Sniff, sniff. We love you, Gary. Hockey betting won’t be the same without you, pal.

After weeks of speculation and pseudo-announcements, Gary Roberts finally made his retirement official yesterday at age 42.

Clap, Clap, Clap.

(pause for a moment of silence)

As many NHL betting fans will attest, Gary Roberts was one of hockey’s true “good guys” — a natural goal scorer, as gritty as they come, a great leader and even a fitness fanatic, which was a big reason why he successfully returned from what was supposedly a career-ending neck injury in the mid-1990s. While he may not quite crack the Hall of Fame — it should be hotly contested — he was very good for a long time and helped pull some online betting duds out of the doldrums — particularly the Toronto Maple Leafs of the early 2000s. He was no stranger to the Stanley Cups odds either, scoring five goals during Calgary’s 1989 Cup run.

Needless to say, we need a Gary Roberts tribute video…NOW! Admittedly, this video choice will disappoint some online betting fans, as it’s a comedic, Chuck-Norris-like homage. But the fact that I couldn’t find a video that didn’t have this cult theme just shows you how loved the guy is, doesn’t it?

And just for fun, here’s an amusing Coach’s Corner segment about Gary from last year’s Pens/Wings Stanley Cup betting final:

Farewell, Gary. You are a King of Kings. Is that an expression? I don’t care.