12/03/24
August 13, 2006
Philadelphia Flyers, Eric Desjardins, Retires after 17 Years: Though I'm not a Flyers fan I can always appreciate the great career of another teams Captain and he was a pleasure to watch all of these years. A great defenseman and a class act. It's a shame he had to go out because of not being offered a new contract. Let's hope he renews his interest in coaching someday.
posted by commander cody to hockey at 01:43 AM - 23 comments
As a lifelong fan of the Flyers I must say I will miss his presence on the blue-line. He was pretty much a rock solid defenseman, just sorry to see him have to retire without a cup in Philly. Godspeed #37.
posted by GoBirds at 04:36 AM on August 13, 2006
What's sort of surprising to me is that there's no more then 2 comments about his retirement. Sure he was no Gretzky, but he was a damn good hockey player and I'm kinda shocked fewer people acknowledge his retirement.
posted by commander cody at 01:44 AM on August 14, 2006
but he was a damn good hockey player He was a good hockey player, but let's not overstate the fact. He didn't win a single NHL award during his entire career. He won his only Stanley Cup when he was with the Montreal Canadiens, and that was long ago (13 years). He never scored 20 goals in a season. He never got 60 points in a season. His biggest claim to fame is scoring 3 goals in a playoff game (tying the existing record) and scoring overtime winning goals in consecutive games (1993 playoffs). There isn't any hope that he'll make the Hall of Fame, even with the liberal acceptance policy it seems to have now. There are many "organizational soldiers" that retire from the game each year that don't get a big fan fare.
posted by grum@work at 06:45 AM on August 14, 2006
...I'm kinda shocked fewer people acknowledge his retirement. I wouldn't worry about it too much. There are only a handful of Flyer fans here, but I'm sure they will have a Desjardins night in the Wachovia center next season.
posted by MrFrisby at 08:48 AM on August 14, 2006
He will be missed, but the Flyers have some servicable young D-men (Gauthier, Meyer and Pitkanen) and a nice veteran presence (Hatcher, Rathje) so the loss isn't that damning. Man, I can't wait for next season. A good regular season followed up by an early playoff exit, yet I still come back for more each season. I really am a masochist.
posted by HATER 187 at 09:03 AM on August 14, 2006
I'm with you Hater...and Grum, it's not so much how many goals he scored as to how many he helped stop. He was a great defenseman after all.
posted by GoBirds at 12:32 PM on August 14, 2006
Frisby, I'm a handful alright. Wait, that didn't sound right. He'll be missed but it's not the end of the world for the Flyers. He's been hurt so much the past few years. Plus, he had a bad habit of leaving his feet at the worst possible times and flopping in front of the net. I guess he missed the memo that there's a guy who's supposed to do that, you know, The Goalie.
posted by SummersEve at 01:56 PM on August 14, 2006
Finally, FlyersFilter. Not to get off topic or anything, but what about the Calder for Handzus trade?
posted by HATER 187 at 02:44 PM on August 14, 2006
Eric was a good player I think. Even though I'm a Flyers fan, I still think he was a great player. He wasn't a Wayne Gretsky, but he didnt suck. You cant say that he was ever a horrible player even if he stats dont show it.
posted by forshizzle992 at 03:18 PM on August 14, 2006
what about the Calder for Handzus trade? I don't really know a lot about Calder, but I hear he's speedy. Handzus has been nagged by injuries and they have the depth at center so I guess it's a good deal. There's talk they'll be moving Kapanen to defense. They have to do something. That defense is rough.
posted by SummersEve at 04:55 PM on August 14, 2006
it's not so much how many goals he scored as to how many he helped stop. He was a great defenseman after all. He finished +198 over 1143 games. That works out to being about +13 over an 80 game season. That would put him about 27th in the NHL last year in +/- among defencemen. He was a good defenseman, not a great one. I save "great" for his contemporaries that deserve it, like Bourque, Chelios, Lidstrom and MacInnis. There is nothing wrong with being "good". "Good" gets you a nice long career, some adoring fans and a healthy ovation during the oldtimers game.
posted by grum@work at 06:20 PM on August 14, 2006
Grum, I must agree. I would never put him in the category with the players you mentioned. I saw a poll on NHL.com that asked the question, "who is the best all time d-man for philly"? The poll picked eric by 40 something percent. I picked Mark Howe. Eric was a solid blue-liner for many years, but not one of the all time greats. With the addition of calder(who will hopefully play on the carter / umberger line) and geoff sanderson (who will hopefully be paired with mike richards) i see a lot of speed in the flyers future. While I appreciated "handcuff's hustle, i was happy to see him go. Keith "Preems" will be back to handle the checking line.
posted by Bishop at 01:18 AM on August 15, 2006
I guess Mark Howe was the best Flyers D ever. I poked around looking for a memory jog, and really, it's either Howe or Barry Ashbee. Desjardins was a fine player, who had a long and good career. He did solid work, made good money, and is getting some well-deserved props at the end of a quality career. No shame in that whatsoever. And yeah, they'll have a Desjardins appreciation night next season, and they'll give him a few gifts and a proper sendoff into retirement, and that's entirely appropriate.
posted by chicobangs at 01:42 AM on August 15, 2006
I guess I've always had a lot of admiration for the blue-collar type of players in all sports like Desjardins. In the 1980's my Tigers had a third basemen named Tommy Brookins that was like that. Never going to be a superstar and he knew it. But still he played solid and dependable year after year. Getting a respectable .250, .260 and almost nothing ever got by him. A sportwriter for the Detroit Daily News once said "he doesn't embarress himself at 3rd". That always struck me as so much bullshit because in order to be a starting 3rd basemen for any major league team for the 7 or 8 years Tommy was you have to be one helluva lot better then not embarressing yourself. I'd like to see that writer do it. Every team needs blue-collar players because without them as a base to build on the superstars aren't going to take any team to a championship by themselves. Sometimes I don't think people appreciate just how hard it is to be just a journeyman in pro sports.
posted by commander cody at 02:33 AM on August 15, 2006
CC, while i agree with you about being a journeyman, let's make sure we're clear here. All though Grum pointed out some things about Eric's numbers, he was hardly a journeyman. I will once again refer you guys to my previous post. Desjardins won a franchise-record seven Barry Ashbee Trophies, including in six consecutive seasons, as the most outstanding Flyers defenseman (1994-95 through 1999-2000 and 2002-03). He appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 16 of his 17 seasons, missing only the 2003-04 Playoffs due to injury, and was a member of the Canadiens’ 1993 Stanley Cup Championship team. Outstanding. This guy played 17 seasons and had a shot at the Cup each year. Only a handful of greats can say that.
posted by Bishop at 02:58 AM on August 15, 2006
This guy played 17 seasons and had a shot at the Cup each year. Only a handful of greats can say that. Maybe but it wasn't the fact that he was leading those teams to the playoffs, rather he just happened to play for very good teams.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:33 AM on August 15, 2006
Maybe but it wasn't the fact that he was leading those teams to the playoffs, rather he just happened to play for very good teams. Come on now, we're talking about defense. When was the last time Coffey,Chelios or Bourque "led" a team. If you're considered the best D-man on a team for 6 straight years, I would say you are at least leading the defense. Philly's last award winning Goalie was Hextal back in the late 80's, yet they have consistently been in the top 10 in goals against. 2001-2002 ranked number 7 with GA/G 2.34 2002-2003 ranked TIED 1ST with GA/G 2.02 (Eric D played 79 games) 2003-2004 ranked numer 6 with GA/G 2.27 2005-2006 ranked number 17 with GA/G 3.08 (Eric D played 45 games) here are a few Flyers Goalies Desjardins played in front of Hackett Little Boucher Oullet Cechmanek Esche Snow Vanbiesbrouck Philly has never be known for great goaltending, rather great defense and Desjardins was the best of the best on most of those recent Philly teams. However there comes a time to put up or shut up, those who put up become champions, as desjardins did in 1993. Desjardins’ legacy will forever be tied to his pivotal role in Montreal’s Stanley Cup run in the spring of 1993. In addition to leading all Canadiens defensemen with 14 points that spring, Desjardins made NHL history with a performance for the ages in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final versus the L.A. Kings at the Montreal Forum on June 3, 1993. Already behind 1-0 in the series and trailing 2-1 with time winding down in the third period, things looked bleak for the Canadiens until head coach Jacques Demers pulled a rabbit from his hat by calling for the measurement of Kings’ defenseman Marty McSorley’s stick with under two minutes to play in regulation. Demers’ hunch paid off as referee Kerry Fraser confirmed the coach’s suspicion, providing the Canadiens with a much-needed power-play. That set the stage for Desjardins, who scored his second goal of the night with only 1:13 left on the clock to tie the game 2-2 and force overtime. But the Habs' defenseman wasn’t done just yet as he then completed his hat trick only 51 seconds into the extra frame by blasting a slap shot past Kelly Hrudey to seal a 3-2 win. The dramatic victory sent the Canadiens on their way, as Montreal won the next three straight to polish off the Kings in five games and secure Cup No. 24 He may not be considered "great", but for a moment in NHL history he had 1 of the single best performances ever by not only a defenseman, but by any player. How many "greats" do you think wish they had done this?
posted by Bishop at 11:32 AM on August 15, 2006
Desjardins won a franchise-record seven Barry Ashbee Trophies, including in six consecutive seasons, as the most outstanding Flyers defenseman (1994-95 through 1999-2000 and 2002-03). So, he's the best defenceman on his team. So was Sergei Gonchar, with Pittsburgh, or Denis Wideman or Christian Backman on St. Louis. I admit that he's one of the better defencemen in Philadelphia history, but that doesn't make him "great". It means that Philadelphia has had some B-level defence corps for a long time. He may not be considered "great", but for a moment in NHL history he had 1 of the single best performances ever by not only a defenseman, but by any player. How many "greats" do you think wish they had done this? You'd be surprised how many "greats" do have games like that. The reason that we remember the Desjardins moments (or the Chris Kontos moments) is because it's a time when a "regular" (or "good") player gets a chance to step up and have his "moment in the sun". However there comes a time to put up or shut up, those who put up become champions, as desjardins did in 1993. Desjardins’ legacy will forever be tied to his pivotal role in Montreal’s Stanley Cup run in the spring of 1993. I agree that he had a pivotal role in one game of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and no one can take that away from him. However, everyone can pretty much agree that the Canadiens of 1993 were pretty much riding the coattails of Patrick Roy and his amazing overtime streak. I'm not putting down Desjardins in any way. He's a defenceman that I'm pretty sure every team would like to have on their squad (during his prime). But he's got zero chance of getting into the hall of fame because it's a career defined by good play with the occasional great moment. There might have been two times in his career where he might have been considered among the top 5 defencemen in the league. Over 17 years, that doesn't define "greatness" in my book.
posted by grum@work at 12:10 PM on August 15, 2006
grum is right, Desjardins was a class guy, a great organization guy who really found a home in Philly and was an adaptable and dependable defenceman. I think the reason why fans tend to overstate the greatness of players (and in equally obtuse fashion, understate others) is because hockey is such a blood and guts game that it inspires the warrior mystique and people get behind that ideal, galvanized by the idea of suiting up for battle every other night for 17 years. However, it was clearly time to go. He hasn't been particularly healthy or effective when healthy for a couple years now. Here's hoping another Flyer great, Keith Primeau, here's the same bell tolling as well. I'd hate to see that guy get fucked up again. (Last time Perezoghin knocked him silly. Perezoghin - a midget speed guy.)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:38 PM on August 15, 2006
It means that Philadelphia has had some B-level defence corps for a long time. You may have a point, Philly also had B-level goatending for a long time. So how do you explain: 2001-2002 ranked number 7 with GA/G 2.34 2002-2003 ranked TIED 1ST with GA/G 2.02 (Eric D played 79 games) 2003-2004 ranked numer 6 with GA/G 2.27
posted by Bishop at 08:00 PM on August 15, 2006
Being in the same division as the Penguins, Rangers, and Islanders?
posted by MrFrisby at 10:45 PM on August 15, 2006
You may have a point, Philly also had B-level goatending for a long time. So how do you explain: 2001-2002 ranked number 7 with GA/G 2.34 2002-2003 ranked TIED 1ST with GA/G 2.02 (Eric D played 79 games) 2003-2004 ranked numer 6 with GA/G 2.27 That's easy. They had B-level defence corps, but a balanced B-level defence corps. They might not have had a Lidstrom/Bourque/MacInnis star, but they also didn't have too many Todd Gill-level liabilities, plus they had a decently defensive forward group and a strong defensive system from the coach.
posted by grum@work at 11:58 AM on August 16, 2006
Great player. Had trouble finishing seasons recently due to being hurt alot, which often occurs with age. Desjardins won a franchise-record seven Barry Ashbee Trophies, including in six consecutive seasons, as the most outstanding Flyers defenseman (1994-95 through 1999-2000 and 2002-03). He appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 16 of his 17 seasons, missing only the 2003-04 Playoffs due to injury, and was a member of the Canadiens’ 1993 Stanley Cup Championship team. Outstanding.