Finally, the Captain has come to his senses and decided to retire. After battling the effects of post concussion syndrome, it appears that Keith Primeau is ready to hang up the skates and save himself from the effects of another debilitating concussion. I'm sure this is a very difficult decision for a warrior like Preems, but this really is the best decision for him and his family.
While Preems' value to the Flyers over the years was mostly as a defensive forward and leader, how will any Flyer fan forget his overtime goal in the wee hours of Game 4 against the Pens? However, the performance which I will never forget is the Captain's scoring tear in the 2004 Playoffs. He was simply amazing. The only Philly post season performance which comes close in my mind is AI's unbelievable run to the 2001 NBA finals. His goal to force overtime in Game Six against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals was simply unforgettable.
Now that the Captain is no longer in the fold, the Orange and Black are left with replacing his leadership on the ice and in the locker room. They already moved to replace him on the ice by signing 6'2" center Ryan Kessler of the Canucks to an offer sheet, but there is no way they will be able to replace his leadship "in the room".
Derian Hatcher was a horrible captain last year and there is no way he returns to the team with "C" on his chest. Now, that Gagne has signed long term, I expect him to be named captain, until such time that Mike Richards is ready to take over the reigns. Anyone who watches the Flyers with any regularity can tell that Richards is captain material. It is only a matter of time until he is given the "C".
I'm just glad that there is some closure on this issue. It was not fair for anyone involved for this situation to go on any further. I'm just glad the inevitable decision was made before the season so everyone could move on.
By the way, we're now less than a month away from some hockey action. I know I'm in the minority, but I can hardly wait.
2 comments:
Primeau is the Philadelphia hockey version of Darren Daulton. The guy had one decent playoff stretch in a career that was mediocre at best and that is all anybody remembers. Darren Daulton hit about .240 every year except the two seasons where he was juiced up and the team caught lightning in a bottle. People seem to forget that. Daulton's career stunk. Does anybody remember that the Flyers traded Stanley Cup Champion and Conn Smythe candidate Rod Brind'Amour for Primeau? Sorry Phan, I know you see it differently, but you know you and I never agreed about this guy.
The only reason Brind Amour became a viable player again is because the NHL legislated hitting out of the league. The fact that he couldn't be touched helped hide the fact that he was a horrible decision maker with the puck in the offensive zone. As for Preems...he was a defensive stopper and great leader. He always worked hard, eh!
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