By Hockey Guru
With the NHL season about to start- the Philadelphia Flyers did not offer a contract to Bill Guerin and before getting into any predictions - this tribute needed to be put together. When Pittsburgh won the Cup- Sid handed it first to Billy.
That respect is well deserved over his Hall of Fame-worthy career: 18 years in the NHL (he missed a year due to the lockout), 1263 games, 429 goals, 427 assists, 856 points. On top of that, 89 scraps and 1,660 PIM - he was a power forward who earned respect. In 140 playoff games, he amassed 74 points (39 goals) and 162 PIMs. His locker room presence also earned him an 'A' in Boston and Edmonton, and he became the captain on Long Island, before even playing a game there.
Billy may have lost a step, but as the young players come into the league, his leadership cannot be replaced. If he does not end up playing again, he will be sorely missed, but as one of his good friends might say, "Billy is a better person than he is hockey player and he may very well be a Hall of Fame hockey player."
So no matter where the road takes him from here, he'll always be a champion, and maybe, if fate will have it, he can take his good friend Stan out for another beer or two.
[Editor's Note: It was mentioned by the author that he wished he had included video of the famous fight with Mike Keane, when Guerin was with the Devils. There's also a copy that comes with no audio, but a better picture]
A fitting tribute to one of the last warriors in the game.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing how well he performed in Camp, I find it hard to believe that he'd have no offers on the table right now. Maybe he has turned some down, due to location, but if he wanted to play another season, he certainly would have suitors.
If Brendan Morrison can find work in Calgary, then Guerin would certainly be able to find something, somewhere.
I predict that if Yzerman doesn't put in a waiver claim on Maltby today, he'll give Guerin a call.
It's not surprising if Guerin would only want to play for a top contender and make one more go of it. As far as I know, though, most of the top contenders are nearing the cap and wouldn't have room for Guerin. And it would be really akward to ask him to play for the minimum, even with bonuses.
ReplyDeleteKudos to him for a long and productive career, but I'm betting this is the end of the line and he will soon be joining the also still available Owen Nolan (to name but one) for some Saturday pick up games in the senior league.
I always liked watching Guerin in his prime as a member of the Devils. As a lifelong Pens fan, it was great to see him come to Pittsburgh and win the cup. Thanks for the post !
ReplyDeleteHis rise with the Devils was awesome - he finished every hit and dropped the gloves a ton - with some great fights.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to include the video of his fight with Mike Keane - a classic where the punches were flying.