End of the Road for John LeClair?

Post by **Minstrel** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:58 am

Really sad to see but just like Dave Andreychuk's career ending with him being waived by Tampa Bay John LeClair has been waived by Pittsburgh as well.

At one point LeClair was just a force, especially remarkable for a US Born player and one fo the greatest power forwards in recent times. He had absolutely horrific injury luck late in his career though as he first had serious back surgery and then had a life threatening Staph infection while recovering in the hospital causing him to mist most of two seasons and now he's just kind of faded away... this is a rough end (if that is indeed what happens) for a guy who really is one of my personal hockey heroes.

He reached fifty goals for three straight years 95-98 and then scored at least 40 for the next two straight years making him the only US Born player to have 40 or more goals a year for five consecutive years.

And yet, when people put together lists of the great US players he is often left off completely! So this is a hockey warrior that deserves to have a great respect paid to him and it's shameful to see his career come to this because of injury as it just gives people another excuse to write him off or not attribute to him his due as one of the great powerforwards of this generation.

So TBLers I call on you to do me a favor and if you hear people talking about this situation and maybe talking smack about LeClair... have 'em look up his stats for 95-00 because they obviously aren't aware of one of the greatest point scoring performances of the past several decades, and that... if they want to call themselves a hockey fan... is their loss and almost as big a shame as a player of his reputation possibly ending his career by being put on waivers.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio ... l-penguins

Best of luck to you Johnny Vermont, you'll always be my hockey hero. Thanks for the memories

Thundercleese · Post by **Thundercleese** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:27 am

John LeClair was, for YEARS, the only American player I had any respect for (I was a bit over-nationalistic as a kid...). Philly has always been my second-favourite team/favourite Eastern team, so I grew to love the guy. Yes, I eventually decided that Tony Amonte and Jeremy Roenick were pretty cool too. In any case, it's always too bad when a guy gets that kind of treatment but it's part of the 'new' NHL. Teams can't afford the cap hit if the player's not producing. Maybe (hopefully) some time in the minors inspires LeClair to produce as well as Nedved has since his recall. Or maybe a team that could use someone like him will pick him up and give him the ice time he's earned!

Post by **batdad** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:29 pm

I am going to miss John. Well, actually I have missed his play since the Legion of Doom became no more. darn I loved that unit. Even Renberg. Recchi on the point with Desjardins. Now that was a power play. Unfortunately, John is the sign of two things...the new era, and the loss of hands and then speed and timing. Too bad we have to age.
The day people started talking about how Trevor Linden should retire was my official old day. He is younger than me. Now when Sakic goes, ugh I will definitely be old. (Same age, from same town, and I got killed by him in minor hockey)

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:49 pm

I'm still hanging on to the last remnants of youth... there are at least three active NHLers left who are older than me (Hasek, Belfour, and naturally Chelios).

And yes, I too am sad to see Leclair go like this. As for other NHL legends who could and should have ended their careers on a better note, Esa Tikkanen is one. Of course, if he was, say, Swedish, I'd probably nominate him for the hockey player I'd most like to see drawn through a meat grinder and fed to homeless cats.

Forsberg · Post by **Forsberg** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:11 pm

Glory days = Legion of doom line. Brett Hull is another one that just got too old to compete, always sad too see your heroes struggle as they get older, kinda like Gretzky did as well just not too the same degree.

Post by **inSTAALed** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:11 pm

I attribute alot of his success to Lindros.

That's just me though.

Sad to see him go though since he was an above average American player and there aren't many of those.

Kekkonen · Post by **Kekkonen** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:26 pm

Forsberg wrote:Glory days = Legion of doom line. Brett Hull is another one that just got too old to compete, always sad too see your heroes struggle as they get older, kinda like Gretzky did as well just not too the same degree.

... except that the old, washed-out Gretz was still a 70+ point guy (projected for a full 82-game season) in the old, low-scoring, clutch-and-grab NHL.

Post by **Minstrel** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:49 pm

inSTAALed wrote:I attribute alot of his success to Lindros.

That's just me though.

Yes, that is just you... did you notice my mentioning he scored 40 or more for five consecutive years? Saying his sucess was due to playing with Lindros is like saying Ron Francis was only a success because he played with Jagr and Mario and I know you know better.

Post by **inSTAALed** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:57 pm

Minstrel wrote:
inSTAALed wrote:I attribute alot of his success to Lindros.

That's just me though.
Yes, that is just you... did you notice my mentioning he scored 40 or more for five consecutive years? Saying his sucess was due to playing with Lindros is like saying Ron Francis was only a success because he played with Jagr and Mario and I know you know better.

But Francis consistantly put up huge point totals even on lackluster Whaler and Hurricanes teams.

The years he played with Lindros were the years his point totals were high. Besides that he's been pretty average, IMO.

I don't want to take anything away from the success he has had though, Lindros or no. 4 straight 41+ goal seasons is impressive, 5 straight 40 goal seasons is too.

Post by **B. Stinson** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:32 am

Last night, local sports shows were reporting that the Flyers have had interest in LeClair since he was put on waivers. Whether they'll actually make a claim, I have no idea.

Post by **inSTAALed** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:41 am

Well they can't anymore because he cleared waivers today.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:44 am

inSTAALed---What has Lindros done without Leclair? Hmmm...

And Sylvain Turgeon, Kevin Dineen, and all those Whalers that sucked...well they pulled some stunning playoff upsets, and really were not as bad as many say... I can still hear the chants of LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!

Loved them Whalers...great colors. No funny looking scribbles which supposedly represent the Eye of the Storm either.

Used that emoticon ... cause well it was cool.

Post by **inSTAALed** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:47 am

batdad wrote:inSTAALed---What has Lindros done without Leclair? Hmmm...

Have 8 concussions.

Forsberg · Post by **Forsberg** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:05 pm

Kekkonen wrote:
Forsberg wrote:Glory days = Legion of doom line. Brett Hull is another one that just got too old to compete, always sad too see your heroes struggle as they get older, kinda like Gretzky did as well just not too the same degree.
... except that the old, washed-out Gretz was still a 70+ point guy (projected for a full 82-game season) in the old, low-scoring, clutch-and-grab NHL.

I remember his last season, thats why I said to a lesser degree, but he was still a shadow of his former self.