Stars retire Jere Lehtinen's No. 26

[Raccoon Jesus]

On the list of people to crap on, I figured Jere Lehtinen would be somewhere near the bottom, but wow, here we are.

Phenomenal player, he really was a joy to watch at a time in my life when I was trying to better understand some of the subtleties of the game. So low-key on a star-studded Dallas team but he really was a force out there, basically Bergeron on the Canadian Olympic Team status.

Congrats to him, well deserved, makes me feel even older though

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

For sure one of the best defensive forwards ever, he single handed shut down the Oilers in the playoffs during the 90's. Always wanted him to play for Edmonton, hehe.

 

[beowulf]

Still crazy to think he is the last winger to win the Selke. Wingers often get a bum rap with that award.

 

[RageQuit77]

Luckily it doesn't matter how underrated he was then. He set the standard. ALL defensive forwards follow, or try to follow. In this era's top level hockey.

Not much else can be asked from a winger.

History in it's retrospective will set those standards.

(Funny, when you know you're simply right. No needs to "predict" anything.)

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Honestly i never woulda thought he would be a number retired type level... I guess shows just how underrated he actually was.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Did the Avalanche take this much when they retired Bourques number? After 1.25 seasons.

 

[serp]

Did the Avalanche take this much when they retired Bourques number? After 1.25 seasons.

Stars team had been in limbo for years when Hicks went bankrupt. Not to mention this season is the 25th anniversary of the team moving to Dallas. Retiring the numbers one of the franchises best players this season makes extra sense.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Stars team had been in limbo for years when Hicks went bankrupt. Not to mention this season is the 25th anniversary of the team moving to Dallas. Retiring the numbers one of the franchises best players this season makes extra sense.

I wasn't taking a shot at the Stars or their fans.

 

[RageQuit77]

Okey.

Jere

1 jersey retired in Team Finland
1 jersey retired in Dallas Stars

3 Selkes
+
Record for being badass in international tournaments to the level, very rare co-players of co-playing era can really compare (in hockey as team sports).

I do not feel obliged to defend here anything. It's this thread's task. Nothing was missed.

What was missed?

 

[ManWithNoName]

Well I used to hate him whenever Sweden played Finland cause I knew he was such a gifted player. Already in ’95 when we were beaten by Finland in the WC final you could see that he was something special.

His number should have been retired in Dallas years ago, but I’m glad it finally did.

I seriously doubt that any of the haters here were born by the time he retired.

 

[GodEmperor]

[mod]

But yeah, he is one of the reason why Dallas won SC. Also, one of the best 2-way forwards ever played.

Thanks! [mod]

Guess the Sabers can retire Briere's number, Habs can retire Price's number and all teams can start hanging up players who just had good careers now.

And if anyone says anything about it, claim they don't know Hockey like you!

 

[ManWithNoName]

Guess the Sabers can retire Briere's number, Habs can retire Price's number and all teams can start hanging up players who just had good careers now.

Yes, because Briere played a huge role when Buffalo won the cup... oh wait, they didn’t.

What part of this whole thing is so hard for you to comprehend?

Jere played with the Stars for 15 years, his one and only club. During this time he won 3 Selkes and one cup. He was one of their core players. Why don’t you find me another player with the same accomplishments that hasnt had his number retired. Good luck!

 

[boyko10]

Career 4th liner who played most of his career with Mike Modano, won 3 Selke awards and formed one of the best lines in hockey with Mike Modano and Brett Hull. You've heard about those guys, right?

Jere was the under the radar type of guy. If you weren't a die hard hockey fan absorbing as much hockey as you possible can, you probably haven't heard about him. He wasn't flashy, he didn't score a ton and was never really in any headlines. But if you ask his team mates about him, or Stars fans or players who had to play against him, he was very well known. And I believe that's how Jere likes it.

Honest question.. When if ever did he NOT play with Modano? Because I'm pretty sure they played together right from his rookie season, and it didn't change for years.

 

[serp]

Honest question.. When if ever did he NOT play with Modano? Because I'm pretty sure they played together right from his rookie season, and it didn't change for years.

Pretty sure he was great for Finland without Modano beeing on that team or his line.

Lehtinen was the ultimate support line-mate. You had someone struggling and a line underperforming ? You put Jere there and viola its fixed.

 

[boyko10]

I'm Finnish and well aware

Honest question since that's how I remember it. At least I'm pretty sure he started out as Modanos linesmate, not sure about the last couple years.

 

[boyko10]

Pretty sure he was great for Finland without Modano beeing on that team or his line.

Lehtinen was the ultimate support line-mate. You had someone struggling and a line underperforming ? You put Jere there and viola its fixed.

I always described him as T-1000. A mimetic polyalloy.

 

[serp]

I'm Finnish and well aware

Honest question since that's how I remember it. At least I'm pretty sure he started out as Modanos linesmate, not sure about the last couple years.

Last couple of years Modano was basically playing second/third line Center while Lehtinen was still used on the first line. He was just hurt all the time. Same with Zubov. Modano became more of a role player at the end while Lehts and Zubov still played major roles and minutes . Well thats when they played because both their last couple of year they missed a LOT of games due to injury.

 

[boyko10]

Thanks guy

Kinda fitting that he left his team at 19-20 to join Koivu. Reason? They had an uber demanding Russian coach in Jursinov.

Big reason why he's not as known is his 'die for the team and remember to not look too good doing it' style. Stay modest. Very Finnish.

 

[Jugitsu]

Honest question.. When if ever did he NOT play with Modano? Because I'm pretty sure they played together right from his rookie season, and it didn't change for years.

Honest answer: I don't know.

I was a North Stars fan before I became a Dallas Stars fan. After they won the Cup, I stayed with 'em for one more season and then just stopped watching NHL for a long time. So there's a good 6-7 years I had no clue what was going on in the NHL. Until Minnesota Wild came along. When I started watching NHL again somewhere around 2007, I think they were still playing together and when Jamie Benn entered the league as a rookie in 09-10, I remember watching a few games and Benn was playing with Modano and Lehtinen on the same line. At least for a while.

But as someone else stated, the regression hit Modano a tad harder than it hit Lehtinen, so when Modano was seeing lesser minutes, Lehtinen was still very usable in the top 6 - or at least would've been had he not suffered from injuries as much as he did.

 

[MMANumminen]

Is Jere the only player who was selected to the National team from 2nd highest division, mestis, former divari?

 

[boyko10]

Teemu?

 

[agent082]

Is Jere the only player who was selected to the National team from 2nd highest division, mestis, former divari?

No.

 

[Eisen]

Honest question.. When if ever did he NOT play with Modano? Because I'm pretty sure they played together right from his rookie season, and it didn't change for years.

Yeah, and he was getting the Selke votes despite playing with one of the best defensive centers of the time on the very same line.

 

[glovesave_35]

Did he win a cup in Dallas?

I'm not usually the snarky "Google it" guy but you've asked the same question about two players who were teammates for a lot of years. Yes, they both won the Cup in '99 and both were huge parts in doing so. "Defensive forward" Lehtinen scored 10 goals in 23 playoff games and Sergei Zubov was (by memory) the Dallas Star on the ice most during the Cup run than any other player on the team.

Zubov's number absolutely should be retired in Dallas, and frankly he should be in the HOF over guys like Andreychuk and Recchi.

I'm not really sure if people who didn't watch Lehtinen play game in and game out will ever truly appreciate just how good of a hockey player he was. There are so many sports cliches thrown around that the words have lost meaning but he lived up to them all. Played hard every shift. Never lazy. Made everyone around him better. Compete level through the roof. Coaches always said if a line wasn't clicking he would put Lehtinen there and it would fix things. That was true. He wasn't a superstar but he was as elite as a player can be at the little things.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

No, you're just enforcing how underrated Lehtinen was.
Nobody really remembers him outside of old time fans although he had 3 Selke's as a winger.

Maybe I'm an old-timer but I remember him. Guy had hella speed, super acive stick, clean as all get out and a classy guy. Just the perfect player anyone would want on their team. The retirment is warranted, so congrats to him.