Veteran Walz will announce retirement today

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 30, 2007 - 11:41 PM

The Wild has called a 10:30 news conference for this morning at Xcel Energy Center at which 37-year-old center Wes Walz, the Wild's all-time leader with 438 games played, will announce his retirement from the NHL, sources confirmed Friday night.

Walz, one of the last two original Wild players along with Marian Gaborik, has been on indefinite leave from the team since Nov. 1. Walz's 82 goals and 182 points rank second in franchise history behind Gaborik.

Walz, a tremendous-skating checker, has been a heart-and-soul leader, one who has been a positive influence on such up-and-comers as Mikko Koivu and Brent Burns.

In 2002-03, Walz was a finalist for the Selke Trophy (NHL's best defensive forward), and that was before a marvelous playoff in which he scored seven goals and shut down stars such as Peter Forsberg.

Walz, a former Boston Bruins pick, was a junior star for Lethbridge of the Western Hockey League (83 goals and 244 points). He spent the next several years shuffling back and forth between the NHL and minors before spending four years in Switzerland. But in 2000, General Manager Doug Risebrough called with an offer from the expansion Wild, where he's spent seven years.

"I thought for sure I was riding off into the sunset 10 years ago," Walz said in January 2006. "But I always felt I had more to give over here. I'm just so glad I was given an opportunity to satisfy my dreams of playing in the NHL and maybe even having an impact."

In April 2006, Walz said, "I don't think I'm going to be one of those guys who's going to hang on and they're going to cut my skates off. I enjoy coming to the rink. I love competing. But there's more to life than hockey."

Celebrating painfully

If this NHL thing doesn't work out, maybe Vancouver native Aaron Voros can get a gig playing for the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions.

Whenever the Wild scores and Voros is on the ice (which has been a lot lately), the Wild sparkplug and revelation flies into the celebratory huddle like he's a linebacker congratulating a defensive end for a sack.

Voros slaps helmets, punches chests, head-butts and bangs bodies as if he's in a concert mosh pit.

When James Sheppard scored in the third period Wednesday, "I thought he was going to knock poor Shep out," winger Mark Parrish said.

"Yeah, I saw colors," said Sheppard, who wasn't kidding. "I'm afraid to score again."

Teammates have pleaded with Voros to chill out on the physicality.

"I get a little jacked up," Voros said. "You work so hard in the trenches and you get rewarded with a goal, I get pretty excited. Maybe I've got to tone it down a little, but it's tough. I'm not really thinking at that point. I get pretty hyped when we score."

Coyote suspended

Phoenix defenseman Ed Jovanovski was suspended one game for elbowing Gaborik in the head with 17 seconds left in Wednesday's game. Jovanovski lost $34,759 in salary.

Gaborik was surprised.

"It must have looked worse than it felt," said Gaborik, who avoided a suspension for elbowing Vancouver's Ryan Kesler in the head Nov. 16.

Etc.

• Parrish missed Friday's game against St. Louis because of a hip injury suffered Wednesday. Defensemen Kurtis Foster (cheekbone) and Petteri Nummelin (head, nose) and left winger Derek Boogaard (back) didn't play.

• Bloomington native Erik Johnson played his first regular-season game in St. Paul.

• Blaine's David Backes returned after missing 10 games because of a knee injury.

• New NHL Players' Association Executive Director Paul Kelly attended Friday's game.

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