There Has To Be A Better Way For NHL Players To Hang ‘Em Up

This week, longtime NHLer and fan-favorite Craig Conroy of the Calgary Flames was placed on waivers (where another team could claim him), but no one grabbed him and he cleared waivers, meaning he’ll be assigned to the farm club in Abbotsford. All signs indicate he’ll just retire instead.

In the Salary Cap era, this exercise of placing a player on waivers is a common one, to either free up salary room or a roster spot. Conroy was waived for his roster spot, though many other players are currently buried in the minors because of their large salaries.

Was it a classy move by the Flames? Not in the least, but well within their right to do. That’s the reality of the Salary Cap.

The Flames are a world-class team, and will pull out all the stops for Conroy. He’ll get a nice press conference to announce his retirement. Perhaps a pre-game ceremony where he could salute the fans. Conroy will more than likely land a role in the team’s head office.

But Conroy was robbed of getting to play his last game, where the fans could cheer him all night and send him off with a standing ovation. The fans were also deprived of saluting Conroy in their own way.

It was only a few years ago when Trevor Linden of the Vancouver Canucks was given a rousing ovation by the fans during his last home game. Even the opposing team (my Flames) all lined up to shake his hand. It was a moment that made you proud to be a hockey fan.

There has to be some rules that would allow veterans to retire on their own terms. Here are some ideas:

1. A 10-year+ veteran would be given a one week notice (a home game would need to be scheduled at the end of said week) that he’ll be placed on waivers. He can opt to retire or take his chances being claimed or risk being sent down. A retirement agreement would allow him to dress for that home game, then call it quits.

2. Veterans could withdraw themselves from the waiver wire, and be given the option to play one more home game (see a trend?).

3. Players who don’t report to the farm team usually get suspended. Perhaps you could suspend the player until the last home game of the season? Hint hint.

4. A retirement clause could be written into the contract. This would be like a no-movement clause. This would only be for fan-favorites, like Conroy, and those who have played many years in the league. They deserve a nice sendoff.

5. Performance-based incentives that would keep a player from the waiver axe. Instead of being blind-sided by getting waived, a player would know if they are in jeopardy if they are not meeting production expectations. If they are contributing, they shouldn’t worry.