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. Cole Hamels Jersey . On Wednesday night, they showed that stellar defence and a little small ball can get the job done too. With pinch-runner Kevin Pillar aboard after Dioner Navarro opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, Anthony Gose dropped down an excellent bunt along the first-base line. Rougned Odor Jersey . 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Saturdays contest needed extra innings to be decided, and in the bottom of the 10th inning Danny Valencia got aboard with a leadoff single and Nolan Reimold plated him with an RBI double to lift the home team to victory. "It was a great day all the way around," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "It was really the only way to end it." It was the second comeback of the afternoon for the Blue Jays on the afternoon. In the bottom of the ninth, Dioner Navarro delivered a game-tying RBI single. Jose Reyes went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Marcus Stroman was outstanding, completing nine innings and allowing just four hits and two earned runs, but it was Aaron Loup (4-3) who earned the win with a scoreless 10th. For the Tigers, Max Scherzer dominated for eight innings, yielding four hits and one earned run, striking out 11 and walking none. After Joe Nathan blew the save in the ninth, Joba Chamberlain (1-5) gave up the walk-off hit. Detroit opened up a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning on a two-run double by Victor Marttinez, one of just four hits for the squad on the afternoon.dddddddddddd Tigers newcomer and Sunday starter David Price was strong in his Detroit debut on Aug. 5 at Yankee Stadium despite serving up a pair of home-run balls. He pitched 8 2/3 innings in the no-decision, allowing three earned runs with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. "(Im) happy its over and happy we won," Price said. "Finally feel part of the team." On the season, Price is 11-8 with a 3.11 ERA. He also leads the majors in strikeouts (199) and has issued only 23 walks. The veteran southpaw has won both his starts against the Blue Jays this season, allowing only two earned runs over 15 1/3 innings, and is 15-2 lifetime in 19 matchups with Toronto. Mark Buehrle will get the call for Toronto. After a hot start to the season, hes come back down to earth in recent weeks and now sits with an 11-8 record and a 3.27 ERA. Buehrle has given up four earned runs or more in three of his last four starts, including on Aug. 5 in a loss to Baltimore when he lasted just four innings, allowing 10 hits, three walks and four runs. The 35-year-old lefty has a 3.60 ERA in 70 innings at Rogers Centre this season. In 35 career games (34 starts) against the Tigers, Buehrle is 18-10. Cheap Jerseys Store Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap NFL Black Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '