When To Say When

The retirement of Rod Brind'Amour is something has been going through my head and the subject of whether some players know when to call it quits. Especially when you look at what Mike Modano is doing right now, which is the better option for some people. I can understand the drive some players my have; but is there a time where guys have something go off and say it's time to quit or do they need to be forced out because they're not needed. It's old conundrum if it's better to burn out or fade away.

Brind'Amour's plight is something that is a little more embarassing in my eyes. He's a guy who had a decent run for himself and didn't seem to see the signs that the game had passed him by. Sure, there were signs of brilliance every now and again, but not enough to warrant him playing past his expiration date. The fact that in his past two seasons he was a combined -52 (-23 and -29 respectively), plus his numbers have dropped and his need dropped-- which is something we saw when his captaincy was taken and given to Eric Staal-- something we all saw coming, but didn't see it in such a dramatic fashion. It didn't seem that Brind'Amour saw the writing and while he was very fit and had the conditioning, it didn't seem to play a factor into it all.

Mike Modano seems to be going that same route, but his is a bit interesting. Modano got a great big send-off in his last game in Minnesota, many in Dallas thought he was done, he got the big fanfare there and that should have been it, it would have been the magical ending to a great career. However, with him shopping himself around; it almost seem like a Brett Favre situation and we're all going to deal with this issue with him every time. You have to wonder if Modano is going to the be the new Chris Chelios and never really retire, but creep around and hope he gets a bite here and there. More over, for a guy who was with the Stars franchise his entire career; it would have been great to see him retire and show that you don't need free agency to have a nice career-- but now, will he taint his legacy by going to not only another team; but one who is a rival.

While I mentioned Chelios puttering around the various leagues looking for a gig, is that better or worse than guys like Theo Fleury or Claude Lemieux, who were taking a hiatus from playing all together, leading their post-retirement lives, then coming back out of the blue. At least with Chelios, he's staying in some kind of game shape and making himself out there, while the stuff of Lemieux and Fleury reeked of a sideshow and publicity stunt; especially with Fleury who had a book coming out at the same time.

While it's nice to have the drive for the game, there's a time where it become more of a distraction than anything else. It's the sideshow and maybe with the coverage of whether or not he can hack it with a new team that'll be something that's unneeded on most teams. Plus, the pressure that will come on the GM that sign him and backlash he could get from it all may be detrimental to him in the long-run as well.

While these guys have a solid career, it seems them almost having to be forced out of their place in the line-up is a bit of a shame and something they shouldn't have to go through to be forced out. Is there too much of a drive?? Is there not seeing the signs of giving up?? Is it just not having anywhere to go after it's all said and done?? Whatever it is, I feel they should have seen the signs before and not let their career slide off as much as it did before the called it a day in the sport. Of course, it's easy for me to say on this side of the table.

Something Left To Prove, Apparently

With the news coming out about Theoren Fleury attempting to comeback to the NHL, coupled with Claude Lemieux's indifferent attempt this past season to come back; it makes you wonder what kind of epidemic this will create for past players who still think they have something left in the tank. While Lemieux's return seemed to be completely random, Fleury wanted to come back after playing semi-pro and got a trainer to help him out with getting back into shape, apparently.

While Fleury still has some hurdles to get past in order to get reinstated from his indefinite suspension for substance abuse, but with his new lifestyle of sobriety, I don't think that should be too much of a total problem. If those issues are behind him, the question for Theo becomes can he do it?? The question that will be reoccuring is who's next??

While Theo could be able to get himself into shape, he could be the exception to the rule. The more common case is like that of Claude Lemieux, where the heart and will is there, but the body as a whole is going to be the real struggling point to keep up with the hustle and bustle of the NHL style of play. With these two making it well known they are coming back, will this be the start of something that will become ridiculous in the next few seasons??

Let's be honest, both Fleury and Lemieux had nothing more to prove. Both had solid playing careers, both had Stanley Cup rings to their names-- so what was the point?? Was it to show people that they could do it like a hockey version of Jack LaLanne?? It seems a bit questionable as to why they are doing it. Sure, the end of both Lemieux and Fleury's careers were unceremonious at best, but it happened. Could this be a case of unfinished business at hand that both of them had to overcome in order to have closure?? Could this be a cheap way for Fleury to plug his autobiography....probably not, but I'm going for every angle right now.

Just who will take a chance on Fleury, especially in a cap era?? While his salary demands may be a slight bit more than league minimum, is there a team confident enough to sign Fleury and hope for the best?? While it may be early in the season, the old antics of Fleury may linger in some people's heads. Plus, who is to say that his playing style will be the same it was, minus the rage. If he can fit the mold of some teams plans, then it could be something worth watching, but I'm not so sure that there are teams with the space and the game plan to fit in Fleury.

Yet with Fleury's intentions out there, we look to see who could be the next old-timer to come out of their retirement and try their hand at the NHL ranks again. It's doubtful that Joe Sakic, Teppo Numminen, or Jeremy Roenick will come back. Both went out on their own terms and both don't have much to prove, though Roenick may want that ring-- it's doubtful a contender will give him a shot. Could we see Eddie Belfour pull a swerve and use his new gig as a goaltending consultant to get back into the NHL, even as a back-up. Hell, rumors of Ken Klee's retirement could be premature....or he could retire, then unretire within the hour and be the latest comeback story, though without the pomp and circumstances.

We will definitely have to see if this is going to become a big trend in the next few years. For one, I hope it's not because it's a little sad to see a once great player ruining their legacy in order to milk a paycheck or two to end out their careers. It'll be one thing for them to actually get onto a roster, but it's another thing for them to actually succeed in doing so by contributing to the greater good and not looking like a buffon out on the ice.