Tim Connolly: how good was this guy?

[dudacek]

Great read by the Athletic's Tim Graham on Timmy's time with the Sabres and where he is now (living a low-profile life in Rochester, seemingly healthy, and considering re-connecting with the old gang after effectively checking out of their lives).

https://theathletic.com/1669164/2020/03/12/what-happened-to-sabres-star-tim-connolly-after-7-years-hes-ready-to-explain/

Some interesting tidbits: he loved Buffalo, taking less money to stay here, and nixing a trade to the Hawks in 2009. Would have done the same again as a free agent in 2011, but the Sabres elected to chase Ville Leino instead.

His biggest regret was the Schaeffer hit knocking him out of the playoffs that year because he desperately wanted a cup and thinks he might have been the difference.

Maybe it was the third Miller Lite talking, or perhaps he felt more comfortable in a restaurant booth than in front of the cameras and microphones once more, but he does think that second head injury prevented Buffalo from winning its first Stanley Cup.

“There are two ways to look at it,” Connolly said. “One is the way I have answered it: ‘Woulda, shoulda, coulda. What’s the point of looking back now and dwelling on it? The guys made a great run and came up one goal shy of the Stanley Cup finals.’

“The other way to answer what I really believe: Yes, I would have made a difference. Is that proper for me to say? I don’t know.”

I'm in the camp that says a healthy Tim in today's game would have been a star.

With ten years of hindsight, what do you guys think is his legacy?

[bunomatic]

He was a great default avatar that people grew weary of. Also a very talented hockey player that had some concussion problems. When healthy he was fun to watch.

[Stoner]

1 minute ago, bunomatic said:

He was a great default avatar that people grew weary of. Also a very talented hockey player that had some concussion problems. When healthy he was fun to watch.

That was a board travesty.

[bunomatic]

3 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

That was a board travesty.

The avatar or the comment ? I personally hated the avatar but liked the player. 

[Stoner]

3 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

The avatar or the comment ? I personally hated the avatar but liked the player. 

Avatar. Great to hear Connolly is chain-drinking Miller Lites.

[Zamboni]

I’ve heard several Ex sabres say that he had the best hands on the team bar none. And among some of the best in the league for the time he played.
So I think of him as somebody who had their career cut short due to injury but was a very good talent.

[woods-racer]

Been a Tim Connolley fan since the time he played with the Otters.

Never personally understood the disfavor that fans came to because of his very well documented head injuries.

Was glad to see him for the reunion for the 2000's night and how well he looked and acted. This article is even better news.  

[darksabre]

26 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

That was a board travesty.

Easily the worst thing that came from this board in the 13 years I've been posting here. Just vile stuff that I deeply regret ever participating in.

[MattPie]

25 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

The avatar or the comment ? I personally hated the avatar but liked the player. 

The avatar was put in place as something to make people really want to switch to another avatar. He was almost universally hated. The avatar stayed well past news surfaced about is struggles and it seemed really distasteful until it changed.

I'm glad to hear he's doing well. And yes, healthy TC would have made a difference.

[That Aud Smell]

Peak Tim Connolly was among my top-10 favourite Sabres, ever. So, so fun to watch.

 

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, That Aud Smell said:

Peak Tim Connolly was among my top-10 favourite Sabres, ever. So, so fun to watch.

 

They mention he was about to turn 25 in that video. 25 When his career was never the same again.

Something to keep in mind the next time we try to justify the Jack years we've wasted with bad moves for bad players

[Lanny]

 

 

The goal at 3:20 was so big

[matter2003]

I had the pleasure of delivering something to Jiri Nvotny's townhouse, where Ales Kotalik and Thomas Vanek just happened to be hanging out. Nvotny was super nice and very talkative with us and Vanek was prety cool too, but Kotalik was an absolute D-Bag.  Nvotny's girlfriend was there as well and OMG...she was stunning...from the Czech republic and just drop dead gorgeous.

Anyway, the point of the story is that we asked how Connolly was doing and Nvotny said he was feeling better(he was out with his long concussion at the time) and that he was one of the most skilled players he has ever seen and did stuff in practice that was just unbelievable. Vanek seconded that and said he was the most skilled player on the team...saying a lot considering that was the President's Trophy winning year for them....

Then Novotny asked if the guy I was delivering stuff with had ever been to a game and he said he hadn't...so he took his number down and told him he would leave tickets for him one day.  We both thought he was being nice and didn't really mean it...lo and behold 2 weeks later, the guy received a call from Nvotny and he let him know he left 2 tickets to the next game for him at Will Call for him to pickup...I thought that was super cool of him...

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by matter2003

[shrader]

38 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Peak Tim Connolly was among my top-10 favourite Sabres, ever. So, so fun to watch.

 

I initially read the caption as "stick goal" and thought "aren't most of them stick goals?".

 

And on another note, I always hated the weird midsection of those Ottawa jerseys.

Edited March 12, 2020 by shrader

[Weave]

I feel guilty for ever laying shade on Connolly. Its affected how I think of players now.  I can’t lay on players now like I did then. We never know what’s going on under the surface.

[SwampD]

21 minutes ago, Weave said:

I feel guilty for ever laying shade on Connolly. Its affected how I think of players now.  I can’t lay on players now like I did then. We never know what’s going on under the surface.

Ditto.

[Randall Flagg]

33 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

I had the pleasure of delivering something to Jiri Nvotny's townhouse, where Ales Kotalik and Thomas Vanek just happened to be hanging out. Nvotny was super nice and very talkative with us and Vanek was prety cool too, but Kotalik was an absolute D-Bag.  Nvotny's girlfriend was there as well and OMG...she was stunning...from the Czech republic and just drop dead gorgeous.

Anyway, the point of the story is that we asked how Connolly was doing and Nvotny said he was feeling better(he was out with his long concussion at the time) and that he was one of the most skilled players he has ever seen and did stuff in practice that was just unbelievable. Vanek seconded that and said he was the most skilled player on the team...saying a lot considering that was the President's Trophy winning year for them....

Then Novotny asked if the guy I was delivering stuff with had ever been to a game and he said he hadn't...so he took his number down and told him he would leave tickets for him one day.  We both thought he was being nice and didn't really mean it...lo and behold 2 weeks later, the guy received a call from Nvotny and he let him know he left 2 tickets to the next game for him at Will Call for him to pickup...I thought that was super cool of him...

 

My girlfriend's dad has delivered new sports cars to Vanek and Stafford and a couple others. He said that they were first-purchases for both of them, and they were both still starry-eyed when receiving them, cuz they were still basically just kids. "Can you believe it man, look at this HOUSE" 

[spndnchz]

1 hour ago, Lanny said:

 

 

The goal at 3:20 was so big

There was a small patch of water that didn’t quite freeze yet. Slowed the puck just enough to make that play. It was Glorious. 

[shrader]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

I had the pleasure of delivering something to Jiri Nvotny's townhouse, where Ales Kotalik and Thomas Vanek just happened to be hanging out. Nvotny was super nice and very talkative with us and Vanek was prety cool too, but Kotalik was an absolute D-Bag.  Nvotny's girlfriend was there as well and OMG...she was stunning...from the Czech republic and just drop dead gorgeous.

Anyway, the point of the story is that we asked how Connolly was doing and Nvotny said he was feeling better(he was out with his long concussion at the time) and that he was one of the most skilled players he has ever seen and did stuff in practice that was just unbelievable. Vanek seconded that and said he was the most skilled player on the team...saying a lot considering that was the President's Trophy winning year for them....

Then Novotny asked if the guy I was delivering stuff with had ever been to a game and he said he hadn't...so he took his number down and told him he would leave tickets for him one day.  We both thought he was being nice and didn't really mean it...lo and behold 2 weeks later, the guy received a call from Nvotny and he let him know he left 2 tickets to the next game for him at Will Call for him to pickup...I thought that was super cool of him...

 

So did you go to that game or not?

[matter2003]

2 minutes ago, shrader said:

So did you go to that game or not?

No, he took his girlfriend

[shrader]

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

No, he took his girlfriend

You got screwed!?

[Hawerchuk]

I didn't have hate for Connolly, but I'll tell you who I hated with a passion in that Ottawa series: NEIL, ALFREDSSON and EMERY!!!

[Weave]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

You got screwed!?

I’m not sure *he* was the one that got screwed that night.

[shrader]

8 minutes ago, Weave said:

I’m not sure *he* was the one that got screwed that night.

So even though he already had the stunning girlfriend, Novotny stole matter's co-worker's GF too?  Some things just aren't fair.

[OhMyDahlin]

Damn, I really miss good Sabres hockey.

Those were some of the best years of my life...and I owe a lot of that to the Buffalo Sabres and the entertainment and excitement they gave me.

Sounds corny, I know.

4 hours ago, Lanny said:

 

 

The goal at 3:20 was so big

Serious nostalgia watching these videos...hopefully better days are ahead.