EDMONTON -- Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Smyth is calling it a career after tipping in shots and absorbing spine-jarring jolts standing in front of goalies for 18 NHL seasons. Smyth said Friday his body was still willing, but with his young children getting older, his mind was wandering. "The mental side of the game, I didnt have it at times," Smyth told a news conference at Rexall Place, with his family on hand. "Ive got a wonderful family that I miss out on a lot of their stuff. That (became) a factor. "There comes a time in my life where you have to turn the page." The 38-year-old known for his famous mullet was also a stalwart on Team Canada. He was drafted sixth overall by Edmonton in 1994 and spent most of his 18-season career in Albertas capital. He mixed grit with a scoring touch and became the face of the post-Wayne Gretzky Oilers, leading the team to a Stanley Cup final appearance in 2006. Smyth thanked everyone from former teammates to the Oilers massage therapist in a speech that saw the scrappy forward fight back tears. Sitting beside him at the news conference was Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish. "There are many players that have worn the Edmonton Oilers jersey, but there are no players who wore the jersey that had more passion than Ryan Smyth," MacTavish said. Smyth has 386 goals and 456 assists and 974 penalty minutes in 1,269 games heading into Edmontons Saturday season finale against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. He added 59 points (28-31) and 88 penalty minutes in 93 career playoff games. He also earned the nickname "Captain Canada" for his loyalty to Canadas mens national team. The team is preparing a tribute to the Banff, Alta., native during Saturdays game. Asked what hell miss the most about the game, Smyth said the it will be the journey itself. "Being on the ice surface, the adrenalin, the excitement, obviously your teammates," he said. "Ill for sure miss the guys." What was the highlight, he was asked. "Probably playing a thousand games and coming back and being an Edmonton Oiler." Teammates said he will be remembered as a blue-collar workhorse who made his living with a big stick in front of the net, deflecting and tipping in point shots and passes while taking a hellacious beating. Oilers winger David Perron said he grew up idolizing Smyth. "He was always around the net being greasy and scoring goals that everyone was like, How did that go in? Oh, Ryan Smyth scored again. At the end of the year hed have 30-40 goals," said Perron after practice Friday. Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens said Smyths trademark goals come from a mix of skill and guts. "Hes always in position but never stops the puck, and it makes it really difficult to see pucks because no matter which way you look it seems like hes there," said Scrivens. "Its a talent he acquired through hard work and just sacrificing his body." Smyth played at least 40 games as an Oiler in 14 of his 18 seasons. He blossomed in his first full season with the team in 1996-97, when he had 61 points (39 goals and 22 assists) in 82 games. Smyth was a steady force up front in Edmonton early in his career. The six-foot-two 191-pounder played a key role in the Oilers 2006 Stanley Cup run. Smyth had 16 points (7-9) in 24 games that post-season as the Oilers dropped a seven-game series to the Carolina Hurricanes. He was shipped to the New York Islanders at the trade deadline during the 2006-07 season. Long-term contract negotiations between Smyths agent, Don Meehan, and Oilers then general manager Kevin Lowe went to the 11th hour but the two sides couldnt reach a deal. With Smyth due to become a free agent that summer, Lowe didnt want to risk losing him for nothing in the off-season. Smyth said goodbye to Edmonton during an emotional news conference at the city airport. He played two seasons with Colorado and two more with Los Angeles before he asked Kings GM Dean Lombardi for a trade in 2011. A deal was finalized in June of that year. He has provided some veteran leadership on a young Oilers squad over his last three seasons. Saturday will be Smyths last chance to set a team record for power-play goals. Smyth and Glenn Anderson have 126 each, one ahead of Gretzky. Internationally, Smyth played at two Winter Games, helping Canada win gold at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. Smyth also won gold at the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and represented Canada at seven straight world hockey championship during his prime. Jerry Blevins Braves Jersey .com) - The Chicago Cubs reportedly signed recently-acquired outfielder Dexter Fowler to a one-year contract on Friday, avoiding arbitration. Rowland Office Jersey . 1 goaltender tonight when they conclude a four-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets. https://www.cheapbraves.com/843o-shane-g...-braves.html.85 million contract with the two-time Gold Glove outfielder. Parra earned his second Gold Glove last season when he set a club record with 17 outfield assists. Chipper Jones Braves Jersey . It was a loss. But it was also a learning experience. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 24 points each to lift Brooklyn to a 94-87 win over the Raptors, making their first playoff appearance since 08. "I thought we played a little bit as expected as it is our first playoff game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. Grant Dayton Braves Jersey .Y. -- As if the worst start in franchise history isnt bad enough, Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black braced his teams win-starved fans for potentially more tough times.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- At least three groups, including Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula, have entered final negotiations to buy the Buffalo Bills. Three people close to discussions told The Associated Press on Tuesday that New York City real estate mogul Donald Trump and a Toronto-based group led by rocker Jon Bon Jovi also have received formal documents in advance of a deadline for bids to be submitted by Monday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the sale is being conducted privately. Two other people familiar with the process say former Sabres owner Tom Golisano is not prepared to submit a bid. Proskauer Rose, the law firm representing late-Bills owner Ralph Wilsons estate, distributed what are called purchase agreements to each of the groups. The agreements are binding documents that require groups to submit a formal bid as well as establish the terms and conditions of a potential sale. The team is being sold after Wilson -- the Bills founder and Hall of Fame inductee -- died in March. The Pegulas remain the front-runners. They have a net worth of more than $3.5 billion, and have the support of local business leaders and public officials because of their commitment to keep the Bills in western New York. The Bon Jovi group remains intact despite several recent reports of itt splintering.dddddddddddd The group is rounded out by Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and the Rogers family, which controls Rogers Communications. The biggest obstacle that has consistently faced Bon Jovi and his partners is the question regarding their intentions to possibly relocate the franchise north of the border. Under the Bills lease that runs through the 2022 season, the team is essentially locked into playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium through the 2019 season. There is a one-time exception that would allow them to break the agreement for just under $28.4 million in 2020. Attorneys representing each of the groups have spent the past week exchanging information with Proskauer Rose in order to complete the 80-page documents. The bidding process will remain open for groups to increase their bids until a candidate is selected. Once identified, the prospective owner would have to go through an extensive background check conducted by an NFL-contracted security firm. The candidate would then need two-thirds majority approval from the leagues 31 owners. Its unclear whether the sale and vetting process can be completed in time for league meetings early next month. The approval may have to be pushed back to NFL meetings scheduled for December. ' ' '