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Old Flame Coming Back
By Dave Feete, Octogenarian

Gary Roberts, the beloved Calgary power forward/tough guy who retired on June 17 of last year because of neck problems, is reportedly ready to return to the NHL next season.
You all may remember his tearful farewell at the end of last season, when the big bleached-blonde was forced to retire at the tender young age of 30. His aggressive style, especially along the boards and in front of the net, meant that he took a lot of abuse. More than his share, frankly... He put on a lot of mileage by taking cross-checks from angry, desperate defenders trying to get him away from the front of their net.
"I don't feel cheated," he said at the time of his retirement last year. "You can play soft and stick around 20 years or you can play it hard and the punishment will take its toll. The guys I looked up to when I broke in, such as Cam Neely and Rick Tocchet, played hard. And they're all having a hard time with injuries. For me, the risk is too great." Having time to think it over, it appears sitting around watching hockey on TV for a year has changed his position.
Roberts scored 53 goals in 1991-92, his career best. He bagged 41 in '93-'94 and 39 in '89-'90. He was on the Stanley Cup-winning Calgary team in 1989, when he was a young pup still cutting his teeth. He was, in the opinion of many, the best player Calgary had in the early and mid-nineties - a team that included such powerhouse players as Theoren Fleury, Al MacInnis, Joe Nieuwendyk, Robert Reichel, and Gary Suter.
Roberts' agent, Rick Curran, reported yesterday that the firey 6'1" 190-pound left wing will announce the reversal of his retirement decision on June 17th 1997, the anniversary of the day he left. "He's still working out with his personal trainer, and he's trying very hard to put himself in a position to come back," Curran said.
Both Roberts and Curran have a lot to gain financially if and when the player returns. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30th, when his four-year, $7.5 million contract expires. To keep him, the Flames would have to make a non-refundable $2-million qualifying offer. Obviously, though, Roberts' price would only go up from there, if he can prove that he's in good enough health to make it through another season.
That is his biggest hurdle, seeing as he had to go through massive neck rehabilitation just to live normally. Is he really ready to survive another NHL season? If so, will he be playing Gary Roberts-style hockey, or will he "play soft and stick around" for a couple of years? Will this season be like Cam Neely's in 1995-96, when he put up great numbers while desperately trying to keep his body from falling apart before it was over? Stay tuned.