Rob Blake retiring

[naslundfan19]

Dreger reporting:
Darren Dreger (DarrenDreger) on Twitter

 

[BostonAJ]

Great defenseman. He was a helluva force to be reckoned with and has a legit shot at the HOF. I've seen him light some guys up.

And the Sharks need another captain.

 

[dash]

He's a no question Hall of Famer as far as I'm concerned, great defenseman with Stanley Cup and international (including Olympic gold) honours.

 

[Rossinole]

Also breaking: Blake to sign one-day contract and retire with Avalanche, jersey ceremony to follow.

 

[puckhead]

Hated him on the Avs, loved him everywhere else.

the League's last master of the hip-check is gone.

 

[beantownmaniac]

Hated him on the Avs, loved him everywhere else.

the League's last master of the hip-check is gone.

you got that right. seems to be a lost art

 

[dash]

Also breaking: Blake to sign one-day contract and retire with Avalanche, jersey ceremony to follow.

Aye, that's the rub. Rob Blake was as much a part of the Avs 2nd Stanley Cup run as Ray Bourque, yet on his most recent return to the Pepsi Center, he was booed everytime he touched the puck (okay, a questionable hit on Mueller that sidelined him for the playoffs was probably the cause of the booing). I don't know if the Avs retire Blake's jersey which should raise more eyebrows about the retiring of Bourque's jersey.

 

[Destroydacre]

It's been fun (although frustrating at times) watching Rob play the last 2 years. It's just too bad the Sharks couldn't get him another Cup so he could go out on top.


Dan Boyle will be the Sharks' next captain.

 

[forty_three]

Also breaking: Blake to sign one-day contract and retire with Avalanche, jersey ceremony to follow.

That's gonna piss off a LOT of Kings fans...

 

[puckhead]

Also breaking: Blake to sign one-day contract and retire with Avalanche, jersey ceremony to follow.[/URL]

That's gonna piss off a LOT of Kings fans...

it was a joke, 43. (at least, I HOPE it was a joke)

 

[naslundfan19]

Dan Boyle will be the Sharks' next captain.

That's a good choice, I think.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Still don't think he's a HOFer, but he was one of my favorites. Former Falcon.

 

[li0lsh]

Thought we all knew this. But that Colorado signing is interesting.

 

[elocomotive]

Also breaking: Blake to sign one-day contract and retire with Avalanche, jersey ceremony to follow.

Interesting and kinda cool, though I will always remember him as a Los Angeles King.

 

[davnlaguna]

I will try and give a Kings fan view on this and then my own view.
Most Kings fans hate Blake. They hate him for they way he left to play for the Avs because the Kings offered 9 mil and he wanted 9.5 (funny how it is ok for the team to not go up 0.5 but not ok for him not to come down 0.5 mil). They tried to take him back when he signed with the Kings for 6 mil a year, but he played like he didn't care and they were mad at spending all this money for dead weight. They got mad when Blake refused to waive his no trade clause to go to the Sharks and maybe get a pick of prospect for him. They got even madder when after the season was over he signed on July 1 to the same Sharks so the Kings got nothing. They got even madder when he played well for the Sharks after sucking so much in LA, proving that he was tanking on purpose.


If the Kings try and retire his number without doing some damage control first he will be booed at his own party.

Now I think that the Kings let Blake go to the Avs to get chance at a cup. When he wanted to come back he came back. When he was playing poorly I think he may have had an injury. His last few months with the Kings he actually played fairly well but people were already hating him so every mistake was huge and every good play was ignored. When he left for the Sharks the Kings had said they were going to give him a low-ball offer but they didn't even give him that before the end of June. They had other priorities and this upset him. So when the Sharks called he signed.

There are two sides to every story but Kings fans have Blake as the villain in this and nothing is going to change his mind. I know Luc likes him and I could see Rob getting some job with the Kings. Hopefully time will heal all wounds.