Best Sabres Defenseman Ever?

[Taro T]

He may have, but he didn't make the difference in 1999.

 

 

 

He went to Russia during the lock-out of 2005, but I believe his contract with the Sabres had expired at the end of 2004.

 

When he came back he signed a 4 year deal with the Islanders and was OK.  It really went down hill after that.

In '05-'06 he wouldn't have been handcuffed w/ F'n' "clears the puck ... not out." :censored:

 

Sabres gave him an offer in '04 which didn't end up getting signed. Darn lockout. Almost positive Isles offered him longer term after lockout which is why he bailed. Per season $'s in the 2 post-lockout offers were comparable IIRC.

[stenbaro]

 

 

 

He went to Russia during the lock-out of 2005, but I believe his contract with the Sabres had expired at the end of 2004.

 

When he came back he signed a 4 year deal with the Islanders and was OK.  It really went down hill after that.

Totally different team in 99, He had the ability to play 30 minutes if needed, he was well conditioned and played solid defense, he was rock solid in the corners and tough to beat in front of the net. At the end he couldnt hit the broad side of a barn with his shot but he could move the puck and play lots of good defensive minutes

[nfreeman]

Top pairing: Schoeny and Housley.  This is not negotiable.  Fire and magic.

 

2nd pairing:  Ramsey and McKee

 

3rd pairing:  Korab and Hajt. 

 

I wanted to include Soupy, but he was only good for 2.7 seasons as a Sabre.

[Marvelo]

Risto.

[BetweenThePipes00]

 

The bigger mystery is why Rick is doing TV with Ted, when Rick should have been on the radio. Were all games not on the radio then? Or... some early games were on cable TV and Rick did the play by play of those. Maybe Ted was doing color. But who was on the radio? Hmmm.

That video is amazing ... I think they somehow put the radio audio over the video after or something ... at around the 6:50 mark of the video Darling throws it to a commercial in the audio and says "This is Sabres hockey on WGR Buffalo" ... granted, channel 2 was also WGR back then but were home games ever on Ch. 2 back then? As far back as I remember Ch.2 had all road games and home games were on cable, but I was only 2 years old at this point ... 

 

For the record, I think Mike Ramsey should be the first D-man with his number in the rafters, so that sums up where I stand on that issue. Twice as many All-Star Games as Gare, played almost twice as long for the Sabres (14 yrs to 8 yrs). Played big minutes, all situations, against top opponents and was never a minus despite playing on some bad teams, including the 86-87 team that was last overall. 

[Stoner]

That video is amazing ... I think they somehow put the radio audio over the video after or something ... at around the 6:50 mark of the video Darling throws it to a commercial in the audio and says "This is Sabres hockey on WGR Buffalo" ... granted, channel 2 was also WGR back then but were home games ever on Ch. 2 back then? As far back as I remember Ch.2 had all road games and home games were on cable, but I was only 2 years old at this point ... 

Good stuff. I'm going to start a new thread for this, because it's fascinating to me, and must be to others. Games weren't on WGR TV until later in the 70s. I think the general understanding of the Sabres broadcast situation in the early days is all muddled. There's a Wikipedia page that seems to have a lot of bad info.

[That Aud Smell]

That video is amazing ... I think they somehow put the radio audio over the video after or something ... at around the 6:50 mark of the video Darling throws it to a commercial in the audio and says "This is Sabres hockey on WGR Buffalo" ... granted, channel 2 was also WGR back then but were home games ever on Ch. 2 back then? As far back as I remember Ch.2 had all road games and home games were on cable, but I was only 2 years old at this point ... 

 

For the record, I think Mike Ramsey should be the first D-man with his number in the rafters, so that sums up where I stand on that issue. Twice as many All-Star Games as Gare, played almost twice as long for the Sabres (14 yrs to 8 yrs). Played big minutes, all situations, against top opponents and was never a minus despite playing on some bad teams, including the 86-87 team that was last overall. 

 

Speaking of that dude - did you see the end of that YouTube clip where Gare gets into it with ... someone. Big dude. There's no audio with it, which somehow makes it all the more chilling and awesome. Like a Bigfoot sighting or something. Anyway. The guy he tangles with is 2 weight classes above him, and Gare just feeds him rights.

 

Oh, and your view on Ramsey's greatness is well-taken. #5 gave me my first real sports hate (not an IRL hate, LTS) when Dale Hunter took out Ramsey's entire front bridge of teeth with a vicious slash to the mouth.

 

Good stuff. I'm going to start a new thread for this, because it's fascinating to me, and must be to others.

 

Dooooo eeeeetttt.

Edited May 26, 2016 by That Aud Smell

[BetweenThePipes00]

 #5 gave me my first real sports hate (not an IRL hate, LTS) when Dale Hunter took out Ramsey's entire front bridge of teeth with a vicious slash to the mouth.

 

 

Dooooo eeeeetttt.

I was at that game! I have mentioned it before on here, I was like 13 and went with my grandfather and I remember it vividly because it was the first time I wasn't treated like a little kid at the game ... no buying me trinkets or all kinds of junk food, it was a Sunday night back end of a home-and-home we were there watch and talk hockey. Big debate on the escalator to the Oranges about whether they should break the back-and-forth goalie rotation and stick with Barrasso since he played in Quebec (they didn't, Sauve played). One of the Stastnys scored shorthanded I believe in the second, Cyr tied it on the PP in the third ... Hunter knocked out Rammer's teeth, Nords coach Michel Bergeron was all pissed about something and standing on the bench and got several beers thrown at him. Great game, ended in a 1-1 tie. Great times.

[That Aud Smell]

^ 

 

NICE!

 

Yet, I have a question: Why did you allow Dale Hunter to leave Buffalo alive?

[nfreeman]

Speaking of that dude - did you see the end of that YouTube clip where Gare gets into it with ... someone. Big dude. There's no audio with it, which somehow makes it all the more chilling and awesome. Like a Bigfoot sighting or something. Anyway. The guy he tangles with is 2 weight classes above him, and Gare just feeds him rights.

 

Oh, and your view on Ramsey's greatness is well-taken. #5 gave me my first real sports hate (not an IRL hate, LTS) when Dale Hunter took out Ramsey's entire front bridge of teeth with a vicious slash to the mouth.

 

 

Dooooo eeeeetttt.

 

It wasn't Pommer's fault, because it wasn't in his nature, but if Gare had been on the ice when Lucic steamrollered Miller, everything would've been different (and Lucic would've had enormous dental bills).

 

That move by Hunter is a top-5 moment of infamy in Sabres history.

 

I was at that game! I have mentioned it before on here, I was like 13 and went with my grandfather and I remember it vividly because it was the first time I wasn't treated like a little kid at the game ... no buying me trinkets or all kinds of junk food, it was a Sunday night back end of a home-and-home we were there watch and talk hockey. Big debate on the escalator to the Oranges about whether they should break the back-and-forth goalie rotation and stick with Barrasso since he played in Quebec (they didn't, Sauve played). One of the Stastnys scored shorthanded I believe in the second, Cyr tied it on the PP in the third ... Hunter knocked out Rammer's teeth, Nords coach Michel Bergeron was all pissed about something and standing on the bench and got several beers thrown at him. Great game, ended in a 1-1 tie. Great times.

 

Awesome. 

[Eleven]

I was at that game! I have mentioned it before on here, I was like 13 and went with my grandfather and I remember it vividly because it was the first time I wasn't treated like a little kid at the game ... no buying me trinkets or all kinds of junk food, it was a Sunday night back end of a home-and-home we were there watch and talk hockey. Big debate on the escalator to the Oranges about whether they should break the back-and-forth goalie rotation and stick with Barrasso since he played in Quebec (they didn't, Sauve played). One of the Stastnys scored shorthanded I believe in the second, Cyr tied it on the PP in the third ... Hunter knocked out Rammer's teeth, Nords coach Michel Bergeron was all pissed about something and standing on the bench and got several beers thrown at him. Great game, ended in a 1-1 tie. Great times.

 

That was a typical night for that guy.