It's kind of a shame to see Gary Roberts, after 20 years and 438 career goals, leave the NHL this way. Waived by the Tampa Bay Lightning and unwanted by the other 29 teams in the league, the 42-year-old announced his retirement on Friday afternoon. One of the best power forwards in the NHL during the late 1980's and early 1990's, his skills had obviously diminished in recent years, but he was still a valuable role player on a Pittsburgh team that played in the Stanley Cup Final a season ago.
He became a cult hero of sorts in Pittsburgh, thanks almost entirely to the folks at The Pensblog. Moments like this certainly helped his cause, as well.
He signed with the Lightning this offseason during Len Barrie and Oren Koules' summer shopping spree, and scored only four goals in 30 games. Prior to the trade deadline, he was placed on waivers.
His best days were spent in Calgary, the team that drafted him 12th overall in 1984, as he helped lead the Flames to their only Stanley Cup championship in 1989. He scored a career-high 53 goals during the 1991-92 season, and is fourth on the team's all-time goal scoring list.
After briefly retiring following the 1995-96 season, he returned a year later and spent three years with the Carolina Hurricanes before signing with the Maple Leafs. He also spent parts of two seasons playing with the Florida Panthers, before being traded to Pittsburgh.
Just for laughs, let's hop in the DeLorean and go back to 1988 for a Roberts vs. David Bruce tilt:
Old time hockey. Roberts finishes his career as a three-time All-Star, winner of the Bill Masterson trophy in 1995-96, and 18th in league history with 2,560 penalty minutes.
