Last season, Luc Robitaille retired unceremoniusly after his second year of his third stint with the Los Angeles Kings.
Robitaille played for 19 seasons in the NHL, and for 19 seasons he was one of the rare good guys that we don't see enough of in today's sports world.
He played in parts of three decades - coming up with the Kings after being passed up for eventual Hall of Fame pitcher, Tom Glavine, in the 1980's, and played into the 21st century.
He quickly showed L.A. management that it was a mistake to pass on him - and that they were lucky to still get him in the ninth round with the 171st pick in the 1984 NHL draft.
Robitaille was named Rookie of the Year after the 1986-87 season, when he scored 45 goals.
He leaves the game with 668 goals and 1,394 points, first among left wingers in NHL history.
Robitaille lit the lamp at a ferocious pace in his first eight years in the league, all with the Kings. In those eight seasons he averaged 44 goals and 67 points per season.
After the Kings added Wayne Gretzky to their roster, Robitaille helped the Great One take Los Angeles to their first Stanley Cup final ever.
Although they lost the series, Robitaille and Gretzky had turned a sunny, warm town that everyone said would never accept a winter sport, into huge hockey fans.
In 1994, Luc left L.A. for Pittsburgh, which lasted a season. Then, two frustrating years with the New York Rangers.
The Rangers had just won the Cup in 1994 and after several players left, New York fans were looking for Luc to help them defend their first title in 54 years.
Those were the first two seasons in Robitaille's career that he failed to score at least 40 goals. New York fans were upset, and after the 1996-97 season, it was back to L.A. for his second go-round.
After four seasons with the Kings, which saw his numbers improve, he would move on again, to Detroit.
Luc spent two seasons in the Motor City, playing for the Red Wings. It was there that he had the biggest moment in his career, hoisting up Lord Stanley's Cup for what would be the only time in his career.
Being the class man that he was, he returned with the Cup to the city where it all began for him as a pro, Los Angeles, to share the Cup with the city that he loved and that loved him, a city that he desperately wanted to win the Cup for, but only came close.
Robitaille called it a career after his final two years with the Kings. At the time, he wasn't getting along with Head Coach Andy Murray. Murray was fired towards the end of the season and interim coach John Torchetti kept him in the doghouse for the remainder of the year.
Robitaille didn't deserve to go out like that. And the Los Angeles Kings franchise realized that, and they will be doing the right thing when they retire Robitaille's No. 20 this coming Saturday night.
Next for Robitaille will no doubt be the NHL Hall of Fame. Robitaille deserves that honor for retiring as the highest-scoring left winger in league history.
Congratulations Luc Robitaille, for all that you have done, for all that you have accomplished, and for being one of the classiest and most underrated player in the National Hockey League in the last generation. We'll see you in Toronto.
Robitaille played for 19 seasons in the NHL, and for 19 seasons he was one of the rare good guys that we don't see enough of in today's sports world.
He played in parts of three decades - coming up with the Kings after being passed up for eventual Hall of Fame pitcher, Tom Glavine, in the 1980's, and played into the 21st century.
He quickly showed L.A. management that it was a mistake to pass on him - and that they were lucky to still get him in the ninth round with the 171st pick in the 1984 NHL draft.
Robitaille was named Rookie of the Year after the 1986-87 season, when he scored 45 goals.
He leaves the game with 668 goals and 1,394 points, first among left wingers in NHL history.
Robitaille lit the lamp at a ferocious pace in his first eight years in the league, all with the Kings. In those eight seasons he averaged 44 goals and 67 points per season.
After the Kings added Wayne Gretzky to their roster, Robitaille helped the Great One take Los Angeles to their first Stanley Cup final ever.
Although they lost the series, Robitaille and Gretzky had turned a sunny, warm town that everyone said would never accept a winter sport, into huge hockey fans.
In 1994, Luc left L.A. for Pittsburgh, which lasted a season. Then, two frustrating years with the New York Rangers.
The Rangers had just won the Cup in 1994 and after several players left, New York fans were looking for Luc to help them defend their first title in 54 years.
Those were the first two seasons in Robitaille's career that he failed to score at least 40 goals. New York fans were upset, and after the 1996-97 season, it was back to L.A. for his second go-round.
After four seasons with the Kings, which saw his numbers improve, he would move on again, to Detroit.
Luc spent two seasons in the Motor City, playing for the Red Wings. It was there that he had the biggest moment in his career, hoisting up Lord Stanley's Cup for what would be the only time in his career.
Being the class man that he was, he returned with the Cup to the city where it all began for him as a pro, Los Angeles, to share the Cup with the city that he loved and that loved him, a city that he desperately wanted to win the Cup for, but only came close.
Robitaille called it a career after his final two years with the Kings. At the time, he wasn't getting along with Head Coach Andy Murray. Murray was fired towards the end of the season and interim coach John Torchetti kept him in the doghouse for the remainder of the year.
Robitaille didn't deserve to go out like that. And the Los Angeles Kings franchise realized that, and they will be doing the right thing when they retire Robitaille's No. 20 this coming Saturday night.
Next for Robitaille will no doubt be the NHL Hall of Fame. Robitaille deserves that honor for retiring as the highest-scoring left winger in league history.
Congratulations Luc Robitaille, for all that you have done, for all that you have accomplished, and for being one of the classiest and most underrated player in the National Hockey League in the last generation. We'll see you in Toronto.
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