[News] Hakan Loob to step down as GM of Farjestad and retire from the game

[sureLoss]

After leaving the Flames and NHL after the Stanley Cup win in 89, Loob spent another 7 years playing for Farjestad in Sweden. After he retired as a player, he spent another 21 years in Farjestad's front office holding the titles of General Manager, President, and President of Hockey Ops.

Today he announced he is retiring from the game after this season.

I recall a few interviews with Steinberg over the last couple of years where he said that he still follows the Flames.

Szymon Szemberg ‏@Sz1909_Szemberg
Håkan Loob just announced that he will step down as GM of Färjestad at the end of season & retire from the game.

Szymon Szemberg ‏@Sz1909_Szemberg
Loob has spent over 30 years with Färjestad as player, CEO and GM. He is one of Swedish hockey's all-time greats, as player and manager.

Szymon Szemberg ‏@Sz1909_Szemberg
Loob was also behind the founding of @championshockey & Alliance of European Hockey Clubs @EHCAlliance He is still E.H.C. vice-president.

Szymon Szemberg ‏@Sz1909_Szemberg
Although Loob waltzed away from the Montreal Forum with the Cup in 1989 as a Flame #12, he has always been one of the good guys.

Szymon Szemberg ‏@Sz1909_Szemberg
And finally, Loob remains as the lone Swede to score 50 goals in one season in the NHL. @NHLFlames

[Cheese]

one last time.....Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooob

[JiriHrdina]

Should be in the hall of fame.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Should be in the hall of fame.

Agree, but he didn't play in Toronto or Montreal, so it's unlikely.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Should be in the hall of fame.

Maybe if he was in the NHL for longer, but the list of players in the 1980s who had a fifty goal season is quite long, other than the distinction of being the only Swede to score 50, what separates Loob from Bullard, Richer, Kerr, and Ogrodnick... except for a much better name of course.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

other than the distinction of being the only Swede to score 50, what separates Loob from Bullard, Richer, Kerr, and Ogrodnick... except for a much better name of course.

Stanley Cup for 3 of em.

50 goals for Bullard.

[the2bears]

One of my all time favourites.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Mike Bullard scored 50 goals though. And a Stanley Cup is a team accomplishment, it is a nice note to have, but it shouldn't be the determining factor in a player being in the Hall of Fame. Too much is left to chance, if a great player is on an awful team, they won't win a cup - especially in a league that has as many teams as the NHL does now.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Maybe if he was in the NHL for longer, but the list of players in the 1980s who had a fifty goal season is quite long, other than the distinction of being the only Swede to score 50, what separates Loob from Bullard, Richer, Kerr, and Ogrodnick... except for a much better name of course.

What separates him? Maybe the best reaction to being handed the Stanley Cup ever?

Really though, that's a fair point re: other 50 goal scorers, but there's more to it than that. He's not quite Borje Salming in his influence of bringing Europeans to the NHL, but he is a big deal to Sweden, and Sweden is a big deal to hockey.

And it's not the NHL Hall of Fame.

Bla bla bla I could go on and on, but I should admit he was a hero of mine when I was a kid and he was both such a character and such a great player that I'd vote for him to be elected to the All-Time Human Hall of Fame if such a thing existed.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

He is in the IIHF Hall of Fame though, which I think is fitting as many of his accomplishments were team Sweden or in the Swedish Elite League.

[Table 5]

I admire Loob's ability to make hard-line decisions and stick to them.

[Strange Brew]

Loob was immensely popular as a Flame and one of my favorite players. Hall of Famer? No. Underappreciated outside of Calgary? Definitely.

[YYC in LAX]

Little bit lazy. Little bit unfit.

[David Struch]

Cliff Fletcher once referred to Håkan as the "[Wayne] Gretzky of Sweden"

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

And it's not the NHL Hall of Fame.

I mean, people like to pretend this, but a half century of history proves otherwise.

The Toronto hall very much is the NHL Hall of Fame. Once they got all the pre-NHL greats out of their system in the 40s and 50s, the voters have only paid token attention to non-NHL achievements.

[CaptainYooh]

Does anyone remember Loob's #12 jersey hanging up from the rafters at Saddledome? I don't. A colleague of mine recalls seeing it at some point and then removed. Supposedly, because #12 is now reserved for Iginla's jersey being retired at some point without much doubt. There is no mentioning of this anywhere online and I questioned his recollection, but just in case... Did it happen?

[gildo]

He left the NHL at a good time, right before the Lindros era hit and guys like Scott Stevens settled in & hockey for a smaller player was a bit tougher because it seemed like the game got bigger. Although he did go through his share of Battle of Alberta's I guess. If you look at the run of 1986 & 1989 he played such a big part. Him & Nieuwendyk were a great combo in that 89 run, and they both set up Lanny's goal.

Also in 86 especially in that series vs Edmonton he may not have scored a ton of big goals but I believe he scored the opening goal in Game 7. Awesome player, certainly a fan favorite for Flames fans in the 80's.

[activeStick]

I was too young to pay attention to details when he was with the Flames as I was around 9 years old, but I read a lot about how he'd be amazing when he felt like it, but also disappear and be useless other times.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by activeStick

I was too young to pay attention to details when he was with the Flames as I was around 9 years old, but I read a lot about how he'd be amazing when he felt like it, but also disappear and be useless other times.

Are you sure you're not thinking of Kent Nilsson?

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Does anyone remember Loob's #12 jersey hanging up from the rafters at Saddledome? I don't. A colleague of mine recalls seeing it at some point and then removed. Supposedly, because #12 is now reserved for Iginla's jersey being retired at some point without much doubt. There is no mentioning of this anywhere online and I questioned his recollection, but just in case... Did it happen?

Definitely not. It has never been up there.