Eric Godard Retires

[tfrizz]

http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/sports/176874371.html

[Tico Rick]

He had epilepsy since he was 17? Who knew?

[champeen]

met him last year here in austin. brad lukowich was bagging on sid for not playing and godard kind of shut him down, saying how hard sid works and that he shouldn't play until he's healthy. seemed like a really nice guy. i asked him if he still had that red suit he wore on 24/7, and he said he did, but he hardly ever wears it anymore.....

[KG]

Godard was a great Penguin. I'm sure all of his teammates loved him for what he brought to the team. Imagine retiring at 32....wonder what he will do next to keep his competitive juices flowing...

[no name]

He did a good job protecting our players. Had some great bouts to.

[tfrizz]

Godard was a great Penguin. I'm sure all of his teammates loved him for what he brought to the team. Imagine retiring at 32....wonder what he will do next to keep his competitive juices flowing...

There are two things that are very clear from what he says in the article:

1) He loved his time with the Penguins; and,
2) He knows what it means to be part of a team.

[IanMoran]

Useless as a player, but article makes him out to be a really good guy... It also definitely seems like he cherished his time in Pgh more than anywhere else (and its not from a Pittsburgh source)

“I never had a breakaway. I should. All I wanted to do was try and go in one of the shootouts. I was pretty good. I would score on (Marc-André) Fleury all the time. I had his number. It (shootout) got close a couple of times with the Islanders. I remember getting nervous, thinking ‘I might actually get to go.’”

lolol if he would have been put out there

[offsides]

Godard was a great Penguin. I'm sure all of his teammates loved him for what he brought to the team. Imagine retiring at 32....wonder what he will do next to keep his competitive juices flowing...

Maybe competitive bowling?

[westside]

Godard was awesome while here with the Pens. Kind of the last of a fading role in he league. I'll always remember him bouncing Luke Schenn's head off the ice after he got into it with Crosby and jumping off the bench to back up Johnson. Seemed like a legit dude... And his red suit was epic.

[KG]

Found Godard tribute as a Pen on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mydIrGdiJ-M

[Sarcastic]

Good luck in whatever you decide to do next, big guy.

[Sarcastic]

Godard was a great Penguin. I'm sure all of his teammates loved him for what he brought to the team. Imagine retiring at 32....wonder what he will do next to keep his competitive juices flowing...

There are two things that are very clear from what he says in the article:

1) He loved his time with the Penguins; and,
2) He knows what it means to be part of a team.

Yup. He was the kind of protector you want on your team.

[Froggy]

it's good to see a guy who played his role be able to walk away without being physically or mentally screwed up (as far as i know). i don't like "enforcers", but if we HAD to have one, he was pretty good. plus, he took a 10 game sit for protecting his goalie, so that's a big deal.

[Pavement]

I loved Godard. Always thought he was a good guy and appreciated by his team mates for what he did. Coming off the bench to back up BJ was excellent.

Goid luck big man, hope whatever you decide to do next goes well for you!

[CERV96]

Here is to Godard playing for my adult league team!!!!!

[FreeCandy44]

He won my respect the night of the islanders debacle. Watching him come off the bench to save Johnson was awesome.

[Rylan]

Johnson didn't need to be saved.

[FreeCandy44]

Johnson didn't need to be saved.

I'm pretty sure said islander was gonna mess him up.

[mac5155]

Yep, my two memories are Rosenhill vs. Toronto and jumping the bench for Johnson. Good luck to whatever he might encounter next.

[no name]

Johnson didn't need to be saved.

I'm pretty sure said islander was gonna mess him up.

VS another goalie its a fair fight, their jeresys fit the same. But a Heavy weight fighter vs a goalie, in that baggy sweater.... Johnson would of gotten a beating i believe. Even though he was still riding high of his KO.

[dman66]

Johnson didn't need to be saved.

I'm pretty sure said islander was gonna mess him up.

VS another goalie its a fair fight, their jeresys fit the same. But a Heavy weight fighter vs a goalie, in that baggy sweater.... Johnson would of gotten a beating i believe. Even though he was still riding high of his KO.

Plus, it doesn't matter if Johnson needed to be saved or not. You just don't let that happen to your goalie.

[shoeshine boy]

Here is to Godard playing for my adult league team!!!!!

if it actually happened he would be the best player on the ice by far and able to make you all look silly without even breaking a sweat. during the last lockout Eric Boulton and Jeff Odgers played in the highest level (mostly ex-college and juniors players) of one of the local beer leagues and even though they were 4th line NHLers they could dangle through most of those guys like Crosby and Malkin.

[Idoit40fans]

I can't imagine that he or either of the above players mentioned would be the best skater if they were playing against ex college and junior players, unless they were like 15 years removed from playing college/junior.

[no name]

THis really shows that the goon position if going by the way side. The role of fighter or protector will always be needed but one guy who only does that seems like it is out of the NHL. I think players like Asham, Avery, Rupp and a few others who can play a 4th line position effectively and fight are what teams are looking for. The Godards, McIntyre Domis of the league are not seem very often. Can anyone even name a full time goon that is still employed? i knwo there are still two or three left in the league. Gillies? after hsi suspension i havn't seen much of him.

[Pens Fan Since 1970]

Johnson didn't need to be saved.

True, he is a goalie after all so he should be able to save himself. The 2011-12 version of Johnson, he couldn't save anything.