What happened to Jeff O'Neill's career?

[BiggestLeafsFanEVER*]

I was just looking at Jeff O'Neill's stats and noticed he just called it quits when he was 31.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=8938

what happened with him? his numbers aren't totally awful or anything. and from the number of games he played it doesn't seem like he was having big injury problems.

i see him on tsn but don't really remember his career so can someone fill me in.

doesn't it seem a bit weird?

 

[Woll Smoth]

Wasn't he afraid of flying? (airplanes)

 

[Senscore]

Much like Jeff, it just didn't take off.

 

[Terry Yake]

seeing him play with the whalers his first few years, i figured he'd be the cornerstone of the franchise for a very long time but his career just never really got to where people thought it would

successful career for sure but definitely an underachiever

 

[VanillaCoke]

Wasn't he afraid of flying? (airplanes)

I think that was a big part of him retiring from what I remember.

He made almost 17 million during his career so I'm guessing he's living okay....

 

[Pyrophorus]

Didn't his brother die in a drunk driving accident, and he wanted to come home.

He did, but that incident sucked the enjoyment out of him.

Could be totally wrong on this?

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

Fear of flying and I also believe his brother passed away around that time as well which may have had something to do with his retirement. Not totally sure.

 

[DFC]

My impression of O'Neill was he just didn't have the dedication to have a career that lasted into his late thirties. He was something of a late-bloomer to begin with. Good guy, and a good player in his prime, but I have a hard time picturing him putting in extra time in the gym to prolong that window.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

He had some big goal years with Carolina.

Seemed to lost the desire.

 

[WinterEmpire]

My impression of O'Neill was he just didn't have the dedication to have a career that lasted into his late thirties. He was something of a late-bloomer to begin with. Good guy, and a good player in his prime, but I have a hard time picturing him putting in extra time in the gym to prolong that window.

Seeing him on TV recently I have a hard time picturing him in the gym period

 

[Woll Smoth]

So

Fear of flying
Brother passing away
Lack of dedication

Is what happened to Jeff O'Neill's career

 

[Steve]

Didn't his brother die in a drunk driving accident, and he wanted to come home.

He did, but that incident sucked the enjoyment out of him.

Could be totally wrong on this?

I believe he asked Rutherford for a trade to Toronto to be close to his family/friends after his brothers death. I'm not sure that drinking had anything to do with the accident, my understanding is that it was simply an accident. I think after that he lost his desire to play and his career went downhill.

And yes, it was rumored that he was/is afraid of flying.

 

[napoleon in rags]

In the words of the immortal Joe Strummer: Cheese Boigah!

 

[HisIceness]

He had a tryout 5-6 years ago with Carolina but was pretty much out of shape at that point.

 

[Raging Bull]

From the looks of it, a love of junk food and beer.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

The Leafs stripped him of any joy he once got out of life. See: Kilger, Chad.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He comes off like a cocky ****** on NHL Tonight.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

He got fat.

 

[Metalcommand]

Please stop with the ''What happened'' start to threads. Everytime I read those words the terrible flashbacks of Johnny Drama articles and I re-live the traumas again and again and again. I beg of you!

 

[Ceremony]

Much like Jeff, it just didn't take off.

An hour later and I'm still laughing at this.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Damn. He had a hell of a shot when he was with the Canes. Was one of my favourite players. All the suspected reasons have already been mentioned.

 

[Rorschach]

Jeff O'Neill, I believe at one time he was the top prospect in all of non-NHL hockey, a future #1st overall pick.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

He had a tryout 5-6 years ago with Carolina but was pretty much out of shape at that point.

Yup, that was 5 years ago and he and the team both agreed it was career done. I can't remember if he played in the Red and White game that preseason or not.

 

[TaiMaiShu]

He, Arturs Irbe, and Kevin Weekes are some of the names that still haunts me as a Devil fan.

 

[Stephen]

He has a good cranky guy personality on the radio, seems like this is a good post-career life.