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Rick Vaive

crobro

crobro

Registered User
Aug 8, 2008
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A great player in his day ,50 goal scorer.

Why did his career flame out so soon? Injuries?

Any thoughts on the back end of Rick Vaive career?
 
I'm not sure that it flamed out so much as he just was more of a one-trick pony goal scorer. Traditionally guys in their 30s aren't the goal scorers they were in their 20s. So when that part of your game dies down and you don't have other things to make up for it your career is going to decline. That's all it was.
 
I thought he had a bad back. If he didn't, he should have. The guy would stand in front of the net and take viscous cross check after viscous cross check. He was tough.
 
I met RICK VAIVE man times, and at times he was moddy but He is the ONLY Toronto MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER in History to Score 3 "50+ Goal Seasons" and was Maple Leafs BEST Scorer during a decade whee the team didn't care if they won or not. Can you imagine IF Rick Vaive went to a team in HIS PRIME to a team like OILERS, FLYERS, BRUINS, MONTREAL, CALGARY man he would have better chgance at playoffs.

INJURIES is what ended his All Star CAREER and he will be one of those "woulda, coulda, shoulda, guys like CHARLIE SIMMER, TIM KERR that were superb GOAL Scorers but in the end MAJOR INJURIES is what did him in in the end.

He was great to watch especially on the POWER PLAY. But he was playing with NOBODY in the Mid 1990's, like he was playing with NO ALL STAR CALIBER Players. The Leafs just didn't care about winning as long as the people came to pay to get tickets'

He ncould have Hit 500 Goals easily and maybe even 600 had he had someone to play with!!!
 
RedWingsMan1951 said:
I met RICK VAIVE man times, and at times he was moddy but He is the ONLY Toronto MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER in History to Score 3 "50+ Goal Seasons" and was Maple Leafs BEST Scorer during a decade whee the team didn't care if they won or not. Can you imagine IF Rick Vaive went to a team in HIS PRIME to a team like OILERS, FLYERS, BRUINS, MONTREAL, CALGARY man he would have better chgance at playoffs.

INJURIES is what ended his All Star CAREER and he will be one of those "woulda, coulda, shoulda, guys like CHARLIE SIMMER, TIM KERR that were superb GOAL Scorers but in the end MAJOR INJURIES is what did him in in the end.

He was great to watch especially on the POWER PLAY. But he was playing with NOBODY in the Mid 1990's, like he was playing with NO ALL STAR CALIBER Players. The Leafs just didn't care about winning as long as the people came to pay to get tickets'

He ncould have Hit 500 Goals easily and maybe even 600 had he had someone to play with!!!
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I met him too. As like an 8 year old at some huge food fair at the CNE in the fall. I still have the autographed picture. To Robbie (not my first name for like 35 years!)

I was a Leafs fan before the Sens came to be. I never saw Vaive. I was an Eddie, Leeman, Wendel, Iafrate, Damphousse convert to Leafs land. Then my city got the Sens. After 93 and 94 Gilmour I went from loving Leafs to hating them.

Vaive was like the only player to care about between Sittler and Wendel. Vaive had to get a lot of respect and awe. Still just an asterisk in hockey history.
 
What did Rick Vaive need to get into the HHOF in your minds? I would say 3-4 more elite seasons anyway, at least.
 
Flamer12 said:
I thought he had a bad back. If he didn't, he should have. The guy would stand in front of the net and take viscous cross check after viscous cross check. He was tough.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember this too.
 
Not a huge fan of short peak guys whose relatively high goal totals obscure their mediocre point totals, but I should point out to everyone calling him a one trick pony, that Vaive was very tough. He was energetic, physical and got into 126 fights in the NHL. He was even named a captain.

It's true that:

- He was named the captain of a terrible franchise and was a failure as a captain,
- He was poor defensively
- He was brittle for a tough guy,

But he had intangibles at an above average level compared to most guys with a few 50 goal seasons.

I'm not saying he's that special because he wasn't. Guys like Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash have clearly superior offensive resumes to his. Just don't call him a one trick pony.
 
I watched his son Justin play college hockey. The poor boy had no skills other than being large. I'm amazed he managed to score 14 goals in an AHL season.
 
IMO he was every bit the hockey player guys like Barber or Shutt were, but like Rick Martin, gets forgotten with time due to zero cups. Also hurts that he was RW in a great era for RW's. He was never going to beat Middleton, Bossy or Kurri for a 1st or 2nd team all star nom.
 
Unrelated, but I always think of this: https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2009/12/08/shanny_snub_resulted_in_vaive_attack.html

As a 14-year-old in 1983, Brendan Shanahan approached Leafs star Rick Vaive for an autograph.

Vaive turned the kid down.

And the snub would stay tucked away in Shanahan's memory.
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"Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo," Shanahan said. "He's now playing for the Sabres. He's lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive.

"It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn't believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box."

Vaive hardly knew what hit him. He approached former teammate Jim Korn – then with the Devils – to find out what was wrong with Shanahan.

"He said... `By the way, what's wrong with that kid and why was he coming after me?'" said Shanahan. "Jim Korn said, `Apparently he asked you for an autograph when he was a little kid and you weren't that friendly to him. So he's harboured those feelings since then.'"
Click to expand...
 
I remember Vaive played one full season in Chicago (1987-88) and was pretty decent- 43 goals, seemingly good chemistry with Larmer/Savard, scored 5 PP goals in the playoffs- yet was gone before the calendar year of '88 ended.

Would have been interesting to see if Vaive could have hung on and maybe been a contributor on the Roenick/Chelios teams that soon followed.
 
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