ucanthanzalthetruth
#CatsAreChamps
- Jul 13, 2013
- 28,720
- 34,647
Justin Schultz retires
- Thread starter ucanthanzalthetruth
- Start date
BertCorbeau
F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Man I remember the hype around him out of college.
Now I feel old.
Good career though.
Now I feel old.
Good career though.
1specter
Registered User
- Sep 27, 2016
- 12,517
- 18,921
Why did he leave the NHL? At a high level he looked to still be a serviceable d-man with the Kraken just last season.
Regardless, hats off to a solid career. Took some odd turns along the way given how hyped he was in college and the 'sweepstakes' to sign him, he was unfairly scapegoated in Edmonton and expected to be a saviour, but then proceeded to be a big part of two back-to-back Cups immediately upon being traded to Pittsburgh. Injuries slowed him down a bit but he still performed as a solid top 4 D for a number of years after.
Regardless, hats off to a solid career. Took some odd turns along the way given how hyped he was in college and the 'sweepstakes' to sign him, he was unfairly scapegoated in Edmonton and expected to be a saviour, but then proceeded to be a big part of two back-to-back Cups immediately upon being traded to Pittsburgh. Injuries slowed him down a bit but he still performed as a solid top 4 D for a number of years after.
ManofSteel55
Registered User
He never got a contract. I don't think he "left", so much as he was no longer wanted as an NHL defenseman.
He had a nice, long career, and did well for himself considering how his progress was bungled by the Oilers "decade of darkness" management group of fools.
I remember seeing him at Costco before he got traded. Looked like a shell of a man.
I remember when he came to the Pens from the Oilers. I had never seen such a downtrodden, unsure professional athlete. Turned it around quick to win two cups.
The Nuge
Some say…
He didn’t want to sign a PTO (the Oilers reportedly offered him one). He wanted a guaranteed contract. Probably a bad call in hindsight
AddyTheWrath
Registered User
My Italian is very rusty, but I think they say Schultz is ending his career immediately for personal reasons and returning to Canada.
K Fleur
Sacrifice
- Mar 28, 2014
- 15,928
- 26,905
Really underrated part of the Pens 2017 Cup in. Dude played out of his mind that whole season and playoffs.
Going to Pittsburgh and working with Gonchar was a huge boost to his career. Never lived up to the expectations but carved out a respectable place for himself in the league.
AddyTheWrath
Registered User
Luigi Lemieux
Registered User
- Sep 26, 2003
- 22,363
- 11,155
It just says career, no parameters. If it was specifically about ending his contract with Lugano it would have been phrased differently.
Rodgerwilco
Entertainment boards w/ some Hockey mixed in.
- Feb 6, 2014
- 8,063
- 7,582
Good luck to him in retirement. I remember my Oiler fan friends telling me how terrible this guy was and how he'll never work out in Pittsburgh and they fleeced the Pens in the trade. They weren't too thrilled when Schultz went on to become a major part of back to back cups.
This is the Italian to English translation via google.
"The Hockey Club Lugano announces that the player Justin Schultz informed the club yesterday of his decision to end his career with immediate effect for strictly personal reasons and to immediately return to Canada."
This is the Italian to English translation via google.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
I remember so many people dumping on this guy throughout his tenure in Edmonton but I'm not sure if the Penguins end up winning a cup or two without him, he and Trevor Daley were both given bad raps before they showed up but they both ended up contributing heavily to the back-to-back Cup wins. I think he definitely lived up to the hype for at least two years in Pittsburgh.
I believe both he and Shattenkirk refused to do PTOs, then when no one offered them guaranteed money that was it. Schultz obviously tried playing overseas first but I think he was still holding out hope that once injuries hit an NHL club would come calling ahead of the deadline for teams to sign players without them needing to hit waivers. With two weeks to go before the end of the year though that didn't look to be in the cards.
I do think if he'd swallowed his pride in pre-season he would be somewhere on an NHL roster right now, but hard to feel sorry for him between the money, decent career, and of course two Cups.
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
He was almost like the OG Adam Fox as a prospect, but instead of his career blowing after deciding to sign with the Oilers, he got caved in for years on brutal teams and it got to the point where it was questioned if he were NHL caliber.
Escapes Edmonton and goes on to win two cups in Pittsburgh and settles in as a reliable top four defenseman.
Pretty inspiring story.
Escapes Edmonton and goes on to win two cups in Pittsburgh and settles in as a reliable top four defenseman.
Pretty inspiring story.
If only other orgs were as well-run and successful at winning Cups as San J... never mind.
It didn't work out well for him in Edmonton but I think maturity was a big problem with that group. I remember them celebrating big when he scored a random goal late in the season I think in his rookie year in a nothing game and it turned out they were celebrating because he had hit a performance bonus. But he Hall, Eberle, etc. were acting like they had just won a Cup.
That rubbed me the wrong way back about the priorities of the group but I didn't say it aloud.
I'm glad he got to Pittsburgh and got his career back together, I think by that point he had grown up some.
That rubbed me the wrong way back about the priorities of the group but I didn't say it aloud.
I'm glad he got to Pittsburgh and got his career back together, I think by that point he had grown up some.
67 others
Registered User
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
This is like the worst response ever. There's nothing irrefutable about what I wrote, stop being defensive.
It got really dark for Schultz at one point, he shunned Anaheim (like Fox did Calgary) after leaving college and was the prize NCAA FA of that era. They were expected to be exciting and high scoring almost like the premature version of the McDrai Bouchard Oiler...
Not only was it anything but that - but things got about as dark as they could. I'm sure it's not all due to environment and Edmonton. His own immaturity likely played a factor, but things clashed violently.
The fact that he was able to play real minutes on cup winning teams immediately after switching jerseys was like like a modern miracle.
Good for him.
Ad
Latest posts
-
GDT: It ain't me, it ain't me, Canes ain't no Senator's son- Latest: hblueridgegal
-
Is Peter Forsberg the best forward that never scored more than 30 goals?- Latest: Hockey Outsider
-
-
