Fan favorite Samuelsson retires at age 36

Loved by many, hated by many, defenseman Ulf Samuelsson announced his retirement Monday after 16 NHL seasons.

Samuelsson, a rugged Swede known for his punishing style of play, was in the final year of a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. A shoulder injury and a desire to pursue outside interests prompted him to call it quits.

'It was tough to pull the trigger,' said Samuelsson, 36. 'I'm just to the point where I feel like I had enough fun.'

Although he played for four other teams, Samuelsson had most of his fun in a Penguins sweater. He played here for five years. He was a key player and a fan favorite when the Penguins won Stanley Cups in 1991 and '92 - and it's safe to say nobody who ever wore the Penguins logo worked harder.

'He left a lot of sweat here,' Penguins general manager Craig Patrick said yesterday.

Samuelsson came to Pittsburgh on Mar. 4, 1991, in a memorable trade that catapulted the Penguins to Cup No. 1. Patrick acquired Samuelsson, Ron Francis and Grant Jennings from the Hartford Whalers in exchange for John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski and Jeff Parker.

Samuelsson endeared himself to the Civic Arena faithful in his very first game, a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Eventually, fans would chant 'Ulf! Ulf! Ulf!' every time he touched the puck.

'It all started that first game,' Samuelsson said yesterday. 'The appreciation for defense is second to none in Pittsburgh. You definitely notice that, being a defensive player. So many of the plays I was making before were appreciated by teammates, but never the crowd. To be appreciated for the work you're doing - breaking up plays and hitting - is very special.'

Samuelsson, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, wore a pair of oversized shoulder pads and spent much of his time torturing top forwards such as Boston's Cam Neely. People called Samuelsson a linebacker on skates - and he'd do anything to win a game.

'I'm glad he's on our side,' Mario Lemieux once said.

Sports Illustrated once did a story on Samuelsson called 'Mr. Dirty.' In it, Samuelsson said, 'Even my mother says I'm a dirty player.' He finished in the NHL's all-time top 20 in penalty minutes with 2,453.

Patrick says the Penguins wouldn't have won their Stanley Cups without Samuelsson. It was more than his physical presence that helped the offensive-minded Penguins win big games.

'His presence in the dressing room was key to our team, too,' Patrick said. 'He was one of those guys who was an open, honest, fun-loving guy. He competed hard, day-in, day-out, in practice and in games.'

Every once in a while, Samuelsson would score a goal, too. In fact, he scored the Cup-winning goal at Minnesota in 1991. He beat North Stars goalie Jon Casey for the first goal in what became an 8-0 victory.

'That'll be a trivia question that not a lot of people will be able to answer,' Samuelsson said.

Samuelsson, with his wife and four children - who range in age from 18 months to 9 years old - have a house in Morristown, N.J., and plan to stay for awhile. Samuelsson is involved in a variety of pursuits. He wants to run a used-car dealership, he scouts for the Swedish national team, and he helps coach his son's hockey team.

'I'm not going to use that phrase, 'I wanted to stay home and spend more time with the family,' ' he said, jokingly. 'That's why I'm staying as busy as possible.'

Samuelsson made an appearance in Pittsburgh during a game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. He was honored as a member of the Penguins' Millenium Team.

'I'm just glad I made the decision (to retire) before I went down to Pittsburgh,' he said. 'With all the excitement down there, I might have changed my mind.'