Tribute Tim Connolly

[Buffaloed]

I thought it might be fun to make tribute threads to players from the past. This post made me think of Connolly.

Click to read more...

 

[Buffaloed]

Wish he had done this as a Sabre but it's still great.

 

[Myllz]

My favorite player from 05-06.

 

[Ness]

I thought he died or something before I opened this thread.

 

[member 311261]

My favorite player from 05-06.

Same here. I thought once he came back after that long concussion that he'd bring them to a cup. Unfortunately, he was never the same afterwards.

 

[CrazyMonkey1208]

I thought he died or something before I opened this thread.

Me too, I was thinking "oh no.."

 

[SundherDome]

Was the first player I liked and focused on. His ability to be so lethal in close and on the backhand was was elite, plus he could fly.

A small part of me was hoping Mitts could be him.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

He would be better than what we've been rostering as a second line center. Which makes me cringe. Connolly was a terrible defensive player and while his offense was high, it was as inconsistent as it comes. I wasn't a fan then, and I'm not one now. Give me a tribute to a player who wasn't as soft as a newly christened babies bottom.

 

[valet]

TC was a beast. Imagine what he could have been without the injuries.

 

[billsandsabres]

tim graham just did an awesome profile on him in the athletic. apparently he's been lying extremely low since leaving the nhl. fantastic read.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

I remember watching him in the young stars part of the all-star game and marveling at his hands.

 

[Tatanka]

His hands were otherworldly. Played with him in a summer beer league for pros and college players. What he could do against mere mortals was criminal.

 

[kirby11]

The opening goal Connolly scored in game 5 vs. Philly might be my favorite of that whole playoff run just because of how casually he walked in from the blue line to the high slot. I still remember the 3 or 4 Flyers players all backing off because they knew they'd get deked out of their pants if they stepped up. And then Connolly wired it top shelf on Esche anyway.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Wish he had done this as a Sabre but it's still great.

solid throw, that.

weren’t there rumors about TC’s off-ice habits while in Buffalo? I suppose we’re not supposed to speculate, I just remember hearing his focus was more on the nightlife/bars and it made me kinda sad, never knew if that was accurate or just conjecture though.

anyways, amazing player, I’m just glad he was back and healthy long enough to show us the player he was capable of being- I still remember that second big concussion, the one where he got rocked at the blue line by a Sens player and I just thought- f***, he’s done, seasons done- just one of the saddest hits I’ve seen live.

 

[Buffaloed]

Player who get injured all the time, especially good ones, drive me crazy.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Reminds me of Eric Moulds, in the sense that he could have have been an all time great with some what-ifs.

 

[Reddawg]

tim graham just did an awesome profile on him in the athletic. apparently he's been lying extremely low since leaving the nhl. fantastic read.

It was great. I live in Rochester and had absolutely no idea he did to. I played poker with him once at Turning Stone probably 10 years ago.

 

[Howie Hodge]

solid throw, that.

weren’t there rumors about TC’s off-ice habits while in Buffalo? I suppose we’re not supposed to speculate, I just remember hearing his focus was more on the nightlife/bars and it made me kinda sad, never knew if that was accurate or just conjecture though.

I ran into him in the day out at Jack Astors at Galleria Mall in Buffalo (Cheektowaga) a couple times. I can't account for how he was later on either night, but he conducted himself as most people do when out for a drink and socialization, from my conversations with him, and my observation of his behavior.

I've certainly observed members of the Bills who were further into the bottle than was TC, and I don't remember them being talked about.

 

[buffalowing88]

My all-time favorite player! He's the reason I really got into hockey and I tried to model my game after him (didn't work out nearly as well). The thing about TC that always irritates me is that people say he was "heartless". I don't understand that. He was our best two way forward (other than maybe Hecht) when on the ice after Briere and Drury left. He was incredible on the PK. He was the only guy on a really cowardly roster around 2010 who went after Scott Gomez after he ran Miller. These things stand out to me because it's ridiculous to call him soft just because he was injury-prone.

In addition to all of that, I think that had he not been concussed by Schaefer in the 06 playoffs, he was on his way to a Conn Smythe finish.

Anyways, thanks for posting this! I think Connolly is the most underappreciated post-lockout Sabre and the hurdles he went through to stay on the ice should not be a testament to his character as a player.

 

[joshjull]

I ran into him in the day out at Jack Astors at Galleria Mall in Buffalo (Cheektowaga) a couple times. I can't account for how he was later on either night, but he conducted himself as most people do when out for a drink and socialization, from my conversations with him, and my observation of his behavior.

I've certainly observed members of the Bills who were further into the bottle than was TC, and I don't remember them being talked about.

Imagine if social media existed during the Bills Super Bowl era.

 

[buffalowing88]

solid throw, that.

weren’t there rumors about TC’s off-ice habits while in Buffalo? I suppose we’re not supposed to speculate, I just remember hearing his focus was more on the nightlife/bars and it made me kinda sad, never knew if that was accurate or just conjecture though.

anyways, amazing player, I’m just glad he was back and healthy long enough to show us the player he was capable of being- I still remember that second big concussion, the one where he got rocked at the blue line by a Sens player and I just thought- f***, he’s done, seasons done- just one of the saddest hits I’ve seen live.

I think that whole squad had rumors around their nightlife habits. There are pictures somewhere out there if you Google long enough of Derek Roy passed out at a few bars and I know Miller was a regular at Mr. Goodbar along with Stafford. Connolly seemed to keep a low profile in terms of social media posts about him but I'm sure that he was a part of it. That's the hard part about being in a smaller market. Those guys were superstars in the city around 05-08. They were more famous in Buffalo than the Bills players. It's hard not to get noticed when you go out in that type of environment.

 

[JThorne]

I've personally run into Roy and Stafford out on Allen LATE at night on many occasions.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Imagine if social media existed during the Bills Super Bowl era.

You've got that right!

End The Curse from the old Sabres boards ran into four ELITE Bills players after midnight at a strip club in Florida - the Super Bowl about 17 hours from start time....

 

[BuffaloGooner]

My all time favorite Sabre. I’m convinced he would’ve been a top 10 player league wide if not for injuries

 

[stokes84]

Connolly getting concussed against Ottawa stands right next to wide right as the saddest moments in Buffalo sports history. If that never happens, we win the cup and he goes on to be a legend.