| 23 September 2009
For a few months now, I've been contemplating retiring my Olie Kolzig sweater in favor of a member of the current roster.
For some reason I feel like I'm missing out when I don No. 37 instead of No. 8, No. 28 or No. 19. There's a rush of excitement when the jersey you're wearing scores, saves or makes the game-changing play. There's a kinship with other fans who choose to wear the same jersey as you and, in some ways, you feel like a sixth man just because of who you are supporting.
For two seasons I felt more like a shrine than a fan.
Olie's number was the first time I'd gotten a "named jersey." My previous philosophy was "x player will leave one day and I'll be stuck with it." Still, Olie was my favorite Capital and isn't that what fans should do? Cheer for their favorite player?
But what do you do when that favorite player leaves the team? It's a situation I've been thinking about for quite some time, until the news of Olie's retirement broke today.
Olie Kolzig's retirement shouldn't come as a shock to Caps fans. The day has been long coming and it was evident that Olie was entering the twilight of his career in his appearance as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in November.
Alex Ovechkin and company lit Olie and his Swiss cheese defenders up like a Christmas tree. It was painful. Painful because, on one hand, you want to see the Caps win but, on the other hand, I wanted a classic Olie shutout.
Most will remember Olie for his Vezina Trophy and leading the Capitals to their Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Some will think about the manner in which he left the Capitals -- a messy situation that left a hole in a locker stall and on the Caps roster. Don't forget about his charity work and loyalty to the D.C. area.
I'll think about the grueling stretch of hockey he played after the lockout.
Olie could have left for a Cup contender. He could have said "Screw it, I don't want to ruin my stats" and played behind veteran defenders. But he didn't. He stayed and endured stat-killing loss after loss.
Olie's three seasons after the lockout earned him a 3.53 GAA in 2006, 3.00 GAA in 2007 and 2.91 GAA in 2008. Not exactly the numbers you'd expect out of Godzilla, but still, considering what he was working with, admirable.
In some ways, it was sad to see Olie on a team that blossomed too late for him to enjoy.
When the Capitals began to realize their potential, Huet stole the spotlight. His brief time in Tampa was even worse: another young inexperienced team, inexperienced owners and Barry Melrose.
Right now, Tampa Bay might just be the place where veterans go to die.
Watching a player you love fail to reach the pinnacle of his sport is depressing.
I watched as Dan Marino failed to capture a Super Bowl and, like Kolzig, fall apart in a soul-crushing fashion that clearly signals to the sporting world "I'm done." It's sad because for years you cheer for this one player and then when the gloves are hung up, you're constantly left wondering "what if?"
What if Dan Marino had a competent running game during his prime? What if Olie Kolzig had his Vezina year with the current roster?
If the Capitals ever raise the Stanley Cup with the current squad of young stars who played in front of Olie during their hockey infancy, perhaps a special raise should be sent to the No. 37.
Now, as I sit in my office working against deadlines and hoping to leave at a decent hour to attend the preseason game with the Blackhawks, my decision on retiring Olie's jersey is final.
I understand now why you see the occasional Langway, Hunter or Bondra jersey floating around the Verizon Center.
Add one more Kolzig to that mass.
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