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Posted

I won't be specific because I don't want to point fingers. I live in an area with an AHL team. A neighbor had a party and several players from that team, who live in this area year round, stopped by. All are very nice, by the way.

 

We were having a few beers, talking to them. "You guys still practice in the off-season?" "No, haven't put the skates on once." "Have you been watching the playoffs?" "No, when hockey season ends, we want to get as far from it as possible." (Asked the guy with some NHL experience) "So are you going to be with the parent club next year?" "Not sure, lots of changes in the front office. Could wind up anywhere...just as long as it's not Columbus or BUFFALO!"

 

I never got to ask him what his problem with Buffalo was. :lol: Whatever it is, I wonder how many potential FA's in any sport have a "anywhere but Buffalo" mentallity?

 

PTR

Posted
I won't be specific because I don't want to point fingers.  I live in an area with an AHL team.  A neighbor had a party and several players from that team, who live in this area year round, stopped by.  All are very nice, by the way.

 

We were having a few beers, talking to them.  "You guys still practice in the off-season?"  "No, haven't put the skates on once."  "Have you been watching the playoffs?"  "No, when hockey season ends, we want to get as far from it as possible."  (Asked the guy with some NHL experience) "So are you going to be with the parent club next year?"  "Not sure, lots of changes in the front office.  Could wind up anywhere...just as long as it's not Columbus or BUFFALO!"

 

I never got to ask him what his problem with Buffalo was. :lol:

 

PTR

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Of course, it could be that he was just an idiot.

 

I mean, what player in his right mind would want to be with a club that's in the Conference Finals, for cryin' out loud... :lol:

Posted
Of course, it could be that he was just an idiot.

 

I mean, what player in his right mind would want to be with a club that's in the Conference Finals, for cryin' out loud...   :lol:

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Well it DOES cut into your golf time!

 

PTR

Posted
I never got to ask him what his problem with Buffalo was. :lol:  Whatever it is, I wonder how many potential FA's in any sport have a "anywhere but Buffalo" mentallity?

 

PTR

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I would guess that it's primarily because Buffalo and Columbus are probably the two lowest payroll teams, so they are "cheap." It may also have to do with the frequency with which Buffalo bumps players up and down, though it's probably more the perception of $$$ which, depending on why he's an NHL-experienced player on an AHL team, may or may not be more true at Buffalo than elsewhere...

Posted

So which AHL Shangrila does this Bozo play for?

 

What a joke to think any player in any AHL city would not jump at the chance to move up to ANY NHL team at ANY location! :lol:

Posted

Any AHL player with NHL experience that would not jump at the chance to play for any NHL team is somebody I wouldn't want in Buffalo.

Posted
some guy in the AHL would cut off his thumb to be with Buffalo next year...

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Exactly...at his level of talent, you don't have the luxury to pick and choose.

Posted

I don't think it has to do with the team itself, it could be the perception of the city itself that they would not want to live in the city of Buffalo, not realising there are some really nice areas to live in a very small radius around the arena.

 

How any AHL player (even especially with some previous NHL experience) could say there are places they don't wanna play just makes me believe they are doing this only for the big paychec and not to actually play the game or win a cup.

 

You don't wanna come play for Buffalo? Good, we would rather have an AHL player who could stick in the NHL if brought up, or players who are willing to play here.

Posted

Most of these guys come from tiny little snow towns in Canada and Eastern Europe. I would think Buffalo would not seem all that bad to them. My guess is that the guy you heard talking was not very good.

 

There are a plethora of NHL hall of famers living in Amherst, guys who never even played for the Sabres. Last time I was home, I went into a sports memorabilia shop in the Boulavard Mall, and there was this really cute girl working behind the counter. In the backroom, her dad, Marcell Dionne was working. I believe that Lanny McDonald, Scotty Bowman and a number of others reside there as well. It is as close as they can live to Canada, without living there.

Posted
I won't be specific because I don't want to point fingers.  I live in an area with an AHL team.  A neighbor had a party and several players from that team, who live in this area year round, stopped by.  All are very nice, by the way.

 

We were having a few beers, talking to them.  "You guys still practice in the off-season?"  "No, haven't put the skates on once."  "Have you been watching the playoffs?"  "No, when hockey season ends, we want to get as far from it as possible."  (Asked the guy with some NHL experience) "So are you going to be with the parent club next year?"  "Not sure, lots of changes in the front office.  Could wind up anywhere...just as long as it's not Columbus or BUFFALO!"

 

I never got to ask him what his problem with Buffalo was. :o  Whatever it is, I wonder how many potential FA's in any sport have a "anywhere but Buffalo" mentallity?

 

PTR

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I don't know if it's really a prejudice against Buffalo or just a preduice against small towns. If I was making that kind of money at that age, I would probably choose LA, NYC or some warm weather team.

Posted
Most of these guys come from tiny little snow towns in Canada and Eastern Europe.  I would think Buffalo would not seem all that bad to them. My guess is that the guy you heard talking was not very good. 

 

There are a plethora of NHL hall of famers living in Amherst, guys who never even played for the Sabres.  Last time I was home, I went into a sports memorabilia shop in the Boulavard Mall, and there was this really cute girl working behind the counter.  In the backroom, her dad, Marcell Dionne was working.  I believe that Lanny McDonald, Scotty Bowman and a number of others reside there as well.  It is as close as they can live to Canada, without living there.

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Yes, Marcel owns that store. Add Hockey Night in Canada's Harry Neale to the list, too.

Posted
Yes, Marcel owns that store. Add Hockey Night in Canada's Harry Neale to the list, too.

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Muckler lives around the same area as Neal I believe, He mentioned something in his broadcast during the Ottawa series about walking by Mucklers place and seeing someone put a Go Sabres sign on his front yard

Posted
Muckler lives around the same area as Neal I believe, He mentioned something in his broadcast during the Ottawa series about walking by Mucklers place and seeing someone put a Go Sabres sign on his front yard

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:o

Thanks. I needed that laugh.

Posted
So which AHL Shangrila does this Bozo play for?

 

What a joke to think any player in any AHL city would not jump at the chance to move up to ANY NHL team at ANY location! :o

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I think he's referring to the manchester n.h. monarchs, that put the mill in mill city.

Posted
I think he's referring to the manchester n.h. monarchs, that put the mill in mill city.

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You are correct. Which makes this guy property of the L.A. Kings. I will not reveal his name because he was talking at a backyard BBQ, not a press conference. So it would be unfair to him to make his statements public. By the way, he didn't know I was from Buffalo or was a Sabres fan.

 

And by the way, Manchester NH is a pretty nice city. Most of those mills are now highly-prized loft apartments and offices alongthe river. Plus it's just an hours drive to Boston. NH is the only northeastern state that is growing in population.

 

PTR

Posted

Is it ok to assume that this guy is a forward? Obviously he's a marginal talent at best since he's stuck in the AHL. One possible reason for not wanting to go to Buffalo is that we are very deep at forward and this guy knows he would never get his break here.

 

Yeah, that's not the reason, but its better to pretend that it is.

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