That's it, Peter Forsberg.
Take your curtain call. It's all over.
According to the Denver Post, Forsberg has been hampered by a lingering ankle injury and will not suit up for the Swedish national team after all. He planned to play for Sweden at a tournament this weekend.
"I have never been this close to quitting," Forsberg is quoted as saying on Swedish television.
That's not a bad thing.
Sign your retirement papers, Peter. Today.
This on-again, off-again drama seems to have reached its peak. Forsberg is done.
A couple of weeks back, I wrote how Eugene Melnyk should be looking to woo Forsberg to Ottawa in one final push for a Stanley Cup.
Scrap those plans, Eugene. Sink your money into something closer to a sure thing.
Forsberg is not the answer. Not anymore.
It would be like investing thousands in your old jalopy in the hope gals will give you one more wink as you cruise by. There is nothing left with Forsberg but nostalgia.
Sure, the paint job is fine but the engine is history. No sense on throwing him up on the hoist every week.
Fans yearn for a farewell tour from Forsberg because he was one of the greats. His accomplishments are the stuff of legend and he'll get into the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.
And they want a chance to say goodbye.
It's too late for that.