It was pretty clear that Jeremy Roenick was conflicted with two of his former teams in the Stanley Cup Final. The guy is not that far removed from playing, but his best was years ago. I picture JR with 3 teams, the Blackhawks, Coyotes, and Flyers. The stays with LA and San Jose do not count. His best & most productive days were the early years with Chicago. I loved those early years with Chelios & Co. Coyotes were fun, but never a real playoff threat. The Philly days were a return to the playoffs. I was always an early Gretzky Oilers/Kings fan. But it was JR that had me watching the Blackhawks, Coyotes & Flyers as I followed JR from team to team.
Known more now for being opinionated and animated, JR was always a warrior in my mind. Not shy about playing the body. A guy that stepped-up in the playoffs. Would play with a broken jaw and his mouth wired shut, to not miss a playoff game.
With that kind of competitive spirit, it wasn't a surprise that Roenick got emotional on National TV after his first pro team won the Cup. Naturally, I've taken all kinds of heat being a Roenick fan. And plenty of people thought it was a great opportunity to give me some flak. But I will gladly take the heat on this occasion. JR got emotional simply because he gave his heart and soul to hockey and the teams, coaches and players he played for. I think the problem is when guys don't care enough.
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