ESPN

One of the highlights of Friday night's game at American Airlines Center was the standing ovation for Jere Lehtinen, who was in the building watching the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes play. Lehtinen announced his retirement from the NHL Wednesday. The Stars put up video of the moment on their web site and here it is:

It was the kind of answer that summed up Jere Lehtinen. Asked about being one of only four players to ever win the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward three times or more, Lehtinen, the ultimate team player, quickly turned the subject to team.

“It means a lot, but I don’t want to take individual trophies too much because it is the team that wins and loses,” said Lehtinen. “Those trophies showed how our teams were at those times, how we played as a whole team.”

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk, a member of those great Dallas teams of the late 1990’s, said Lehtinen was a big part of the equation back then and his influence still reverberates through the organization now.

“A lot of things that we have in place that we are very proud of in our Dallas Stars organization are because of Jere Lehtinen,” said Nieuwendyk. “Kids like Loui Eriksson and Brenden Morrow learned what being professional was all about - the hard work and work ethic every day - and they learned that from Jere Lehtinen.”

Lehtinen officially announced his retirement on Wednesday. He was at the Dallas Stars practice facility in Frisco Thursday afternoon, catching up with some of his former Dallas Stars teammates and other members of the organization, chatting and taking pictures with some fans and talking to the media about his career and why he decided to call it a career after 14 NHL seasons.

“It’s tough to make the call, but a week ago I realized I was 100 percent ready to do it,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. It’s sad, but I am kind of happy that I am going to turn the page. Tomorrow is a new day. I hope I am going to stay involved in hockey and I am going to do that because I love the game so much.”

Injuries took a toll on Lehtinen. He missed more than 90 games over his final three seasons. Nieuwendyk, who left the door open for Lehtinen to return this season if he wanted to, said there would be a place in the Stars organization for the 37-year-old when he is ready to decide what’s next. The Stars are, after all, the team Lehtinen played for his entire NHL career.

“I’ve been so lucky to play here all my career, 14 years,” Lehtinen said. “I am so proud to have stayed here and that the organization gave me the chance to stay here. Overall, there were good times and bad times with the injuries and they supported me. Until this day, they are still there.

“I want to thank the organization and all the players I played with here, the coaches and trainers. Everybody treated me great since I got here in 1995. That’s why it’s even tougher to let it go,” Lehtinen said. “Of course, the whole town of Dallas has been great for me. It’s the same thing with the fans. They supported me. Today they still support me and that’s special. You can’t put it in words.”

Lehtinen was part of something special during his playing days as a Star, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 1999. He scored ten goals that playoff year. Only Nieuwendyk scored more. In the Cup-clinching game in Buffalo he scored the Stars’ only goal in regulation and then assisted on Brett Hull’s Cup-winner in the third overtime.

“The Stanley Cup, of course, that’s the best memory,” Lehtinen said as he reflected on his time in Dallas. “The whole playoffs, but especially that last game in Buffalo. That’s a memorable moment, but also the first time I got here and my first NHL game in Winnipeg.”

That first game was October 7, 1995. His last was April 10, 2010 in Minnesota. There were 875 games played, 243 goals, 271 assists, seven seasons where he scored 20 or more goals, including two where he topped 30. And there were another 27 goals and 22 assists in 108 playoff games. There were the three Selke Trophies. He was a finalist three other times.

There was more to Lehtinen than stats and awards. He was the master of game’s details. Some have called him the king of little things.

“There’s a special category of guys who don’t cheat the game. The play honestly, they play the game the right way, do the right things with the puck and do the right things away from the puck,” said Nieuwendyk. “That’s a select group of players, in my opinion, and [Jere’s] the head of the class.”

Making a mark on the ice wasn’t limited to his NHL career for Lehtinen. Before he came to North America there was hockey in Finland, where Lehtinen started skating at four-years-old. He became a star in Finland as a member of the “Huey, Dewey and Louie” line (along with Saku Koivu and Ville Peltonen) that led the Finns to gold at the 1995 World Championship. He helped Finland win four medals in hockey – three bronze and one silver – at the Olympics.

As a youngster growing up he admired fellow Finn Jari Kurri, a member of those great Edmonton Oiler teams of the 1980’s.

“That’s where it started. I started to follow him and TV started to show the Edmonton Oilers when they won the Stanley Cup, “Lehtinen said. “He was kind of my idol and then later on Teemu Selanne because he was playing in Finland. Those two guys showed me what it takes to get here.”

And once Lehtinen got here he proved to be a model of consistent excellence and an example to players and an organization.

“He was the guy that when I got here the coaches –Doug Jarvis or Ken Hitchcock or Rick Wilson – would always say when you’re not playing, watch that guy,” said Morrow, who arrived in the fall of 1999. “I think he had a lot to do with the team’s success, playing the game the right way, not cheating and stopping and starting. It’s a harder way to play and it’s the right way.”

While Lehtinen ponders what comes after playing, he’s enjoying time with his family. He’s still a team player, the master of details and the king of little things.

“Spending time with the family, that’s been great,” he said. “This fall there’s been no hockey, no travel and it’s been great to spend time with the kids, get to know their hobbies, see what they do every day. It’s been fun and I think they appreciate that I am around more.”

Former Dallas Stars forward Jere Lehtinen took his time in deciding to retire. He wanted to be sure about the decision to stop playing the game he loved and excelled at for so many years.

"It's been your life, and it's tough to say this is the end," Lehtinen said after the Stars officially announced his retirement from the NHL. "I didn't have that feeling before, but now it's there and now I realize that it's time to do it. I am 100 percent sure of that. I wanted to get that feeling before I did it."

The decision to retire came after 14 NHL seasons, all of them with the Stars. It was a career that included a Stanley Cup, three Selke Trophies as the NHL's best defensive forward (1998, 1999, and 2003) and 514 points (243 goals, 271 assists) in 875 games.

Lehtinen pondered retirement after last season, his third straight season limited by injuries. The Stars left the door open for him to return this season, but Lehtinen was still undecided when the team opened training camp in September. Finally reaching a decision brought mixed emotions.

"It feels kind of sad, but it’s a pretty good day," Lehtinen said. "It’s been a lot of years to play, a lot of games, and I've been pretty fortunate to play that long. It's coming to an end, and it's basically been my whole life.

"I am going to miss the game. You ask anybody that's retired and that's the main thing and being around with the guys. Now I am looking forward and seeing what's out there without hockey. It's not going to be easy.”

Lehtinen said he isn't sure what's next. He doesn't know if he'll stay in North America or return to Finland. Is there a future in coaching? Not sure, he said.

"Everything is up in the air," he said. "We’ll see."

For now he's taking advantage of his time away from the game.

"This fall I've been doing a lot of stuff with family," he said. "That's been a great time."

Jere Lehtinen made it official today. He's retiring from hockey.

Lehtinen, who battled injuries the previous three seasons, had been pondering since the end of last season whether to return to hockey or retire. Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk had kept the door open for a possible return this season, but today Lehtinen closed the door.

"First of all, I wanted to thank Joe Nieuwendyk and the Stars organization for giving me some time to come to this decision. They respected the fact that I wanted to be 100 percent sure prior to making this announcement, and I appreciated that," Lehtinen said in a statement released by the Stars. "It’s a tough decision due to the fact that you play hockey your entire life and then must decide to stop playing. However, I choose to focus on all the great times I had playing over the past 15 seasons, understanding that I am very fortunate to have played all those years with one organization. The memories I have playing in Dallas will never be forgotten, and I will always be proud of the fact that I finished my career where I started it.

"There are so many people that have positively influenced my career, including the entire Dallas Stars organization, the coaches, the players, the trainers, the fans and most importantly, my family. To all of those people I want to say thank you. Everybody that touched my career in some facet, whether small or large, had an impact on me and I will always remember that. Thank you."

Lehtinen, who turned 37 in June, played 14 NHL seasons, all of them with the Stars. He registered 514 points (243 goals, 271 assists) in 875 games. He ranks third in franchise history in games played, seventh in goals and eighth in points.

He led the Stars in goal scoring three times: 2002-03 (31 goals); 2005-06 (33 goals); 2006-07 (26 goals).

Lehtinen was a member of the Stars'1999 Stanley Cup championship team. In the Stanley Cup Final against Buffalo, he scored the Stars' first goal in Game 6 and then assisted on Brett Hull's Cup-winning goal in the third overtime.

A fourth-round pick (88th overall) in the 1992 NHL Draft, Lehtinen ranks fourth in franchise history in playoff games played (108) and sixth in playoff goals (27).

He won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward, three times (1998, 1999, and 2003). He's one of only four players to win it three times or more. Bob Gainey (4), Guy Carbonneau (3) and Pavel Datsyuk (3) are the others.

Lehtinen also won four Olympic medals playing for Finland, picking up bronze medals in 1994, 1998 and 2010 and a silver medal in 2006. He helped Finland win a gold medal at the 1995 World Championship, as well.

Lehtinen's first game with the Stars was October 7, 1995 vs. Winnipeg. His final game for Dallas was April 10, 2010 at Minnesota.

Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said Monday that there is still no decision from Jere Lehtinen, who is deciding if he wants to play his 15th NHL season.

“I met with him the other day and I don’t think he’s really made up his mind,” Nieuwendyk said.

Lehtinen, who has battled injuries the past three seasons, has spent the summer contemplating if he wants to put his body through the rigors of another campaign.

A Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, reported Monday that Lehtinen is giving serious consideration to not coming back. The newspaper noted that Lehtinen has worked out less this summer, and that's a sign that he's not playing.

“I don’t think he’s worked out as much as he usually does, but he has had a few workouts lately,” said Nieuwendyk. “He hasn’t really made up his mind, and we haven’t put a ton of pressure on him.”

And it doesn’t appear there is the pressure of any kind of deadline. Training camp may be less than three weeks away, but that isn’t necessarily a deadline. The Finnish newspaper article indicated Lehtinen might not be at Stars training camp. Nieuwendyk acknowledged that could be the case, but he added that doesn't mean Lehtinen would be out of the picture. The Stars GM left the door open that Lehtinen could miss camp and join the team some time down the road.

“I think there’s a chance of that. That option is there,” Nieuwendyk said. “Right now it’s up to Jere. I think now that’s he back and his kids are in school he’ll be able to get a better sense of what he wants to do in the next few weeks."

And as of right now, Lehtinen hasn't made a definitive decision one way or the other.

RFA watch

Nieuwendyk said there was nothing new to report on restricted free agents James Neal and Matt Niskanen, who are still unsigned. The Stars GM did say he expects talks with both to pick up this week.

Prospect note

The Stars said doctors in Dallas will at some point further evaluate defense prospect Hubert Labrie, who suffered a knee injury recently at the training camp of the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Labrie, who is expected to be out a while, was scheduled to play for the Stars are the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan starting on Sept. 11. The team said there is no plan to replace Labrie on the roster right now since the Stars still have seven defensemen on the Traverse City squad.

There's still no word on whether Jere Lehtinen will play this coming season. Stars coach Marc Crawford has said he’d love to have Lehtinen return. Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen would love to see his fellow Finn suit up for another season as well, but he doesn’t know which way Lehtinen is leaning.

“I saw him back in Finland and we talked once in a while. He’s a mystery man. No one knows what’s going on,” said Lehtonen, who spent a couple weeks in Finland this summer. “Everybody is trying to push him to come back. He’s one of those guys that everybody just gets energy from. He always gives everything, whether it is practice or a game. Hopefully we can get him back.”

Lehtinen has been slowed by injuries the past three seasons and that’s taken a toll. He is deciding if he wants to go through the grind of another season. The Stars have been willing to give Lehtinen as much time as he needs to make the call.

Lehtinen is back in town because his kids are going to attend school in the Dallas area this year. And with training camp a little more than three weeks away, his decision could be coming soon.

TV tidbits

The television schedule for the Dallas Stars should be out soon and there was some encouraging news on that front today. The Stars put this out on their official Twitter account late Tuesday afternoon:

TV schedule is being finalized and it looks as though all 82 games will be available in HD this season.

The NHL is expected to release the broadcast schedules for national carriers like NBC, Versus, CBC, TSN and others on Wednesday.

Jere Lehtinen told a Finnish newspaper over the weekend that he still hasn’t made up his mind about whether he’ll play next season.

“At the moment everything is still open. No decision has been made,” Lehtinen told Ilta-Sanomat.

As for when Lehtinen might make a decision, that’s still undetermined as well. His agent, Don Baizley, said via email Monday that Lehtinen isn’t operating under any kind of timetable to make the call.

Lehtinen, 37, has missed a lot of time due to injuries over the past three seasons, playing in 48 games in 2007-08, 48 games in 2008-09 and 58 in 2009-10. How he feels physically will be key in his decision.

Lehtinen did tell Ilta-Sanomat that if he does play next season there will be no question as to where he’ll play – it will be Dallas. Lehtinen said he can’t see making an address change like long-time teammate Mike Modano, who signed with Detroit last week.

“That’s an option I have not even thought about,” Lehtinen told the newspaper.

The Stars have said they are keeping the door open for Lehtinen, who is an unrestricted free agent, and are willing to wait as he makes his decision.

If Lehtinen does return it would give the Stars 15 NHL forwards, but that’s a problem coach Marc Crawford said he wouldn’t mind having.

“I would absolutely love it if he came back,” said Crawford. “We have to put him in the right spot. But if he comes back it’s a huge bonus for us, a huge bonus.”

Quotable: Lehtinen on Modano

“It was known that would not continue to play for Dallas but it was surprising that he left for Detroit. … He is an icon in Dallas. I have played with him my whole career and on the same team. It will be interesting to see how it goes with him.”

Jere Lehtinen, in an interview with Ilta-Sanomat, on Mike Modano signing with the Detroit Red Wings

DALLAS -- The Stars are outshooting Anaheim, 13-6, after one period, but we're scoreless at American Airlines Center.

Still, lots of buzz in the building tonight because the Stars are showing highlights and facts from the careers of Mike Modano, Marty Turco and Jere Lehtinen. All three have played well. Modano looks like he definitely has his legs tonight and has had a few scoring opportunities.

Modano got the biggest ovation near the end of the period, when some of his 15 franchise records were put on the big board.

The Stars got a late power play with 39.6 seconds left when Loui Eriksson was a victim of boarding. It will be interesting to see if young defenseman Philip Larsen gets some power play time when the second period resumes.

DALLAS -- The Stars held a quick ceremony for the medalists from the Olympics, honoring players from both Dallas and Los Angeles. All the players got standing ovations.

That list includes: Jere Lehtinen (Finland, bronze) and Brenden Morrow (Canada, gold) for the Stars. And Dustin Brown (U.S., silver), Jonathan Quick (U.S., silver), Jack Johnson (U.S., silver) and Drew Doughty (Canada, gold).

It was a nice thing to do and not too long. And I like incorporating the Kings into it too.

It's time to play hockey. Morrow is out on the ice with Steve Ott and Jamie Benn to start the game.