Incredibly, neither Columbus nor Minnesota had an interest in him, but Tampa Bay chose to give him a chance. It was hard to fathom that a player who was arguably this town’s favorite player for well over a decade would demand of general manager Steve Yzerman that he be traded. St. Louis also won the Lester B. Awkward is an understatement. Before his firing, Coates had picked up St. Louis contract for the 2000-01 season, but the new management staff eventually bought out his contract.
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Louis has retired from the National Hockey League (NHL).
St. Louis had 1,033 points (391 goals) in 1,134 regular-season games with the Flames, Lightning and Rangers.
As one season bled into another and the Lightning’s roster turned over, St. Louis remained the constant shining star.
St. Louis helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004 and was part of Canada’s World Cup-winning team months later.
“He someone who also just earned everything he got in his career”, Moore said. He was no longer capable of producing the remarkable results on the ice that he had produced throughout his career, so he decided to retire from the sport he loved.
Here are three of the biggest moments in the wingers career.
Vinny Lecavalier [photo: Amy Irvin]. “I’ve dedicated my life to being the best player I could be”. His high for points came the following season with 102 (a career-best 43 goals to go with 59 assists).
He won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2004; he was a finalist for it again in 2011.
Three times, he won the Lady Byng Trophy given for gentlemanly conduct. He also played a key role in helping the Lightning win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2004. The Kings confirmed June 24 that they had suspended their No. 2 defenseman because he was injured outside normal hockey training when he tore his right Achilles’ tendon earlier this year.
This undrafted, undersized kid from Canada laced them up day in and day out for well over 13 seasons in Tampa. His team made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14, and to the Eastern Conference Final this past season.
St. Louis had 15 points during New York’s 2014 run to the Cup final. Washington also will trade goaltender Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick next year to St. Louis.
But that isn’t the St. Louis way.
And so we move forward, contemplating with mixed emotions what stays behind. He’s the best teammate I’ve ever played with, without a doubt.
Sadly, it did not happen and the wounds are still fresh in this town. Captains don’t behave like this. St. Louis seemed to be running out of gas during the postseason in 2015-16 though, which may have contributed to his choice to hang up the skates. Florek played 73 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL) and had 11 goals and 24 assists…
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“I think he could still play if he really wanted to”. He just kept pressing forward every step of the way, and his achievements mean one thing: He will soon be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
