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Who else deserves a statue outside FNC?


Hoss

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Seriously, though -- this is a BANNER idea. It doesn't need to be a bronzed statute out on the plaza necessarily -- they could find a place for it within the center-arena. Shoot -- they should get on this NOW vis-a-vis the late great Ted Darling. Again, great idea. You really should inbox Black with that sort of thing (unless he reads about if here first -- HI, TED!).

 

They could put it where they do the in-between period broadcasts.

 

And if you haven't yet figured out that GoDD is really Ted Black, well, I don't know what to say.

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Van Millers chair that used to rest in front of the press box at the Ralph. His wife is sick of it! Just bronze it and it's all set. Forget the reasons why but never forget Dom demanded out. Best goalie we ever had but bailed on us and don't forget that. Not saying he doesn't deserve much recognition. I say he does and even more because of his Hasek's Heroes which is truly a great and noble cause :thumbsup: But a statue? Too soon but his number had damn well better be hanging from the rafters ASAP.

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Van Millers chair that used to rest in front of the press box at the Ralph. His wife is sick of it! Just bronze it and it's all set. Forget the reasons why but never forget Dom demanded out. Best goalie we ever had but bailed on us and don't forget that. Not saying he doesn't deserve much recognition. I say he does and even more because of his Hasek's Heroes which is truly a great and noble cause :thumbsup: But a statue? Too soon but his number had damn well better be hanging from the rafters ASAP.

 

I'm not convinced that it was ALL Dom.

 

The Sabres had a choice to pick up Hasek's one-year $9 million contract option, trade him, or lose him to unrestricted free agency. They were shedding salary at the time, not picking up Andreychuks $1.1 million option either.

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Plus this was before it was "cool" for a non-contender's aging best player to go to a contender in an attempt to win a Stanley Cup. That trend hadn't been established yet. That and if Slava Kozlov wasn't the only Sabres player ever to not like Buffalo, we might remember this a little more favorably.

 

The Earl Of Bud.

 

We need an Earl Jr.

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Dom went to Detroit to win a Cup. He could see what was happening in Buffalo (Peca; maybe even a whiff of the scandal to come). He orchestrated the whole thing with his agent. They made a trip to Coudersport to lay the groundwork. That was bad enough, but then he made sure the Sabres didn't get too much in the trade. Then he said in a presser he would go into the hall as a Wing. Then he wore that hideous cardigan sweater. It was ugly.

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if you had to pick one player that deserves it, it has to be Hasek.

 

He carried this team during his time as starter here and is one of if not the best goaltender to ever play the game. I don't blame him for how he left, the franchise gave him no help out there and just continued to ride him every night hoping he could give them a shutout or not more then 1 goal. He wasn't getting any younger and deserved a chance at a championship that Buffalo didn't appear to be able to give him.

 

Right now I view the Vanek/Miller situation the same way, they both have been here and carried this team and deserve to be moved to a place thats trying to win a cup in the time left on their careers.

 

Haseks number 39 deserves to be in the rafters, and if they are going to do another statue, he should be the next in line.

 

Other options

- Maybe a Connolly? Although for that one it might be cheaper just to pay him a couple bucks and let him stand outside in the plaza, might be the closest he gets to getting back on an NHL ice rink....

- Maybe a Taro Stautue? Should have been the first with the honor before the french connection for those memories of great times he provided...............

- A Brett Hull statue? It could either be just a foot clearly located in a crease, or maybe one with him making out with Bettman and the Stanley cup, in a crease of course.......

 

Seriously though, if there is a moment that i would love to see bronzed forever, it would be "The Umberger" w/ Soupy leveling him

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if you had to pick one player that deserves it, it has to be Hasek.

 

He carried this team during his time as starter here and is one of if not the best goaltender to ever play the game. I don't blame him for how he left, the franchise gave him no help out there and just continued to ride him every night hoping he could give them a shutout or not more then 1 goal. He wasn't getting any younger and deserved a chance at a championship that Buffalo didn't appear to be able to give him.

 

Right now I view the Vanek/Miller situation the same way, they both have been here and carried this team and deserve to be moved to a place thats trying to win a cup in the time left on their careers.

 

Haseks number 39 deserves to be in the rafters, and if they are going to do another statue, he should be the next in line.

 

Other options

- Maybe a Connolly? Although for that one it might be cheaper just to pay him a couple bucks and let him stand outside in the plaza, might be the closest he gets to getting back on an NHL ice rink....

- Maybe a Taro Stautue? Should have been the first with the honor before the french connection for those memories of great times he provided...............

- A Brett Hull statue? It could either be just a foot clearly located in a crease, or maybe one with him making out with Bettman and the Stanley cup, in a crease of course.......

 

Seriously though, if there is a moment that i would love to see bronzed forever, it would be "The Umberger" w/ Soupy leveling him

 

Taro might be fun. Kind of emphasize that a love of the greatness in Sabres hockey is imagined. Also like the idea to memorialize moments instead of great players, who are few and far between. But there have been worthy moments. May kissing his stick, Lorentz knocking down the bat, Ray's playoff goal between his legs.

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I don't think we really need any more statues right now. Maybe if the Sabres ever come close to a Stanley Cup again there might be a player or two who deserves consideration. IF there was ever to be another staue in the near future, it should be Punch Imlach and/or the Knoxes. Seymour and Norty breathed life into this team and Punch started with an expansion team and built them into a Cup finalist in five seasons. (If there is any doubt about how great a feat this was, take a look at the 1970-71 roster sometime).

 

I'm very glad Hasek played for the Sabres and he was a heckuva goalie while he was here. I don't hold it against him that he wanted to win a Cup and went to Detroit. I DO hold it against him when he announced that he would go into the HOF as a Red Wing. Even if he was royally pi$$ed at the Sabres FO, there is no need to say something like that and risk alienating thousands of Sabre fans. I don't want to see his jersey in the rafters; it would only be a bad reminder. I say, retire the number (i.e., never issue 39 to another player) but don't retire the jersey. The knife cuts both ways, Dom....

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I don't think we really need any more statues right now. Maybe if the Sabres ever come close to a Stanley Cup again there might be a player or two who deserves consideration. IF there was ever to be another staue in the near future, it should be Punch Imlach and/or the Knoxes. Seymour and Norty breathed life into this team and Punch started with an expansion team and built them into a Cup finalist in five seasons. (If there is any doubt about how great a feat this was, take a look at the 1970-71 roster sometime).

 

I'm very glad Hasek played for the Sabres and he was a heckuva goalie while he was here. I don't hold it against him that he wanted to win a Cup and went to Detroit. I DO hold it against him when he announced that he would go into the HOF as a Red Wing. Even if he was royally pi$$ed at the Sabres FO, there is no need to say something like that and risk alienating thousands of Sabre fans. I don't want to see his jersey in the rafters; it would only be a bad reminder. I say, retire the number (i.e., never issue 39 to another player) but don't retire the jersey. The knife cuts both ways, Dom....

 

He was a Red Wing at the time, of course he's going to say that. He was asked. He didn't just come out and say it.

 

And, while he may have said that, don't players go teamless into the hall of fame?

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Get real. Nobody deserves a statue from this bloated organization. Remember, we have not won even one cup yet. Statues should be limited to those who are legends of Stanley Cup play. All our supposed superstars from day one were flawed, yes even Perreault. When it came to crunch time they did not produce and that's what happened all through our history. No one deserves a statue. No, not even Ruff and Regier.

 

It would be more appropriate if Pegula would erect statues that melt in the rain because that's what our guys do.

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I don't think we really need any more statues right now. Maybe if the Sabres ever come close to a Stanley Cup again there might be a player or two who deserves consideration. IF there was ever to be another staue in the near future, it should be Punch Imlach and/or the Knoxes. Seymour and Norty breathed life into this team and Punch started with an expansion team and built them into a Cup finalist in five seasons. (If there is any doubt about how great a feat this was, take a look at the 1970-71 roster sometime).

 

Well said. What do you think about the later Imlach years? It's been said he fell in love with his players, especially Perreault. Bowman took a lot of heat for breaking up that core, but Imlach should have been retooling a couple years earlier.

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I haven't changed my position on this in years. The only retired numbers should be Perreault, Horton, & Hasek. If it was up to me I'd "unretire" the rest, but obviously that would be a PR nightmare, so Danny Gare & Co. get to stay up there for eternity. As far as more statues go, really? One statue, THAT'S IT!

 

I have sent this suggestion to Ted Black previously...once the Harbor Center is done, take the ground floor space that they are using for construction project management(formally the temporary fitness center during locker room renovation), and turn it into a Sabres HoF where admission to it would be free with any game ticket.

 

This could then be used to honor all the players, coaches, broadcasters, etc... whose names don't belong in the rafters or are statue worthy. Get the wheels turning Pegs!

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I haven't changed my position on this in years. The only retired numbers should be Perreault, Horton, & Hasek. If it was up to me I'd "unretire" the rest, but obviously that would be a PR nightmare, so Danny Gare & Co. get to stay up there for eternity. As far as more statues go, really? One statue, THAT'S IT!

 

I have sent this suggestion to Ted Black previously...once the Harbor Center is done, take the ground floor space that they are using for construction project management(formally the temporary fitness center during locker room renovation), and turn it into a Sabres HoF where admission to it would be free with any game ticket.

 

This could then be used to honor all the players, coaches, broadcasters, etc... whose names don't belong in the rafters or are statue worthy. Get the wheels turning Pegs!

 

I personally don't think Horton should be retired. I kind of get the french connection retirement. That was the beginning. But I don't think Pat or Gare should be retired.

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Dom went to Detroit to win a Cup. He could see what was happening in Buffalo (Peca; maybe even a whiff of the scandal to come). He orchestrated the whole thing with his agent. They made a trip to Coudersport to lay the groundwork. That was bad enough, but then he made sure the Sabres didn't get too much in the trade. Then he said in a presser he would go into the hall as a Wing. Then he wore that hideous cardigan sweater. It was ugly.

To further the bolded. That '01 Sabres team without Peca or ANYTHING of value for him was one fluke bounce away in Game 6 and 1 blown delay of game call in Game 7 away from facing a Joisey team they'd owned all year. (4-0, 5-2, 5-1, 1-0) And after they'd've made short work of Joisey, they'd be facing a very good Avs squad that they'd beaten in Denver in OT w/ Marty in net. Even without Peca, that team should have won the SC. Had they had him or anything of value for him, there is no doubt in my mind that they would have won the SC. And the rumor was that Iginla was the 'anything of value' that they could have had for Peca during '00-'01.

 

It was clear that Rigas had no intentions of providing the tools to finish the job. Rather than getting Peca back in the fold or Iginla quality for him when they had a stacked team, they got prospects from the Isles the next year. Throw on talk radio's perpetual bashing of Dom and it's not real shocking that he wanted out.

 

He arguably was the greatest goalie in NHL history. (His teams beat Roy's both times he went head to head against him when it mattered and he made the 70 saves in the 7 period game that might have been the greatest goaltending battle ever. His was the 1st sub 2.00 GAA in well over a decade. He definitely was the best goalie in Sabres history by far.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I think Jesus would be a good mention. Also, Mohammed. If they were in an attitude of prayer, facing downtown Buffalo (&NYC, &The Middle East) there could be some good Karma to be had, out of the equation. Of course, Jesus would be kneeling and supplicating, and Mohammed would be kneeling and bowing. I am talking multiple Stanley Cups.

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