"Coyote Ugly"

Coyotes Center Jeremy Roenick was signed over the summer for his 2nd stint with the team. JR hoped things would have gone better after his trainwreck LA season, where he fought with the coaches, and was let down production wise.

This year, JR's new role is that of a leader, but mostly a 4th line player. ALthough he does play on the 2nd powerplay unit the Coyotes who are just about as bad as the Flyers, and he has only had one goal and a handful of helpers.

Earier this week owner Wayne Gretzky told JR he had to sign, because JR was having backspasms. JR, said he was feeling good enough to play, and he wanted to play. The Great One said, nah you got to sit this one out.

JR at this point got pissed off and stormed out the office. He left the arena while the game was played and found sat down a nice resturant for dinner and a beer to watched the game on tv. JR claims he didn't do this, but apperently its a team no-no not to leave if you aren't playing. You are supposed to sit in the pressbox.

"What, do you give your support from the press box? Give support with pom-poms from the press box? ... There's nothing that a player that's not playing can do. If anything, they want players that are not playing away because it's a distraction." JR, said.

Wayne says he doesn't plan to bench him for a long period of time, provided he thinks JR is healthy enough to play. However, with other former Flyer Mike Ricci returning to the line up, JR's small role is even more worthless. At First Wayne was fairly mad though, and said that he needs to act like a man.

The Coyotes are so bad, their season is over already. JR's has claimed that its his last season in the NHL. Some people think there might be teams out there that might want him at the trade deadline, at the very least to fire up the players, faces offs, and in hopes he will get his groove back. But, most fans think his days are numbered.

JR could be the next in a sad trend of players being forced into retirement. Earlier this month the Pittsburgh Penguins waivered John Leclair. No one claimed him. Than he was told he had to report the AHL team. John had no desire to do that. So, finally the Penguins and John split ways rather than suspsend him for not reporting. They gave him a nice hunk of his salary, and said good luck with life.

Leclair said he doesn't want to retire, but at this point someone would have taken him. It doesn't look like he will have much of a choice. JR's rocky relationship with coaches and hot temper aren't going to help him getting traded to a contender come MArch. In fact he could be sat out again soon, and eventually waivered.

I feel bad for JR. He never won a cup, and thats all he wants. That and to be able to play this game for the rest of his life. He doesn't want to let go yet. At the same time its hard to watch how his famous wrist shot is just not there anymore. He struggles for ice time and just doesn't score anymore. A simliar situation happened to Luc Robatile last season with the LA Kings. He eventually got his 2nd wind and scored a bit more. Not like he used to but enough to not be wasting a roster spot. Hopefully, JR can turn his game around and wrap up his NHL days on a good note.