Gilbert Perreault

[Marvelo]

Bobby Orr once said of Perreault: "His head and shoulders go one way, his legs go the other way, and the puck is doing something else. When I first saw it I couldn't believe it."

 

 

 

I had the privilege of seeing the great Perreault in many games I went to see him at the Aud and elsewhere and on TV. I must say there was noone like him. The way he could move was just unbelievable; the speed he would go end to end would make fans just stand up. He could do it all by himself.

 

I never saw any threads devoted to this all time great Sabre and just wanted to start one, just to see what anyone remembers.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I saw him play live and he was so deceptive and fast it was hard to keep up while watching live.

 

It was just as hard for the poor camera men (women) to keep up when the Sabres were on TV.

 

Greatest Sabre ever.

[Peter]

I still remember the expectation and energy in the aud every time he would skate behind our net to get the puck and accelerate up the ice and fake out opposing players.

[tom webster]

Gil Perreault, OJ Simpson and Bob McAdoo. The Golden age of Buffalo sports as the argument could have been made that those were the three most exciting athletes playing their respective sports at the time.

I remember when the NBC announcer asked Phil Esposito if anyone would break his goal scoring record and without hessitation he said Gilbert.

Good times. 
 

[Claude_Verret]

I feel privileged to have seen Gilbert play in person many times. He definitely had "it".

[Weave]

The only Sabre that had Perreault's ability to go end to end was Housley. But fans didnt hush in anticipation qhite like when Perrault had the puck on his stick.

 

Even if you werent paying attention you knew when Perrault was on his horse by the sudden hush in the stands.

 

Been waaayyyyyyy too long since we've "heard" that sort of anticipation.

[Tondas]

Favorite player ever.  Watched him since 1970.  The Sabres used to practice at Tonawanda Rec Center in NT in the mid 70s.  Saw him many times at practice.  He was quite the prankster in practice.  I think if he had more drive to be great and didn't smoke so much, he would have been top 5 great.

 

Best skater I ever saw.  He could go 10 feet laterally and lose no speed, or the puck.  Can't even think of a player since that compares to him.

[calti]

Favorite player ever.  Watched him since 1970.  The Sabres used to practice at Tonawanda Rec Center in NT in the mid 70s.  Saw him many times at practice.  He was quite the prankster in practice.  I think if he had more drive to be great and didn't smoke so much, he would have been top 5 great.

 

Best skater I ever saw.  He could go 10 feet laterally and lose no speed, or the puck.  Can't even think of a player since that compares to him.

Physical talent he was right there with Orr and Lemieux. You are correct he smoked like a chimney and didn't have the maniacal drive like gretzky.

[Jeanbe]

I still remember the expectation and energy in the aud every time he would skate behind our net to get the puck and accelerate up the ice and fake out opposing players.

 

I too was one lucky enough to see him play and remember we always were up on our feet when he picked up the puck behind the net andskated down the ice.  Amazing.

[Crusader1969]

I was lucky enough to see Perreault beat the Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens, don't remember the year but would have been late 70s.

 

I can remember him scoring from just over the blue line with a wicked slap shot. Unfortunately, goals like that one and the iconic Lafleur goal vs Boston aren't seen anymore in today's NHL.

 

Great person / athlete to have as a child hood hero.

[eman]

Coming from Hamilton, Ontario where almost all my friends and schoolmates were either Leafs or Habs fans. They would always ask me 'Why the hell are you a Sabres fan?" I flat out told them "I love the French Connection". The way they broke up ice and the way they could finish. They were my idols all 3 of them (and tough as nails Jimmy Schoenfeld- loved him too!) I have never looked back and while I may be seriously critical of this organization at times, I do bleed blue & gold and it is all because of them. Great times and I was fortunate enough to see them play live as well. :doh:

[French Collection]

He's the reason I'm a Sabres fan.

I am French and my family were all Habs fans and I was along for the ride until I was old enough to have my own team.

I saw him and his linemates play and was hooked. Nobody goes end to end anymore, he did it multiple times per game. His talent level was amazing. Today's game is different, the coaches would not allow that freewheeling game. The disparity of talent is not as wide either so your top players don't face as many pilons, like Brian Glennie etc....

Swashbucklers on ice!

[gilbert11]

Gil Perreault, OJ Simpson and Bob McAdoo. The Golden age of Buffalo sports as the argument could have been made that those were the three most exciting athletes playing their respective sports at the time.

I remember when the NBC announcer asked Phil Esposito if anyone would break his goal scoring record and without hessitation he said Gilbert.

Good times. 

 

 

I first started following sports in 1969 so it was great to be a Buffalo sports fan in the following years when the Sabres and Braves franchises started and Lou Saban coached the Bills and gave the ball to OJ.

 

Perreault stickhandling up the ice was awesome to watch.  I don't know if he could have been so successful in today's NHL with the defensive schemes.

[BagBoy]

I was fortunate enough to see Gil at the Aud a number of times from 1970-73. As a starry-eyed kid back then, obviously he was always the main attraction (at least on the Sabres). He was the first Sabre (draft-pick wise) and to this day I don’t think there is any other Sabres player who is more representative of this franchise. He was, and is, THE quintessential Buffalo Sabre.

So even though we’ve had this discussion here before, I can’t just sit here when some are questioning his commitment, because he smoked in the 70’s. The guy was a member of the ’72 Summit Series, the ’76 Canada Cup, and he was going bananas in the ’81 Canada Cup before he got hurt. He carried a 5-year old franchise to the Cup finals. He retired as the #6 top scorer of all-time.

Back in the ‘70’s nobody cared about smoking. Back then people were allowed to smoke on airplanes, grocery stores, buses, taxis, doctor’s offices, you name it. Cigarette commercials were on TV. The culture today is completely different, but that doesn’t make people who smoked back then ambitionless degenerates. Pregnant women smoked back in the ‘70’s, and if that’s when you were born, your mom might have been one of them, but you won’t hear me telling you that your mom was a bad mother, so don’t tell me Perreault was a slacker ‘cause he smoked. That’s like saying Don Draper could have been more successful if he didn’t smoke.

[eman]

I was fortunate enough to see Gil at the Aud a number of times from 1970-73. As a starry-eyed kid back then, obviously he was always the main attraction (at least on the Sabres). He was the first Sabre (draft-pick wise) and to this day I don’t think there is any other Sabres player who is more representative of this franchise. He was, and is, THE quintessential Buffalo Sabre.

So even though we’ve had this discussion here before, I can’t just sit here when some are questioning his commitment, because he smoked in the 70’s. The guy was a member of the ’72 Summit Series, the ’76 Canada Cup, and he was going bananas in the ’81 Canada Cup before he got hurt. He carried a 5-year old franchise to the Cup finals. He retired as the #6 top scorer of all-time.

Back in the ‘70’s nobody cared about smoking. Back then people were allowed to smoke on airplanes, grocery stores, buses, taxis, doctor’s offices, you name it. Cigarette commercials were on TV. The culture today is completely different, but that doesn’t make people who smoked back then ambitionless degenerates. Pregnant women smoked back in the ‘70’s, and if that’s when you were born, your mom might have been one of them, but you won’t hear me telling you that your mom was a bad mother, so don’t tell me Perreault was a slacker ‘cause he smoked. That’s like saying Don Draper could have been more successful if he didn’t smoke.

HERE HERE! Right on! They all smoked back then. LaFleur absolutely!!! It was a different era. Phil Esposito himself said: "The offseason was the off season, you didn't set foot on any ice" We used training camp to get ourselves into playing shape". Smokes was big back then.

[Marvelo]

Here are a few pictures of Gilbert with his idol Jean Beliveau, about 1970 or so.

[Claude_Verret]

Sabrespace old timers unite.

[Neo]

Old timer, indeed.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zqPA775tPvs

 

I found hockey, the Sabers, and Bert in 1970.

[Stoner]

Here are a few pictures of Gilbert with his idol Jean Beliveau, about 1970 or so.

Beliveau and Perreault even smoked together!

That’s like saying Don Draper could have been more successful if he didn’t smoke.

Yeah well, maybe he would have stopped a few more pucks.

[That Aud Smell]

don’t tell me Perreault was a slacker ‘cause he smoked. 

 

Agreed. Now what of Mogilny during his Sabres career?

 

Here are a few pictures of Gilbert with his idol Jean Beliveau, about 1970 or so.

 

That one on the far right - just look at what a beast the guy was.

[Stoner]

...so don’t tell me Perreault was a slacker ‘cause he smoked. That’s like saying Don Draper could have been more successful if he didn’t smoke.

I don't think anyone said that. "Drive" and smoking seem to be separate issues in this poster's mind.

 

My Perreault memory is through the eyes of my dad, who wasn't really a big hockey fan. We were at Game 4 of the series with the Flyers in 1978. Perreault one-timed a pass and scored. My dad marveled at how Perreault had his stick lifted and cocked and timed everything so perfectly. A different kind of Perreault goal for sure.

 

Edit: I just found the boxscore for that game, and of course Perreault didn't score. I could have sworn it was that game!

[tom webster]

I don't think anyone said that. "Drive" and smoking seem to be separate issues in this poster's mind.

 

My Perreault memory is through the eyes of my dad, who wasn't really a big hockey fan. We were at Game 4 of the series with the Flyers in 1978. Perreault one-timed a pass and scored. My dad marveled at how Perreault had his stick lifted and cocked and timed everything so perfectly. A different kind of Perreault goal for sure.

 

Edit: I just found the boxscore for that game, and of course Perreault didn't score. I could have sworn it was that game!

Isn't it funny how your mind plays tricks on you as you get older. I can't tell you how many times I could have sworn something happened in one game I was at when it actually happened in another.

[X. Benedict]

For me what always stuck out watching Gil was his elusiveness skating, he was basically untouchable, especially with his ability to move sideways. 

His peripheral vision was unreal. His strength was really underrated. 

 

This is how I seem to remember one game: I remember a game against the Rangers (maybe 78) in the Aud. The team was in the doldrums, the bench was short because half of the team had the flu,   and the Rangers were trying to run Gil. He just decided to hold the puck and skate that night to give other shifts a break. He would take the puck to the halfwall in the offensive zone and operated within a 20 ft. radius as everyone flew past him trying to get the puck, or get a body on him. Nobody could touch him. He could just sidestep people and circle. But the most amazing part of it, was Gil would stop moving and stand still until somebody tried to attack the puck.

 

Defenders would come at him with speed. 

Gil would sidestep. 

 

Defender would hit the glass.

 

Rinse, repeat. 

 

No wasted motion skating. Perfect economy of motion. 

 

sniff. sniff. 

[LabattBlue]

Perreault along with OJ and McAdoo were my boyhood sports heroes.

 

Perreault was AWESOME.  Enough said.

[BetweenThePipes00]

There are too many memories to list them all but one of my favorites similar to X's ... in his last full season (85-86) he was killing a penalty against some team with a bunch of young guys ... for some reason I think Detroit, Yzerman was young at that point, but I could be wrong ... anyway, he was out there against these kids and just held the puck in the neutral zone for what seemed like a full minute (it was probably 20 seconds but still) ... never passed it, never left the neutral zone, just danced in and out until the penalty was over, no one could take it from him ... he dumped it in and went to the bench to a standing ovation. He was 35 at the time ... which today may not sound like a big deal but at the time it seemed like an old man toying with the kids.

The next day it was all we talked about on the school bus and one kid named Sully on the bus was at the game ... It's crazy the stuff you remember ...