[Rock]

CAPT. KIRK RETIRES
http://www.nypost.co...evils/39681.htm

By MARK EVERSON

September 3, 2003 -- Next year's likely lockout already is doing hockey dirt, one reason former Devil captain Kirk Muller retired yesterday after 19 NHL seasons.
"The lockout threat prompted it," Muller told The Post.

"The body is still OK, mentally I could have gone on, but I wasn't going to re-sign in Dallas, and to pack my family up for one year, well, I felt the time was right."

The 37-year-old who spent the last four seasons with Dallas is one of only five players who have been a Devil captain, leaving only Scott Stevens among actives.

Muller was drafted second overall by the Devils in 1984, after the Penguins took Mario Lemieux, and he was a key member of the group that brought the franchise to respectability.

After a contract dispute, he was dealt to Montreal with Roland Melanson in 1991 for Stephane Richer and Tom Chorske, helping the Habs win their last Stanley Cup in 1993.

Muller was dealt to the Isles with Mathieu Schneider and Craig Darby for Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov in 1995, and also played for the Leafs and Panthers before signing with Dallas in 1999.

Muller finished with 357 goals and 959 points in 1,349 games. He set the Devils' record in 1987-88 with 94 points, a mark only surpassed in 2000-01 by Patrik Elias' 96.

He served as Devils captain from June 18, 1987 through Sept. 20, 1991, the day he was traded.

"My days in Jersey, we were all so young, I was 18, Johnny MacLean was 19, Pat Verbeek, Joe Cirella and then Brendan Shanahan came in," Muller said.

"There were a lot of great memories in Jersey, our growing pains. But you look at what Lou Lamoriello has done, it's hats off to those guys for that."

Today it's a tip of the cap to Muller's great career.

(Pretty amazing, Everson can recap Muller's career, yet get a few shots in at Lou and the Devils. My favorite is: After a contract dispute, he was dealt to Montreal with Roland Melanson in 1991 for Stephane Richer and Tom Chorske, helping the Habs win their last Stanley Cup in 1993. It doesn't matter that Richer and Chorske helped the Devils win in 1995!)

[Jimmy Leeds]

Rock, on Sep 3 2003, 11:00 AM, said:

(Pretty amazing, Everson can recap Muller's career, yet get a few shots in at Lou and the Devils.  My favorite is: After a contract dispute, he was dealt to Montreal with Roland Melanson in 1991 for Stephane Richer and Tom Chorske, helping the Habs win their last Stanley Cup in 1993.   It doesn't matter that Richer and Chorske helped the Devils win in 1995!)  

But the article was about Muller and his accomplishments.

I think it read fine.

[Elias Sports Bureau]

http://www.northjers...2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Ex-Devil Muller retires

Wednesday, September 3, 2003
ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS - Former Devils' captain Kirk Muller retired Tuesday, ending a 19-year career that began as the second overall choice in the 1984 draft and ended with four seasons with the Dallas Stars.

Muller, who made six All-Star teams during his early days as a scoring center, was a Stanley Cup champion in Montreal in 1993 and returned to the Stanley Cup Finals with Dallas in 2000 as part of a veteran-filled line known as the "Grumpy Old Men."

Muller, 37, finished with career totals of 357 goals and 602 assists, for 959 points in 1,349 games.

Muller was taken by the Devils after Pittsburgh selected Mario Lemieux in 1984. He scored a goal in his second game and was an All-Star as a rookie, then became captain in 1987 until leaving after the 1990-91 season.

His 94 points in 1987-88 remain the club record. He also holds Devils' marks for single-game assists (five) and points (six). He was third in team history for goals and second in assists when the Devils traded him to Montreal.

He later played for the Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers before finishing his career in Dallas.

"Nobody had more dedication or heart or loved to play the game more than he did," former teammate Wendel Clark said.

Devils' assistant coach John MacLean, who joined Muller and Mike Keane on the "Grumpy Old Men" line in Dallas, said: "I doubt anyone will come along that enjoyed the game of hockey or played with the same passion that Kirk did, he had unbelievable intensity."