroit...

 

[Canadarocks]

He was a chronically depressed guy who became an alcoholic (from what I've read) and his last game was for the Rangers as the backup getting a start. Then he died in a horseplay incident with a teammate. Doesn't get much worse of a farewell than that.

Good choice. His decreased value as a player, personal problems, strange death and greatness when young makes one depressing swan song

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

You might be the only person who remembers that Ranford even played for Detroit...

haha, totally agree. I was like "Ranford played in Detroit? Oh."

 

[seventieslord]

That comeback was incredibly impressive. He's not a guy who ever had God-given talent like Mario Lemieux or Lafleur. And he makes the top team in the league at the age of 43 after 6 years out of the game? I was completely shocked that he was still anywhere near NHL calibre.

Uhh, yeah. Me too. I was in disbelief. Anytime the topic of Lemieux's comeback came up I talked about what a joke it was that he thought he could do it, pointed to comparables, what caliber of player could even play in the NHL at age 43 in the past, etc. And then... the dude makes it. He gets the seventieslord begrudging seal of approval for that one.

 

[jkrx]

You might be the only person who remembers that Ranford even played for Detroit...

Sadly it doesnt make Ranfords swan song any better.

 

[Form and Substance]

That comeback was incredibly impressive. He's not a guy who ever had God-given talent like Mario Lemieux or Lafleur. And he makes the top team in the league at the age of 43 after 6 years out of the game? I was completely shocked that he was still anywhere near NHL calibre.

Yes, people tend to forget how mind boggling that comeback was because it actually happened. I couldn't believe it either.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Sadly it doesnt make Ranfords swan song any better.

Ranford's final year/swan song was spent as a dependable back-up to Tommy Salo, back in Edmonton where he had his best years and is fondly remembered. Seemed like a reasonable end to a decent career to me.

 

[jkrx]

Ranford's final year/swan song was spent as a dependable back-up to Tommy Salo, back in Edmonton where he had his best years and is fondly remembered. Seemed like a reasonable end to a decent career to me.

I was more talking about his swansong as a starter and his last playoffs as a starter. He wasn't very dependable in Oilers either for that matter.

 

[Super Fadio Bro]

You might be the only person who remembers that Ranford even played for Detroit...

And the fact that I saw Ranford as a Red Wings in a playoffs game (vs COL) doesn't help

 

[trevchar1971]

Paul Coffey, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Eric Lindros, Ron Francis, Chris Chelios, Denis Savard, Peter Bondra, John Leclair, to name a few.

 

[trevchar1971]

Paul Coffey, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Eric Lindros, Ron Francis, Chris Chelios, Denis Savard, Peter Bondra, John Leclair, to name a few.

Actually i think Coffey stands out more then the others in this group.

 

[MetropolisPt31]

Ranford's final year/swan song was spent as a dependable back-up to Tommy Salo, back in Edmonton where he had his best years and is fondly remembered. Seemed like a reasonable end to a decent career to me.

The true sad swan song is that the last game of the year was perfectly set up: Edmonton vs. Calgary and Ranford vs. Fuhr in their last game ever. Ranford ended up pulling a hamstring earlier in the week and it ended up being Mike Minard (in his only NHL game) vs. the Brathwaite/Fuhr tandem as Ranford watched in a suit from the bench.

 

[Merya]

Jari Kurri's last year(s) were pretty bad.

 

[begbeee]

Some homer pics:

Peter Å ťastný - his final two years in St. Louis with Keenan were not basically bad, but playing only 23 games (18 poinst) during 2 seasons is easy forgetable.

Peter Bondra - his final 3 years were meltdown in Altanta and Chicago.