Stars retire Jere Lehtinen's No. 26

[glovesave_35]

Lehtinen was a fine player and all but ... certainly not number-retirement quality on merit alone.

Of course the team can retire whatever the heck it wants.

Yes he was.

I feel like the youthfulness of the board is showing in this thread. That and the underscoring of just how little coverage that late 90's - early 2000's Stars team got despite being one of the most successful teams in the league. If you take Lehtinen out of that lineup they don't win the Cup. Any Stars fan who has watched Dallas hockey over the years knows this. It's too bad they weren't tracking Corsi back then to give the stat jockeys something to grasp onto other than straws.

 

[Alex Jones]

Strange to see Lehtinen get bashed on here when Bergeron gets praise 24/7.

 

[TheAngryHank]

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.

Hey friend im sorry i asked about both those players ,at first glance i thought it said "sharks" not "stars" i was like wtf ,when did he play for the sharks?
My screw up

 

[glovesave_35]

Hey friend im sorry i asked about both those players ,at first glance i thought it said "sharks" not "stars" i was like wtf ,when did he play for the sharks?
My screw up

Haha all good.

 

[member 290103]

Is this for real? Man, the Stars taking the Canucks PR ploys and manufacturing publicity by retiring someone's jersey who does not warrant it. This is ridiculous.

 

[account deactivated]

Is this for real? Man, the Stars taking the Canucks PR ploys and manufacturing publicity by retiring someone's jersey who does not warrant it. This is ridiculous.

The only thing ridiculous about this is how ignorant you seem to be about the contributions he made to the team, ya know the one that retired his number. When the Canucks win a Cup and a player who spends his entire career with the team is a huge part of that team's success over his tenure there, perhaps you'll understand.

 

[The Kessel Run]

Loved Lehtinen. He was a bull.

 

[VicVinegar]

The only thing ridiculous about this is how ignorant you seem to be about the contributions he made to the team, ya know the one that retired his number. When the Canucks win a Cup and a player who spends his entire career with the team is a huge part of that team's success over his tenure there, perhaps you'll understand.

Woah now, don't tease him like that.

 

[Jetcetera]

lol kool retire a number for a sub par goalie that is still playing. wtf stars thinking....

 

[Dr Pepper]

lol kool retire a number for a sub par goalie that is still playing. wtf stars thinking....

....Anyone want to tell him, or should we just leave this one alone?

 

[account deactivated]

....Anyone want to tell him, or should we just leave this one alone?

I'm pretty sure he's being sarcastic to point out the stupidity of some of the posts complaining about this number retirement.

 

[Alwalys]

Yes he was.

I feel like the youthfulness of the board is showing in this thread. That and the underscoring of just how little coverage that late 90's - early 2000's Stars team got despite being one of the most successful teams in the league. If you take Lehtinen out of that lineup they don't win the Cup. Any Stars fan who has watched Dallas hockey over the years knows this. It's too bad they weren't tracking Corsi back then to give the stat jockeys something to grasp onto other than straws.

Saw plenty of the stars during lehtinen's career, thank you. if only stars fans would think he's worthy then good chance he's not worthy absent some really special team-based distinction like, say, a 20 year run like marleau. the fact that the stars wouldn't win the cup without him isn't a case. you can say that about many players. lehtinen had a relatively short career also, for an ostensible jersey-retirement-worthy star. the real question is does it get retied without the cup win? doubt it.

honestly jersey retirement on merit we're talking obvious hall of fame players. modano gets his jersey retired. lehtinen isn't in that conversation.

 

[Laineux]

Lehtinen won an individual award based on on-ice performance three times.

You'd think that in the era of advanced stats when we know how huge effect players can have on the game without it necessarily showing in the score sheet, Selke winners would get a little more credit.

 

[kovnik]

Him meeting Slayer is one of my favorite moments of his career.
Also totally deserved to have his number retired.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Awesome player, and an even better person.

Deserves this, always gave my oilers fits

 

[Jauffre]

He was a good goalie but he's no prime Carey Price

 

[catnip]

His team felt he was valuable enough to merit a jersey retirement. They know what he did and meant for the team better than, say, someone who's never even heard of the player. And it's their decision. It's more than just a bit arrogant for outsiders to suggest that the team he played for 'likes' him too much.

 

[account deactivated]

Saw plenty of the stars during lehtinen's career, thank you. if only stars fans would think he's worthy then good chance he's not worthy absent some really special team-based distinction like, say, a 20 year run like marleau. the fact that the stars wouldn't win the cup without him isn't a case. you can say that about many players. lehtinen had a relatively short career also, for an ostensible jersey-retirement-worthy star. the real question is does it get retied without the cup win? doubt it.

honestly jersey retirement on merit we're talking obvious hall of fame players. modano gets his jersey retired. lehtinen isn't in that conversation.

Except it's not just Stars fans thinking he's worthy; it seems to be most people who are over the age of 25 and have an idea about his play agree as well or at the very least understand why the Stars are retiring his number.

Somehow you seem to believe Marleau would be acceptable for a 20 year run in San Jose that led to no major awards, but Lehtinen who played his entire 15 year career in the NHL, won a Stanley Cup, as well as 3 Selkes as a winger while a member of the Stars somehow means less?

Asinine. You're pretending as if this is some league wide retirement like #99.

And the HHOF element is debatable, especially considering his international resume.

 

[Scott Stevens]

Lehtinen won an individual award based on on-ice performance three times.

You'd think that in the era of advanced stats when we know how huge effect players can have on the game without it necessarily showing in the score sheet, Selke winners would get a little more credit.

Depends on the narrative people want to tell.

 

[Alex Jones]

If advanced stats were around in 2002 stat whackers would be calling Lehtinen a phenom

 

[FinPanda]

This thread is sad to read. Where all this hate comes from? I thought he wouldn't get much hate. I was wrong.

Well deserved recognition, Jere.

 

[Hasbro]

He was a tremendous pain in the ass for the Avalanche.

Deserving of the honor.

 

[PunkRockLocke]

Having been an avid NHL fan (not a Stars fan) during his entire career, and today, this number retirement is very warranted, and was due. Congrats to Jere on a great career.

Any of the younger blood on this board saying this isn't deserved have no clue. The guy was the best at his role - defensive specialist forward who could add offence (which he added a lot of) - during a large chunk of his career and his entire prime. I love players of his style and always liked him, despite my team having to play against his Stars a few times each season.

 

[RageQuit77]

Retirement of Numbers of Dewey, Huey and Louie - Line in The Finnish National Team Lions

Hard to understand that cry here about his number's retirement in Dallas, which is far less controversial then retiring numbers in NTs. In Finland there was quite debate about the rationale of number retirements in NT, but not because of these three wouldn't be worthy to that. It was more about do anyone should have such honors in The National Team. Other two retired numbers in Team Finland belong to Raimo Helminen and Teemu Selänne (and if any they truly deserve that by their record breaking resumes in International hockey). Argument could be given for several others too - including much older pioneering hockey persons and Finnish legends -, and that was the point of critique of the debate, as well as fear of inflation of the worth of the honor.

In case of Dallas Stars number retirement there are no such issues, while Jere is surely deserving by all relevant measures.

ADD/EDIT: Synopsis to the number retirement criteria of Team Finland.

Raimo Helminen #14
331GP (The World Record), 52G+155A=207pts (Team Finland Record). 1 Olympic Silver and 2 Bronzes from 6 olympics (World Record, shared with Selänne). 1 Worlds Gold, 4 Silvers and 1 Bronze from 11 participations. WJC silver. WCH participation... + other stuff

Teemu Selänne #8
1 Olympic Silver, and 3 bronzes from 6 olympiads (World Record shared with Helminen). Most points in Olympic competition: 43
1 WC silver and 1 bronze. 2 WCH participations... + other stuff

Jari Kurri #17
2 olympics, 1 Bronze. 4 World Championships, 1 Silver. 3 Canada Cups and 1 World Cup. Long time GM of Team Finland... + other stuff.

Ville Peltonen #16
13 medals from 19 international tournaments. 1 Olympic silver and 3 bronzes from 4 Olympiads. 1 gold, 4 silvers and 3 bronzes from 13 World Championships. 1 World Cup Silver... + other stuff

Saku Koivu #11
1 Olympic silver and 3 bronzes from 4 Olympiads. 1 Gold, 2 silvers and 1 bronze from 7 World championships. World Cup Silver. Long time Captain of Team Finland, and Montreal Canadiens... + other stuff

Jere Lehtinen #26
1 Silver and 3 Bronzes from 5 Olympic tournaments. 1 Gold and 3 silvers from 4 World Championships. Participated twice to World Cup... + other stuff

 

[masinaLFC]

[mod] I would kill to have a young Lehtinen in Dallas again