The Legend of Porky Palmer

[Brawndo]

On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Friedman and Marek were discussing teams using quirks in their home arena to their advantage. 
 

The story they told was about a Sabres Employee from the Aud by the name of Encil “Porky” Palmer who used to stand by the doors at the Zamboni Entrance. During the second period when the Sabres shot at that goal, they would sometimes have a set play where they would dump the puck in around the boards and when the opposing goalie went to stop it behind the net, Palmer would hit  the doors causing the puck bounce out in front of the open net. Rene Robert told Friedman this story and Marek confirmed Buffalo used this trick through the PLF/Mogilny years.

One Sabres Player told  Marek that Palmer should have gotten eight assists one year

 

 

[Stoner]

From TBN.

The way he helped the Sabres score goals won't be found on any stat sheet. "One day during practice I was leaning against the door at the end of the rink in Memorial Auditorium," he said. "I had my foot at the bottom of the door and John Tucker shoots the puck around the boards. It hit right where my foot was. I told him to do it again and I kept my foot in the same spot. The puck bounced right out into the slot. I knew I was on to something."

It wasn't unusual to see Palmer in that same spot during Sabre games, putting his foot down at just the right moment. "It happened maybe 10 or 12 times a year," he said.

It became so common that some teams included it in their scouting reports. Others complained to the referees. Others went even further.

"When Daren Puppa was the goaltender with Tampa Bay, their backup was Wendell Young," Palmer said. "And he had also been in Pittsburgh the year before with Tom Barrasso, another (ex-Sabre) who knew I did it.

"So one night Young starts cussing me out and said he was going to punch me out. I got a little scared that night."

Did Palmer's help ever result in a Sabres goal? "Oh, one or two," he said with a smile.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

I thought the thread was about this:

https://www.wgrz.com/article/features/unknown-stories-of-wny/71-36e85a5e-7f49-4285-bf82-b095b9bdce3c

 

[Weave]

Ok, this is awesome.  A story from the old days that I had not heard previously.  Very cool.