Saturday’s 5-2 Edmonton Oilers win against the Vancouver Canucks meant little-to-nothing in the scheme of the 2013-14 season, but it meant a lot to plenty of Oilers fans. That’s because tonight served as the final game of Ryan Smyth’s career, as chronicled in a wide variety of ways.
Naturally, that included a tribute from the team before the big day:
It's official. Ryan Smyth will retire as a member of the #Oilers. His final game will be tomorrow vs. Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/FCGG7asuAQ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 11, 2014
A nod as captain with Andrew Ference on the shelf:
That 'C' looks mighty good on you, #94. pic.twitter.com/AdyLwG4gCB
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 13, 2014
An emotional locker room speech:
A fantastic gesture from his final opponent and long-time divisional rivals:
#Canucks have come back onto the ice to shake hands with Ryan Smyth.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 13, 2014
A goofy-but-endearing political ode:
And yes, as more than a few people speculated, more than a few tears from the retiring 38-year-old:
You could argue that the only thing the night was lacking was an ugly Smyth goal in front of Vancouver’s net, yet another than that, it was pretty much a perfect send-off for a winger who squeezed every bit of production and fanfare one could expect from a limited set of skills.