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Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
The official stance is that they are no longer retiring numbers. So they have stopped one of them - in theory. Though I anticipate the debate will really ignite when Iginla retires.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by browna
Exactly. There's a lot of stuff from the 90's that happened behind the scenes that the organization had to endure/cover for Fleury. Stuff that likely would'nt have been as easy to hide (thus, wouldn't have been able to keep him around as long as they did) in the this social media age.
The owners then are the same as they are now and have long memories. The Flames then stepped up to get Fleury reinstated out of the substance abuse program, so he could get a pension and perks, and, as a bonus, have his pre-season comeback.
Months later after the Flames doing something they weren't required to do for him, Fleury, as Table5 mentions, went out and crapped on the organization, basically saying they shouldn't have cut him as he could've done better then the current roster as they were in a slump.
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All true, and very real (especially Browna's assessment). And yet, nobody has worn #14 in real NHL action since.
While I understand that jersey-retirement is kind-of fading out in general, I'd be all for Fleury's #14 being retired. Besides Iginla, Theo's the only player for whom I think the Flames should do this. I completely understand how the Flames' brass can (legitimately!) harbour resentment towards Theo's behaviour, especially after the team brought him back for the swan-song. And I also agree that the Flames organization doesn't owe him anything.
But his on-ice performance as a Flame warrants a jersey-retirement, in my opinion. He was also "The" Guy for an entire generation of Flames fans. For better or worse, he was the face of the team for a decade, and that outward face represented tenacity and effort, regardless of what was going on behind the scenes.
I really hope that Theo and the Flames can eventually reach some sort of middle-ground, so that those of use who grew up in the 80s/90s as Flames fans can have that final chapter written and closed.