rmackman Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Hey I don't know if anyone noticed because I didn't see a post...but on Wednesday Joe Nieuwendyk retired from the NHL. Here's the short article in the Palm Beach Post:CORAL SPRINGS ? Center Joe Nieuwendyk, one of the most accomplished players ever to wear a Florida Panthers uniform, announced his retirement today.Nieuwendyk, 40, had missed 14 of 29 games this season because of back problems. He said he made the decision after being advised to retire by a back specialist he visited last week at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio."It's always very hard to walk away, but I was told that this is the best thing for my future," he said before the team's practice at Incredible Ice.He had told his teammates this morning that he would be leaving the team.Nieuwendyk had five goals and three assists this year. Last season, his first with the Panthers, he had 26 goals and 30 assists in 65 games.He won the Stanley Cup with three teams: Calgary in 1989, Dallas in 1999 and New Jersey in 2003. Joe was a class act. A great player and a great person. However, at age 40 your body just doesn't handle what it used to. I think people are impressed that he and Gary Roberts have made it this long. He has done everything any player could want to do including Stanley Cup titles and Olympic medals. I wish him the best.As for the Florida Panthers franchise...well there goes another offensive weapon. No Joe and no Todd Bertuzzi. Greaaaaaaaaaaaat....they are so screwed! "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youcan'tseeme Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 yah ,it's always a same when someone this talented is forced out by injury(ie. Bure, Neely) and joe is right up their with the greats, though I'll never forgive him for leaving the leafs! He says it was his boyhood dreams to play for the leafs, yet when he didn't get the right contract he left, didn't even take the time to listen so you know what, joe? what comes around goes around and yuo did thsi to yourself, yuo coulda reited in blue and white and gone out like a king in toronto, but instead you going out like just another town peasent in miami! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmackman Posted December 8, 2006 Author Share Posted December 8, 2006 yah ,it's always a same when someone this talented is forced out by injury(ie. Bure, Neely) and joe is right up their with the greats, though I'll never forgive him for leaving the leafs! He says it was his boyhood dreams to play for the leafs, yet when he didn't get the right contract he left, didn't even take the time to listen so you know what, joe? what comes around goes around and yuo did thsi to yourself, yuo coulda reited in blue and white and gone out like a king in toronto, but instead you going out like just another town peasent in miami!There are no peasants in Miami! We only have Refugees. "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zer0dotcom Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 I meet him at an Autograph session in 1999 afte rhe won the Cup. Super nice guy, i"ll miss him for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I'm sure he will get in the Hall one day, he did have a nice long 20-years in the league, and won 3 cups with 3 teams. www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anemic_Royaltea Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 yah ,it's always a same when someone this talented is forced out by injury(ie. Bure, Neely) and joe is right up their with the greats, though I'll never forgive him for leaving the leafs! He says it was his boyhood dreams to play for the leafs, yet when he didn't get the right contract he left, didn't even take the time to listen so you know what, joe? what comes around goes around and yuo did thsi to yourself, yuo coulda reited in blue and white and gone out like a king in toronto, but instead you going out like just another town peasent in miami!maybe he found out playing in toronto isn't all its cracked up to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I think he was a Salary Cap Causality in Toronto www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC97 Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Weird that an NHL player from my hometown announces his retirement from a town I used to go to every winter.Great player -- will always remember the '89 Cup he won, atta boy Joe! --- Chris Creamer Founder/Editor, SportsLogos.Net "The Mothership" • News • Facebook • X/Twitter • Instagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrdevil Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I like Joe. It's a shame he couldn't finish out the 2003 playoffs and had to sit out of the finals. He was a big part of that Devils team. I remember back then hearing how after Nieuwendyk tried to play in Game 7 versus Ottawa and just couldn't how Pat Burns went back into the locker room after the first and found him near tears because he couldn't play. That's what I like about Nieuwendyk and hokcey players in general that they are willing to give it all to go out there and play for the cup. Class Act and he had a great career Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youcan'tseeme Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I think he was a Salary Cap Causality in Torontono not really the Leafs offered him a 2 year and Roberts a 1 year both a 2 million, and they took it as an isult didn't take anytime to try and work it out and bolted for Florida at 2.5 million over 2 years each, on the first day of free agency. So when your in your late 30', injury prone and get an other that's 500,000 less then what you want and don't take the timeof day to think about trying to work it? as if they didn't have enough money, i play for league minimum on the leafs for my entire career, even if i was a superstar. i it was his dream it shoulda stayed his dream, he said on the radio yesterday that putting on the jersey is one of if not the greatest moment in his career, so imagine retiring in it?and when i said peasent's really ment a no body, how many peopl in florida maybe afew thousand now of the Joe Nieuwendyk, or even what sport he plays? not many, in Toronto however or even just Canada for that matter your gonna have 20 million people knowing who you are.what's better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EatSleepJeep Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Joe quietly went about stacking up some extremely impressive stats. I'll bet there's people in hockey towns that don't even recognize his name. It's not that he's a mediocre player, he just went out every day and did a damn good job without attracting a lot of attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtthasportfreak Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 As David Justice once said, "My back problems right now are behind me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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