I told my friend about Roenick’s retirement on Tuesday a few hours after the news broke. She paused, giving a moment of silence for the player’s long career. Breaking it, she said, “I hope he pulls a Neidermayer.”

Really, what else can be said? Jeremy Roenick is one of those players who you never see retiring, a player that has ingrained himself so much into the league that it will be weird without his name being mentioned because of one reason or another. He was in the league since before I was born, before my favorite team even existed. His outspoken personality and willingness to run over anyone in his path has made him one of the bigger characters in the league, as well as one of the highest-scoring.

JR scores a goal in OT to send the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004

In his 20 year career, Jeremy Roenick made an impact that few players ever have. He became an icon in Chicago, beloved in Philly, and resurrected his career in San Jose. He had two consecutive 50 goal seasons, and three consecutive 100 point seasons. His career scoring line is 513-703-1216, one that is matched by few players. He was voted as one of the greatest video game stars ever for his role in NHL 94, and was famously name-checked by Vince Vaughn playing that very game in Swingers: “It’s not so much me as it’s Roenick. He’s good.”

Despite Hall-worthy stats, what Roenick is most famous for his big mouth. He has never had that mental block, always stating what was on his mind no matter what it was. However, it wasn’t malicious or self-promoting like what Sean Avery might do; it was just Roenick saying what he thought. Of course, the most memorable happens to be when the retaliation is the funnier bit:

“I liked Patrick’s quote, he would have stopped me. I wanted to know where he was in Game 3. He was probably getting his jock out of the rafters of the United Center.”
“I can’t really hear what Jeremy says, because I’ve got my two Stanley Cup rings plugged in my ears.”

There was probably only one thing JR liked more than talking, and that was dancing. He dances with Luc Robataille, on top of tables, and likely even Dancing with the Stars (news came out yesterday that he was in talks with the show). “You Should Be Dancing,” by the Bee Gees, was the most often culprit, with three separate Youtube videos – here, here, and (the most famous) below:

The iconic numbers he wears – 27 with the Blackhawks and Sharks, 97 with the Flyers, Kings, and Coyotes – also helps define him. 97 is Roenick’s number; only two other players in the history of the NHL have worn it. In international competitions (and All Star Games), Joe Thornton wears number 97 out of respect for Roenick because his normal number 19 is usually taken. In Chicago, “Roenick 27″ is almost as recognizable as “Jordan 23,” despite the lack of three-peats and the like.

No Kings jersey pictured because there wasn’t an image of one

Of course, you can’t mention Roenick without his dark moments, and he did have quite a few. The entire lockout, for one, alienated him from the fans after he attempted to get the Flyers to pay him due to a concussion, as well as his disparaging remarks towards the fans. His completely lackluster play as part of the Kings and his second stint with the Coyotes caused a lot of fans to dislike him. Once, during a game he was scratched, instead of staying in the arena like he was supposed to, he watched the game in a local bar.

Resurrection with the Sharks

After two sub-par years with Los Angeles and Phoenix, Roenick was ready to hang his skates up, going as far as texting a Philly reporter, “I’m retiring; is that still news?” But after a round of golf with his old teammate and current Sharks GM Doug Wilson, he was convinced to come back for one more year, with Wilson saying that JR “deserved better.”

In that 2007-2008 season, JR reinvented himself into a third/fourth line grinder and a leader in the locker room, with nary a controversial comment. He scored 14 goals, with an amazing 10 of them being game winners – good for second in the league after the Rocket Richard winning Ovechkin. He was clutch in the shootouts, and provided a veteran presence in what was the youngest team in the NHL. He had a franchise-record Game 7 in the Calgary series, scoring two goals and two assists. Oh, and he scored his 500th goal, becoming the third American and 40th overall to do so.

This past year, JR had some trouble with injuries. The first time he was injured, it was off a Brett Festerling hit in the December 11 game against Anaheim, in the second period. His shoulder was dislocated, but there was no call on the play. In true JR style, he went back into the locker room, got his shoulder popped back into its socket, and didn’t miss a shift the next period. He was out for the next 28 games. I still point to the game right after that one as the point where the Sharks stopped playing the way they did during the early part of the season, where they had the record-setting pace and simply could not lose.

I was lucky enough to attend the game he returned from his first injury; February 21, a day game against the Atlanta Thrashers. On his very first shift he went out to take a faceoff, and the Tank erupted into applause. And I don’t mean a smattering of applause akin to the opera’s reception in Citizen Kane, but full-on cheering that could be mistaken for a goal or a great fight. The Sharks had a lot of players injured for long periods of time this past season, and none of them got quite the same reception as JR did.

Later in that game, Roenick had a 2-on-1 break with Cheechoo, and dished an amazing pass to Cheech for a goal to extend the Sharks’ lead. Everyone stood and cheered like any other goal. After the crowd was seated, the PA announced that it was his 700th assist. The applause grew louder and louder, until everyone was on their feet, giving him a standing ovation. I’ve been to playoff games, games with OT goals and amazing comebacks, and I have to say that moment ranked up with the loudest I’ve heard the Tank get. JR did that.

What puts the cherry on top was Roenick’s comments after the game; he stated that there was no better player to get the goal for his 700th assist than Cheechoo, especially since Cheechoo had been having trouble scoring.

A younger, less-scarred Roenick

I was also fortunate enough to attend Roenick’s second-to-last game in Chicago, a November 16 game I rationalized traveling to because I needed to go on college visits. Taking my seats adorned in my blank teal Sharks jersey, I looked around, amazed at the number of Roenick jerseys. The couple we sat behind was actually adorned in the iconic number 27 sweaters. And watching the Sharks warm up, a small kid wearing a Sharks jersey walked up to the glass near a photo hole. JR went right towards the kid and started talking to him, even playing a game of thumb war through the photo hole. He ended up scoring his first goal of the season in that game.

He established himself as a fan favorite in San Jose, much like he did in his other stops around the league, as a guy who would contribute to the locker room and on the ice, and as a guy who definitely knows how to play towards the crowd.

It breaks my heart as a Sharks fan that the Sharks were unable to win the Cup; not just for the team, but for JR. There is no doubt in my mind that he will go down as one of the greatest players to never win a Stanley Cup, and that is a shame. Here’s to hoping that he will sign on as a front office guy with a team and get his name on the Cup that way; he has earned it. Of course, that’s if ESPN or any one of the dozens of CSN broadcast teams snatch him up first.

Here’s to Jeremy Roenick, one of the all-time greats in both skill and personality. His presence on the ice will be missed by future generations who won’t ever experience what it was like with JR on the loose.