Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Other "thank you" newspaper ads from NHL stars through the years

Rick Nash said his final farewell to the city of Columbus last week. Days after being traded to the New York Rangers, Nash purchased a full-page ad in the Columbus Dispatch, featuring a personal letter thanking Blue Jacket fans for their support.

While the move was widely hailed as classy, it wasn't especially original. After all, star players taking out a full-page ad on their way out of town has become a hockey tradition. There's practically a template at this point, and Nash followed it to the letter: The player's name at the top, the big full-color photograph, the personal note at the bottom.

Where have we seen that before? From plenty of other star players who were moving on, as it turns out. Let's take a look through some newspaper archives around the league.

Here's a good example of a classy goodbye by a departing free agent.





Speaking of the Bruins, one of their own departing stars was kind enough to say his goodbyes.




Maybe I'm cynical, but sometimes I almost question the sincerity of these things.




This one wasn't from a star player or even aimed at fans of one particular team, but I guess he thought he should ... actually, I'm not sure what he was thinking.




In hindsight, this one probably feels like a mistake.




Just one more example of why he was a great leader.




This one just feels unnecessary.




I actually just saw this one at the newsstand today and thought it looked kind of familiar and oh man wait that can't be a good sign...




Finally, I can't shake the feeling that maybe this last one wasn't even supposed to run yet...





49 comments:

  1. To this day, people's eyes still get as wide as dinner plates when I tell them that Gretzky played for the Blues.

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    Replies
    1. Then maybe you should talk to actual hockey fans.

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    2. Might be the LSD you're slipping to them

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  2. Replies
    1. *joins, slightly off-tempo*

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    2. *joins in, unknowingly speeding up, even though it should be unison*

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  3. Bravo! The Gretzky and Iginla bits were the best.

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  4. I feel embarrassed about it, but as a Leaf fan I actually wouldn't mind a lockout.. We'd get a good high draft pick without having to watch another sh!tty year of play and false promises.

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    Replies
    1. Not if they do what they did last time and have a weighted lottery for the #1 pick, which will go to... aw, let's face it, they'll give it to the Isles to help force an arena deal. Worked for the Pens, after all....

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    2. The Oilers are looking to push an arena deal forward as well..

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  5. But ... but ... where's the one from Alexander Semin?

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    Replies
    1. Ha, that would imply Sasha cares.

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  6. *Scrolling down page*
    ...
    "Oh, a Gretzky one, this'll be good"
    *Scrolls down to picture, recognizes Momesso*
    *Expels coffee through nostrils*

    DGB just never gets tired...

    Love the Messier quip, too. Perfect remedy for the offseason doldrums.

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  7. I feel like Bettman's ads were supposed to stay on the internal emails of the NHL. Maybe him and Colin should get some better security.

    The Iginla one is awesome

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  8. As a (bitter) Flyers fan the Richards/Carter one hurts and is hysterical at the same time. LA would have won it all without them but still.

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    1. "LA would have won it all without them but still." Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude. LOL

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    2. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude. LOL"

      Reading comprehension is your friend, and it appears you could use a friend right about now.

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  9. Thing is, there's clear evidence that Gretzky played for St. Louis. We see him give the puck away every time a clip of Yzerman's double OT goal plays.

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    Replies
    1. That clip has to be faked as well, since it implies that someone actually let Jon Casey play a playoff game after 1992.

      I mean, geez, even the idiots on the Hockey Central desk wouldn't be dumb enough to do that.

      (... CAUSE that, maybe....)

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    2. Ask Nick Kypreos about why it was Jon Casey between the pipes.

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  10. Gretzky's should have said something about F@#^$%ing Mike Keenan running him out of town. Incomprehensible.

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  11. As an L.A. Kings fan, have to say I loved the Richards/Carter ad!

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  12. Phil's "See ya in the playoffs!" gets me every time, haha

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  13. Hahaha, I about cried at work. The Gretzky one was a gutbuster.

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  14. This was great they all were perfect... especially the Bettman stuff... And of course since I am a Kings fan Carter/Richards

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  15. Hahaha Well done good sirs

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  16. this might be the best DGB post ever!

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  17. Rights to Yashin...awesome.

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  18. Well-done. The Kessel bit had me in stitches, as did Iginla's. So, which is shorter: Gretzky's tenure with the Blues or his blink-of-an-eye with the Indianapolis Racers right before they folded?

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  19. Yes, Gretzky played in St. Louis.

    It's common knowledge not because he played great and lifted the team... But because on May 16th 1996 he hit the ice in double overtime of game 7,fumbled the puck in his skates and watched as Steve Yzerman grabbed the puck and ripped it past Jon Casey to send the Blues to the St. Louis Country Club for tee-time.

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    Replies
    1. The only footage of Gretzky that I and all other Wings' fans never get tired of watching.
      Loved the Bettman double-bird, and Iginla's fill-in-the-blanks.
      This site is the best. Great work.

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  20. God I hate Messier.

    Even 12 years later, he's still kicking Vancouver in the junk.

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  21. This is one of my favourite ever. Pure gold DGB!! Really enjoyed Chara and Iggy

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  22. Oh man, seeing that last bettman one, had me laughing and crying at the same time....

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  23. Really funny stuff, as always! Very clever.

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  24. This is great. Right after reading Chara I immediately scrolled to the end looking for a Wendel/Sundin reference. But then I realized there is NO WAY to make that funny. So then I looked for a Courtnall/Kordic reference.

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  25. Very well done. However, I believe I saw in Newsday a goodbye letter from Chara to Islanders fans around June 2001. I think he said something about the Islanders getting back an incredible unselfish captain? He also said the trade was favorable for the Islanders because we only had to give up him, this guy "Bill Muckalt", and the second overall pick in 2001 named Jason Spezza who totally won't work out.

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  26. Great and amazing article sharing to all!!!Will bookmark this site and visit back again.Really interesting!God bless you.Amen
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  27. Truth! Why.Does.It.Have.To.Hurt.So.Bad?
    Regards, Flames-fan

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  28. This really has to be my favorite DGB post of all time. Of all time!

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  29. Awesome, though I'm going to have to draft a letter to Chara explaining why someone would look at "Wade and me" and not "Wade and I". An affable fellow like Z, I'm sure he'll appreciate the gesture.

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  30. No new posts in a while - did Bettman lockout DGB too?

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    Replies
    1. Summer Olympics through the schedule off at the Post. Back to normal this Tuesday.

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  31. DGB POST AGAIN PLEASE

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  32. Poor Iggy...ye deserved better. Bettman does it again, and again, I swear the man only has one CBA strategy...lockout!
    Good job as always! thanks

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  33. The Chara one hurt a little, but made me laugh too. Loved the Kessel one! Definitely need the first Chara one too. Where was any Heatly one? Atlanta? Ottawa, San Jose?
    DGB has become a must read for me now!

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