RIP Jimmy Roberts

[X. Benedict]

Jimmy Roberts died, I'm sad. From his time coaching in Buffalo and his returns he was at one time an aquaintance.

 

I once sat on a porch one night and we talked long one night about what his retirement from playing and what coaching was like.

 

He loved teaching the game in the AHL more than coaching in the NHL.

He was funny.

He was most grateful for his family and the friendships hockey gave him.

 

He played the game the right way.

RIP , Jimmy.

[Eleven]

I barely remember him.  Had to google.  What were the circumstances that led him to be the Sabres' interim coach?

[sicknfla]

I remember him but my first thought was the guy from ESPN.

[X. Benedict]

I barely remember him. Had to google. What were the circumstances that led him to be the Sabres' interim coach?

Scotty brought him in as assistant. And Scotty was going to focus on GM duties and Jimmy coached.. Jimmy was here about 5 years.

Edited October 24, 2015 by X. Benedict

[Johnny DangerFace]

Before my time but of course RIP. Glad you had some cool moments and memories with the guy and I'll read up on him today.

[Eleven]

Scotty brought him in as assistant. And Scotty was going to focus on GM duties and Jimmy coached.. Jimmy was here about 5 years.

 

Jimmy and misunderstandings kind of clash.

[X. Benedict]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. It took me by surprise. I didn't know he was sick.

 

5 time cup champ, 5 years on coaching staff in buffalo, Hartford coach. And one of the best checking forwards in the game.

[Eleven]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. It took me by surprise. I didn't know he was sick.

 

5 time cup champ, 5 years on coaching staff in buffalo, Hartford coach. And one of the best checking forwards in the game.

 

No--your explanation was fine!  It was a Seinfeld quote.  I saw the word "Jimmy" in writing a few times and instantly my mind went to that episode.

Edited October 24, 2015 by eleven

[Stoner]

eleven, my memory was foggy too. But I didn't google, I went to the bible of early Sabres history, Budd Bailey's History of the Buffalo Sabres. Here's the Jimmy Roberts backstory:

 

Bowman coached the first year as promised, 79-80, then for 80-81 his assistant Roger Neilson took over as head coach. Neilson had coached 26 games in 79-80 when Bowman was off doing GM stuff, and Neilson's 14 wins were credited to Scotty. The knock on Neilson, and it apparently went all the way to ownership, is that he coached a boring, defensive style. Perreault is quoted as saying that the defensive style cramped his own style and hurt his production. Neilson said he and Bowman fought a lot, and the players knew about it. Neilson urged the team to ignore the strife and just play. Shades of Muckler and Nolan.

 

Bowman traded Luce and Martin late in the 80-81 regular season, and the team was upset. They felt like they were another player or two away from contending. But according to Bailey, Luce and Martin weren't playing much anyway. The Sabres lost to the underdog Minnesota North Stars in the second round — even then the core was rotten, and Bowman, who was ZFG before anyone knew what it meant, was vindicated. After losing Game 3 in Minny, Bowman and Neilson had a huge fight in the parking lot of the Marriott, in a scene that sounds like it belongs in "Fargo." The fight was mainly over player usage and Neilson was effectively preemptively fired, his legs jammed through a wood chipper.

 

After thinking it over after the season, Bowman decided he wanted to hold Neilson to the last year of his three year contract, but the "powers that be" overruled him. The thinking from ownership was to "let him go." Neilson wanted to join Harry Neale in Vancouver. The suggestion was that ownership wasn't happy with "boring hockey" and wanted Bowman behind the bench. That's exactly what happened to start 81-82. After a coaching search that included the Sabres negotiating with Herb Brooks (too expensive, ownership balked), Bowman concluded he was better than anyone else out there. Think Dick Cheney's vice presidential search.

 

When the team started strong, Bowman stepped back and let Jimmy Roberts take over in December, after the big Gare-Schoeny trade. The team responded with a 10-game unbeaten streak. They were pushing first overall in the league. But a killer road trip tripped them up and the team started to backtrack. Bowman took over again in March, hoping to regain the team's January form. Jimmy kind of explained it away by saying he was never officially named head coach anyway.

 

It sounds like an absolute nightmare for all involved, even Bowman. But especially Roberts. Bowman was always hovering, a true helicopter GM. Craig Ramsay said he was disappointed in how the team played for Roberts, but explained that the players were always on edge with rumors that Bowman would be coaching again, that more big trades were coming. The Sabres got bounced in the 82 playoffs by Boston and the rebuild would really accelerate from there. Bowman was intent on starting fresh with a boatload of number one picks. Don't look, 2015, don't look.

 

Some fascinating side notes to all this: In December 1980 Bowman had a "done deal" with Edmonton to acquire Paul Coffey for Rick Martin. Bowman flew out there, but Edmonton balked when Coffey was named first star two games in a row. The next fall (1981), the owners of the Sabres and Canadiens negotiated a deal that would have sent Perreault to Montreal for Guy Lafleur. But Seymour nixed the deal, citing the fact that Perreault was still in great shape and Lafleur was known to be a smoker (interesting since everyone smoked back then). What a meddler Seymour sounds like! Finally, Neilson did join Neale in Vancouver as head coach Harry Neale's assistant for 81-82. Harry was suspended late in the season after a brawl with fans in Quebec, despite the fact he claimed he was never any closer than 45 and half feet from the nearest frog. Neilson took over, didn't lose, got the job full time, and took the Canucks to the final, while Neale would go on to be named GM.

 

Great stuff for a dreary Saturday morning!

[Eleven]

Great information.  Thanks.

[X. Benedict]

Thanks PA. As much as we battle a times, I consider you a friend, and that was a friendly thing to do today. I'm not sure if anyone knew Scotty better at the time than Jimmy , they were together in St. Louis, Montreal and Buffalo. (And juniors)

Edited October 24, 2015 by X. Benedict

[Neo]

R.I.P.   Those years were my early twenties ... when sports evolved in my heart and mind from the vision of heroes as a youngster to an understanding of human relationships and business as a young man.

 

I think everyone liked Jimmy Roberts, clashes notwithstanding.   Cool evening, X ... and great color, PA.

[Taro T]

Sorry to see that he passed on.

 

RIP.

[tom webster]

He always typified the supreme underdog to me. Hardworking grunt, not the best looking guy but the kind of guy Championship teams need and more importantly, by all accounts., a true gentlemen and friend.

[Stoner]

Paul Wieland has a blurb about Jimmy in his book, "Then Perreault Said to Rico..."

 

After talking about how quiet Red Berenson and Allan Stanley were, he writes:

 

"Jim Roberts was (their) polar opposite. As an NHL winger with St. Louis and later with Scotty Bowman in Montreal, Roberts was what coaches call a "grinder." He wasn't a good skater, wasn't a good scorer, and wasn't a goon. But he always held up his end in any fight and played a rugged defensive game. Jim was matched with the opponent's best winger, who he would try to obliterate into the ice or into the boards. Dogged as a player, Roberts was the kind of teammate who stood up in any situation and gave it his best. His heart was his best skill, and it gave him a solid big-league career.

 

Jimmy was loud, profane, and constantly chomping a cigar in his years as a coach in Buffalo. He was as much a cheerleader as an analytical coach, the same guy in his new job as he had been in uniform. The mercurial Bowman needed someone who could get through to his players on the personal side of things. 'You know Scotty,' Roberts would say to a player who came to him with a complaint about the way Bowman was treating him. Roberts was intensely loyal to Bowman, but he also served as the 'good cop' when Scotty played the bad one. Roberts was a free spirit, more likely to ride a tractor down a country road singing at the top of his lungs than he was to dine formally. And he truly loved cigars."

[dudacek]

Wasn't Jimmy the RW on the elite Jarvis/Gainey shutdown line during the early part of scotty's Montreal dynasty?

[Neo]

Mhhm ...

[cdexchange]

This hit close to home, as Jimmy's daughter is my wife's best friend and she knows the family well.  Funny thing is, she knew the man long before she had any idea what hockey was.  We knew he had cancer and we knew it was terminal but it still happened very quickly.  My wife was sobbing last night when they did a moment of silence in the FNC before the game (we were watching on TV).  That was unexpected and really cool for her. 

 

My wife wrote a nice tribute to him today on her facebook wall, and she gave me permission to paste it below:

 

Jim Roberts: A wonderful man:

If any of you saw the Sabres game last night, there was a tribute made to my best friend's dad; Jimmy Roberts. He was not only amazing in the hockey world; (5 time Stanley Cup winner) he was an amazing man who loved his family dearly, had an awesome sense of humor, and was very giving to others.

I can't remember the exact date that I met the Roberts family, it seems like I have always known them. Years ago, in the middle of nowhere where I used to live in Sardinia, NY, there was a piece of property right by my parent's house. From the road, you couldn't see anything accept a driveway that went back into the trees. There were no resorts, no fancy pools, nothing except 2 ponds, many acres of unspoiled nature and a log cabin.

The Roberts family made this property their oasis, their summer get away. As a little girl, every time that I saw the Roberts clan pull into that driveway, I knew that there would be weeks of fun. Corri and Vicki are the daughters of Jim Roberts. Corri and I are the same age, and almost instantly grew a bond. We would make up crazy dances and skits to show whoever would be watching...

So, about Jim: He loved to have huge bbq's at their summer resort, in-the-middle- of nowhere. (of course he was the master chef behind that bbq grill!). The fun and giving Jim Roberts would invite all of the neighbors down for a party. We never had to bring food or drinks, there was always plenty to go around. He and his family; so giving.

When I was growing up, I didn't really know what hockey was... here I was in the presence of a five time Stanley Cup winner, and had no idea! Jim didn't act like he was someone 'famous.'. In fact, it was only when Corri and I were a bit older that he once joked to me, "How can you be my daughter's best friend and NOT know what hockey is?" Of course, he was kidding. Well, I learned what hockey is, and knowing what I know now, I am in awe of what he accomplished.

I am thankful to have known Jim Roberts; he was a great man. By purchasing that property, in Sardinia (in the middle of nowhere), I have an amazing friend for the rest of my life. I love the Roberts family and I am sending my love now to Judy (wife), Vicki and her family, and Corri. He will be missed......

 

There was a VERY nice write-up about Jim in the St. Louis Post Dispatch yesterday, with some hilarious anecdotes and quotes that you old-timers will appreciate:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/jimmy-roberts-the-original-blue-dies-at/article_4aca174d-5513-525e-bbbe-ea848a9d0016.html

 

Also, next time you are down at the FNC, check out the picture on the plaque of the French Connection statue.  That's Jim chasing them into the zone:

 

RIP, Jim. 

[Stoner]

That's great CD. Thanks for sharing. And the historical footnote about the plaque is very cool. I'll check it out for sure next time.

 

Here's a short funny video about Jimmy. Turns out he shared an odd and very unexpected coaching habit with none other than Ran Ralston:

 

[X. Benedict]

This hit close to home, as Jimmy's daughter is my wife's best friend and she knows the family well.  Funny thing is, she knew the man long before she had any idea what hockey was.  We knew he had cancer and we knew it was terminal but it still happened very quickly.  My wife was sobbing last night when they did a moment of silence in the FNC before the game (we were watching on TV).  That was unexpected and really cool for her. 

 

My wife wrote a nice tribute to him today on her facebook wall, and she gave me permission to paste it below:

 

Jim Roberts: A wonderful man:

 

If any of you saw the Sabres game last night, there was a tribute made to my best friend's dad; Jimmy Roberts. He was not only amazing in the hockey world; (5 time Stanley Cup winner) he was an amazing man who loved his family dearly, had an awesome sense of humor, and was very giving to others.

I can't remember the exact date that I met the Roberts family, it seems like I have always known them. Years ago, in the middle of nowhere where I used to live in Sardinia, NY, there was a piece of property right by my parent's house. From the road, you couldn't see anything accept a driveway that went back into the trees. There were no resorts, no fancy pools, nothing except 2 ponds, many acres of unspoiled nature and a log cabin.

The Roberts family made this property their oasis, their summer get away. As a little girl, every time that I saw the Roberts clan pull into that driveway, I knew that there would be weeks of fun. Corri and Vicki are the daughters of Jim Roberts. Corri and I are the same age, and almost instantly grew a bond. We would make up crazy dances and skits to show whoever would be watching...

So, about Jim: He loved to have huge bbq's at their summer resort, in-the-middle- of nowhere. (of course he was the master chef behind that bbq grill!). The fun and giving Jim Roberts would invite all of the neighbors down for a party. We never had to bring food or drinks, there was always plenty to go around. He and his family; so giving.

When I was growing up, I didn't really know what hockey was... here I was in the presence of a five time Stanley Cup winner, and had no idea! Jim didn't act like he was someone 'famous.'. In fact, it was only when Corri and I were a bit older that he once joked to me, "How can you be my daughter's best friend and NOT know what hockey is?" Of course, he was kidding. Well, I learned what hockey is, and knowing what I know now, I am in awe of what he accomplished.

I am thankful to have known Jim Roberts; he was a great man. By purchasing that property, in Sardinia (in the middle of nowhere), I have an amazing friend for the rest of my life. I love the Roberts family and I am sending my love now to Judy (wife), Vicki and her family, and Corri. He will be missed......

 

 

There was a VERY nice write-up about Jim in the St. Louis Post Dispatch yesterday, with some hilarious anecdotes and quotes that you old-timers will appreciate:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/jimmy-roberts-the-original-blue-dies-at/article_4aca174d-5513-525e-bbbe-ea848a9d0016.html

 

Also, next time you are down at the FNC, check out the picture on the plaque of the French Connection statue.  That's Jim chasing them into the zone:

11155033_10206552796247938_1251445302599088844_o.jpg

 

RIP, Jim.

 

Thanks for that. I think I remember the fire at Sardinia too. My condolences to your wife.

[cdexchange]

Hey X, it sounds like you knew the Roberts family to some extent.  If you would like to get a message to them but are no longer in touch I'd be happy to help facilitate that.  Just throwing it out there...PM me if you're interested.  

Thanks for the video, PA.  Good stuff.