Los Angeles Kings: The Robyn Regehr Effect

“That was probably the last professional game I’ll play,” Regehr said after the final Los Angeles Kings game of 2015 against the Sharks. Robyn Regehr announced his retirement from professional hockey on April 11, 2015. He retired in somewhat of a surprised way according to most fans. No one was speculating or talking about this being a possibility.

Regehr retired at a younger age than most, 35. He played 15 seasons with the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, and Los Angeles Kings. Statistically, he didn’t put up big numbers. He was never a top scorer or dazzler with the puck. But he made a bigger impact than most on his teams and the NHL as a whole.

“He’s not only a good player, he’s a great person, and the best thing about when we got Robyn here was there’s a lot of young defensemen here, and if you look at their seasons, they’re going to learn a lot from Robyn Regehr, all those young players,” coach Darryl Sutter said after Regehr’s final game.

And off the ice, he used his influence to serve great causes. While in Calgary, he donated $75 for every body check to the Impact Foundation – an organization which helps kids with issues while growing up.

Apr 6, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) and defenseman Robyn Regehr (44) defend against Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Hovat (53) during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

His decision for retirement came down to a few specific reasons: family life & health. Regehr seems to have put a lot of wisdom into this decision, rather than waiting for it to be too late like many professional athletes do. He listened to two very important voices in his life: his family and his body. Pushing it any further and harder could have had significant negative impact on the 2nd half of his life.

I gotta say I admire how he went about his decision.

As he moves onto the next chapter of life, he has a future awaiting. He co-owns Blueline Oilfield Rentals based out of Calgary and will be spending much of this Fall out on the farm.

The question remains: how will the Kings fair without the veteran presence of Robyn Regehr?

Robyn has always been a leader. Based on some interviews he did with Bob Miller, he knew how to read a room and when to speak up or not. That is a skill few have mastered in professional sports. And it seems the Kings have lost 2 key players who brought that element: Justin Williams and Robyn Regehr. The benefit will come when new voices rise up to leadership, but only time will tell who those voices will be.

The Kings will also miss his hard-hitting, shot blocking, and skill as a penalty killer. It will be interesting to see who slides into the at-home defensive role he has been in as a King over the past few years.

Could it be Forbort? McNabb? Maybe Ehrhoff I don’t really see any others fitting the style play that Regehr brings to the table. But let’s be real – he’s impossible to replicate and replace. So it’s more about utilizing the parts currently on the roster, instead of trying to fit someone into his role.

But one does have to wonder if teams will feel less anxiety about playing against the defense of the Kings. For the past 3 years, the Kings have been a team opponents hate playing against. They shut down top scorers with their systematic defensive style of play and utilize their size to tire who they’re up against. But each year, they lose one more piece of their core.

Rob Scuderi.
then Willie Mitchell.
now Robyn Regehr.

Every Kings fan will miss the presence of Robyn Regehr, but we wish he him the best in his post NHL future.

Cheers, Robyn Regehr.

In 1,089 career games, Regehr totaled 36 goals, 199 points and a plus-30 rating.

Next: Los Angeles Kings: Who Will be the Captain?

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