Neely Feeling Restless In Retirement
Television looks interesting. Coaching might have an appeal. Slightly more than a year into his retirement, Cam Neely figures he’ll listen to any and all career ideas, especially any offers in hockey.
“No question, my ideas have changed since that day,” said Neely, reflecting on his remarks at retirement, when he said he wanted to get away - and stay away - from the game he loved. “This last year has really been a learning experience.”
In recent months, Neely has toyed with the idea of getting back to the day-to-day grind of the game, albeit not as a player. The Washington Capitals came calling during the summer, with new head coach Ron Wilson offering a position on his staff. Recently, at the request of Providence Baby B’s head coach Tom McVie, Neely made a quick trip down to the American League team to lead some on-ice drills.
“As an athlete, the sport you’ve played is something you’ve done all your life,” said Neely, forced to pack it in last September because of an arthritic hip. “It comes down to, what else do you really know? What else can I feel passionate about?”
No beating around the bush
San Jose coach Darryl Sutter doesn’t mince words when evaluating his 2-7 club, especially some of his veterans, who include Bernie Nicholls and Murray Craven.
“Some of the older guys have to understand that nobody else in the league wants them,” Sutter said. “If they can’t play here, where are they going to play? Cleaning stables out in Kentucky?”
Messier isn’t concerned
Vancouver’s Mark Messier is off to a bit of a sluggish start, recording just two goals and an assist in the first nine games, but he’s still a plus-5.
“The most important thing is getting the team going,” he said. “I’m obviously confident I’ll get my own game going. That’s not going to be a problem.”
On the ice
Pat Verbeek and Mike Modano scored third-period goals as the Dallas Stars beat the visiting Colorado Avalanche 3-1 Saturday night, handing goalie Patrick Roy his first loss of the season.
At St. Louis, Brett Hull scored his eighth goal and Grant Fuhr stopped 16 shots to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 win and their first victory over the Washington Capitals since 1992.