Vinny Prospal retires

[Nordique]

Sign him and make him captain. Kill two threads with one signing.

Ths guy!

 

[EspenK]

The Vancouver Canucks are expected to sign former Jacket Vinny Prospal to a minor-league tryout today.


http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/blogs/puck-rakers/index.html

 

[Samkow]

He just retired.

Congrats on the career.

 

[Viqsi]

Okay, that caught me completely off guard.

Well. Hope he enjoys his retirement.

 

[jdhebner]

Probability of Prospal returning as a coach has increased by 22.3%

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I'd retire before playing for Torts (again) too.



Any reason why he backed out of the AHL deal? Congrats on a great career and I bet he joins the CBJ in some capacity down the road.

 

[major major]

Congrats to Vinny on a great career. I'm glad his last season was with us, and 30 pts in 48 games is a good way to go.

 

[ca5150]

I'd retire before playing for Torts (again) too.



Any reason why he backed out of the AHL deal? Congrats on a great career and I bet he joins the CBJ in some capacity down the road.

I would guess it was a pride thing, maybe a bit stubborn. He probably feels his career speaks for itself and he shouldn't have to go ride the bus in the minors to have a shot with the Canucks. Don't blame him much, but maybe he felt it would be a huge stain on his career if for some reason he didn't make it back up. Still glad we didn't sign him, because of the young guys, but it's a bummer he didn't get to have a last game, knowing it was his last game.

 

[punk_o_holic]

I'd retire before playing for Torts (again) too.



Any reason why he backed out of the AHL deal? Congrats on a great career and I bet he joins the CBJ in some capacity down the road.

I would guess it was a pride thing, maybe a bit stubborn. He probably feels his career speaks for itself and he shouldn't have to go ride the bus in the minors to have a shot with the Canucks. Don't blame him much, but maybe he felt it would be a huge stain on his career if for some reason he didn't make it back up. Still glad we didn't sign him, because of the young guys, but it's a bummer he didn't get to have a last game, knowing it was his last game.

There's rumours(or it was one of the local media guys opinion) that Prospal thought he was going to the AHL just for the weekend(Nucks AHL team is in Abbotsford) and then thought he would be with Vancouver soon after. The deal was 10 AHL games which was to much for Prospal. It was also said, 10 games would mean playing in the NHL after the Olympics. Apparently he wants to play sooner, rather then later. Apparently his agent was trying to get a tryout offer since the Summer but Gillis kept on declining. Would he unretire/change his mind if Gillis gives in and says, no AHL, straight to the NHL?

 

[ca5150]

There's rumours(or it was one of the local media guys opinion) that Prospal thought he was going to the AHL just for the weekend(Nucks AHL team is in Abbotsford) and then thought he would be with Vancouver soon after. The deal was 10 AHL games which was to much for Prospal. It was also said, 10 games would mean playing in the NHL after the Olympics. Apparently he wants to play sooner, rather then later. Apparently his agent was trying to get a tryout offer since the Summer but Gillis kept on declining. Would he unretire/change his mind if Gillis gives in and says, no AHL, straight to the NHL?

I could see him un-retiring if the right offer comes around after the Olympic break.

 

[Roadman]

I could see him un-retiring if the right offer comes around after the Olympic break.

I doubt that after the Olympics there would be so little time to get into game shape by the time he did there wouldn't be any season left.

Think he's done.

 

[SuperGenius]

Nice write up with comments from Vinny here:

http://www.nhlpa.com/news/vinny-prospal-officially-retires-after-16-nhl-seasons

 

[Derby]

Nice write up with comments from Vinny here:

http://www.nhlpa.com/news/vinny-prospal-officially-retires-after-16-nhl-seasons

Nice piece. I like the part where he reflects on the closure the Canucks offer provides him. Not surprised that he measured himself and his own passion against the standard he apparently held others to when he stepped on the ice for the tryout. When he realized it wasn't there, he bowed out, gracefully. Of course, cynics will doubt his sincerity, but I accept him at his word. Vinny is a passionate athlete, no question about that.

Sounds like he is looking forward to a peaceful, personally fulfilling family life.

Wish him all the best.

 

[pete goegan]

Very nice article on Vinny:

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/...-at-peace.html

About 20 minutes after Prospal's interview with The Dispatch ended, he called back with something he'd meant to say earlier.

"I probably did say this, but I want to make sure you write it in there," Prospal said. "Tell the fans I said thank you for supporting me and showing me that much respect. I want to thank each and every one of them. They mean a lot to me. I was proud to play for them. Make sure you tell them that, OK?"

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Very nice article on Vinny:

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/...-at-peace.html

About 20 minutes after Prospal's interview with The Dispatch ended, he called back with something he'd meant to say earlier.

"I probably did say this, but I want to make sure you write it in there," Prospal said. "Tell the fans I said thank you for supporting me and showing me that much respect. I want to thank each and every one of them. They mean a lot to me. I was proud to play for them. Make sure you tell them that, OK?"

Nice. His implication is on point, though, that he came here late in his career and this market didn't have to embrace him the way it did.

He was a professional. He cared about winning and proved it with his words and actions. He played with passion and with joy. Those are things a fan base can embrace. Whether or not he should have had a place on this year's team is, IMO, water under the bridge. But I don't think his role in changing/creating a "culture" (I've come to hate that word) can't be overstated.

 

[Nordique]

Nice. His implication is on point, though, that he came here late in his career and this market didn't have to embrace him the way it did.

He was a professional. He cared about winning and proved it with his words and actions. He played with passion and with joy. Those are things a fan base can embrace. Whether or not he should have had a place on this year's team is, IMO, water under the bridge. But I don't think his role in changing/creating a "culture" (I've come to hate that word) can't be overstated.

Casual fans (that can't name more than 5 current players) in my office have asked me who that guy was last year that pointed at the scoreboard. His attitude left a mark on the fan base, and I think his competitiveness left a mark on the young players. Patrick Roy has his faults for sure, but like Vinny, his competitiveness is contagious and magnetic.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Nice. His implication is on point, though, that he came here late in his career and this market didn't have to embrace him the way it did.

He was a professional. He cared about winning and proved it with his words and actions. He played with passion and with joy. Those are things a fan base can embrace. Whether or not he should have had a place on this year's team is, IMO, water under the bridge. But I don't think his role in changing/creating a "culture" (I've come to hate that word) can't be overstated.

Everything began with Prospal. If not for him coming in and basically calling the entire team lazy and being coached by a moron, nothing would have changed...Nash would still be captain, Jeff Carter would still be floating around like a doofus, and we'd be seeing the same listless performances as the preceding 10 years. For all the talk about gutting "the country club", it had its genesis right there.

Weird chain to think about...Nikolai Zherdev was quite notorious for his baffling play. He was traded for Fedor Tyutin, and to replace Zherdev's scoring, Kristian Huselius was signed. Huselius struggled with injuries in 2010-11, then tore a muscle in his chest during the offseason, prompting a dip back into the UFA market that resulted in signing Prospal on July 23, 2011. So thank you, Zherdev's mind and Huselius' underdeveloped chest, for setting these events into motion.

 

[jdhebner]

Weird chain to think about...Nikolai Zherdev was quite notorious for his baffling play. He was traded for Fedor Tyutin, and to replace Zherdev's scoring, Kristian Huselius was signed. Huselius struggled with injuries in 2010-11, then tore a muscle in his chest during the offseason, prompting a dip back into the UFA market that resulted in signing Prospal on July 23, 2011. So thank you, Zherdev's mind and Huselius' underdeveloped chest, for setting these events into motion.

The Butterfly effect as it relates to hockey. Also if Chris Therein (IIRC) had not broken Prospal's arm in practice back in 1997, Prospal would have never played for the Jackets.