November 5, 2002
Dineen will officially announce his retirement before Tuesday's game.
ANALYSISSomewhere, Don Cherry is wiping away a tear. In his day Dineen was the quintessential Canadian boy, equally adept at throwing a check or scoring a goal, and over his long career he represented his country at the Olympics, the world championships and in the old Canada Cup. After 19 seasons he was the first star in his final game, Sunday's 3-2 win over Buffalo, and goaded Chris Gratton into trading penalties as the Sabres tried to rally in the final minutes. As
Jody Shelley put it, "He ended it in the (penalty) box, with blood pouring out of his eye. That's the way it should be." Dineen WAS hockey, and he will be missed.