So long, JR

We're a little late in posting this, it's been one of those lazy summers. However, Jeremy Roenick will not be back in a Sharks sweater...or any sweater for that matter, as he decides to hang it up. Speaking for myself, I am a big fan of JR. Back in the Sega Hockey days, I started playing the Blackhawks because that was the only team with which I could beat Gene's LA Kings. I tried to play the Sharks, but they rated so poorly in every facet of the game, that it wasn't even a competition. I finally settled on Chicago, I was able to at least keep up when I used them, but I never knew who the players were for the first year or so. This was back when the NHL games only used the numbers and not the names in the game. And then when NHL 94 rolled around, JR was virtually unstoppable in that game, as immortalized in the movie, Swingers.



In any case, I was glad that Roenick ended up as a Shark, even if only for a couple years in the twilight of his career. I know he had some down time in Phoenix and LA, and he said some pretty stupid things during the lockout, but he is a great player when all is said and done. A 9-time all-star, he ended up with 1363 games played, 513 goals, 703 assists, 1216 points, and 1463 penalty minutes. One of only three American born players to score 500+ goals (the other two being Joe Mullen and Mike Modano). So long, JR, you will be missed.