Taylor could play April 5

Here's a nice story, if it happens:

Lightning coach John Tortorella has given captain Tim Taylor the option of playing in the team's final game of the season April 5 at Atlanta. It would be a way for the center to finish his 13-year career as a player instead of on the sideline, where he has been since Sept. 7 hip surgery.

"He deserves that type of respect,'' Tortorella said. "He's been a loyal guy to the organization and has done a lot of things on and off the ice people don't even know about, so he deserves that right.''

The surgery is called hip resurfacing and corrected his painful, right-hip dysplasia by shaving and smoothing the head of the femur, topping it with a chrome alloy cap and fitting it into the hip socket that also was coated.

Taylor, 39, said he is "ecstatic'' at the results. He has skated since mid February but has practiced fewer than 10 times.

"I don't want to say yes. I don't want to say no,'' Taylor said of playing. "Now I'm practicing every day. Maybe the last day of the season, maybe I get that itch.''

If Taylor doesn't play, he will end his career with 746 games, 73 goals, 167 points and Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2004 and Red Wings in 1997.

Seemed the more we talked about it Monday at the Ice Sports Forum, the more Taylor liked the idea of playing.

"That would be nice,'' he said. "To sit on the bench at the end of a game and to know, 'Okay, it's over now,' would be really nice.''

Injury updates: Jeff Halpern (abdominal strain) said he will decide today whether to play against the Panthers. ... Defenseman Paul Ranger is scheduled for an MRI exam on his injured left shoulder. ... Goalie Mike Smith hurt a knee in a breakaway drill enough that he ran into the locker room, threw his stick and laid down on the locker room floor in pain. A team spokesman later said Smith was, basically, fine.

Comments

[Debbie]

I really hope Timmy comes back for that one final game. He said, before undergoing the procedure that he "wanted just one more game to feel like" an NHLer. I think that would be the best (if not only way) to end the season on a high note.

[Patrick]

A very classy gesture... much better treatment than the bucs usually offer their players that are on their way out.

[Voice of the Turtle]

Tim Taylor has derserved and has been afforded his share of respect from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and, while one can understand his desire to make one final appearance as Captain of the Bolts, it becomes evident that his age, his conditioning, and his lack of practice do not warrant taking a chance on injury in order to perform a symbolic gesture.

There are those who would find some merit in the argument that the organization had already displayed rather extraordinary indulgence in Tim's retention of the team Captaincy through the 2007-08 campaign. Certainly, one could reasonably suggest that the position might have been awarded to another player on a pro tem basis, then returned to Tim if and when he rejoined the roster.

Perhaps failing to see the wisdom of a solution of that kind is part and parcel of the lack of creative thinking and sound judgment that has plagued the Lightning for a number of consecutive seasons. It is amazing how the dearth of leadership in an organization trickles down from an indifferent owner's front office all the way to the Forum ice.

Tim is facing his 40th birthday, he has undergone some serious surgery, he knows that his career is over, and it is time for him to walk away from his role as a player. If it is symbolism that Taylor, Tortorella and Feaster want, Tim ought to stand behind the bench in the capacity of an assisting coach for the season's remaining games. By so doing, he might be quite useful in lieu of performing an embarrassing act of maudlin sentimentality at the end of a year that everyone wants to forget.

[Hockey Chic]

well said Turtle....I agree with everything you said and that scares the hell out of me....

Go Bolts!!!

[Herb]

Woohoo Capt. Wraparound playing in a game. You will have to excuse me if I don't get excited. He never impressed me one bit as a Bolt. Then again it is my opinion and it is worth what you paid for it. I would rather see Roy playing in a game but bonehead Torts won't allow it.

[Casper]

Tim Taylor will be missed. I think he should just walk away now. He couldn't foresee, nor could anyone, what the 'gesture' of retaining him as captain has cost this bunch of young men on the ice (or even the situational awareness of hanging their skates) this past season.
(Hold on there, semantics hounds. I don't blame Tool Man for DFB slicing himself. But, experience shows me when I got hurt and had to sit away from the F-16's for a bit, the kids loosened their belts and took things slack until the big ol' tom cat returned.)

I admire his grit and determination to rehabilitate that hip (mine gripes all the time), but his stock has dropped in my eye when he could have stepped in and said something to the gang in December, relinquishing the title and responsibility.
The flip side is: perhaps he understood his successor to be the one guy we needed to be rid of for cap purposes. Yeah him. Urp!

Which brings me to that last bit on Smitty hurting his knee and releasing emotion--likely pent up from his good fortune to land here with the best goalie situation and coach, in all of hockey. Forget what I'd like to see because the chowder heads in charge usually do the opposite---and look so surprised at the mess on the floor!

Panthers in our Barn tomorrow, pay back time!

Go Bolts!

[harvey]

Sheesh, rough crowd.

I hope he laces em up for once last dance. Why not? What's it going to hurt? Maybe his timing and speed aren't quite up to snuff after the long layoff. So what? What's he going to do, cost us a point and a playoff spot? So he takes a few shifts at forward from Janik. Will that really upset anyone?

TT has had a long and successful career. He's been a warrior. He will live in memory forever as a member of the 03/04 Lightning cup team. Torts says he "deserves that type of respect." I agree.

I'd be willing to bet anything he will get a standing ovation should he hit the ice in that last game. There was little to cheer about this season. Might as well end it with something positive. I'm sure he'd appreciate the fans enthusiasm and more importantly, he can go out a hockey player. Hope to see you out there TT!

[harvey]

Nate, do me a favor brother, tell Helene the same thing you said to "you've gotta be kidding."

[keith]

What will it hurt to let him ride the bench for the last and meaningless game of this horrible year? If nothing else he deserves a little recognotion having played in the NHL as long, winning two cups, and rehabbing from a tough surgery. I say let him takes his bow, and then slam the curtains closed on this team. Put it away. Shoot it, put it (and us)out of its misery, never the like to seen again in SPTF.

[Ken]

Let him skate one last time and then show him the door. If he cared so muvh about the team he would have handed over the "C" since he wasn't with the team for the first 5 months of the season.

[ajax]

Tim Taylor was never the player he was when he won his 1st cup. It is dern hard to believe he scored 20 goals one year, but if he could skate well at age 37 I am sure he was a whirlwind at 27. But, that said, he was a tireless forechecker the year we won the cup, and one heck of a penalty killer. At age 39 he could probably kill penalties better than Karlsson, Ward, and Richards, our mainstays this year. We all get old(boy, do we) Let him play and get an ovation to end his career. Who wouldn't want that. It has been a sour year, let's don't blame Tim Taylor and let's not be to grumpy to let him enjoy his ride out.

[Tackleberry]

One last game before retirement.

Why is he not doing this on Mar 31st? Seems as though his fan base would rather see him in person vice on the TV.

[harvey]

Tackleberry sir, you would be correct. When I posted I did a silly thing. I suggested the last game of the season would also be the last home game. Shame on me. I agree the 31st should be the day for TT to play if indeed there will be a swan song.

[pd]

Uh why didn't he just retire?

What on earth does this prove?

What were the cap ramifications of his being on the long term DL

Who would care other than the immediate family?

Not to be callous, but this is so Tampa sports.

[Mitch Wilson]

Normally I would disagree with this arrangement. Especially if it is just some old beaten down player who wants to retire with the team he spent most of his career with. This is a little different as TT went out with an injury. If it's that important to the guy then I guess this could be considered a class move on Torts behalf.

[Nate Dogg]

I gladly would, if i could read what that poster said, Harvey. However, my comment, along with the other dingbats' comments, was erased.

PD, I, for one, care because Tim Taylor truly exemplifies what a hockey player should be like. And I'm not even referring to his rehabbing and returning for a possible last game...during the very end of a lost cause of a season.

Pure passion and love of the game...something I would think all of the major sports in America would love to see more from their players.

Vinny deserves the "C". He's a classy guy. Marty is an a--hole, very rude to fans that ask for autographs, even on fan appreciation days.