LizardKing51 Wrote:I wonder if Briere will stay or go, Id like to see him as a Hab. I doubt he would go there though, nobody great ever does anymore.
What are you talking about?!?
Samsonov!
cferneyh Wrote:LizardKing51 Wrote:I wonder if Briere will stay or go, Id like to see him as a Hab. I doubt he would go there though, nobody great ever does anymore.
What are you talking about?!?
Samsonov!
LOL, that little puke. You always take a chance with those headcase Russian players, that money would have been better spent elsewhere. Im anxious to see what they do with him next year. He should give back the money he stole from the team and go back to Russia, and he should have to run naked through Red Square with I SUCK painted on his back.
:lol:
here's a few...
Scotty Bowman
Larry Playfair
Jim Lorenz
Craig Muni
Rene Robert
Rick Dudley
Richie Dunn
Bill Hajt
Jay McKee
Matthew Barnaby
Don Luce
Larry Carriere
Don Lever
Mike Peca
Mike Robitaille
Grant Ledyard
Rob Ray
Dave Andreychuk
Kevyn Adams
Peter Scamurra
Harry Neale
Rick Martin
Jack Brownschidle
Fred Stanfield
Darryl Shannon
Morris Titanic
Here's a prediction for any players the Sabres add today to bolster their Stanley Cup drive.
No matter how you feel about the city right now, you'll probably live in Buffalo much longer than you'll play there.
Snow City doesn't immediately jump to mind when you think of where financially secure and relatively young men choose to settle down. Warmer climates, bigger cities, a player's hometown, would all seem to be much stronger draws.
But while Buffalo, the NHL's smallest American market, exports businesses and employees in other sectors, it imports people from the hockey industry.
"It's amazing, the hockey community there, and not just to do with the Sabres," says Hamilton native Dave Andreychuk, who maintains an off-season home in the suburb of East Amherst and will take up permanent residence there when he finishes his off-ice career with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"It's a close-knit hockey community, and it's kind of a secret."
Whether it's Andreychuk's neighbourhood, which also includes former NHLer Grant Ledyard and Leaf broadcaster Harry Neale; or Grand Island, where Sabres' alumni director Jim Playfair and TV colour man Jim Lorenz live, or Lewiston, home of Chicago Blackhawks personnel director Rick Dudley or any of the tidy communities in the South Towns, Buffalo boasts a disproportionate number of hockey houses.
There is no official tally, but there are probably more than four dozen men with direct links to the current or recent NHL calling Buffalo home, not including anyone playing for, coaching, or managing the present Sabres.
"You're very aware of it, especially in the summer when you're around playing in charity golf tournaments," says Kevyn Adams of the Phoenix Coyotes, one of the few NHLers who grew up in Buffalo.
"There's an unbelievable number of guys who've retired to Buffalo. The people here are quality people and it's a quality place to raise a family and I think that's what lures players here after they finish their career.
"I don't know if they marry Buffalo girls or what it is. But they seem to find a way to be here."
A lot of former Sabres, Andreychuk among them, did marry Buffalo girls and that's a factor in their choice of residence. But there are also many like ex-Sabre Curtis Brown. He plays for San Jose and married a California woman, and is apparently moving back to Buffalo.
Peter Scamurra (Washington) and Jack Brownschidle (Hartford, St. Louis) are among NHLers with no Sabres connections who have retired to the Buffalo area.
Hall of Fame Leaf Darryl Sittler and his late wife Wendy raised their family in the Buffalo area, before Sittler returned to Canada a couple of years ago because of his job as Leafs' community relations officer. Ric Seiling left only because he got a new job in Rochester, the same with Danny Gare in Columbus. Tony McKegney and Marcel Dionne left recently but only after years of making Buffalo their home.
Hamilton Bulldogs coach Don Lever, who finished his career as a Sabre, lives in the south towns. And injured Leaf Mike Peca, whose departure from the Sabres six years ago was not amicable, has a house in Toronto, but their Buffalo digs are considered the family home. He recently moved from Andreychuk's area to a bigger home in another neighbourhood.
"The cost of living isn't expensive. People are nice. It's convenient: you can drive to Toronto in an hour and a half; you can fly to New York in 45 minutes," Peca says, easily ticking off the factors. " It's just an easy place to live in."
Finances also play a role. There are strong income tax advantages on mortgage interest in the U.S. and because Buffalo's uncertain Rust Belt economy has forced many residents to leave for greener pastures, house prices are low.
"I live in a mansion that costs me next to nothing," Andreychuk says. "People who are from there don't realize how lucky they are with housing prices.
"I don't think I'll ever leave the area and I have a number of reasons for that. Sue is from Buffalo. I played there 12 years. The cost is low. I'm close to the border, an hour away from Hamilton and I'm three hours from our place up north (in Haliburton)."
Even when he coached the Red Wings to Stanley Cups, Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman lived in Buffalo in the off-season. Now he's there full time.
"Most of the players and ex-players in Buffalo work in the States and it's so close to Canada," Bowman told The Spec. "You can get back up pretty easily, an hour or two to Toronto.
"It's a nice place to live. People are really friendly, and they like hockey, especially. It's easy to get around, not much traffic. A lot of the guys have got good opportunities here.
"It's a nice place to bring up a family. I brought up all my kids here. I moved from Montreal in 1979, and my oldest was nine years old, and the youngest were only two. They all went to school here. Good schools. They all got a good education. Unfortunately none of them stayed here, they go for the big jobs in the big cities.
"Dual citizenship wasn't a consideration for us, but take it if it's there."
Like Hamilton, Buffalo suffers from an image problem because of the decay and industrial scars the casual visitor sees from the highway or downtown. Like Hamilton, those who know it well praise its high level of "liveability"
"A lot of people looking in from the outside have a stereotype of the city," says Mike Gilbert, the Sabres' director of public relations.
"But when they get here they find out there are some great neighbourhoods, the people are very friendly, there are great changes of seasons. And it's affordable.
"But what we're told about the most, by players and others, are the friendly people and the great schools."
The attitude of the Sabres is also important. Larry Playfair, who runs the Sabres' alumni association says that the club is "a very close second" to Calgary in welcoming former players and using them to market teams,
"The Sabres have really been a model team for how to treat alumni," Playfair says.
They're kind of the model franchise for most things in 21st century hockey.
And apparently their city is too.
BuffaloHipFan Wrote:here's a few...
Scotty Bowman
Larry Playfair
Jim Lorenz
Craig Muni
Rene Robert
Rick Dudley
Richie Dunn
Bill Hajt
Jay McKee
Matthew Barnaby
Don Luce
Larry Carriere
Don Lever
Mike Peca
Mike Robitaille
Grant Ledyard
Rob Ray
Dave Andreychuk
Kevyn Adams
Peter Scamurra
Harry Neale
Rick Martin
Jack Brownschidle
Fred Stanfield
Darryl Shannon
Morris Titanic
ere's a prediction for any players the Sabres add today to bolster their Stanley Cup drive.
No matter how you feel about the city right now, you'll probably live in Buffalo much longer than you'll play there.
Snow City doesn't immediately jump to mind when you think of where financially secure and relatively young men choose to settle down. Warmer climates, bigger cities, a player's hometown, would all seem to be much stronger draws.
But while Buffalo, the NHL's smallest American market, exports businesses and employees in other sectors, it imports people from the hockey industry.
"It's amazing, the hockey community there, and not just to do with the Sabres," says Hamilton native Dave Andreychuk, who maintains an off-season home in the suburb of East Amherst and will take up permanent residence there when he finishes his off-ice career with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"It's a close-knit hockey community, and it's kind of a secret."
Whether it's Andreychuk's neighbourhood, which also includes former NHLer Grant Ledyard and Leaf broadcaster Harry Neale; or Grand Island, where Sabres' alumni director Jim Playfair and TV colour man Jim Lorenz live, or Lewiston, home of Chicago Blackhawks personnel director Rick Dudley or any of the tidy communities in the South Towns, Buffalo boasts a disproportionate number of hockey houses.
There is no official tally, but there are probably more than four dozen men with direct links to the current or recent NHL calling Buffalo home, not including anyone playing for, coaching, or managing the present Sabres.
"You're very aware of it, especially in the summer when you're around playing in charity golf tournaments," says Kevyn Adams of the Phoenix Coyotes, one of the few NHLers who grew up in Buffalo.
"There's an unbelievable number of guys who've retired to Buffalo. The people here are quality people and it's a quality place to raise a family and I think that's what lures players here after they finish their career.
"I don't know if they marry Buffalo girls or what it is. But they seem to find a way to be here."
A lot of former Sabres, Andreychuk among them, did marry Buffalo girls and that's a factor in their choice of residence. But there are also many like ex-Sabre Curtis Brown. He plays for San Jose and married a California woman, and is apparently moving back to Buffalo.
Peter Scamurra (Washington) and Jack Brownschidle (Hartford, St. Louis) are among NHLers with no Sabres connections who have retired to the Buffalo area.
Hall of Fame Leaf Darryl Sittler and his late wife Wendy raised their family in the Buffalo area, before Sittler returned to Canada a couple of years ago because of his job as Leafs' community relations officer. Ric Seiling left only because he got a new job in Rochester, the same with Danny Gare in Columbus. Tony McKegney and Marcel Dionne left recently but only after years of making Buffalo their home.
Hamilton Bulldogs coach Don Lever, who finished his career as a Sabre, lives in the south towns. And injured Leaf Mike Peca, whose departure from the Sabres six years ago was not amicable, has a house in Toronto, but their Buffalo digs are considered the family home. He recently moved from Andreychuk's area to a bigger home in another neighbourhood.
"The cost of living isn't expensive. People are nice. It's convenient: you can drive to Toronto in an hour and a half; you can fly to New York in 45 minutes," Peca says, easily ticking off the factors. " It's just an easy place to live in."
Finances also play a role. There are strong income tax advantages on mortgage interest in the U.S. and because Buffalo's uncertain Rust Belt economy has forced many residents to leave for greener pastures, house prices are low.
"I live in a mansion that costs me next to nothing," Andreychuk says. "People who are from there don't realize how lucky they are with housing prices.
"I don't think I'll ever leave the area and I have a number of reasons for that. Sue is from Buffalo. I played there 12 years. The cost is low. I'm close to the border, an hour away from Hamilton and I'm three hours from our place up north (in Haliburton)."
Even when he coached the Red Wings to Stanley Cups, Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman lived in Buffalo in the off-season. Now he's there full time.
"Most of the players and ex-players in Buffalo work in the States and it's so close to Canada," Bowman told The Spec. "You can get back up pretty easily, an hour or two to Toronto.
"It's a nice place to live. People are really friendly, and they like hockey, especially. It's easy to get around, not much traffic. A lot of the guys have got good opportunities here.
"It's a nice place to bring up a family. I brought up all my kids here. I moved from Montreal in 1979, and my oldest was nine years old, and the youngest were only two. They all went to school here. Good schools. They all got a good education. Unfortunately none of them stayed here, they go for the big jobs in the big cities.
"Dual citizenship wasn't a consideration for us, but take it if it's there."
Like Hamilton, Buffalo suffers from an image problem because of the decay and industrial scars the casual visitor sees from the highway or downtown. Like Hamilton, those who know it well praise its high level of "liveability"
"A lot of people looking in from the outside have a stereotype of the city," says Mike Gilbert, the Sabres' director of public relations.
"But when they get here they find out there are some great neighbourhoods, the people are very friendly, there are great changes of seasons. And it's affordable.
"But what we're told about the most, by players and others, are the friendly people and the great schools."
The attitude of the Sabres is also important. Larry Playfair, who runs the Sabres' alumni association says that the club is "a very close second" to Calgary in welcoming former players and using them to market teams,
"The Sabres have really been a model team for how to treat alumni," Playfair says.
They're kind of the model franchise for most things in 21st century hockey.
And apparently their city is too.
After
this post, I think there's something to be said about keeping posts simple, and readable....I don't know very many people who are going to read this whole thing!
p.s. there are
a lot of Hipbasers who are guilty of this... :wink:
Wow! 26! A plethora!
Out of curiousity, how many players do you think have played or coached in Buffalo? Would 600 or 700 be a fair estimate?
I guess "so many" is 3 or 4% then? I wonder what long time hockey market can't say at least 3% of former players still live in the area......
After this post, I think there's something to be said about keeping posts simple, and readable....I don't know very many people who are going to read this whole thing!
p.s. there are a lot of Hipbasers who are guilty of this... :wink:[/quote]
Yea, but its a good read.
THANK YOU ATLANTA!!!!
Let's go Habs
[/quote]Yea, but its a good read.[/quote]
actually it wasn`t
Yea, but its a good read.[/quote]
actually it wasn`t[/quote]
Why? Because it goes against all the idiots who love to bash
Buffalo? Most who have never even been to Buffalo.
We've heard it all before and it's nothing new. Yes, I've lived most of my life in Buffalo. But I also lived in South Florida for many years. I've lived outside L.A., too And I always wanted to come back to Buffalo, because it's the people that make it a great place.
I just had a co-worker visiting from India, stay here from Dec-Feb. He loved it so much, he's ready to relocate his family here. And he's pretty well off over there. And that was during the winter. We have some of the most comfortable summers in North America.
A friend of mine met a co-worked from Seattle (while they were working in Alaska) they returned to Buffalo and this guy ended up living here for 5 years. He loved it here, even got a tattoo of a buffalo (the animal).
Another guy that I work with was transfered to Buffalo 15 years ago, from Ohio. He left that job after a couple years, but decided to look for another job here because his family loved it so much. He says he will never leave.
Every time I'm out of town and run into people from Buffalo, they tell me how bad they would love to move back. The economy is improving in the suburbs, many are moving back, and big companies are moving in (Citigroup, Geico, Bank of America). Call centers are growing like crazy in Buffalo. And with the low cost of living, it's a great deal.
Once good people have a chance to get acquainted to Buffalo, most end up loving it. That's the experience I've seen, personally.
It's the morons who have never been here, or people so stuck up and elitist or immoral (mcgahee), that end up bashing Buffalo.
Buffalo is the city of good neighbors and we like it that way.
# Reader's Digest in 2005 named Buffalo among the cleanest of American cities.
# USA Today in 2001 deemed Buffalo its "City with a Heart."
# In 2002, The city of Buffalo received the All-America City Award.
BuffaloHipFan Wrote:Why? Because it goes against all the idiots who love to bash
Buffalo? Most who have never even been to Buffalo.
No, because you write
so much. It's like that long article in a magazine that you never think you'll read because it looks so boring...then, you're stuck with that one magazine in the washroom, and you're forced to read it, because it's the only one you haven't read yet!
Try to post your ideas in a small paragraph...something
readable.
This doesn't just go for you...there's others who write way too much also.
p.s. this is an NHL forum, not an "I love buffallo" forum....go Habs!
well i`ll tell you where it sucks to live...right here in greasy lloydminster, saskatchewan. it sucks here and we haven`t won any awards to speak of....well maybe redneck capital of canada....so there :lol:
Another big night for the Flames! The entire team put in a full 60-minute effort, Kipper was awesome once again, and Iggy ended up with a hat trick. At best I was hoping for a split in Minnesota, but to take 4 points out of that building where the Wild have been playing so well is absolutely huge for Calgary's confidence heading into their last 5 games. We're still 7 points up on Colorado, and the fact that the Avs can't seem to gain any ground on us must be extremely frustrating for them, considering how hot they've been lately.
In order for Colorado to catch Calgary, the Flames would have to completely crap the bed from here on in, and I just don't see that happening. Right now this team is playing the best hockey they've played all year, and they're gelling at just the right time (thank god!)
BuffaloHipFan Wrote:Why? Because it goes against all the idiots who love to bash
Buffalo? Most who have never even been to Buffalo.
I have to say, that I have never been to Buffalo. And while I am glad that you enjoy the city, I must say that I am just as happy that the escalating violent crime rate, declining industrial and population growth, and the alarming rate of poverty has come to provide an affordable environment for ex-NHL players to live and enjoy that environment comfortably. Don't take it personally, its the team that most people hate, not the city. I've come to realize that a semi-productive playoff history by the Senators is open for complete and destructive criticism by other fans of the NHL (most notably, Leafs fans), even when 'their' teams (most notably, Leafs fans) haven't done any better. In the end Buffalo and Ottawa aren't that much different (In the sense that both cities enjoy NHL franchises, and both despise the Leaf Nation... comparing cities, however, I'm afraid Buffalo would be left out in the cold.) Heres to a Buffalo-Ottawa Conference Final...
Actually, in my case I don't even mind the Sabres that much. It's the crybaby fans that I find annoying. Yeah, I know Leaf fans - myself included - can be royally obnoxious (like this for example, das_hips, the Leafs may not have done any better than the Sens in the playoffs over the last decade, but they've whipped your teams' ass four times - damn that felt good) but all the Sabres fans around here do is whine and cry about injuries or the Drury hit or whatever other perceived injustice they love to create.
And BuffaloHipFan, that's great that you know a lot of people who - for whatever bizarre reason - seem to like living in Buffalo. But you'd be hard pressed to find a major city in North America that doesn't have thousands of examples of people who have left and come back, or people who moved there from someone else and have stayed, blah blah blah.
But I think it is telling that despite the fact the team is in the running for the President's Trophy and is a bona-fide Stanley Cup contender, it's the city that the greatest number of NHLers would not want to be traded to.
And, for the record, I've been to Buffalo plenty of times. I've seen enough of the city, and I've been to roughly 15 Sabres games, and even a half a dozen Bills games. So I know enough about the city and why NHLers wouldn't want to live there.