Modano will retire if Wings make SCF

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

Mike Modano doesn't shy away from it. His heart is finally buying what his body has been trying to sell him — this is it. He is saddling up for what almost certainly will be the final ride of his decorated 21-year NHL career and he knows it.

"If we go that far, if we get to the Stanley Cup Finals, it would be it for me," he said after the morning skate Friday.

With or without hoisting the Stanley Cup?

"Yeah," he said, "If we can get a nice, two-month run at the end here, I'd be happy with that. It would be worth it to have a nice long run to make this whole year worthwhile. It hasn't gone exactly how we all printed it up."

Full article

Edited April 8, 2011 by Howard He Do It?!

[kylee 727]

At least he's clear about it, hate to nitpick but I'd prefer to hear him say publicly that he'd only retire if he got the cup but nonetheless hope to see him bring his all these playoffs!

[eva unit zero 271]

Come on guys, now we have one more thing to play for!!!

[Mabuhay Red Wings 177]

"He debated all summer if he was going to play, so he missed a summer of training. He decided in August that he wanted to play and then he got hurt and missed three months. Can Mike have the magic in the playoffs that he's had? Possibly, but, possibly not."

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110408/SPORTS0103/104080436/Mike-Modano-will-retire-if-Wings-make-Stanley-Cup-Finals#ixzz1Iynz7u3C

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[GMRwings1983 8,803]

We don't need him back, whether we make it that far or not.

[Ray1905 18]

Modano won't retire this year that's for sure.

I dare the Wings to prove me wrong!

[Yellowknife Redwing 57]

He should retire either way. When it first became official that he was joining the team, I imagined his potential basement and ceiling with the club this year and he actually managed to do worse than my lowest expectations. Modano makes this team worse.

[brett 1,029]

he wont be retiring this season then lol

[egroen 384]

Win it for Modano!

And Mike better play like a man possessed dammit.

[Mabuhay Red Wings 177]

Well, I believe we'll see Modano's best if/when he plays these playoff games.

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

Yeah I like Modano but I feel he does make this team worst and takes a roster spot for someone obviously younger...

[stevieisthebest 80]

mabuhay red wings, I really enjoy your posts, I think you're a great contributor to this forum, BUT your avatar makes my computer go really slow... maybe, just maybe consider changing your avatar? So i can enjoy LGW?

I know this is completely off topic, but thanks for the consideration.

Stevieisthebest

[BigWillieStyle 662]

Sure hope he gives it his all like Hossa did.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

This is a bold statement coming from someone who took so damn long to agree on the terms of his contract.

[VM1138 1,921]

Yeah I like Modano but I feel he does make this team worst and takes a roster spot for someone obviously younger...

He just seems to lack heart. He doesn't really try out there, and almost every interview he gives always sounds like he's ready to leave any day now and is just finishing out the year.

[Mors 201]

He just seems to lack heart. He doesn't really try out there, and almost every interview he gives always sounds like he's ready to leave any day now and is just finishing out the year.

You sure you're thinking of Modano? Sounds a lot like Franzen and Hudler all season long.

[Nightfall 871]

He just seems to lack heart. He doesn't really try out there, and almost every interview he gives always sounds like he's ready to leave any day now and is just finishing out the year.

Its these kinds of posts that really irk me. Modano hasn't had a great season thats for sure. I really feel if he was not injured for 3 months, he would have contributed a lot more. This being said, to say the guy lacks heart is really a punch in the balls. This guy had to go through a lot of physical therapy after a skate blade cut through his arm and severed a tendon. It takes a motivated man, a man possessed even, to go through that hell and be ready to play professional hockey in three months.

Modano and the rest of the Wings are going to play their hardest in the playoffs. This much I know of. As for him retiring, I surely hope he does as well. Modano is playing Dallas Drake minutes, and Drake knew his time was running short as well in 2008 when the playoffs started. It takes a real man to look on the career he has had and to make tough choices when it comes to moving on. The game of hockey could use a great retired player like Modano. Either working with Shanny at improving the game or working with the Stars as they rebuild.

Any forum member that considers themselves to be a Wings fan pointing fingers at the players and saying they have no heart is not a real fan. Back your team, players, and management. They have given the fans everything that they have wanted and then some. No other professional sports team has the record the Wings have had in the last 20+ years.

[Chunkylover 26]

I guess the interesting thing to take from his statements is he actually thinks they could make it that far.

[South Dakota wings fan 7]

Sounds like he has already mentally retired and is just going through the motions.

The team just seems to lack a fire in their belly for winning. I'm fearful one and done may be the fate this year unless something drastically changes.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

He should retire regardless of our progress. Washed up.

[chuklz 15]

Its these kinds of posts that really irk me. Modano hasn't had a great season thats for sure. I really feel if he was not injured for 3 months, he would have contributed a lot more. This being said, to say the guy lacks heart is really a punch in the balls. This guy had to go through a lot of physical therapy after a skate blade cut through his arm and severed a tendon. It takes a motivated man, a man possessed even, to go through that hell and be ready to play professional hockey in three months.

Modano and the rest of the Wings are going to play their hardest in the playoffs. This much I know of. As for him retiring, I surely hope he does as well. Modano is playing Dallas Drake minutes, and Drake knew his time was running short as well in 2008 when the playoffs started. It takes a real man to look on the career he has had and to make tough choices when it comes to moving on. The game of hockey could use a great retired player like Modano. Either working with Shanny at improving the game or working with the Stars as they rebuild.

Any forum member that considers themselves to be a Wings fan pointing fingers at the players and saying they have no heart is not a real fan. Back your team, players, and management. They have given the fans everything that they have wanted and then some. No other professional sports team has the record the Wings have had in the last 20+ years.

I agree, when he's on the ice he's all heart. Thats where it counts, thats where I'm paying attention to him.

[eva unit zero 271]

Well, I believe we'll see Modano's best if/when he plays these playoff games.

Maybe he'll finally play as one of the 12 best forwards on the team. Because at no point this season, other than during the first couple weeks when Hudler was ice cold and Abby and Draper were injured, has he been in that group. He shouldn't even be in the lineup right now; he's the worst forward on the team.

You sure you're thinking of Modano? Sounds a lot like Franzen and Hudler all season long.

Hudler started out with poor effort but Babcock got on his ass and he started busting his ass at both ends of the ice well before he actually started scoring. Franzen is mostly a floater, but he is also a big time offensive threat that the opposition has to focus on even if he's going to be worthless for ten games, because he could suddenly explode and pop in four or five. Modano has some skill but hasn't really managed to convert that to performance, and his effort has been pretty s***ty; he's been the biggest passenger on the team even when he's been in the lineup.

Its these kinds of posts that really irk me. Modano hasn't had a great season thats for sure. I really feel if he was not injured for 3 months, he would have contributed a lot more. This being said, to say the guy lacks heart is really a punch in the balls. This guy had to go through a lot of physical therapy after a skate blade cut through his arm and severed a tendon. It takes a motivated man, a man possessed even, to go through that hell and be ready to play professional hockey in three months.

Modano and the rest of the Wings are going to play their hardest in the playoffs. This much I know of. As for him retiring, I surely hope he does as well. Modano is playing Dallas Drake minutes, and Drake knew his time was running short as well in 2008 when the playoffs started. It takes a real man to look on the career he has had and to make tough choices when it comes to moving on. The game of hockey could use a great retired player like Modano. Either working with Shanny at improving the game or working with the Stars as they rebuild.

Any forum member that considers themselves to be a Wings fan pointing fingers at the players and saying they have no heart is not a real fan. Back your team, players, and management. They have given the fans everything that they have wanted and then some. No other professional sports team has the record the Wings have had in the last 20+ years.

Drake was one of the league's best two-way players and defensive forwards in his prime, and was still a quality grinder in his last year. He also was a very good hitter and highly motivated because he had never won a Cup, and was an ideal bottom-six player; Modano is the Wings' #12 forward, has been dragging down any scoring line he plays on this season, and would be a terrible fit on the fourth line. He needs to either play like a real 3rd line center or be out of the lineup, because the Wings would be better off scratching him and playing Eaves, Helm, or Abdelkader up in the top nine. Maybe something like the following:

Filppula/Datsyuk/Holmstrom

Hudler/Zetterberg/Cleary

Franzen/Abdelkader/Bertuzzi

Draper/Helm/Eaves

Hudler/Datsyuk/Cleary

Franzen/Zetterberg/Holmstrom

Bertuzzi/Filppula/Eaves

Abdelkader/Helm/Draper

Hudler/Datsyuk/Franzen

Holmstrom/Zetterberg/Bertuzzi

Filppula/Helm/Cleary

Abdelkader/Draper/Eaves

Those lines provide effective checking lines, as well as at least one line proven to be effective recently.

[Dimaline312000 51]

Kinda figured that this was probably going to be his last season. I hope the Wings can make it a little deeper than they did last season but I guess we'll see what happens. No matter what Mike has had a great career and he has lifted the Cup before so he's been a great player. Nice work big Mo!! Let's Go Red Wings!!

[redwingfan19 293]

If Modano doesn't retire, hopefully he does NOT return to the Wings.

Cya Mikey!

[kylee 727]

I really don't understand all the Modano hate. Wtf guys.