Former Sabres Head Coach Joe Crozier Has Passed at Age 93

[Brawndo]

 

[Cage]

I recall when he was the coach and my father took me to some Sabres games.  After the game, fans would hang out by the locker room entrance and after the players showered/changed they would exit through the locker room door.  Usually we could get autographs that way.  Joe Crozier came out and I got his autograph and he gave me his sharpie pen that he signed it with!  I was very excited and being a little kid proceeded to get home and lose the treasured pen.  The next game, I pleaded with my father to stay afterwards and wait for the players.  I came across Coach Crozier again.  When signing, I told him I had lost the pen and he gave me another one..... which I managed to hang onto for a few weeks.

That's my memory... RIP

Edited October 12, 2022 by Cage

[Amerks8796]

An Amerk legend, that’s for sure. Kevin O has a nice article on him. 
 

https://pickinsplinters.com/2022/10/11/amerks-mourn-passing-of-franchise-legend-joe-crozier/?fbclid=IwAR11XyA85M5Q90KGpBR3EOaozcmxmOOlrrYL1SRpr730mPWecAgA8HJXR6Q

[Marvin]

One of the innovators in preseason preparation.

[Amerks8796]

13 hours ago, Amerks8796 said:

An Amerk legend, that’s for sure. Kevin O has a nice article on him. 
 

https://pickinsplinters.com/2022/10/11/amerks-mourn-passing-of-franchise-legend-joe-crozier/?fbclid=IwAR11XyA85M5Q90KGpBR3EOaozcmxmOOlrrYL1SRpr730mPWecAgA8HJXR6Q

Kevin O shared another great story of Crozier on Facebook:

 

The Amerks and Sabres lost an icon. Joe Crozier died today at 93. My favorite memory of The Crow: In 1987, after Game 5 of the Calder Cup finals, Leo Roth and I were flying back to Rochester from Sherbrooke on the team’s rickety prop charter plane. Sherbrooke thumped the Amerks 6-1. Absolutely schooled them. Somewhere above Lake Ontario, Joe sits down next to Leo and I, explains how important this championship would be, and then, as only Joe could do, strongly suggests that whatever we write, it can’t be anything but intensely critical. “Son, Joe said, “you gotta rip these guys.” The master motivator was simply doing what he did so well. Not that we needed any encouragement after the Amerks made Steven Fletcher look like Guy Lafleur that afternoon. RIP, Joe.

[Porous Five Hole]

https://pickinsplinters.com/2022/10/12/memories-of-the-crow-tales-of-tricks-tactics-and-triumphs/?fbclid=IwAR2mvfoMgXHl9HzOV2hr8sVret4bYkS5-NU4IW3VuCfbtZnSvaG34xPXBrE
 

another good one from KO

[Amerks8796]

8 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

https://pickinsplinters.com/2022/10/12/memories-of-the-crow-tales-of-tricks-tactics-and-triumphs/?fbclid=IwAR2mvfoMgXHl9HzOV2hr8sVret4bYkS5-NU4IW3VuCfbtZnSvaG34xPXBrE
 

another good one from KO

Whenever you read this stuff, it makes you realize how much more interesting players and coaches were back in the day. All the personality has been driven out over the years. 

[LabattBlue]

😞

[klos1963]

Joe Crozier was/is one of my all-time favorite Sabres. The 72-73 season was a significant year for the Sabres , the first to make the playoffs and the amazing OT winner by Robert in game 5 of the playoffs in the Forum.

He instilled the fire and passion into the team that eventually made it to the finals under Floyd Smith.

In my opinion he's one the most important members of this franchise for those early years he was part of the organization.

I had the opportunity to meet him some years back and his enthusiasm in talking hockey was electric. It was really a big deal for me and a great memory.  He had a huge Sabres banner in front of his house during our last 'glory years' in the early 2000's, he was always a big fan and lived in Buffalo for decades.

Not sure why this thread isn't getting more action, maybe many here are too young to remember him, honestly I was expecting a big thread and am a bit disappointed in the lack of reaction. 

[Marvin]

2 hours ago, klos1963 said:

Joe Crozier was/is one of my all-time favorite Sabres. The 72-73 season was a significant year for the Sabres , the first to make the playoffs and the amazing OT winner by Robert in game 5 of the playoffs in the Forum.

He instilled the fire and passion into the team that eventually made it to the finals under Floyd Smith.

In my opinion he's one the most important members of this franchise for those early years he was part of the organization.

I had the opportunity to meet him some years back and his enthusiasm in talking hockey was electric. It was really a big deal for me and a great memory.  He had a huge Sabres banner in front of his house during our last 'glory years' in the early 2000's, he was always a big fan and lived in Buffalo for decades.

Not sure why this thread isn't getting more action, maybe many here are too young to remember him, honestly I was expecting a big thread and am a bit disappointed in the lack of reaction. 

Unless you were around at the time and can remember it (which would make you at least 55), you really can't understand how important he was to the early years of this franchise.

I will go far as to insist that we could have won the Cup if he had been coach instead of Floyd Smith in 1974-5.  And, as the only team that the Habs really feared in the late 1970's, it is unlikely but possible that the Sabres could have stolen a Cup from them.

[Cheektorado]

You started slow Roger, but you had a great 3rd year with our boys!

I so enjoyed mimicking you in the net when I was a kid.

[klos1963]

2 hours ago, Cheektorado said:

You started slow Roger, but you had a great 3rd year with our boys!

I so enjoyed mimicking you in the net when I was a kid.

Roger died in 1996.

[Taro T]

12 hours ago, Cheektorado said:

You started slow Roger, but you had a great 3rd year with our boys!

I so enjoyed mimicking you in the net when I was a kid.

???

[Cheektorado]

On 10/13/2022 at 10:32 PM, klos1963 said:

Roger died in 1996.

 

On 10/14/2022 at 9:12 AM, Taro T said:

???

As you can see, I had a senior moment on my Crozier's wrong.  Old age and drinking is bad, makaay.

[Pimlach]

On 10/13/2022 at 5:08 PM, klos1963 said:

Joe Crozier was/is one of my all-time favorite Sabres. The 72-73 season was a significant year for the Sabres , the first to make the playoffs and the amazing OT winner by Robert in game 5 of the playoffs in the Forum.

He instilled the fire and passion into the team that eventually made it to the finals under Floyd Smith.

In my opinion he's one the most important members of this franchise for those early years he was part of the organization.

I had the opportunity to meet him some years back and his enthusiasm in talking hockey was electric. It was really a big deal for me and a great memory.  He had a huge Sabres banner in front of his house during our last 'glory years' in the early 2000's, he was always a big fan and lived in Buffalo for decades.

Not sure why this thread isn't getting more action, maybe many here are too young to remember him, honestly I was expecting a big thread and am a bit disappointed in the lack of reaction. 

 

On 10/13/2022 at 7:29 PM, Marvin said:

Unless you were around at the time and can remember it (which would make you at least 55), you really can't understand how important he was to the early years of this franchise.

I will go far as to insist that we could have won the Cup if he had been coach instead of Floyd Smith in 1974-5.  And, as the only team that the Habs really feared in the late 1970's, it is unlikely but possible that the Sabres could have stolen a Cup from them.

 

On 10/12/2022 at 6:02 AM, Cage said:

I recall when he was the coach and my father took me to some Sabres games.  After the game, fans would hang out by the locker room entrance and after the players showered/changed they would exit through the locker room door.  Usually we could get autographs that way.  Joe Crozier came out and I got his autograph and he gave me his sharpie pen that he signed it with!  I was very excited and being a little kid proceeded to get home and lose the treasured pen.  The next game, I pleaded with my father to stay afterwards and wait for the players.  I came across Coach Crozier again.  When signing, I told him I had lost the pen and he gave me another one..... which I managed to hang onto for a few weeks.

That's my memory... RIP

Great stuff here.  I met him several times back in the early glory years of the franchise. 
 

That 3rd season was special.  We were good already.  The players were loved by the community.  
 

RIP Crow and Thank You Sabres.