Going out on their own terms

When is the right time to retire? It is a difficult prospect for any player -- star and journeyman alike. Go out on top or make them tear the jersey off your back? That is the quandary. Obviously, some guys never have much say-so -- when you're done, you're done. But a better player -- a guy who was special in his prime -- can evolve from a front-line player to one fulfilling a different role.

The one characteristic shared by players who defer the inevitable is superior skating. Mark Messier, Igor Larionov, Chris Chelios and James Patrick are contributing players in their late, late 30s and early 40s because they can skate. Of course, their wealth of experience certainly helps, but it is the base skill of skating that is at the root of their ability to compete against younger legs.

That's what makes Kevin Dineen's retirement last week so interesting. Like the others, Dineen -- at 39 -- could still skate. It was always his No. 1 physical attribute as a hockey player. Go all the way back to 1983, when Dineen came out of Colorado College as a raw and raw-boned defenseman, and it was his skating that stood out.

In fact, it was his skating that led coach Dave King of the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team -- yes, the same Dave King who was coincidentally Dineen's coach in Columbus -- to convert Dineen from an at-times awkward defenseman to a bundle-of-energy forward on the forecheck.

That decision was career-altering for Dineen, whose dedication and determination transformed him into a power forward of note at the NHL level. But what is the impact of his decision to retire? How far-reaching are the ramifications? His announcement certainly came at an odd time, just one month into the season, after enduring the rigors of yet another laborious training camp.

For James Patrick, the timing was strange for other reasons. Patrick and Dineen were teammates on that '84 team. Whereas Patrick had always been a smooth-skating rearguard for whom things seemed to happen effortlessly, Dineen was the picture of exertion in everything he did. Patrick's Sabres served as the opponent for Dineen and the Blue Jackets in what would surprisingly be Dineen's last game.

By Patrick's account, Dineen was the best player on the ice. He played on the top line and was a factor all night long, creating space in the offensive zone and wreaking havoc on the forecheck. Indeed, Patrick's recollection seems accurate, as Dineen was named the game's first star.

Patrick's puzzlement stems from the immediacy of witnessing a player he has known for 20 years perform so effectively. More than anything, though, Patrick emphasized his bewilderment by stating, "He can still skate," as if to walk away from the game when you still have that ability is completely confounding. The sequence of events, though, left Patrick with an uneasy feeling.

Granted, Patrick said that he hadn't yet spoken to Dineen to ask him the reasons for his decision. He knows it could well stem from reasons not related to hockey. But viewed solely from a hockey perspective, Patrick said the news was disappointing. If Dineen felt it was time to retire while still capable of turning in a dominating performance, what does that say about his own situation?

Well, when it comes to putting the gear away one last time, absolutely nothing. Patrick will come to terms with his time on his own terms. As for every player, leaving the on-ice action behind won't be easy or comfortable. And while every situation is unique, guys always miss the same things. The camaraderie. The competition. The familiarity. The sanctity of the locker room.

For now, Patrick continues on, still able to do what he loves to do -- what he has done for the better part of the past 20 seasons -- not quite as effortlessly, but still efficiently. And who knows, Patrick may play beyond this season.

For a brief moment, though, the departure of a former teammate, friend and, more pertinently, a viable old warrior, made the prospect of "the end" all too real. And that is an unsettling notion, no matter who you are and no matter how long you play.

 

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