Over the Hill?: To Some NHL Players, Age is Just a Number

Contributor Written on July 15, 2009

Previous Next

Slide 1 of 12

The Chicago Blackhawks introduced 36 year old Stan Bowman as their new GM yesterday. Usually, in the world of NHL front offices, experience is seen as a valuable asset. However, Hawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz sees it differently:

"He's 36, Dale's 58," Wirtz said. "We always want younger people, so what he brings is a system in place to get better. It's nothing that Dale was doing, but also Dale's at the tail end of his business career.

Wow, I hope we will all be so lucky as to be retired by 58. He went on to show his ignorance by adding:

"We constantly want to bring younger people up in the organization. We don't want a bunch of players that are 42 years of age on the ice. There's a reason for that."

As a Blackhawks fan, I am very embarrassed by these statements. It shows a lack of respect for the architect of our team, Dale Tallon, and the NHL players who have achieved greatness in their 40s. For this reason, I decided to publish a list to show what some, mostly recent, players have done at / or around the age of 42.

Don't forget to tell me what you think!

Gary Roberts

At 42, Roberts added grit and leadership to the Eastern Conference Champion 2007-2008 Pittsburgh Penguins. His mentoring helped lay the foundation for this year's Cup-winning team.

Scott Mellanby

One of the greatest players to never win Lord Stanley's Cup, Mellanby retired at the age of 40. In his final NHL season, he played 69 games (12 goals, 36 points) and led the Atlanta Thrashers to their first playoff appearance.

Igor Larionov

Just like his vast wine collection, Igor Larionov got better with age. At 41, Larionov tallied 43 points in 70 regular season games. In the Playoffs, he was a monster. Igor had 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists), including the Game Three triple OT game-winner against Carolina in the Finals.

Chris Chelios

Chelios, 47, is still waiting for a team to call his number. Chellios may have lost a step, but at 42 he was still a premier defenseman. In that year, Chelios played in 69 games (21 pts,+12, 61PIM) and was a major force on a team that won it's fourth Central Division title in a row.

Mark Messier

One of the greatest players of all time, Mark Messier was still a force at 42. In the 2003-2004 season, Messier played in 76 games (18 goals, 25 assists) on a very mediocre Rangers team.

Mark Recchi

Mark Recchi has been one of the most consistent players in NHL history. Last year, the 41-year old tallied 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists), and helped the Bruins win the NHL Northeast Division.

Dominik Hašek

21 Apr 2002: Goaltender Dominik Hasek #39 of the Detroit Red Wings makes a save during the third period of game three of the NHL Western Conference Quarterfinal series against the Vancouver Canucks at General Motors Place in Vancouver, Canada. Detroit de

Maybe the most gifted goalie of all time, Hasek, is now playing in the Czech League. Two seasons ago, the then 42/43-year old helped the Red Wings win their sixth President's Trophy and 11th Stanley Cup by going 27-10-3 with five shutouts.

Bobby Hull

"The Golden Jet" was still golden at 39 racking up an amazing 117 points (46 goals, 71 assists) with the Winnipeg Jets. Unfortunately for Hull, he never played a full season again.

Jean Beliveau

Maybe the greatest of Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge, Beliveau was 40 when he played his last season. The skilled Center still managed to score 25 goals and had 76 total points during the regular season. He finished his career on a high note, scoring 22 playoff points on route to winning his 10th Stanley Cup.

Gordie Howe

Who didn't see this one coming? Gordie Howe played longer than anyone else in the NHL, and continued in the WHA until the age of 52. During his second to last season with the Red Wings, the 42-year old Howe amassed 70 points (31 goals, 40 assists). Gordie was simply amazing.

I don't know about Rocky Wirtz, but I would take any of these players at 40-42. True fans and historians of the game know that age is just another number.

Begin Slideshow

That's the end of this slideshow, here are a few more you might like...

The 10 Greatest Players in Boston Bruins History

The Boston Bruins have one of the most storied traditions in the NHL. They were founded in 1924 and are one of the original six teams. They were also the very first American based team...
What Ranger "Consistency?"

Torts uttered that statement after the Rangers were DOMINATED 5 - 1 by the revamped Tampa Bay Lightning. He said his team had no consistency. Quite frankly (as Tom Renney used to say... constantly), he's right...
All-Time Carolina Hurricanes Roster: The Best of the Canes

After 12 years of existance in North Carolina after the transfer from Hartford, Connecticut, the Hurricanes have seen it all...

(0)

7 Comments

There are no comments yet. Get the conversation started by leaving the first comment

Loading more comments...

posted just now

Loading...
Nobody has liked this comment yet

Cancel

This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete

<form action="/accounts/create_from_facebook_comment" class="new_facebook_user" id="new_facebook_user" method="post">	<input id="facebook_user_facebook_id" name="facebook_user[facebook_id]" type="hidden" />
	<input id="facebook_user_proxied_email" name="facebook_user[proxied_email]" type="hidden" />
	<input id="facebook_user_profile_pic" name="facebook_user[profile_pic]" type="hidden" />
	<input id="facebook_user_profile_url" name="facebook_user[profile_url]" type="hidden" />
	<ul>
		<div id="facebook_questions">
			<li class="fb-question" id="facebook_full_name_container">
				<p class="question">
					<label for="facebook_user_use_full_name">Use your full name <strong class="full_name"></strong> on Bleacher Report?</label>
					<br />
				</p>
				<p class="options">
					<input name="facebook_user[use_full_name]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_use_full_name" name="facebook_user[use_full_name]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_use_full_name">Yes</label>
				</p>
				<div class="input full-name-edit" style="display:none">
					<p>Edit your name for Bleacher Report:</p>
					<div class="fb-first-name">
						<label for="facebook_user_first_name">First Name <em>(required)</em></label>
						<input class="signup_text_input" id="facebook_user_first_name" name="facebook_user[first_name]" size="30" type="text" />
						
					</div>
	
					<div class="fb-last-name">
						<label for="facebook_user_last_name">Last Name <em>(required)</em></label>
						<input class="signup_text_input" id="facebook_user_last_name" name="facebook_user[last_name]" size="30" type="text" />
						
					</div>
				</div>
			</li>
			<li class="fb-question">
				<p class="question">
					<img src="/images/default-user-icon-medium.png" class="profile_pic" />
					<label for="facebook_user_use_profile_pic">Do you want to use your Facebook profile picture on Bleacher Report?</label>
				</p>
				<p class="options">
					<input name="facebook_user[use_profile_pic]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_use_profile_pic" name="facebook_user[use_profile_pic]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_use_profile_pic">Yes</label>
					
				</p>
			</li>
			<li>
				<a id="facebook_connect_submit"><img src="/images/shared/submit.png" /></a>
			</li>
		</div>
	</ul>
</form>

357
reads

7
comments

0
likes

written on July 15, 2009 Rankings/List

<form action="/accounts/create_from_facebook" class="new_facebook_user" id="new_facebook_user" method="post">	<input id="facebook_user_proxied_email" name="facebook_user[proxied_email]" type="hidden" />
	<input id="facebook_user_profile_pic" name="facebook_user[profile_pic]" type="hidden" />
	<input id="facebook_user_facebook_id" name="facebook_user[facebook_id]" type="hidden" />
	<input id="facebook_user_profile_url" name="facebook_user[profile_url]" type="hidden" />
	<ul>
					<li class="fb-question">
				<div class="input">
											<div id="facebook_placebo_submit">
							<img src="/images/shared/submit.png" />
						</div>
										<div class="fb-first-name" id="fb-email">
						<p><strong>Email Address</strong></p>
						<input class="signup_text_input" id="facebook_user_email" name="facebook_user[email]" size="30" type="text" />
						<img alt="Small" id="facebook_email_indicator" src="http://assets3.bleacherreport.com/images/shared/spinners/small.gif?1259188455" style="display:none" />
						
					</div>
				</div>
				<div class="input" id="facebook_password_container" style="display:none">
					<div class="fb-first-name notice">
						<p>This email address matches an existing user profile. Please enter your password to connect your accounts.</p>
						<p><strong>Password</strong></p>
						<input class="signup_text_input" id="facebook_user_password" name="facebook_user[password]" size="30" type="password" />
						
					</div>
				</div>
			</li>
				<div id="facebook_questions" style="display:none">
			<li class="fb-question" id="facebook_full_name_container">
				<p class="question">
					<label for="facebook_user_use_full_name">Use your full name <strong class="full_name"></strong> on Bleacher Report?</label>
					<br />
				</p>
				<p class="options">
					<input name="facebook_user[use_full_name]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_use_full_name" name="facebook_user[use_full_name]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_use_full_name">Yes</label>
				</p>
				<div class="input full-name-edit" style="display:none">
					<p>Edit your name for Bleacher Report:</p>
					<div class="fb-first-name">
						<label for="facebook_user_first_name">First Name <em>(required)</em></label>
						<input class="signup_text_input" id="facebook_user_first_name" name="facebook_user[first_name]" size="30" type="text" />
						
					</div>
	
					<div class="fb-last-name">
						<label for="facebook_user_last_name">Last Name <em>(required)</em></label>
						<input class="signup_text_input" id="facebook_user_last_name" name="facebook_user[last_name]" size="30" type="text" />
						
					</div>
				</div>
			</li>
			<li class="fb-question">
				<p class="question">
					<img src="/images/default-user-icon-medium.png" class="profile_pic" />
					<label for="facebook_user_use_profile_pic">Do you want to use your Facebook profile picture on Bleacher Report?</label>
				</p>
				<p class="options">
					<input name="facebook_user[use_profile_pic]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_use_profile_pic" name="facebook_user[use_profile_pic]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_use_profile_pic">Yes</label>
					
				</p>
			</li>
			<li class="fb-question" id="facebook_interested_in_writing_container">
				<p class="question"><label for="facebook_user_interested_in_writing">Are you interested in covering your favorite teams and sports?</label></p>
				<p class="options">
					<input name="facebook_user[interested_in_writing]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input id="facebook_user_interested_in_writing" name="facebook_user[interested_in_writing]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_interested_in_writing">Yes</label>
					
				</p>
			</li>
			<li class="fb-question">
				<p class="question"><label for="facebook_user_share_activity">Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity in your Facebook activity feed?</label></p>
				<p class="options">
					<input name="facebook_user[share_activity]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_share_activity" name="facebook_user[share_activity]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_share_activity">Yes</label>
					
					<br />
					<a href="#" id="share_facebook_activity_advanced_link">Advanced Sharing Options</a>
				</p>
				<p id="share_facebook_activity_advanced" style="display:none">
					<input name="facebook_user[share_activity_article_writing]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_share_activity_article_writing" name="facebook_user[share_activity_article_writing]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_share_activity_article_writing">When I write a new article</label>
					<br /><input name="facebook_user[share_activity_comment]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_share_activity_comment" name="facebook_user[share_activity_comment]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_share_activity_comment">When I post a comment</label>
					<br /><input name="facebook_user[share_activity_like]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_share_activity_like" name="facebook_user[share_activity_like]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_share_activity_like">When I like an article</label>
					<br /><input name="facebook_user[share_activity_poll_vote]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_share_activity_poll_vote" name="facebook_user[share_activity_poll_vote]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_share_activity_poll_vote">When I vote on a poll</label>
					<br /><input name="facebook_user[share_activity_fan]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_share_activity_fan" name="facebook_user[share_activity_fan]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_share_activity_fan">When I become a fan of another member</label>
				</p>
			</li>
			<li class="fb-question">
				<p class="question"><label for="facebook_user_fan_friends">Become fans of your Facebook friends connected to Bleacher Report?</label></p>
				<p class="options">			
					<input name="facebook_user[fan_friends]" type="hidden" value="0" /><input checked="checked" id="facebook_user_fan_friends" name="facebook_user[fan_friends]" type="checkbox" value="1" />
					<label for="facebook_user_fan_friends">Yes</label>
					
				</p>
			</li>
			<li>
				<a id="facebook_connect_submit"><img src="/images/shared/submit.png" /></a>
			</li>
		</div>
	</ul>
</form>

Sign up for Bleacher Report

Already have an account? Log in now » As a member you can get the latest on your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

Join Bleacher Report

You must register in order for that functionality to work!

Sign up through Facebook

Follow your Facebook friends on Bleacher Report
Share your articles, comments, and more with friends

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. San Francisco Giants, SEC Football, NFL, Golf

Selected Tags:

Yes, I'd like to receive an email newsletter for the topics I selected.