Gary Roberts retired from the NHL a number of years ago, but he’s potentially wishing that he had been born a decade later. That’s because the game has changed to make his style of play a heck of a lot more valuable, likely leading to a much higher pay grade too.
Roberts walked the line between tough guy and scorer, a rare balance that has become valuable in a league that all but lost the role of “true enforcer”.
On Tuesday, Roberts joined Leafs Lunch to discuss a poll that had him place 2nd in former gritty player that fans would like to see return (1st place was Wendel Clark). During that discussion, Roberts joked about how he’d like to make a return, even if it was just so that he could face off against Boston Bruins agitator Brad Marchand for a few shifts.
Marchand discussion begins at 3:15 of the video:
Marchand’s ability to get under opponent’s skin is so effective he literally has former players and fans wanting to get a shot at him. That’s actually kind of impressive.
(H/T Leafs Lunch)
