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Scott Niedermayer Appreciation Thread


DaneykoIsGod

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Best skater I've ever seen. Best of the elusive breed of puck-moving defensemen I've ever seen. And very underratedly, the best stick-checker I've ever seen. The man was so good that everything he did looked effortless.

Could very well have won the Conn Smythe in 2003. Won the only Norris in the history of a franchise built on blueline pride. Three Stanley Cups in Jersey. Has won pretty much every championship imagineable in the game of hockey.

I can't wait to scream my ass off for this man tomorrow. Thank you, Scotty!

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Being somebody who young and did not understand the game throughout his career, it's a lot easier to remember Stevens and Daneyko for their hits and intimidation. Wish I was older so I could have watched more of his career.

Check this video out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r1V2lhCOd0

Some highlights ...

- It starts off with the TV coverage of his draft ... vintage Lou footage.

- Around the 1:44 mark was one of his trademark, underrated qualities. He could pinch down low and be right around the goal or even behind the goal line, and if the puck got turned over, he had the wheels to get back so quickly and with such skill that he could negate whatever attack the opposing team tried to muster. This kind of thing would be a regular occurence, too. And in a season where we keep surrendering shorthanded breakaways and goals, it's a bit easier to appreciate this particular trait. I wish it was easier to find stuff like this on YouTube because, honestly, it might be what I miss most about him.

- Around 6:25, notice who the first Cup hand-off went too. No small gesture.

- Note his comment at 7:05, and what happens at 8:15.

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With all due respect to Kovy, Broduer and any other great Devils past & present,Nieds was the MOST talented player ever for this franchise.

Because of this he may have seemed to not do enough at times but he has earned this retirement.

I was pissed when/how he left, but time and hearing his interview on Kevin Smith's SMODCAST has made my nostalgic for the time he played here.

I can forgive wanting to play with your brother. Ilove that he’d go into the Hall of Fame as a Devil if they did that sort of thing.

Nieds w/ the Devs - 3 CUPS, 4 Eastern Conf Champs, Norris Trophy and all time defenseman scorer.

(Future Hall of Famer too.)

It's a slam dunk and I will be there cheering my ass off for him.

I do think the farther we get away from the cup wins the more we’ll realize how rare and special that era was, as were the players who played on them.

Edited by John Wensink
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Great video and around 5:25 really stuck out to me. Scott Niedermayer had won two Cups. It was his brother's second chance at it, and the Devils won again. He got his 3rd, while his brother once again was left in utter disappointment. He says in the video, "hopefully my brother will have another chance somewhere down the road."

He had accomplished everything he could in Jersey. Can anyone actually blame Niedermayer for leaving NJ to try and accomplish something special with his brother? I know it took a long time, but I think that was out of respect to the Devils organization and how much this organization meant to him that made the decision to leave so hard. It seemed like he was really in a tough spot between his actual family and what had become a second family. He chose to try and win with this brother, and I think that is admirable. It clearly meant a whole lot to him and his family.

There is always going to be ill will when a player leaves, especially one who has accomplished so much for a team like Niedermayer did with NJ, but Scott's chapter in NJ was complete. He already had won everything in his career, let alone NHL career, except having the great opportunity of playing with his brother and finally sharing success with him too. You can't be mad at someone for that. When Niedermayer shook hands with his brother in 2003, I think he probably made up his mind right then and there that he would help his brother win a Cup.

I hope anyone who ever was mad at Niedermayer at the time understands that and has moved on. Tomorrow should be a great night honouring one of the best to ever wear the Devils jersey.

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Is it an age thing on this board where the posters are that young to remember Nieds or is Doc>Scott?

I don't think it's an age thing. I'm 19 and I have very vivid memories of Nieds from 2000-2005. Obviously I was a little too young too fully appreciate the beginning of his career, but once I really got into hockey around 2000, he was one of my favorites. Plus, I've learned this team's history so well in the past decade (especially 1994 and on) that I almost feel like I watched it as it happened. Almost.

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Appreciate Scott Niedermayer?

Niedermayer as a Devil: 1.4 to 4 million dollars a year

13 years as a top D-man: 7.8 Million dollars a season

Resigning Nieds after a Norris win: 4 years $27 million and his brother

The difference between 3 Stanley Cups and zero: Priceless

Thank You Scott Niedermayer, without you we would be wearing mouse ears...

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Great video and around 5:25 really stuck out to me. Scott Niedermayer had won two Cups. It was his brother's second chance at it, and the Devils won again. He got his 3rd, while his brother once again was left in utter disappointment. He says in the video, "hopefully my brother will have another chance somewhere down the road."

He had accomplished everything he could in Jersey. Can anyone actually blame Niedermayer for leaving NJ to try and accomplish something special with his brother? I know it took a long time, but I think that was out of respect to the Devils organization and how much this organization meant to him that made the decision to leave so hard. It seemed like he was really in a tough spot between his actual family and what had become a second family. He chose to try and win with this brother, and I think that is admirable. It clearly meant a whole lot to him and his family.

There is always going to be ill will when a player leaves, especially one who has accomplished so much for a team like Niedermayer did with NJ, but Scott's chapter in NJ was complete. He already had won everything in his career, let alone NHL career, except having the great opportunity of playing with his brother and finally sharing success with him too. You can't be mad at someone for that. When Niedermayer shook hands with his brother in 2003, I think he probably made up his mind right then and there that he would help his brother win a Cup.

I hope anyone who ever was mad at Niedermayer at the time understands that and has moved on. Tomorrow should be a great night honouring one of the best to ever wear the Devils jersey.

I never had a problem with him leaving. He had every right to. He gave the Devils many of his prime years and helped his organization win three Cups. He didn't owe anyone anything. He wanted to play with his brother and take on a new and different challenge. I thought he took a lot of unfair flak for leaving, but fans don't tend to see things like that clearly.

I'll be there tomorrow. It won't have quite the same emotional impact for me that Stevens and Daneyko did, but suffice it to say I'm feeling the nostalgia starting to build. Guess I'm looking most forward to hearing what he has to say...he seemed so unknowable while he was here. I feel like we may get to know Scott the person better tomorrow night than we ever did over his entire career.

And for those who don't remember, this was one of Lou's best trades. He traded Tom Kurvers for Toronto's first-round pick. For a while it looked like the Devils had a shot at the first-overall pick (Lindros), but the Leafs were so embarrassed by that prospect that they traded for several veterans during the season, just so they wouldn't finish with THE worst record. They wound up with the second-worst, but the expansion San Jose Sharks were awarded the second pick, so the Devils picked Niedermayer third.

BTW the Sharks took forward Pat Falloon (rhymes with balloon) with their pick. Glad they didn't take Niedermayer.

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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Best skater I've ever seen. Best of the elusive breed of puck-moving defensemen I've ever seen. And very underratedly, the best stick-checker I've ever seen. The man was so good that everything he did looked effortless.

Could very well have won the Conn Smythe in 2003. Won the only Norris in the history of a franchise built on blueline pride. Three Stanley Cups in Jersey. Has won pretty much every championship imagineable in the game of hockey.

I can't wait to scream my ass off for this man tomorrow. Thank you, Scotty!

Well said and spot on DIG, there's nothing in your post that I disagree with. Quite simply, it was an absolute pleasure to watch Scott Niedermayer play hockey for my team. An all-time great, a winner through and through, and a class act. Congrats Nieds!

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Will be at the game tomorrow in my lucky Elias jersey tomorrow. Bought it in very late 1999 from eBay blank from Canada (shipping took forever) and went to efingers in bound brook wanting to get it lettered with niedermayer. However since it was still the days of where you paid per letter/number I instead settled on Elias.

I wore this jersey pretty much exclusively from about Feb of 2000 until 2008 and at games where I wore it I must have a winning percentage of about 80-90%. I hope they win it for scotty!

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Time to wear my Niedermayer jersey one more time tomorrow.

I wore it exclusively all through the 2003 playoffs. No doubt the end to that story is exactly as I wished :evil:

So excited for tomorrow night. Ready to give this guy the love and respect he deserves. Go Devils.

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