Buffalo Sabres History

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Here's what Paul Wieland, long-time PR Director of the Sabres (when they were good) and creator of the Taro Tsujimoto hoax, recently said about the Pegulas:

“Nine years ago, Terry Pegula bought the Sabres and promised he was going to win a Stanley Cup in three years,” Wieland said. “They haven’t made the playoffs yet. Does that give you any idea about the competence of the man that owns the team as far as getting the right people in charge? I think it should. I am a fan and I am disgusted.

“I look at the roster right now, and it’s like an augmented American League team. And they don’t have anyone in the minors right now except one goalie. I don’t know where we are after nine years. I’m a lifelong fan. I was there at the beginning, I want them to win. But I am so disgusted as a fan. What you have to pay as a fan to go see that is obscene. They’re terrible, and every year he raises the prices.”

West Seneca native reflects on dual career in hockey, hoaxes | West Seneca Bee
 

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Here's what Paul Wieland, long-time PR Director of the Sabres (when they were good) and creator of the Taro Tsujimoto hoax, recently said about the Pegulas:

“Nine years ago, Terry Pegula bought the Sabres and promised he was going to win a Stanley Cup in three years,” Wieland said. “They haven’t made the playoffs yet. Does that give you any idea about the competence of the man that owns the team as far as getting the right people in charge? I think it should. I am a fan and I am disgusted.

“I look at the roster right now, and it’s like an augmented American League team. And they don’t have anyone in the minors right now except one goalie. I don’t know where we are after nine years. I’m a lifelong fan. I was there at the beginning, I want them to win. But I am so disgusted as a fan. What you have to pay as a fan to go see that is obscene. They’re terrible, and every year he raises the prices.”

West Seneca native reflects on dual career in hockey, hoaxes | West Seneca Bee
Thanks for sharing this. I started following the Sabres in 1970 as a kid. Paul Weiland actually answered my correspondence once when I wrote to him about obtain Sabre decals for my helmet, etc.. It is depressing to read his remarks - which I respect - and step back and see just how far this franchise has fallen.

Yes, ownership and management IS the problem. It appears we have become a Mickey Mouse organization..
 

Buffaloed

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Harry Neale 2007-2013
Hired: HARRY NEALE JOINS SABRES BROADCAST TEAM
Fired: Harry Neale Gone From Buffalo

Inside the Sabres: At age 80, hockey is still funny business for Harry Neale
Harry Neale recently turned 80, so I wished him happy birthday.
“Thanks,” he said. “I just wish the funeral homes would stop calling me.”
Then he told another joke. Then another.
Every place needs someone to provide comic relief. In the Sabres’ press box, Neale is the man.

The freshly minted octogenarian and Hall of Fame announcer still blesses Buffalo’s arena with his recognizable voice. He’s not behind a microphone anymore, but he’s a fixture near the broadcast booth. Announcers, scouts, former coaches and current players stop by his seat in KeyBank Center for chats and laughs.

He'll be 83 March 9. Never did get the story on why he was let go. He lost a little off his fastball by then, but so did RJ. He was still far above Rayzor level. The Sabres could have used some comic relief in the booth instead of on the ice for the last 8 years.


“The real reason I came to Buffalo was I found out that you get 24 beers for half the price that you could in Canada,” he said.
Thankfully, the jokes don’t stop. He worked them in while recalling every phase of his life:
*Neale was a high school teacher during the early 1960s in Hamilton, Ont.
“I thought I was going to be a teacher for the rest of my life. I enjoyed teaching nuclear physics,” he said. “No, I enjoyed teaching physical education and social studies.”

It's arguable that he's a Sabres icon, but he sure was memorable. Make sure your javacript is enabled so the BN article counter works.


 

Buffaloed

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Column: Sean Kirst: For Sabres legend Joe Crozier, there was glory in coaching – and in stepping away
Many sides of a champion: How legendary hockey coach Joe Crozier put family first

Joe Crozier’s memories were established over almost 90 years. A few, in mysterious ways, explode toward the surface.

One tale is especially dominant, three words he shared last week, repeatedly, even as I shook his hand in his Amherst living room.

Thank you, Sabres.

“Oh, it was the greatest thing going, the greatest thing ever,” said Crozier, 89, who began to show the first signs of an accelerating dementia about five years ago.

There's no disputing that Joe Crozier's status as one of the greats in the history of the Sabres

As the Crow flies: A hockey timeline of Joe Crozier's incredible career
 

Buffaloed

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Roger Crozier checks all the boxes for icon status
One for the Ages: Roger Crozier’s 1970-71 NHL Season
There was no player more valuable to the Buffalo Sabres in their first two or three years of the franchise than the acrobatic Roger Crozier. Oftentimes heralded as “The Artful Dodger” in between the pipes for the Sabres, the diminutive 5-foot-8, 160-pound goaltender truly lived up to the moniker. If you watch old footage of Crozier’s career, there were times that he used his goal crease in the way a gymnast might use a balance beam. He would leap through the air to make saves, swing with one arm hung from the crossbar so that he could quickly change direction, or even hook onto one of his goalposts to pull himself across to make a save.

He gave the expansion Sabres instant respectability.
 

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Two words - Mike Robitaille

The guy was all guts and old time hockey when he played. Afterwards, as Sabres color guy, brought great insight and entertainment to the broadcast. I used to enjoy him on the extended post game show with Brian Blessing. After the TV days were over, he did appearances on WNSA and WGR which were always great listens. I remember one story he told about Eddie Shack. Shack got called for a delayed penalty. During the rather long delay, he left the ice. When the Sabres gained possession and the delay was over, the Ref cam to the Sabres bench to get Shack to go to the box. But Shack was "gone". He actually laid down on the floor of the the players bench and rolled under the bench to hide from the Ref. To hear Roby tell was hysterical.
 

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Roger Crozier checks all the boxes for icon status
One for the Ages: Roger Crozier’s 1970-71 NHL Season
There was no player more valuable to the Buffalo Sabres in their first two or three years of the franchise than the acrobatic Roger Crozier. Oftentimes heralded as “The Artful Dodger” in between the pipes for the Sabres, the diminutive 5-foot-8, 160-pound goaltender truly lived up to the moniker. If you watch old footage of Crozier’s career, there were times that he used his goal crease in the way a gymnast might use a balance beam. He would leap through the air to make saves, swing with one arm hung from the crossbar so that he could quickly change direction, or even hook onto one of his goalposts to pull himself across to make a save.

He gave the expansion Sabres instant respectability.

I loved watching Crozier play. He brought a level of excitement to the goaler position that was not common during that era. Too bad about his health issues.
 

Buffaloed

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Sabres of Yesterday | Conversation with Dixon Ward

A key member of the Sabres’ 1999 Stanley Cup Finals run spoke to us about his time in Buffalo, and his hockey career in general

Q&A Article. Here's how it ends:

Before the conversation ended, Ward asked to make a final statement addressing the state of the fan base, and express his fondness, and desire to see the Sabres organization back to where it once was.

DW:
“I do just want to add one thing before we finish. I know what the current climate is there in Buffalo and I don’t want to be involved in any of the negativity stuff. I had a great experience there. I have a lot of respect for that organization. I owe a lot to that organization and I hope that things turn around for them.”


 

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https://thehockeywriters.com/all-time-buffalo-sabres-team-part-two-defensemen/
Article was written July 24th, 2013

When you think of the greats in the Buffalo Sabres history it is sometimes difficult to pick out defensemen who have stood above the rest. However, in part two of this All-Sabres team I try to pick out who should join the goaltending tandem of Dominic Hasek and Ryan Miller in the six blue line spots. The six players that made the list are all there for specific reasons, but with the Sabres franchise there really are no clear cut right or wrong choices when it comes to all-time team defensemen. Still, here are the six players who make this team.

Housley, Horton, Hajt, Woolley, Ramsey, Playfair

Woolley seems like an odd choice. He was 3rd pair guy that played on the PP.
Horton was well past his prime, had physical issues, and never played a full season with the Sabres. He's belongs on the Leafs all time team. No surprise the writer of the article is from Ontario.

It is often tough to rate how effective a defenseman was during his career at keeping the puck out of his own net. Plus/minus is the best indicator we have to go on. When looking at the plus/minus of Sabres defensemen, no one could come close to Hajt. Much like Housley in the offensive categories, Hajt’s plus/minus is nearly 100 points better than the second best. He finished his career as a +321 and was a life-long Sabre spending all 13 of his pro seasons (1973-1987) with the blue and gold after being drafted by them in 1971. His best offensive campaign was as a rookie when he tallied 29 points. He never got back to that mark, but developed as a solid defensive defenseman. His plus/minus is 15th all time among defensemen and 23rd overall. Hajt went into the Sabres Hall of Fame in 2000.

Hajt is criminally underrated.
Housley is criminally overrated. He's not a guy I'd want on my defense in the playoffs.
I think Ramsey was the GOAT dman on the Sabres.
Playfair isn't a bad choice.
 

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Buffaloed said:
Hajt is criminally underrated.
I'm old enough to have seen all of Bill Hajt's career, save his first season.
I don't think I ever saw him out of position.
He also had one of the slowest point shot releases I've ever seen for a Sabre. Combined with his his defense-first approach to the game, he rarely scored.
I remember one game - I think in EDM or CGY, because his parents were in attendance - he scored 2 goals in a 3-something Sabres win.
 

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I'm old enough to have seen all of Bill Hajt's career, save his first season.
I don't think I ever saw him out of position.
He also had one of the slowest point shot releases I've ever seen for a Sabre. Combined with his his defense-first approach to the game, he rarely scored.
I remember one game - I think in EDM or CGY, because his parents were in attendance - he scored 2 goals in a 3-something Sabres win.
My Dad told me during a game, "Play like him and you will always have a team to play on." I was six. Wore 24 whenever it was possible and always had a team to play on.
 

Royisgone

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Not sure who is underrating Bill Hajt! He was known as a great defenseman's defenseman throughout his career. And that was at a time when "offensive defensemen" didn't really exist, save a few.

I agree totally with Paul Wieland's take on Duff. "Smarmy" is a good word to use. His on-air persona is similar to a used car salesman, and nothing he ever says seems genuine.

I have heard him on-air with the Instigators on GR-55. He comes across very differently in that format and probably closer to his true self.

I think part of his problem is that he is a smart guy and pretty knowledgable about how the NHL works in 2020. But he is paid by one of the worst franchises in the league so he can't really describe things as they are.
 

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You say you have a little time on your hands? How about this exhaustive article about your favorite and mine, the criminally under-rated Gilbert Perreault.

This really puts things into perspective and shows the highs and the lows in his storied career...Gilbert Perreault: The Forgotten Frenchman
 
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There are pretty much only two things that gets everybody to stand up on the bench at the same time...a big goal and a big fight. Except for Eichel, the current Sabres organization does neither.

But here are many of the big goals from when the Sabres used to score them.

In the first video, Mogilny is the star at 2:48. Check out the call by the legendary Ted Darling! He's almost laughing. It's so great to be reminded what a great broadcaster Darling was. Not so much Gurtler, who was forced in there when Darling was diagnosed with Picks Disease during a time where the Sabres probably had their greatest collection of offensive talent.

There are hardly any of the spectacular Gilbert Perreault goals but if you go to 6:43 of the third video, you can see what a dominant skater Perreault was. He routinely had several moves on the same play and on this one, he beats an entire team all by himself, like usual.

There are many great Sabres goals not included in this compilation, like May Day and Pominville, but you can sense the excitement that having a deep collection of skilled goalscorers and playmakers used to generate before the cursed Pegula Era.





 
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Did anybody follow the story of Mike Robitaille's missing championship ring from the Buffalo Bisons in 1970?

Apparently it was stolen and he considered it lost until only recently when he got a call from a sports collectibles store in Vancouver. Apparently somebody sold it to the dealer. Robitaille asked if the store could describe the person who sold it to them and he said that the person he described "fit to a tee" one of his old teammates on the Bisons and the Canucks, where Roby played between '74-77. But Robitaille refused to say who it was.

I looked and the only three guys who played with Robitaille on both teams in that time period was Orland Kurtenbach, Sheldon Kannegeiser and Wayne Maki, who was part of the brutal stick-swinging match with Ted Green in 1969, but died in 1974 while with the Canucks.

Former Sabre Mike Robitaille grateful for return of lost championship ring
 
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Dex

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I did not see that a former Bisons player might have been involved unless I missed it somewhere else in the article. From the article:

“The description fit one of my (Vancouver) teammates to a T,” Robitaille said, “so I know who it was. I’m not going to tell you his name, but he was in my room in New York the night it disappeared, before we all went out for drinks or dinner.”​
 

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