The Malik Report

Previous entry: Chris Osgood talk becomes ‘of course the Red Wings goalie’s to retiring’; on Datsyuk’s hockey camp

by George Malik on 07/19/11 at 12:04 PM ET
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Updated 3x at 1:21 PM: Per the conference call Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood and GM Ken Holland are conducting with the media, Osgood is officially retiring. He will mentor the team’s young goalies and help the team’s amateur scouts evaluate potential draft picks…

Update #1: Holland says they’ll sign a back-up goalie by the end of the week.

Update #2: Per the Red Wings’ Twitter account, the highlights of the conference call (I posted tons of commentary as well but my entries aren’t succinct)—take note of the fact that Osgood said that the most important people in his career were Red Wings fans:

Osgood: After a lot of thought I have decided to retire. I thought it was the best decision to make for the organization and myself.
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Osgood called the decision to retire one of the toughest of his career. Joked that it’s had an impact on his golf game too.
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Osgood thanking Mike Vernon as ‘instrumental for making him the goalie he was’ and Hasek ‘for helping me take my game to the next level.’
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Osgood finishes 4th all-time with 15 postseason shutouts, 8th all-time with 74 playoff wins and 10th all-time with 401 regular-season wins.
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Osgood’s 317 wins as a Red Wing is second only to Terry Sawchuk’s 352 victories.
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Ozzie taking the time to thank his wife. “During the playoffs, I’m there, but mentally I’m not there. That has to be tough on her.”
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Ozzie on Ken Holland: “He was always one of those guys who was in my corner.”
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Ozzie: I’ve lived in all areas of Michigan and the people are great! Always coming up to me with words of encouragement and support.
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Ozzie on the fans: If I could stand up and cheer them, I would. I just want to say thank you.
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Ken Holland: On behalf of the Detroit Red Wings, I’d like to thank and congratulate Ozzie for everything you have done for our organization.
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Holland: At times, he’s been our fifth child. (We have four), we’ve had such a great relationship.
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Holland: At times, he’s (Osgood) been our family’s fifth child, we have four, because we’ve always had such a great relationship.
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Holland with great words about Osgood’s work ethic and teamwork, as evidenced with Vernon, Hasek and currently, Jimmy Howard.
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Osgood made his decision on Saturday night and will remain a part of the organization, working with goaltending coach Jim Bedard.
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Osgood on his HOF credentials: It means the world to me to get into the Hall of Fame. It means a lot and hopefully one day it happens.
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Osgood: I could have told Kenny (Holland) that I’m 100 percent ready to go, but I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t get hurt again.
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Holland: We’re going to sign a goaltender between now and the end of the week.
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Osgood: “If I could sum up my career in Detroit, I was a perfect goalie for the team at the perfect time.”

Update #3: First and foremost, here’s Todd Beam’s press release about Osgood’s retirement:

Osgood retires
Past injuries lead to goalie’s announcement

DETROIT—Chris Osgood, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings in 1997, 1998 and 2008, announced today that he will retire from the National Hockey League after 17 seasons.  Osgood played in 744 career games with the Red Wings, New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.  He finishes his career 4th all-time among NHL goaltenders with 15 postseason shutouts, 8th all-time with 74 playoff wins and 10th all-time with 401 regular-season wins.

Osgood, 38, was Detroit’s third-round selection (54th overall) in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.  He played his first NHL game on October 15, 1993 at Toronto and earned his first career victory just 12 days later with a 23-save performance in an 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings.  The Peace River, Alberta, native went on to play in 565 regular-season games over 14 seasons in Detroit, notching 317 wins and 39 shutouts in a Red Wings sweater, trailing only the legendary Terry Sawchuk in both categories (351 wins, 85 shutouts).  He is Detroit’s all-time leader in postseason appearances by a goaltender (110), and holds the franchise records for playoff wins (67) and playoff shutouts (14).

Osgood enjoyed a breakout season in 1995-96, his third NHL campaign.  The 5-10, 175 lb. netminder led the NHL with 39 wins and finished as the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender (Jim Carey, Washington).  He played in his first NHL All-Star Game on January 20 in Boston and later that year became just the second goaltender in NHL history to shoot and score a goal, tallying into an empty net at the 19:49 mark of the third period in a 4-2 win over the Hartford Whalers on March 6.  He also won the 1996 William M. Jennings Trophy (with teammate Mike Vernon) allowing the fewest goals against in the NHL and was named a second team NHL All-Star.

After watching Vernon lead Detroit to the 1997 Stanley Cup title with a win over the Philadelphia Flyers, Osgood would get his first taste of postseason success as a starting goaltender in 1998 when he backstopped the Red Wings to their second consecutive championship, appearing in 22 postseason games and finishing with a 16-6 record, a 2.12 GAA and two shutouts.  The Red Wings swept the Washington Capitals to lay claim to the ninth Stanley Cup in team history.

After eight seasons with the Red Wings, Osgood was placed on waivers following Detroit’s acquisition of goaltender Dominik Hasek from the Buffalo Sabres on July 1, 2001.  He was claimed by the New York Islanders and went on to play 103 games in an Islanders uniform over two seasons, posting a 49-39-10 record and collecting six shutouts. On March 11, 2003 the Islanders moved Osgood to St. Louis in a trade deadline deal.  He would play 76 games for the Blues, compiling a 35-28-10 record and five shutouts.

Osgood rejoined the Red Wings in the summer of 2005, signing with Detroit as a free-agent on August 8.  He served two seasons as a backup upon his return, first to Manny Legace and then to Hasek, before leading the NHL with a 2.09 GAA in 2007-08 and being named the starting goaltender for the Western Conference at the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta.  He combined with Hasek to win his second William M. Jennings Trophy that year, but despite his stellar regular-season, Osgood once again found himself in the backup role when the 2008 playoffs began.

He proved ready when called upon in Game 4 of Detroit’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators and with the series tied 2-2, was named the starter for a crucial Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena.  Osgood helped Detroit string together nine consecutive victories and the crafty veteran would go on to post a 14-4 record, a sparkling 1.55 GAA and three shutouts over the course of the 2008 postseason.  Detroit defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Stanley Cup finals and Osgood captured the third title of his career.

After a subpar regular-season in 2008-09, Osgood would once again save his best for last, leading Detroit to within a game of the Stanley Cup as the Red Wings dropped a rematch with the Penguins in seven games.  He finished the 2009 postseason with a 15-8 record, 2.01 GAA and two shutouts.

Last season, Osgood became the 10th goaltender in NHL history to record 400 wins with an acrobatic 46-save performance in a 4-3 OT win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.  He would play in what proved to be his final NHL game on January 4, 2011, making 22 saves in a 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.

Osgood will remain with the Red Wings organization in a yet to be named position within the team’s front office.  In his new role, Osgood will be responsible for the development of young goaltenders within Detroit’s system, as well as scouting netminders throughout the professional, junior and college ranks.

Via RedWingsFeed, here’s Craig Custance’s initial report regarding Osgood:

There was a three-hour conversation on Saturday night between Red Wings GM Ken Holland and goalie Chris Osgood. The talk finalized a decision Osgood had been wrestling with since Detroit’s season ended.

“It was consuming my mind,” Osgood said. “It really took a toll on my golf game.”

Now, there’s plenty of time for golf. After a stellar career highlighted by 401 wins, the 38-year-old Osgood has decided to retire. After playing a season shortened by injuries, he didn’t want to risk putting the organization through another season of uncertainty in goal behind starter Jimmy Howard.

“I think it’s the best decision I could have made for both the organization and myself,” Osgood said.

He retires with three Stanley Cup championships, including two in which he was the starting goalie. He nearly won a fourth Stanley Cup with Detroit’s 2009 team that lost to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. That postseason, he was in contention for the Conn Smythe. Only nine goalies in the history of the NHL have more career wins than Osgood, and his 74 career playoff wins are good for No. 8 all-time, three behind No. 7 Mike Vernon. It all adds up to a Hall of Fame career, said Holland.

“Chris thrived in dealing with the pressure of playing on a good team,” Holland said. “It’s not easy winning 400 games… if it were so easy everybody would be doing it.”

Osgood will remain with the Red Wings organization, working with their minor league goalie prospects along with current goalie coach Jim Bedard. The team also expects to sign his replacement as Howard’s backup before the end of the week. Former Red Wings backup Ty Conklin is the frontrunner but free agent options include Marty Turco and Ray Emery.

Here’s TSN’s initial presser:

Chris Osgood’s long and winding road in the NHL has finally come to an end.  The 38-year-old keeper announced his retirement from hockey in Detroit Tuesday morning, bringing an end to his 17-year playing career. He moves on to a new job within the Red Wings organization. 

The Peace River, Alberta-native won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, who originally drafted Osgood in the third round, 54th overall, in 1991. He suited up for 744 NHL games in his career, spending two stints with the Wings, as well as playing for the Blues and Islanders. 

He would serve as the starter for two of his three Cup wins, in 1998 and 2008 and served as Mike Vernon’s back-up on Detroit’s 1997 Cup-winning team. He also took the Wings to Game Seven of the 2008 Cup finals, where they would lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

A two-time Jennings Trophy winner, Osgood would share the award with Mike Vernon in 1996 and Dominik Hasek in 2008. 

Osgood’s numbers rank amongst the all-time leaders amongst NHL goalies, despite fighting for a starting job for portions of his career.  Still, the numbers piled up. He ranks amongst the all-time leaders in regular-season wins (401, 10th all-time), shutouts (50, tied for 24th), goals-against average (2.49, 24th). 

In the playoffs, his numbers were even better, his 74 playoff wins are good for eighth all-time and his 16 playoff shutouts trail only Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Curtis Joseph.  Osgood is also one of only five goalies to have scored a goal in an NHL game by actually firing the puck into the opponent’s net, doing so against Hartford on March 6, 1996.

MLive’s Ansar Khan confirms, as does the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan (the Wings have posted a Osgood photo gallery) and the Free Press’s Helene St. James...

“It’s taken me a long time to think about this, since two weeks after the season ended,” Osgood said. “There were a number of issues, one being the injury I had. Knowing that I can still play made this difficult. I wrestled with it every day, but I’ve decided to retire.”

Osgood underwent sports hernia surgery in January, and didn’t play again the rest of the season.

The Wings now have to find an alternative for the no. 2 job behind starter Jimmy Howard. Joey MacDonald was signed earlier this month, but that was to a two-way deal as the Wings see MacDonald as the no. 3 guy. At best, he’s insurance. The Wings made a play for Tomas Vokoun as soon as free agency began July 1, but he opted instead to sign for $1.5 million with Washington – not great money, but he’ll get a chance be the starter, something he wouldn’t have in Detroit. At this point, the only guys left on the market are Ty Conklin, Ray Emery and Marty Turco.

The Wings may well end up getting a guy via a trade, as they’ve got an excess both of forwards and defensemen.

That’s what is up next for the Wings.

Next up for Osgood: A job helping with the development of the team’s young goaltenders.

Next up in the hockey world: Debating whether Osgood, 38, is going to get into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

As does Fox Sports Detroit’s Art Regner...

After 17 NHL seasons, 14 with the Detroit Red Wings, goalie Chris Osgood announced his retirement during a conference call Tuesday.

“It’s taken me a long time to think about this, since two weeks after the season ended,” Osgood said. “There were a number of issues, one being the injury I had. Knowing that I can still play made this difficult.

“I wrestled with it every day, but I’ve decided to retire.”

Osgood will stay with the Red Wings as a coach, working with young goaltenders.

And the Oakland Press’s Pat Caputo, via 97.1 FM the Ticket...

Three reasons Chris Osgood absolutely belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

1. He ranks 10th all time among goalies in wins. Eight of the nine in front of him have been elected to the Hall of Fame. The lone exception is Curtis Joseph, who never won the Stanley Cup and had a much higher goals against average in his career than Ozzie.

2. He won two Stanley Cups as the Red Wings’ primary goalie, and a third as the backup – and he was the Red Wings’ top goalie during the regular season that season.

3. Look how little the Red Wings have accomplished in the playoffs when Osgood wasn’t on their team or injured. He played a huge role in deciding three of the four Stanley Cup championships the Red Wings have won since 1997.

And the Detroit News’s Terry Foster make HOF cases—with Foster pointing out that Osgood is, in the end, “Our goalie”:

A few years ago, Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood and I shared a beer at Nemo’s following a Tigers home opener. We talked outside of a large open tent and people came up and said hello as if he were their neighbor next door. It was strange from this standpoint: How many Detroit professional athletes do you see hanging out with everyday fans, talking to them and sharing laughs? It is unheard of in this modern era, but you’d hear stories of Osgood hanging with common folks all the time.

I always thought Osgood was the peoples’ goalie. That day confirmed it.

We will no longer hear the chants of “Ozzie” at Joe Louis Arena after a big save because Osgood did the right thing Tuesday and announced his retirement. Now after 401 wins and three Stanley Cups winning the hearts of this city, Osgood rides off into the sunset. It is time because injuries and old age caught up with the baby-faced goalie.

“I think it is the best decision for both the organization and myself,” Osgood said Tuesday during a conference call with the media. “The hardest thing I have ever done. I thought it would be a lot easier. I feel as if I can move on and I am looking forward to the future as to what I will be doing with the organization.”

Throughout his highs and lows as Red Wings goalie, one thing always remained true — he loves this city. He loves the fans and he loved the organization. His love was not fake. His tears were not fake and that is why he goes out as the peoples’ goalie.

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