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The Man Who Never Was TSN feature on Taro Tsujimoto


X. Benedict

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THE LEGEND OF TARO TSUJIMOTO

You may not have heard of him… Then again, who has?

 

He was drafted in 1974, 183rd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres, but never made it to the NHL.

 

Then again, he never had a chance.

 

Because it wasn’t his talent that prevented Taro Tsujimoto from breaking into the League – it was simply the fact that he never existed.

 

Courtesy of George ‘Punch’ Imlach, the first player selected from the Japanese Ice Hockey League lives on as one of the most peculiar storylines to ever emerge from the NHL draft:

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There, there. It's a nice day.

How about a liverwurst and mustard sandwich with a plate of pickles followed by a nap in the backyard recliner?

Go on back. I'll bring it out for you.

 

Thataboy. There, there. That's better.

 

I don't like this kid Wieland, that's all. He's got his girl using that newfangled mimeograph machine all day. I don't like it! No sir!

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I was watching a TV feature on the Taro Tsujimoto deal that Imlach and Co. cooked up and yes it's part of Sabre lore and it was a cute and clever way to pull the wool over the NHL's eyes on a cumbersome draft process. But there was a footnote to this light-hearted attempt at hockey humor that enraged me...I never knew that two Stanley Cup winners (Dave Lumley - 2 with Edmonton and Stefan Persson, 4 with the Islanders) were drafted after Tsujimoto, a fictional character, was taken by the Sabres.

 

So the Sabres squandered a draft pick for a joke...The club has an unfortunate history of soft-headed stupidity that I hope comes to an end with Tim Murray, who I feel is the hard-headed antidote to all that ails us as an organization.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro_Tsujimoto

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Most teams just didn't draft NCAA players or Swedes in the 70s. There was so much confusion with the WHA that you weren't sure if even your first round picks would show up to camp. fwiw I think that draft went another 14 rounds. The Sabres and most teams were simply done. The draft basically went until teams stopped picking. It could have gone 50 rounds.

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Most teams just didn't draft NCAA players or Swedes in the 70s. There was so much confusion with the WHA that you weren't sure if even your first round picks would show up to camp. fwiw I think that draft went another 14 rounds. The Sabres and most teams were simply done. The draft basically went until teams stopped picking. It could have gone 50 rounds.

The Sabres weren't done. They took Bob Geoffrion 13 picks later in the next round.

 

Always hoped somebody'd interview him and get his thoughts on being picked AFTER the imaginary guy. Talk about Mr. Irrelevant.

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With the 40 year anniversary of the pick, the Sabres should really consider retiring his number (74) and putting a banner up at the arena. It's a great story from the teams history and should be honored as such.

 

Great idea. We've retired worse candidates. Not really — cheap shot. I think I suggested a while back that the Sabres even hire a Japanese actor (or one of the Tsujimotos in the Buffalo area) to come onto the ice, make a few comments etc.

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This topic is OLD. A NEW topic should be started unless there is a VERY SPECIFIC REASON to revive this one.

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