What are you sentimental about that no one else would be?

[Killion]

That's how much the team meant to us in Buffalo in 1974....

Have you ever seen an original Buffalo Bisons (founding members of the AHL) jersey circa 1936/37 Howie?...... Flyers colors. Body orange with white, black & beige trim, the Buffalo itself in a dark brown with the word BISONS over the top of it. Seriously nicely done.... I saw one recently and was somewhat taken aback as one always think of the Bisons & Sabres, Buffalo' being blues... red-white & blue, blue & gold with a bit of white with the exception of those horrid dark jerseys they wore for awhile, stylized Bison head. A look more suited to a modified hydroplane.... vehicle of some sort. I'm guessin you dont miss those uh?

 

[blood gin]

Smaller center ice logos. Nowadays pretty much ever team has it's massive logo fill out the center ice circle. I like the smaller logos. More white ice.

 

[Killion]

Smaller center ice logos. Nowadays pretty much ever team has it's massive logo fill out the center ice circle. I like the smaller logos. More white ice.

... totally agree... and when the only addition to the ice would be "Seasons Greetings" in some of the buildings during the Holiday Season & that was it. Thing is, its just gotten so far out of control, crass, in your face combined with Rink Board ads', behind the benches & penalty boxes, up the stairwells, on stanchions & more recently if watching on TV the virtual ad's put up behind the nets in the end zones.... the buildings themselves all cookie cutter, all the same, if they didnt supersize their logo's at Center & with 3rd jerseys etc, Home could be wearing a lighter jersey... easy to make the mistake the games being played elsewhere & thats beyond pathetic.

 

[Tarantula]

I wish the home team wore white jerseys, more variety as the road teams would look that much different. Guess Bettman feels if the NFL does it.......

 

[Boxscore]

Smaller center ice logos. Nowadays pretty much ever team has it's massive logo fill out the center ice circle. I like the smaller logos. More white ice.

While we're at it - how about clean white ice and white boards, with two small logos. I loved the clean ice. Focus on the real product - the players.

 

[blood gin]

While we're at it - how about clean white ice and white boards, with two small logos. I loved the clean ice. Focus on the real product - the players.

exactly. I don't need the massive sensory overload of all the colors and ads and such. But watching games up until the late 80's the focus was solely on the game.

And this subject of the puck being hard to see on TV. Well of course it is for some people when you have all this color and paint and massive logos everywhere on the ice. If the puck is brought over a darker ad or logo it can get lost for a second to the untrained eye.

 

[Boxscore]

exactly. I don't need the massive sensory overload of all the colors and ads and such. But watching games up until the late 80's the focus was solely on the game.

And this subject of the puck being hard to see on TV. Well of course it is for some people when you have all this color and paint and massive logos everywhere on the ice. If the puck is brought over a darker ad or logo it can get lost for a second to the untrained eye.

This used to bother me so much, but I've stopped investing emotional equity into it because there's no going back. This may be my biggest pet peeve in the entire NHL, and it's only going to get worse. Soon the NHL will be placed sponsorship logos on the jerseys, regardless of the spin and backpedaling they've been doing.

Look at how nice and clean this looks - easy to focus on the action

 

[Boxscore]

And, how about old school, brown goalie pads! Other than the Stanley Cup, is there anything more nostalgic in all of hockey? Have to love the vintage waffle board "blocker: with the white dots.

 

[Killion]

And, how about old school, brown goalie pads! Other than the Stanley Cup, is there anything more nostalgic in all of hockey? Have to love the vintage waffle board "blocker: with the white dots.

Absolutely. Should be MANDATORY that ALL Goalie Pads, Blockers & Catchers be tan colored and ya, they do make em'. Retro old school new school pads, gloves & blockers..... Also, skaters gloves. They too used to be tan. Then I think it was NY late 50's that first introduced the matching uniform colored gloves followed by Boston, Chicago & Toronto, only Detroit having the good fashion sense to maintain/retain the solid tan models into the 60's....

When I was a kid & I'm sure shared by many here, there was nothing more special than going into a sporting goods store & checking out the new lines of gloves every year, same with baseball gloves. All leather & ya, you had to break them in. The feel, the smell, everything about them. Brands like CCM, Winn Well, Cooper Weeks. All in the standard tan, the odd pair black & you didnt want that. Nowadays they use all manner of materials, no break-in required, but yes, would prefer it they were all.... tan colored...

Sticks as well.... while I'd prefer they outlaw composites etc, only wood allowed, at least make the composites with wood grain finishes rather than what they do with them, looking like something NASA meets Hasbro or Mattel Toys manufactures... with a $400 sticker price slapped onto them. Shocking, outrageous... Oh... and skates.... problem with the combination black & dark brown? Apparently so... then we get into hard cap shoulder & elbow pads, oversized goalies & goalie equipment, the idiot trapezoid.... on & on & on.

 

[HawkNut]

Hawk, the McFarlanes are great! But you're lucky you're not old enough to remember the Starting Lineup figures!

Actually, I do, but I collected baseball and football starting lineups.

 

[DowntownBooster]

I wish the home team wore white jerseys, more variety as the road teams would look that much different. Guess Bettman feels if the NFL does it.......

Maybe he should look to the Dallas Cowboys instead. They always wear white at home.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Hawk, the McFarlanes are great! But you're lucky you're not old enough to remember the Starting Lineup figures!

I have had a Scott Stevens Starting Lineup figure in the backseat of my car for two years. I forgot that I already had him, bought him again, and then never took him upstairs. I could put him in my equipment bag, but I don't know if it's bad luck to mix Devils with Mighty Ducks colors.

 

[Johnny Engine]

I have had a Scott Stevens Starting Lineup figure in the backseat of my car for two years. I forgot that I already had him, bought him again, and then never took him upstairs. I could put him in my equipment bag, but I don't know if it's bad luck to mix Devils with Mighty Ducks colors.

Try it. If you accidentally deflect a going-wide dump-in into your net while dropping your stick, then it's bad luck.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Have you ever seen an original Buffalo Bisons (founding members of the AHL) jersey circa 1936/37 Howie?...... Flyers colors. Body orange with white, black & beige trim, the Buffalo itself in a dark brown with the word BISONS over the top of it. Seriously nicely done.... I saw one recently and was somewhat taken aback as one always think of the Bisons & Sabres, Buffalo' being blues... red-white & blue, blue & gold with a bit of white with the exception of those horrid dark jerseys they wore for awhile, stylized Bison head. A look more suited to a modified hydroplane.... vehicle of some sort. I'm guessin you dont miss those uh?

I personally only remember the jerseys The Bisons wore in the mid to late sixties, with the Pepsi Bottle themed logo. We both know the story of The Pastor brothers owning The Bisons and Pepsi Bottling - Buffalo. (Sold to Pepsi Corporate a couple years back. I drive by the place every day on my way home from work.)

Before The Blade is a great book detailing the history of The Buffalo Hockey Bisons, and The Buffalo Hockey Majors. A must read for Buffalo hockey fans; well the real fans of the sport that is.

It is a year by year chronicle of the seasons. Synopsis of how the season went, who we affiliated with, and who played, and their statistics. Also posts the (mostly) AHL standings for the season.

Included in the pictures is the the various uniforms; and the 36/37 kits are in there I believe! Black and white though.

Very cool stuff indeed....

 

[Howie Hodge]

1932 Bisons on left, replica vintage on right.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Nice collection someone has here... (Sans the Slug Jersey..)

 

[Howie Hodge]

When I was a kid & I'm sure shared by many here, there was nothing more special than going into a sporting goods store & checking out the new lines of gloves every year, same with baseball gloves. All leather & ya, you had to break them in. The feel, the smell, everything about them. Brands like CCM, Winn Well, Cooper Weeks. All in the standard tan, the odd pair black & you didnt want that. Nowadays they use all manner of materials, no break-in required, but yes, would prefer it they were all.... tan colored...

Man new gloves smelled sooooo good when new! A couple wears, especially if leaving them in your bag by mistake, and they smelled soooooo bad!

My favorites were the old Jofa 950's, which quite a few defensemen wore. Black, from probably 1979.... Still have em, and if I ever shoot around again, they're going to be what I wear.

Killion; you remember the Jofa skates? I never tried them, and I'm not even sure they were available in North America. (Jofa 139's )

 

[Killion]

1932 Bisons on left, replica vintage on right.
View attachment 114751 View attachment 114753

Yeah, there we go Howie.... The photo I saw was of the top one, original & I assume made of wool which gave it a far richer & natural texture, much more depth than that replica and yes, I was surprised at the color selection as for as long as most of us can recall in living memory.... Buffalo's colors always in a primary of blue, red white & blue, blue & gold etc. Orange absent from the NHL palette (though still much in use at the minor-pro levels for many years) since the demise of the Hamilton Tigers until the Flyers came along, their logo & jerseys becoming an instant classic.... Must say, I love those early Bisons' Jerseys.

Amongst other fascinating facts & stories about the history of hockey in Buffalo were the venues the Bisons & cross-town rivals the Buffalo Majors played out of, namely the Buffalo Broadway Arena with the latter club. Originally built during the Civil War serving as an Armory, then converted into an arena, and apparently still standing though not used an arena anymore, those days long since passed however, can lay claim to being the oldest surviving building on the planet that housed professional hockey at one time (with all the fires you guys have had, wonder it didnt burn down decades ago huh? )... The Bisons however didnt actually play in Buffalo, they played across the Border in Fort Erie, Peace River Arena (as did the Chicago Blackhawks & Detroit Red Wings briefly), A 5000 seater that collapsed leaving the Bisons homeless, suspending play from the AHL until Jeremy Jacobs father Louis bought the team in 1940.... new home being the Aud.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Yeah, there we go Howie.... The photo I saw was of the top one, original & I assume made of wool which gave it a far richer & natural texture, much more depth than that replica and yes, I was surprised at the color selection as for as long as most of us can recall in living memory.... Buffalo's colors always in a primary of blue, red white & blue, blue & gold etc. Orange absent from the NHL palette (though still much in use at the minor-pro levels for many years) since the demise of the Hamilton Tigers until the Flyers came along, their logo & jerseys becoming an instant classic.... Must say, I love those early Bisons' Jerseys.

Amongst other fascinating facts & stories about the history of hockey in Buffalo were the venues the Bisons & cross-town rivals the Buffalo Majors played out of, namely the Buffalo Broadway Arena with the latter club. Originally built during the Civil War serving as an Armory, then converted into an arena, and apparently still standing though not used an arena anymore, those days long since passed however, can lay claim to being the oldest surviving building on the planet that housed professional hockey at one time (with all the fires you guys have had, wonder it didnt burn down decades ago huh? )... The Bisons however didnt actually play in Buffalo, they played across the Border in Fort Erie, Peace River Arena (as did the Chicago Blackhawks & Detroit Red Wings briefly), A 5000 seater that collapsed leaving the Bisons homeless, suspending play from the AHL until Jeremy Jacobs father Louis bought the team in 1940.... new home being the Aud.

Yep, when The Bisons moved to Buffalo in 1940, it left The IAHL with no Canadian teams. so the circuit renamed itself The AHL as it has remained since! Apparently most of the 1940 Bisons were players who had previously played for the now defunct Syracuse Stars.

The Pittsburgh Pirates also played some games at The Peace Bridge Arena in 1928 and 1929.

Broadway Arena still stands as a City Vehicle parking garage I believe. I have been meaning to check this out for years - and if it indeed still stands, I must have driven by it numerous times.

League Park, where the Cleveland Indians played a long time ago still existed while I lived there, and I never checked it out. So I will do so here, and if it's there, take and post a couple pictures here!

edit: "The Buffalo Broadway Auditorium is a former arsenal, United States Armory and indoor arena in the Ellicott District of Buffalo, New York. The building is currently in use as a public works facility called the Broadway Barns. The building housed boxing, bowling, indoor biking, conventions, circuses, concerts among other things. It is one of Buffalo's oldest buildings. It currently hold the title of being the world's oldest existing structure that has hosted professional hockey."

It was renovated after the fire, in 1948.

201 Broadway. May check it out this weekend!

 

[Killion]

Man new gloves smelled sooooo good when new! A couple wears, especially if leaving them in your bag by mistake, and they smelled soooooo bad!

My favorites were the old Jofa 950's, which quite a few defensemen wore. Black, from probably 1979.... Still have em, and if I ever shoot around again, they're going to be what I wear.

Killion; you remember the Jofa skates? I never tried them, and I'm not even sure they were available in North America. (Jofa 139's )

Jofa in Canada, Toronto area at least came along early 70's, skaters sticks, no Goalie sticks so no, I never actually used any of that make. Sticks pretty much down to a choice of either CCM, Sher-Wood, Sherbrooke, Victoriaville, Hespeler, Northland's not readily available as most of their production sold in the US. There were also Wallys', a decidedly down market stick, cheap, heavy, the notoriously penurious Eddie Shore (and other minor-pro & junior clubs) buying them in bulk for his Springfield Indians.

In the late 60' early 70's, Carl Brewer (a Toronto boy) who had taken a sort of "sabbatical" to Finland where he Coached & Played (a folk hero to this day over there) returned & opened up a store on Yonge Street in North York not far from where I grew up, importing & selling European made sticks, I believe the first in Canada to do so. Vaguely do recall Jofa amongst others, Montreal Surprise & Torspo. Louiseville (Slugger) had also entered the market at that time having bought out Hespeler who also produced the aforementioned Wallys.

Skates, CCM Tacks the most popular brand followed by Bauer then Daoust's. You had private label stuff like Playmaker (made for Canadian Tire) & Eatonia (made for Eatons) and so on, Jelinek after former figure skater Otto Jelinek & other smaller boutique type brands similar to what you guys had in the States with major department stores getting Spalding or whomever to produce gloves, skates, branded with their own names or a name they'd use for sporting goods... Goalie equipment, limited. CCM & Cooper Weeks in Ontario, in Quebec, you could also get D&R, a small shop in Hamilton, the home of the famous Pop Kenesky & Kenesky Sports which is still operating making custom pads that almost all minor-pro to NHL players used, had made custom from the 40's on through the 60's until the then Cooper Weeks became Cooper Canada & began producing a fantastic full line of goalie equipment including pads of course.

But no, the Euro lines, skates, gloves & other equipment, helmets & so on, that all hit after I'd stopped playing. Did see the beginning of it though, Carl Brewers spartan shop, weird lookin sticks but obviously quite excellent. Light, responsive. Remember checking them out. Had a Buddy who was Finnish & he bought a bunch of them as did others who I played with or against. Very much a novelty item at that time. New.

 

[Howie Hodge]

It was Doug And Tom Reid's in Ft. Erie, and Cuppalo's in Niagara Falls I remember having cool selections!

First Line Hockey was good in Buffalo, and of course, Great Skate still thrives; largely in part to their vision of the importance of mail order and later the internet to sell goods. Ahead of their time. Tough business to survive in strictly s retail nowadays...

 

[Killion]

Yep, when The Bisons moved to Buffalo in 1940, it left The IAHL with no Canadian teams. so the circuit renamed itself The AHL as it has remained since! Apparently most of the 1940 Bisons were players who had previously played for the now defunct Syracuse Stars.

The Pittsburgh Pirates also played some games at The Peace Bridge Arena in 1928 and 1929.

Broadway Arena still stands as a City Vehicle parking garage I believe. I have been meaning to check this out for years - and if it indeed still stands, I must have driven by it numerous times.

League Park, where the Cleveland Indians played a long time ago still existed while I lived there, and I never checked it out. So I will do so here, and if it's there, take and post a couple pictures here!

edit: "The Buffalo Broadway Auditorium is a former arsenal, United States Armory and indoor arena in the Ellicott District of Buffalo, New York. The building is currently in use as a public works facility called the Broadway Barns. The building housed boxing, bowling, indoor biking, conventions, circuses, concerts among other things. It is one of Buffalo's oldest buildings. It currently hold the title of being the world's oldest existing structure that has hosted professional hockey."

It was renovated after the fire, in 1948.

201 Broadway. May check it out this weekend!

.... its still there Howie... absolutely. Just checked it out on google maps... huge place. Big 'A' frame roof, typical brutalist style architectural front that so many arenas of the era's that followed employed which I assume, looks like was added after the fire.... If you google search it with key words - Buffalo Broadway Auditorium images - you'll find photo's & lithographs of its original design, changes through the past now what, 170+ years?... incredible really.... thats its survived.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Yep, I did the same! I have driven by it many times without knowing it!

 

[VanIslander]

0-0 hockey games.

There have been 189 of them in NHL history (pre-shootout).

I've seen a few awesome ones!

 

[Canucks420]

I miss when faceoffs would happen on places on the ice that weren't a faceoff dot.