Thursday, January 12, 2006
Dave Done Playing, Tampa Still Paying
The new, faster NHL has claimed another veteran - the Tampa Bay Lightning placed 42-year old captain Dave Andreychuk on waivers yesterday, and news today was that he cleared. The Lightning will not force Andreychuk to report to their minor-league affiliate.GM Jay Feaster is characterizing this as a hockey decision. As good a player as he was, Andreychuk was never a fast skater, and in a new NHL that places an emphasis on speed and skating, it showed. In 42 games this season, he had only recorded 18 points and a -13 rating.
Feaster probably could have made this hockey decision in the summer. It could be argued that Andreychuk, even though he played a key role in the Lightning's run to the Stanley Cup in 2003/2004, was on his last legs then, after which of course came the year-long lockout. Now the Lightning are on the hook for the remainder of his salary this season and all of next's. (Jes Gőlbez and Tom Benjamin have more on the money side of things.)
One of the best players to ever the game - and he played a lot of games (his 1,639 career games played is fourth all-time) - it's unfortunate that his career was ended this way.
"They don't make hockey players like Dave Andreychuk anymore," GM Jay Feaster wrote. "From the moment he came to Tampa, he led by example and he helped our young players understand how to be professionals. There were times early in his tenure in Tampa when he carried the entire team on his back, and there is no doubt that his quest to win a Stanley Cup served as inspiration for his teammates during our championship run.Andreychuk joins an elite list of players, including Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Brett Hull and Scott Stevens, to retire this season.
"He will always have a special place in our hearts here in Tampa and in the Lightning organization," Feaster added.
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