Michael Hanzeus - big man, nicer guy...

[SDS]

The captain of our adult team is a big Flyers fan. His 4 year old boy latched on to Hanzeus as his fav player after meeting him at a meet and greet. Well, MH got traded to Chicago and the little boy cried.

 

The father promised to take the boy to Chi-town to see him play. The boy asked if he could talk to MH again... The boy pesters the father to see what he can do....

 

The father writes MH a letter, explains the story, and asks if there is anyway to say hi to him at the rink. (MH is currently injured though.) A couple weeks pass by and the father's cell rings. It is MH and he leaves a message.

 

He calls him back. They talk awhile and agree that MH, his GF and the father/son will have dinner together before the game. They get to sit in the players family section and get invited into the locker room.... MH even offers to pick them up at the hotel room and take them to the game!

 

Just how cool was THAT?

[Two or less]

wow, very classy! Good story SDS. Handzus has always been a favorite of mine, even when he played for Philly, i thought he brought alot to the table and was a complete player. He's one of a few players in the league who i always dreamed would play in Buffalo, but that's awesome to hear.

[BuffalOhio]

That's just one of the stories I've heard about what good guys hockey players are in general.

 

Here's another. Back in 93, my buddy Dave had a heart attack while playing hockey. Dave's favorite player was Cam Neely. I contacted the Bruins and Cam Neely sent a personalized, autographed picture to Dave with the inscription, "To Dave, heads up!"

 

Just like when I witnessed Briere moving the nets for the zamboni driver after open practice last season.

 

Hockey players generally grow up 'right' because it's an expensive sport and they come from good parents with good values.

 

Players in other sports should take lessons from hockey players on how to act and how to treat people.

[Two or less]

The best pro-sports story i've ever heard of, is Josh Reed of the Bills.

 

It was 2, maybe 3 years ago, right before the season started. The Bills were in Buffalo and Reed and a teammate (i forgot who) went to a McDonalds. As they were ordering their food, 3 very young kids came in to buy their food. The kids seemed sad and one was crying (they were like 10), Reed asked what was wrong, and the kids told him his bike broke and how his dad was gonna kill him and how he loved his bike and blah blah blah.... Reed told the kids to stay in McDonalds and told him he'd be right back...... Reed left and returned like 20 minutes later, with a brand new bike.

[SDS]

Reed left and returned like 20 minutes later, with a brand new bike.

 

unfortunately, it slipped out of Reed's hands and broke the little boy's foot. The case is still in the courts...

[Two or less]

unfortunately, it slipped out of Reed's hands and broke the little boy's foot. The case is still in the courts...

 

:lol:

 

lol

 

Reed will never lose the butterfinger jokes, huh? lol

[niagara66]

unfortunately, it slipped out of Reed's hands and broke the little boy's foot. The case is still in the courts...

Musta been 3rd and 6

[DR HOLLIDAY]

Reed has been pretty good the last two years.

[cdexchange]

Reed has been pretty good the last two years.

 

 

 

Yeah he has, but that was still pretty damn funny :D

[That Aud Smell]

Yeah he has, but that was still pretty damn funny :D

 

one of the 10 funniest things i've ever seen on these boards.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

Yeah he has, but that was still pretty damn funny :D

 

Yeah I can give you that.............. :beer:

[drnkirishone]

I remember playing hockey at Sabreland and the last practise of the season for us so we are just scrimmaging and screwing around couches verses players type deal and the Sabres have the ice after are practise so of course they are all hanging around the boards talking and getting ready for there practise. Then Rob Ray, Donald Audette, and Jason Dawe talk to are coach and then come skating out on the ice with us they spent about a half hour playing some pond hockey with us with Audette and Ray teasing Dawe to no end cause of all the young ladies in the stands calling his name lol in the end all of the SAbres were either on the ice with us or talking to us along the boards was just a amazing expereince for a bunch of 12 year old kids....... I say all but thats a lie there was one Sabre that stayed at the top of the stairs (you old Sabreland alumni remember the staircase for the sabres) and refused to come down till all the "kids" were gone. I'll give ya some hints who it was. He got DUI here, he beat up a man in a floor hockey game in the czech republic and a buffalo sports reporter after a hockey game, But all the other guys were class acts

[SDS]

I say all but thats a lie there was one Sabre that stayed at the top of the stairs (you old Sabreland alumni remember the staircase for the sabres) and refused to come down till all the "kids" were gone.

 

Perhaps there was a court order in place?

[matter2003]

That's just one of the stories I've heard about what good guys hockey players are in general.

 

Here's another. Back in 93, my buddy Dave had a heart attack while playing hockey. Dave's favorite player was Cam Neely. I contacted the Bruins and Cam Neely sent a personalized, autographed picture to Dave with the inscription, "To Dave, heads up!"

 

Just like when I witnessed Briere moving the nets for the zamboni driver after open practice last season.

 

Hockey players generally grow up 'right' because it's an expensive sport and they come from good parents with good values.

 

Players in other sports should take lessons from hockey players on how to act and how to treat people.

 

I agree....I was fortunate enough to meet Jiri Novotny, Kotalik and Vanek when I had to make a delivery to his house. Myself and another co-worker went, and the guys were pretty cool. Kotalik was more quiet and reserved, didn't really have much to say, but Vanek and Novotny were really cool, down to earth people(Novotny's girlfriend from the Czech Republic is just SMOKING HOT, BTW). Jiri asked if we had been down to see them play, and I told him I went to a couple games last year, and my coworker told him he had never been down to the Arena yet. Jiri told him he should come down and see them, and the guy told him he would love to but he couldn't afford to since he had 2 kids at home and he was the only one working in the family. Jiri told him to give him his cell phone number and he would give him a call when he had the opportunity to get him some tickets to the game.

 

I was joking with him in the truck that Jiri was never gonna call him, and he was just doing it to be nice, and my coworker didn't think he would either. a few weeks ago, he was at work and Jiri called him and told him he had 3 tickets for him, his kid and his wife(the 2 tickets he was allotted and one of Vanek's allotted tickets) to the game the next night, and said when he got there to come down near the ice for warmups. When the Sabres were leaving the ice, Novotny skated over with Vanek and Kotalik and gave the guy a signed puck from all 3 of them and told him he hoped they enjoyed the game.

 

I thought this was awesome, and just shows how hockey players are totally different from most other sports players(at least most Bills), who could care less about anyone but themselves...

[BuffalOhio]

I agree....I was fortunate enough to meet Jiri Novotny, Kotalik and Vanek when I had to make a delivery to his house. Myself and another co-worker went, and the guys were pretty cool. Kotalik was more quiet and reserved, didn't really have much to say, but Vanek and Novotny were really cool, down to earth people(Novotny's girlfriend from the Czech Republic is just SMOKING HOT, BTW). Jiri asked if we had been down to see them play, and I told him I went to a couple games last year, and my coworker told him he had never been down to the Arena yet. Jiri told him he should come down and see them, and the guy told him he would love to but he couldn't afford to since he had 2 kids at home and he was the only one working in the family. Jiri told him to give him his cell phone number and he would give him a call when he had the opportunity to get him some tickets to the game.

 

I was joking with him in the truck that Jiri was never gonna call him, and he was just doing it to be nice, and my coworker didn't think he would either. a few weeks ago, he was at work and Jiri called him and told him he had 3 tickets for him, his kid and his wife(the 2 tickets he was allotted and one of Vanek's allotted tickets) to the game the next night, and said when he got there to come down near the ice for warmups. When the Sabres were leaving the ice, Novotny skated over with Vanek and Kotalik and gave the guy a signed puck from all 3 of them and told him he hoped they enjoyed the game.

 

I thought this was awesome, and just shows how hockey players are totally different from most other sports players(at least most Bills), who could care less about anyone but themselves...

 

 

Awesome story man!

[gregkash]

I was at the HSBC for a game one time, I don't remember what year, but it was between periods and my dad sent me to go get him a coke... and I had this tradition thing, where as soon as the first period ended, I'd run all the way around the arena because dammit, I could. That part is pointless to the story.

 

Anyway, I get in line for concessions and for some reason i turned around and lo' and behold behind me is one short mofo with a cross earring in his ear...

 

Yeah that's right, Thurman Thomas. I said hi, he said hi.

 

-------

 

I live in tallahassee fl right now for school. Every year this DJ has a birthday celebration called Demp Week. Why he gets a week to celebrate I do not know.

 

BUt anyway, I was at our mall visiting a friend of mine who works at footlocker.

 

So we're talking when in comes Edgerrin James and Larry Fitzgerald. I'm a little star struck but my friend isn't at all.. he actually looks mad..

 

So Edge and Larry are in there and I say hi.

 

And my friend still looks pissed. And Edge asks him whats wrong.

 

He says, "You ruined my fantasy season."

 

I was laughing so hard it hurt.

[Two or less]

I agree....I was fortunate enough to meet Jiri Novotny, Kotalik and Vanek when I had to make a delivery to his house. Myself and another co-worker went, and the guys were pretty cool. Kotalik was more quiet and reserved, didn't really have much to say, but Vanek and Novotny were really cool, down to earth people(Novotny's girlfriend from the Czech Republic is just SMOKING HOT, BTW). Jiri asked if we had been down to see them play, and I told him I went to a couple games last year, and my coworker told him he had never been down to the Arena yet. Jiri told him he should come down and see them, and the guy told him he would love to but he couldn't afford to since he had 2 kids at home and he was the only one working in the family. Jiri told him to give him his cell phone number and he would give him a call when he had the opportunity to get him some tickets to the game.

 

I was joking with him in the truck that Jiri was never gonna call him, and he was just doing it to be nice, and my coworker didn't think he would either. a few weeks ago, he was at work and Jiri called him and told him he had 3 tickets for him, his kid and his wife(the 2 tickets he was allotted and one of Vanek's allotted tickets) to the game the next night, and said when he got there to come down near the ice for warmups. When the Sabres were leaving the ice, Novotny skated over with Vanek and Kotalik and gave the guy a signed puck from all 3 of them and told him he hoped they enjoyed the game.

 

I thought this was awesome, and just shows how hockey players are totally different from most other sports players(at least most Bills), who could care less about anyone but themselves...

 

wow nice story!