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Jason Arnott Retires


Devilsfan118

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Not entirely sure it's thread worthy, but he just announced his retirement.

 

That A line was something to behold, and while he wasn't..spectacular..during his second stint, I'll always have fond memories of his tenure.

 

Best of luck to him in his next phase.

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One of those guys who never quite lived up to what some thought he could be, but still had a good career nonetheless.  Coming to the Devils really seemed to save his career, though it didn't happen right away...that trade looked like it was going to be a disaster initially.  He got off to a slow start in his first full season in '98-'99 (11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in his first 48 games that year) after not impressing in his half-season as a Devil in '97-'98, and was starting to hear about it, but then tore it up (16 goals and 15 assists in his final 26 GP of '98-'99), and then had his A-line moments.  Not exactly sure what happened in '01-'02...we know the A-line was doing nothing on the road, but then he got his 'A' stripped away from him, then got dealt away.  One could argue that one of the players he was dealt for in Langenbrunner had the better, more consistent career as a Devil.  Kinda wish Arnott wasn't brought back (I was against it at the time...just was getting tired of the "bring back another ex-Devil" thing), but he still had some great moments as a Devils in his first tour, and we all know which moment will forever be etched in our minds.  Hope he enjoys his retirement.   

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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My second Devils game I ever attended, I was probably 9 or 10. I was waiting for high-fives as the players walked in from practice. Somehow, my tiny hand managed to pull Jason's glove off of him. I was terrified. He looked at me, smiled, and said "future hockey player here!". After the game was over, he recognized me again, gave me a puck, and said "next game, let's just fist-bump". He instantly became my favorite Devil. I'll never forget watching him score the game winner against Dallas; I'll never forget sobbing when my dad told me they traded him away, and ill never forget how excited I was when we signed him back. Congrats on a great career, Jason.

awesome.

Congrats to him on a great career and a goal that many of us will always remember

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My second Devils game I ever attended, I was probably 9 or 10. I was waiting for high-fives as the players walked in from practice. Somehow, my tiny hand managed to pull Jason's glove off of him. I was terrified. He looked at me, smiled, and said "future hockey player here!". After the game was over, he recognized me again, gave me a puck, and said "next game, let's just fist-bump". He instantly became my favorite Devil. I'll never forget watching him score the game winner against Dallas; I'll never forget sobbing when my dad told me they traded him away, and ill never forget how excited I was when we signed him back. Congrats on a great career, Jason.

 

I was listening to the WFAN when the trade was announced, and I won't lie...at the moment it was announced, I was pissed.  I didn't understand giving up on the A-line so quickly (or so it felt), and I felt like the move effectively pulled the rug out from under the 2001-02 team, just when it seemed like they were kind of pulling it together. 

 

I know Lou felt like the A-line was become too much of the focus of the team, and that other players were standing around and waiting for that line to score 2-3 goals and win the game themselves.  Also didn't help that Pierre Dagenais didn't step in and contribute to make up for Mogilny's departure.  But Elias and Sykora just looked completely lost after that deal was made...for whatever the reason, I think Lou didn't think that '01-'02 team had any shot to go deep in the playoffs again, so he started planning for '02-'03 at the expense of '01-'02. 

 

And in fairness, I can understand WHY Lou felt that way...they did seem to be missing something that season.  It was just hard to see that line broken up permanently at the time.

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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One of those guys who never quite lived up to what some thought he could be, but still had a good career nonetheless.  

 

This is one of the narratives I don't understand.  Yeah, he scored 33 goals in his rookie year at age 18, but not every player is going to get significantly better than he was at 18.  Jason Arnott was -80 when he got traded to the Devils.  He ended his career +81.  He scored 400 goals and was an offensive force in the league for years.  It feels like he was here longer than he was, but that slapshot was something to watch - a special player.

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This is one of the narratives I don't understand.  Yeah, he scored 33 goals in his rookie year at age 18, but not every player is going to get significantly better than he was at 18.  Jason Arnott was -80 when he got traded to the Devils.  He ended his career +81.  He scored 400 goals and was an offensive force in the league for years.  It feels like he was here longer than he was, but that slapshot was something to watch - a special player.

 

When I said "what some thought he could be", I was more referring to the Edmonton faithful...they were hard on him up there, especially since he scored 33 goals right off the bat at such a young age.  I think the expectations while he was an Oiler really took their toll on him.  It took about a full year's worth of games for the Devils to "detox" him, but once they did, he fit in very nicely.  And yeah, his Devils career does feel longer than it really was...I think it's the fact that he played in 46 playoff games in 2000 and 2001. 

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When I said "what some thought he could be", I was more referring to the Edmonton faithful...they were hard on him up there, especially since he scored 33 goals right off the bat at such a young age.  I think the expectations while he was an Oiler really took their toll on him.  It took about a full year's worth of games for the Devils to "detox" him, but once they did, he fit in very nicely.  And yeah, his Devils career does feel longer than it really was...I think it's the fact that he played in 46 playoff games in 2000 and 2001. 

They were calling him the next Messier.....those are some big shoes to fill

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My second Devils game I ever attended, I was probably 9 or 10. I was waiting for high-fives as the players walked in from practice. Somehow, my tiny hand managed to pull Jason's glove off of him. I was terrified. He looked at me, smiled, and said "future hockey player here!". After the game was over, he recognized me again, gave me a puck, and said "next game, let's just fist-bump". He instantly became my favorite Devil. I'll never forget watching him score the game winner against Dallas; I'll never forget sobbing when my dad told me they traded him away, and ill never forget how excited I was when we signed him back. Congrats on a great career, Jason.

that is a good story.. did he let you keep the glove??
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