Jeremy Roenick carved out a reputation as a fearless competitor on the ice and a marquee personality off of it. Roenick wrote a first-person account in 2008 of what it was like to be an NHL force in his late 30s.

In his outstanding NHL career, Jeremy Roenick was never afraid to make headlines. And toward the end of his on-ice days, Roenick wrote an exclusive story for The Hockey News’ April 22, 2008 edition – Vol. 61, Issue 28 – in which he described his adjustment to being a "senior citizen" in NHL terms.

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By the time he penned the story for The Hockey News, Roenick was 38 years old and playing on the San Jose Sharks, his final NHL team. In the previous two seasons, he’d played for the L.A. Kings and spent a second stint with the Phoenix Coyotes. But as he noted in the article, Roenick was not enjoying himself, and he took at least part of the blame for it.

“I think my hard times in Los Angeles started because of my own brash attitude,” Roenick wrote. “I didn’t really take care of myself during the lockout, and kind of held a grudge a bit over the way things played out. In coming to L.A. at 35 and having taken the whole year off while not really staying in shape, I really hurt myself in the first half of that year. And, combined with the equipment issues I had that year – I have a double-radius on my skates that requires special sharpening and wasn’t having much luck getting the right balance with the Kings – I wasn’t able to get back where I wanted to be, even after I’d gotten back into shape.”

Roenick’s game continued to fall off in Phoenix, where he had a friendly ear in coach Wayne Gretzky. But he couldn’t stop Father Time from chipping away at his talents.

“Going to play for Wayne Gretzky, I appreciated the opportunity, but I didn’t know if I was there as someone trying to help the team win or it was more about me being a marketing ploy to sell more tickets,” Roenick wrote.

“But Gretz would tell me, ‘Don’t worry about things. You’ve got to accept a lesser role and just enjoy the last couple months of your career and have fun out there.’ It’s kind of tough, though, when you’re playing on the fourth line and you’re in and out of the lineup on a team that’s losing and trying to get some younger players into the mix.”

Roenick also embraced his role as a dressing room leader, and on a fledgling Sharks team, that was important.

“I’ve also been lucky to work with some great young kids in San Jose,” Roenick said. “Torrey Mitchell, Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski, I’ve got a really close bond with. They want to learn and they always have a lot of questions and I make sure they feel very comfortable. I don’t want them to feel like they’re rookies. They’re a big part of the team’s success and I hope I help make them understand what it takes to be a productive professional hockey player.”

Roenick retired after the 2008-09 season, with career totals including 1,363 regular-season games, 513 goals and 1,216 points. He never won a Stanley Cup in his 20 NHL seasons, but he made an indelible mark on the league and the sport. Some may have bristled over his brashness, but nobody could deny he was a compelling figure in a game that, too often, wanted its players to fade into the background of the pro sports scene.

“I’ve tried to help make the game better and make people understand why this is the greatest sport there is,” Roenick wrote. “I’ve tried to be someone who keeps it fresh, keeps people coming to watch because of my energy or things I say or the way I play the game. Doing things like throwing pucks to the crowd, getting fans involved in the game, making them feel like they’re truly appreciated, are all important to me.

It was tough sledding for me for a couple years there, but I have that enthusiasm and energy back now. And it’s nice to be recognized for that. It’s very special to me.”

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Vol. 61, No. 28, April 22, 2008

By Jeremy Roenick

The last couple years prior to this season, I wasn’t having the time of my life in hockey.

I think my hard times in Los Angeles started because of my own brash attitude. I didn’t really take care of myself during the lockout, and kind of held a grudge a bit over the way things played out.

In coming to L.A. at 35 and having taken the whole year off while not really staying in shape, I really hurt myself in the first half of that year. And, combined with the equipment issues I had that year – I have a double-radius on my skates that requires special sharpening and wasn’t having much luck getting the right balance with the Kings – I wasn’t able to get back where I wanted to be, even after I’d gotten back into shape.

The Kings lost a lot of games and it was not a great situation when the team changed coaches toward the end of the season, firing Andy Murray and replacing him with John Torchetti. It was a crazy, crazy situation. So after that, signing with Phoenix was nice, because I got to play at home.

Going to play for Wayne Gretzky, I appreciated the opportunity, but I didn’t know if I was there as someone trying to help the team win or it was more about me being a marketing ploy to sell more tickets.

We started off very slow as a team. Nobody was putting up many points and at a certain stage management made a decision that this was going to be my last year in the league, that I was fading in my career, that my ability was low.

They wanted me to just walk off into the sunset and accept what ails aging players. I thought there was some substance to what they were telling me, yet I still felt I could play at a high level and could still skate with some of the young kids.

But Gretz would tell me, ‘Don’t worry about things. You’ve got to accept a lesser role and just enjoy the last couple months of your career and have fun out there.’ It’s kind of tough, though, when you’re playing on the fourth line and you’re in and out of the lineup on a team that’s losing and trying to get some younger players into the mix.

The lowest point that year probably was when the media made a huge deal out of me going to have dinner in Vancouver when I wasn’t playing against the Canucks.

I was told I wasn’t playing when I could’ve played and it disappointed me. But the media made it sound like I walked out on the team and turned my back on my teammates. Supposedly, it was a really terrible thing to have dinner instead of staying at the arena and watching the game there.

My answer to that is, there is no NHL rule saying a player who isn’t playing can’t go to dinner. Some people will say it’s an unwritten rule, but nobody should have to take the verbal abuse I took for an unwritten rule. If that’s truly the way teams want their players to be, they ought to make it a rule.

I mean, when Gretz was an active player, I can guarantee you that, if he was injured and unable to play, there were nights he wasn’t in the arena when his team was on the ice. And behind closed doors, Gretz was actually very cool about it with me. He told me, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it, J.R. I don’t see that it’s a big deal; it just happened in a big media center.’

Gretz stuck up for me a little bit, he stuck up for me behind the scenes, but when push came to shove, I still didn’t play for two more games after the Vancouver game and the team let it be known through the rest of the league that I’d been unofficially suspended those two games for my actions.

The organization let the media get to them and they didn’t support me publicly, even though they were supporting me privately. And that bothered me a little bit, but I kept my mouth shut. I got hung out to dry, but that’s OK.

Playing in Phoenix was good, but it was definitely an eye-opening experience for me and not in a completely positive way. A lot of that was because I wasn’t able to bring my ability to the level I thought I could still play at. I was on the fourth line, playing with one fighter and one guy who’d been up and down from the minors all season. But I still managed to put up 28 points in that situation, which isn’t too bad for a fourth-line player.

After last season ended, I was more or less fed up. I felt like a lot of people had turned their backs on me and no phone calls had come in for me as an unrestricted free agent. There was no interest from any team, so my interest dropped completely off the map, as did the quality of my fitness level.

I think my agent Neil Abbott gave Sharks GM Dougie Wilson a call and Dougie thought it’d be a good idea to call me and find out my intentions about playing again.

Dougie and I have known each other for such a long time, having played together nearly 20 years ago in Chicago, and I think if there was anybody who was going to give me a chance this season, he wanted to be the guy to do it. That meant a lot to me.

He told me the Sharks are an organization that isn’t interested in distractions; they’d had some in the past and so they didn’t want me to be an outspoken guy or someone who caused problems through the media. All they wanted was someone to help the San Jose Sharks win.

Dougie also asked me if I could go the whole year without drinking, because we didn’t want any excuses if things didn’t work out. We wanted everything on the up-and-up, with no distractions.

And since August 11th of last summer, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol and I’ve completely focused on applying my body to a rigorous fitness plan. I’ve dropped from 218 pounds to 190 pounds right now.

To get in shape, I just did double-sessions; skated in the morning, worked out in the afternoon, did two-a-days for a good month. It was hard on my body, but I got it back really quick.

I felt tremendous as soon as I got to camp. Everything went well right off the bat and the moment I stepped into the dressing room, the respect was there. Right at the beginning, I told Doug Wilson and coach Ronnie Wilson I appreciated the opportunity and that my job was to play and make sure they couldn’t take me out of the lineup.

I got going rather quickly this year, as I scored two goals in the second game of the season. And it seems like every goal I’ve scored has been a game-winner – 10 out of the 14 goals I had by the end of March won games for the Sharks and I’ve scored two shootout winners as well. So that’s 12 games I’ve had a direct impact on and it’s very gratifying to know you’ve helped the team and delivered on your promise.

I’ve also been lucky to work with some great young kids in San Jose. Torrey Mitchell, Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski, I’ve got a really close bond with. They want to learn and they always have a lot of questions and I make sure they feel very comfortable. I don’t want them to feel like they’re rookies. They’re a big part of the team’s success and I hope I help make them understand what it takes to be a productive professional hockey player.

It comes down to this: when I get the ice time, and the respect and the right equipment, I know I can still play well. And I’m treated with respect here. I’m looked upon as an important veteran, somebody who’s a leader the young guys can listen to and learn from.

As well, the coach respects me for what I’ve done and is always honest with me. He’ll look me right in the face and tell me exactly what he’s thinking, without any BS whatsoever. If the coaching and management staff don’t want me to play in a game, they’ll tell me they’re playing someone else to get me some rest and keep me ready for the playoffs.

That’s fantastic. I’m fine with that. To me, communication, honesty and respect is very important in hockey.

Obviously, there are bigger things we want to do before the season is over. I came here with just one goal – winning the Stanley Cup. And the time to do that is upon us, so I have to make sure I’m ready for that wholeheartedly.

I think I’m more excited to go for it than a kid on Christmas morning. This is what you live for as a child and since my playoff stats have been good for my whole career, I don’t believe that’s going to change.

How much longer will I play after this season? I doubt I’m going to go the Chris Chelios route. But it really depends; if we win the Stanley Cup this year, it will be a very easy decision for me. If not, I’ll have to decide once the year is over after talking to Ronnie and Doug and my family.

Being chosen as the Sharks’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy (which honors perseverance and dedication to hockey) is a tremendous honor for me, because that’s how I feel about the game. I’m passionate about it, I’m dedicated 100 percent to playing and respecting the game, both on and off the ice.

I’ve tried to help make the game better and make people understand why this is the greatest sport there is. I’ve tried to be someone who keeps it fresh, keeps people coming to watch because of my energy or things I say or the way I play the game. Doing things like throwing pucks to the crowd, getting fans involved in the game, making them feel like they’re truly appreciated, are all important to me.

It was tough sledding for me for a couple years there, but I have that enthusiasm and energy back now. And it’s nice to be recognized for that. It’s very special to me.

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