Tucker-ed Out

by on October 1, 2010 in League News - 35 Comments

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Darcy Tucker has officially called it a career. “After spending the whole summer anticipating I would play, it got to a point where I knew it was time.”

“I just knew, during workouts I didn’t have that same feeling,” Tucker told TSN, “and I needed to be fair with my family.”

Darcy Tucker had a successful career playing the role of a grinding pest. After beginning his career in Montreal and moving to Tampa Bay for his inability to transition his scoring abilities to the NHL level, the Maple Leafs brought him in where he instantly became a fan favorite.

There were plenty of rumours this past off-season suggesting Tucker would join the Leafs training camp on a try-out basis, but after the Leafs confirmed Tucker was not in their best interest at the time and Tucker confirmed he was not interested in any try-out offers, it seems the feisty 35 year-old decided it was time to call it quits.

“I regret not winning a Stanley Cup in Toronto, that would be the ultimate for any player.”

“It was difficult to play in Toronto, it wasn’t easy, but I took it as a compliment, and I thrived on it. I loved the pressure there,” Tucker added.

Tucker will now focus on his certification while developing Turning Point Sports Management where he will become a player agent.

“I have always been a guy who needed something to move on to and I’m both thrilled and excited about this opportunity,” Tucker concluded.

While he will be missed on the ice for fans across North America, it will certainly be exciting to see what players decide to sign with him in order to elevate their game to the Tucker level.

Cheers to Darcy Tucker and his successful career which proved that even the small boys can play with a big heart.

(All quotes from TSN.ca)

For more articles by Micheal A. Aldred, visit The Checking Line

Micheal A. Aldred

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  • Dan hockey fan

    Tucker had a good career, but it is too bad that he will always be remembered as one of the Muskoka Five. Happy retirement.

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  • http://www.checkingfrombehind.com Micheal Aldred

    Agreed, I hope he does well as an agent. I always liked him, he just got stuck with a contract that Ferguson maybe shouldn’t have handed out to him. Unfortunately, due to his NTC, he got pegged to be bought out. Never really liked that decision, but what’s done is done.

    What’s your favorite Darcy Tucker moment?

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  • McKelvie

    @ Micheal Aldred:

    Peca

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  • http://www.checkingfrombehind.com Micheal Aldred

    haha yeah, I thought it was pretty cool that even though that happened, when they were both in Toronto they ended up becoming good friends.

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  • JMAC

    @ Micheal Aldred:

    The game he jumped into the Sens bench and started a good old fashioned brouhaha

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  • cimo

    Thanks Darcy.
    The day Darcy was traded to Toronto, I will never forget: I am a family friend of the Tuckers, and have always been a Leafs fan. I was eating a pre-game meal for a league basketball game (unfortunately, not hockey). I was watching SportsCenter (I think it might have still gone by SportsDesk back then). They announced the trade and I jumped out of my seat and cranked my head on the chandelier hanging above the kitchen table. Got stitched up just in time to play the game.
    Gotta say that watching Tucker win World Junior Gold in 1995 is my favorite memory, but I have followed his career since day one. So many good, bad and bizarre moments of Darcy in a Leafs Jersey. Goals, both nice (a few highlights of the night, in fact) and garbage, fights, and snap-shows… Darcy was never anything short of entertaining.
    I think his near hat-trick performance against the Canucks was a favorite of mine. First he scores two shorthanded goals in the same game and then has a shot at the empty net for the Hatty… and the shot hit the post!!! I say that that was the best game that Darcy ever played.

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  • TuckerThomas

    Darcy who?

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  • McKelvie

    NEVERMIND

    Best Tucker Moment = Kapanen

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  • cimo

    @ McKelvie:
    One of my favorites as well. Too bad it was immediately tainted by that Roenick goal.
    My favorite Tucker shift was against Boston in circa 2005. Tucker lays a big, clean hit on Chara, knocking the monster down. Then a Boston player (I think it might have been Savard???) tries to stand up for Chara. Darcy drops the gloves and wins the fight. Vintage.

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  • slowburn

    Couldn’t care less about the remaining cap hit or last couple years under JFJ. For me, Tucker was one of the great Leafs of the last decade. Maybe not on the score-sheet, but in his prime with the Leafs – nobody played harder, wanted to win more or cared about being a Leaf more than Tucker.
    .
    If only all the ‘skilled’ players matched his desire & heart.

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  • danvrtsng

    I remember watching the Leafs vs Sens one regular season game in Ottawa.
    .
    I was still living there at the time and had seats right behind the net like 5 rows back. The Sens were winning at one point 4-0 or something and Toronto managed to rally all the way back to tie the game and send it to OT.
    .
    In OT, the Sens have a complete collapse and the Leafs pull out the win… Popping in the game winner just a few feet in front of me… Tucker didn’t score the goal, but he was on the ice… and he was so fired up when the puck went in.
    .
    Being able to see the intensity and fire and legitimate passion in his eyes that close when that puck went in.. Something I won’t forget.

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  • Julie Sucks

    One of the series’ against the Sens, when Alfredsson hit Tucker from behind into the boards. Tucker got a separated shoulder as a result. He played the next game, and all of the Leafs remaining playoff games, if I’m not mistaken. I’ve separated my shoulder before and I couldn’t move for a week and didn’t recover for 4 weeks. How a guy can play the next game in the grind that is the playoffs is beyond me. He has my respect for eternity.

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  • TuckerThomas
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  • Joe

    Probably the Kapanen hit, but i remember one playoff series where he was in someones face after the whistle with crazy eyes, just staring him down. I cant remember who it was anymore because he was a playoff warrior. I think a testament to Tucker is that you would never be ashamed to have his name on your jersey. Not like getting a Reichel or a Stajan and regretting it a few years later. Guys like that never go out of style in leafland.

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  • GreekLeafer

    @ Joe:
    So true. I didn’t see one Stajan jersey in Ottawa the other night but saw several Tucker jerseys. In March last year during one of the intermissions, a poor soul standing in front of me was wearing the number 35….but NOT Giguere.

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  • Jordan

    One of my all time favourite players. Those sens highights give me chills!

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  • GreekLeafer

    Anyone have a link for tonight’s game?

    EDIT: Never mind the game is up finally on atdhe.net

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  • BloodonIce

    Leafs Tv is doing a real special job with their sound tonight.

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  • DJBrianBurke

    BloodonIce wrote:

    Leafs Tv is doing a real special job with their sound tonight.

    It’s radio retro night…

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  • luckyluke

    Sounds like the announcers are calling the game from their cell phones lol

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  • Reether

    Ya this shit needs to get fixed pronto

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  • Jordan

    @ luckyluke:
    Or have bad colds :D

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  • Jordan

    Pee-uuuuuuu Caputi

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  • luckyluke

    Damn he Rynas should have had that

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  • TuckerThomas

    A good link….
    http://x96.org/x/

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