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Longtime Devils forward Patrik Elias, 40, grapples with hockey future


THEDINO

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It seems like he has the right attitude.   He's easily my favorite player ever but given the state of the team and everything else, I'm thinking it might be best if that goal at the end of the Leafs game last year was the end.   It would be a shame to see a Brodeur like ending to his career although he seems to have a much better awareness of himself and his ability than Marty did.       

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Good read. Patty definitely seems to have the right attitude about the situation. I hope we see him put the jersey on for us again this year when it's all said and done. I think it would be great for Zacha to play a few games with Patty as well.


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13 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Good read. Patty definitely seems to have the right attitude about the situation. I hope we see him put the jersey on for us again this year when it's all said and done. I think it would be great for Zacha to play a few games with Patty as well.


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Agreed.  Zacha seems like the perfect guy to learn from Elias.

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30 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Good read. Patty definitely seems to have the right attitude about the situation. I hope we see him put the jersey on for us again this year when it's all said and done. I think it would be great for Zacha to play a few games with Patty as well.
 

And to his credit, Shero does as well. Would have been really easy for him not to care, but it seems like he respects Patrik's longevity with the team and he seems open to the idea of bringing him back. 

Me personally, I would sign him as soon as he's ready. We need all the help we can get, it would be nice to see if he could provide any. 

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10 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I would take a wobbly-kneed and 40+ year old Elias over some of the players we have been icing this season (DSP, Kalinin, etc).

Elias is my all-time favorite Devil.  I will be there when his number goes up into the rafters.

I hope Patrik doesn't come back as a player to the Devils...I don't need to see a shell-of-himself Elias.  But I'd love to see him be part of the organization. 

That retirement ceremony will be THE final end of "those Devils".  And #4, 3, 27, 30, and 26 are probably going to be it for a long long time. 

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2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I hope Patrik doesn't come back as a player to the Devils...I don't need to see a shell-of-himself Elias.  But I'd love to see him be part of the organization. 

That retirement ceremony will be THE final end of "those Devils".  And #4, 3, 27, 30, and 26 are probably going to be it for a long long time. 

Even if he was a shell of himself, it is more compelling for me to watch him for the last few times than any sort of game the rest of this season.

I have noticed that since last year my interest in the Devils in terms of watching them play day in and day out has waned.  My jersey hobby is still strong and I do keep up with team news, but I find myself less likely to actually watch all the games or even attend them.  I have gone now to 4 games this year where in past years I would have gone to 7-10 by now.  I realized a couple of weeks ago that it is due mostly because I just don't care or am attached to this current team.  Henrique, Palmieri, Schneider and even Hall are nice players, but nothing I can really put my heart into.  When 26 goes to the rafters it will feel like the death of an era that I grew up in and will be personally a sad experience.

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Besides, who says he'd be a shell of himself? He looks to be in great physical condition otherwise, and in his last hame on one leg, a goal and two assists. I'd love to see him come back and see what he can do. 

17 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

When 26 goes to the rafters it will feel like the death of an era that I grew up in and will be personally a sad experience.

Once Niedermayer's number got retired, I realized I'm old. Watched his whole career from day one. Now he's got gray hair and his number in the rafters. Stevens and Dano were both around before I became a fan (Stevens with other teams, but still). It was Scottie that really made me realize that time, as it does, has gone on. 

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Just now, DevsMan84 said:

Even if he was a shell of himself, it is more compelling for me to watch him for the last few times than any sort of game the rest of this season.

I have noticed that since last year my interest in the Devils in terms of watching them play day in and day out has waned.  My jersey hobby is still strong and I do keep up with team news, but I find myself less likely to actually watch all the games or even attend them.  I have gone now to 4 games this year where in past years I would have gone to 7-10 by now.  I realized a couple of weeks ago that it is due mostly because I just don't care or am attached to this current team.  Henrique, Palmieri, Schneider and even Hall are nice players, but nothing I can really put my heart into.  When 26 goes to the rafters it will feel like the death of an era that I grew up in and will be personally a sad experience.

Now that I'm watching the Devils games with my daughter so much, my watching experience has changed, almost transcending what's actually happening on the ice (which is often not pretty nor terribly compelling).  Seeing HER get excited for a Devils game makes me excited to experience it with her.  That alone has me watching more games than I might have otherwise. 

Elias' night will be bittersweet for sure.  Once Stevens' number went up, we knew others would follow.  #3 was a slam-dunk.  #27 was mildly surprising only because he left, but Niedermayer was a hell of a player as we all know, was here for all of the Cup wins, and the retirement ceremony was nice in that anyone who was still a little bitter towards Niedermayer for going to the Ducks got over it that night.  #30...well, duh.  And then there soon-to-be #26 (I'm thinking next season).  It's so surreal to me that these "matter of time" jersey-to-the-rafters guys will soon all have had their time.  Their careers all went so damned FAST.  I remember ALL of them breaking in as youngsters...I remember watching then-Capital Scott Stevens beat the living piss out of Pat Verbeek in Washington (last game of the '88-'89 season).  Dano with teeth and a mullet.  Nieds getting that cup-of-coffee four games in 1991-92.  Marty getting his handful of games in 1991-92 as well, and seeing his children's initials and the Cups being added to his helmet over time.  And now Elias might be done. 

I can't believe that it's already been almost ELEVEN YEARS since Stevens' and Daneyko's jerseys went up.  More and more I'm just stunned how quickly it all goes by.  As much as I appreciated the Devils' great run, the next time the Devils have a big year, I'm going to appreciate it that much more.  And hopefully there will be another special player who will also someday be a no-brainer to join the others with a banner of his own.

Just now, mfitz804 said:

Besides, who says he'd be a shell of himself? He looks to be in great physical condition otherwise, and in his last hame on one leg, a goal and two assists. I'd love to see him come back and see what he can do. 

Once Niedermayer's number got retired, I realized I'm old. Watched his whole career from day one. Now he's got gray hair and his number in the rafters. Stevens and Dano were both around before I became a fan (Stevens with other teams, but still). It was Scottie that really made me realize that time, as it does, has gone on. 

2014-15 showed clear decline.  He'll be 41 in April and is coming off a season where he missed damned near all of it.  Obviously his choice and his choice only if someone's willing to give him an opportunity, but I just don't think he's got anything left to show or prove.  That last game was a great note to go out on.   

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2 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Now that I'm watching the Devils games with my daughter so much, my watching experience has changed, almost transcending what's actually happening on the ice (which is often not pretty nor terribly compelling).  Seeing HER get excited for a Devils game makes me excited to experience it with her.  That alone has me watching more games than I might have otherwise. 

Elias' night will be bittersweet for sure.  Once Stevens' number went up, we knew others would follow.  #3 was a slam-dunk.  #27 was mildly surprising only because he left, but Niedermayer was a hell of a player as we all know, was here for all of the Cup wins, and the retirement ceremony was nice in that anyone who was still a little bitter towards Niedermayer for going to the Ducks got over it that night.  #30...well, duh.  And then there soon-to-be #26 (I'm thinking next season).  It's so surreal to me that these "matter of time" jersey-to-the-rafters guys will soon all have had their time.  Their careers all went so damned FAST.  I remember ALL of them breaking in as youngsters...I remember watching then-Capital Scott Stevens beat the living piss out of Pat Verbeek in Washington (last game of the '88-'89 season).  Dano with teeth and a mullet.  Nieds getting that cup-of-coffee four games in 1991-92.  Marty getting his handful of games in 1991-92 as well, and seeing his children's initials and the Cups being added to his helmet over time.  And now Elias might be done. 

I can't believe that it's already been almost ELEVEN YEARS since Stevens' and Daneyko's jerseys went up.  More and more I'm just stunned how quickly it all goes by.  As much as I appreciated the Devils' great run, the next time the Devils have a big year, I'm going to appreciate it that much more.  And hopefully there will be another special player who will also someday be a no-brainer to join the others with a banner of his own.

2014-15 showed clear decline.  He'll be 41 in April and is coming off a season where he missed damned near all of it.  Obviously his choice and his choice only if someone's willing to give him an opportunity, but I just don't think he's got anything left to show or prove.  That last game was a great note to go out on.   

That I kind of disagree with.  Scoring was down that year league-wide.  I think Benn won the scoring title that year with something like 87 points.  Our highest point scorer was Henrique with a whopping 43 points.  Elias actually finished tied for 3rd on the team that year with 34 points and 4th in goals with 13 goals.  He was down, but so was everyone else.

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12 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I hope Patrik doesn't come back as a player to the Devils...I don't need to see a shell-of-himself Elias.  But I'd love to see him be part of the organization.

That retirement ceremony will be THE final end of "those Devils".  And #4, 3, 27, 30, and 26 are probably going to be it for a long long time. 

I really hope this happens. I hate that Marty and Stevens are part of other organizations. 

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So much respect for Patty, with what he's trying to accomplish and how he's going about doing it.  Whatever he ends up deciding to do, I'll be there supporting him.

That said, from a selfish standpoint, I hope he doesn't come back as a player here or anywhere else.  Watching Marty in St. Louis was.. painful.  He had one good game out of a handful GP and looked totally over his head most of the time.  Patty was, and still is, an incredible athlete and competitor but how can a 40+ year old expect to miss pretty much an entire season and get back up to game speed?  His final game last year was so, so sweet.. let's just leave it at that imo.

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13 minutes ago, Devilsfan118 said:

So much respect for Patty, with what he's trying to accomplish and how he's going about doing it.  Whatever he ends up deciding to do, I'll be there supporting him.

That said, from a selfish standpoint, I hope he doesn't come back as a player here or anywhere else.  Watching Marty in St. Louis was.. painful.  He had one good game out of a handful GP and looked totally over his head most of the time.  Patty was, and still is, an incredible athlete and competitor but how can a 40+ year old expect to miss pretty much an entire season and get back up to game speed?  His final game last year was so, so sweet.. let's just leave it at that imo.

I kind of agree, but just like with Brodeur, I think all athletes should go out on their own terms. If Patty feels like he's got something left, and the Devils don't want him, I have zero issues with him going elsewhere to try if another team is interested. I wouldn't let anyone "retire" me if I still thought I could go. 

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21 hours ago, DevsMan84 said:

That I kind of disagree with.  Scoring was down that year league-wide.  I think Benn won the scoring title that year with something like 87 points.  Our highest point scorer was Henrique with a whopping 43 points.  Elias actually finished tied for 3rd on the team that year with 34 points and 4th in goals with 13 goals.  He was down, but so was everyone else.

He was down a good bit.  His last two seasons saw him play in just 85 games, with 15 goals and 27 assists, -15, much less shots on goal (1.59 per game, career rate 2.65)...none of those are Patrik-like numbers, and scoring wasn't down so far that a still-has-something-left Patrik would've seen that kind of drop.  He was still a solid and productive player all the way through the end of 2014.  Not saying every last bit of the declining numbers were all on him, but he wasn't just an unlucky victim either. 

1 hour ago, mfitz804 said:

I kind of agree, but just like with Brodeur, I think all athletes should go out on their own terms. If Patty feels like he's got something left, and the Devils don't want him, I have zero issues with him going elsewhere to try if another team is interested. I wouldn't let anyone "retire" me if I still thought I could go. 

I think it's the player always has to decide for himself.  That's why I was never annoyed about Brodeur going to St. Louis.  Some guys just have to find the answers on the one place where they'll get definitive ones.  Unfortunately it's sometimes painful to see them find those answers...but at least they leave knowing that they truly had nothing left, instead of wondering. 

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26 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I think it's the player always has to decide for himself.  That's why I was never annoyed about Brodeur going to St. Louis.  Some guys just have to find the answers on the one place where they'll get definitive ones.  Unfortunately it's sometimes painful to see them find those answers...but at least they leave knowing that they truly had nothing left, instead of wondering. 

Exactly. So many guys ragged on Marty for not finishing his career with the Devils. He wanted to keep going, and the Devils didn't want him. Could he have retired as a Devil and not gone to St. Louis? Of course, and honestly, maybe he should have. But then again, now he's an executive with their organization, so maybe that move worked out for him. 

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