For one of the classiest players to ever lace up a pair of skates, he deserved better.
Gary Roberts, who signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer, was waived earlier this month by the Lightning ahead of the trade deadline. He retired before being released.
He ended his career with 909 points in 1,224 career games that spanned 21 seasons. His career came full circle, playing his last game in the same city in which he played his first, Calgary. He won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989.
"My daughter called me and said, 'Dad, I'd like to be at possibly your last game in Calgary," Roberts said in a conference call. "I didn't realize it was going to be my last game of my career. So I flew her out to Calgary, and she was there for the weekend. We had a chance to spend the night together, having dinner, and then she came and watched the game with some other close friends from my Calgary days. It's a little emotional. Calgary's got a big place in my heart."
The move, although somewhat expected, was unfortunate. It comes in a year in which the Lightning have been in turmoil. Just games into the season, the meddling ownership fired head coach Barry Melrose.
For Roberts, it was his second retirement. In the mid-'90s, he retired with a serious neck injury. Yet, he netted nearly half of his career goals after the injury.
"Well, I always said when I came back I'd take it a year at a time, and I felt every year was a bonus year for me," he said. "I never fathomed I'd last this long. So a lot of thanks to a lot of people that helped me through all those years, the training staff, the medical staff, I had a fairly large medical file that kind of traveled around with me. ... Many hadn't seen a medical file as thick as mine. I have great respect for the jobs they do."
For now, Roberts days in hockey are done. But it might not last forever.
Two of his closest friends in the sport, Al MacInnis and Joe Nieuwendyk, are both in management with NHL clubs. That's always an option.
But for the immediate future, Roberts plans on doing a lot less traveling and spending some time at home with his wife.
"I love the game, absolutely," Roberts said. "I played for 20-something years because of it. I'm going to take some time right now to kind of reflect. My wife is due. I have two beautiful children along with one more on the way, due the end of May. I'm sure at some point I'll be back in the game. ... I need a break from that at this point more than anything else. But I am sure at some point I'll be back in the game."
Throughout Roberts' career, he was known for his tremendous physical conditioning, but it wasn't always that way.
"My junior coach was Brian Kilrea, who had a huge influence on my career, by the way," he said. "But he never really believed in off ice training. I got to my first pro camp in Calgary being a first-round draft pick. I wasn't a weightlifter. I wasn't a real fitness guy. I got to camp, and Badger Bob (Calgary's strength coach) made an example of me. I did two chin-ups, but that was generous, I really did one and a half. So, from then on I was known as Chin-Up. I left that training camp so embarrassed at my performance. I said to myself, 'That will never happen to me again.'"
So Roberts hit his local department store, and came back with an item that he has used for the last 21 years.
"I remember going to buy one of those chin-up bars that you put in door jambs," he said. "Whether I was at conditioning camps, skating camps in the summer, I brought this chin-up bar with me. Every time I went through the door I did a few chin-ups.
"Next training camp, Badger Bob came by, and he watched me do every test, you know, chin-ups, dips, push-ups, he watched me do all those tests. And made sure I didn't cheat, and I wasn't allowed to cheat.
"I did 16 my next year. And then from that time on, obviously, chin-ups was high on my list as far as training but I can say at this point I'm probably never going to do another chin-up again."
Kelli Johnson 1-on-1 with John Thompson III -2/13
Alexander Semin finds back of net versus Rangers-2/12
The Sixers are not taking anyone lightly
Spring training is right around the corner
Moving day: Phils' gear en route to Clearwater
Will the Flyers make a move at the trade deadline?
Stoglin's frustrations boil over following Duke loss-2/12
Timonen "disappointed" in teammates' effort
Morganti: 'Rangers' power play demolished the Flyers'
Timonen: 'I think we got half the guys going and half the guys not'
More shootout woes in store for the Flyers when they face the Red Wings?
The Rangers have the Flyers' number
St. Joseph's vs. Massachusetts Highlights - 2/11
Penn vs. Dartmouth Highlights - 2/11
Drexel vs. Hofstra Highlights - 2/11
La Salle vs. St. Louis Highlights - 2/11
John Wall talks about the loss to the Heat-2/10
Collins takes the blame for the Sixers' final possession
Sixers vs. Clippers highlights
Sixers defensive effort not enough vs. Clippers
Julien: 'did it the hard way'
McAdam's Spring Training primer
Doc: Team's effort is 'un-Celtic'
Pierce stresses mental toughness
Globe 10.0 Who was the best free agent in Boston?
Maria Menounos dons a Giants-colored bikini after losing Super Bowl bet-2/7
Thomas' moratorium: 'I'm out, peace'
Gasol: 'Not pleasant' being part of trade rumor
Blakely: Gasol-for-Rondo trade unlikely
Brady-ing is Latest Internet Meme
Globe 10.0: Is Paul Pierce the Celtics greatest scorer?
Ranking Pierce among Celtics greats
Garnett's tale of first meeting Paul Pierce
Pierce's loyalty touted after big night
Hurt Locker: Patriots react to Super Bowl loss
Brown: 'Eli Manning is better than Tom Brady'
Local fans crushed by Patriots loss in Super Bowl XLVI
Marcus Johansson Caps lone goal in loss to Bruins-2/5
Matt Hendricks throws down with the Bruins' Adam McQuaid--2/5
Vinatieri, Law, Brown recount Super Bowl XXXVI
