Farewell, says a legend.
The NHL lost one of its franchise cornerstones at the close of the week with Patrik Elias, lifelong member of the New Jersey Devils, announcing his retirement after a two-decade run in the pros.
Originally from Třebíč, Czechoslovakia, and a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Devils, Elias goes down as an undoubted great with team-leading marks in just about every offensive category. And New Jersey intends to celebrate him as the record-setter he was.
Here are three things to know as Elias hangs up the skates:
1. The numbers don’t lie -- Elias was an offensive staple of Devils history
If you play for 20 years and you’re even a reasonably decent player, you should probably be cracking the all-time record books. But Elias sure did his fair share of damage. He departs New Jersey as the club’s franchise leader in -- *takes a deep breath* -- goals (408), assists (617), points (1,025), power-play goals (113), power-play points (333) and game-winning goals (80), not to mention goals, assists, points, power-play goals, power-play points and game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
2. Elias was also a pillar of New Jersey’s greatest hockey era
Perhaps just as prominent as Elias’ big numbers were the two titles he helped the Devils capture. Since being founded in 1976, in fact, the New Jersey franchise has only captured one championship when Elias was not playing for the Devils. The 20-year great worked his magic in the conference finals to get New Jersey to the title series in 1999-2000, then churned out seven points in the 2002-03 Stanley Cup Final against the Anaheim Ducks. His presence was a big reason the Devils claimed two Stanley Cup titles in four seasons.
3. The Devils will celebrate Elias with a pregame skate and by retiring his No. 26
The plans to recognize Elias’ career are already in place: The longtime goal scorer is slated to skate with the Devils before the team’s final regular-season home game, an April 8 clash with the New York Islanders, and his signature No. 26 jersey will become the fifth number to be retired by New Jersey before a home game in 2017-18.
