was also the last time the Sabres were in a run of consistently being good (that ended when Brett Hull kicked the game winner past Hasek in the '99 Final.) Hopefully with a centerpiece like Eichel, Botterill can bring some happiness to long suffering Buffalo fans (we know the Bills aren't getting that done.)
It doesn't look like Botterill played any playoff minutes. I got to know Blake during my UM years and was very pleased to see him get his name engraved on the Cup.
BTW Hockey Reference lists Blake as 5'10". Maybe they measured him while he was wearing skates. He was a tremendous skater, effective defenseman at Michigan and turned into a RW in the pros. All the more impressive given he was about 5'7".
has some good young talent. They just need the right coach to get them all on the same page and they could be a good team.
Now my claim to fame (not really) is bolstered a bit. I played pick-up roller hockey with Jason Botterill and Warren Luhning in the summer of 1993 in the parking lot next to Elbel Field. So I got THAT goin' for me...
Cool story bro. +1
Brett Hull did not kick in the winning goal, he kicked the puck up to his stick 0ff a rebound and put in the winner. His foot was legally in the crease after a shot had been taken and he was going for the rebound. Let it go man.
Per the rule at the time:
Unless the puck is in the goal crease area, a player of the attacking side may not stand in the goal crease. If a player has entered the crease prior to the puck should enter the net while such conditions preveail, the apparent goal shall not be allowed.
The rule was strickly enforced during the season. Mind you, it was a terrible rule and thankfully, it was changed.
There really is no way to adequately articulate how important of a hire this was for Buffalo. He was universally considered the best person in hockey ops who wasn't yet a GM. He's an absolute cap wizard and one of the best for talent identification. This is a huge loss for Pittsburgh (he was widely believed to be the "GM in waiting" for when Rutherford retired) and a huge get for Buffalo. They'll be contenders shortly, no doubt. This would have been exactly the hire they Wings should have made.
Is an interesting title in Pittsburgh because I firmly believe Botterill and Bill Guerin were doing all the work while Rutherford sips lemonade somewhere sitting in a rocking chair, occasionally picking up his phone to approve trades.
I don't think that's accurate. Everything I've ever heard is that Rutherford is pretty active.
Botterill obviously wouldn't get the Sabres job without learning what he did from Big Jim.
It's not that I didn't get it, as much as it's not really accurate (really not meaning to sound like a jerk in saying that). So much more of his development curve came under Shero. Absolutely what he learned under Rutherford was important, but the cap expertise (which is his real value) was long established. The "GM in waiting" part was more so that he was long presumed to be the guy who would be the guy after Rutherford held the position for a year or two (not thinking he'd re-sign for a longer term).
and a great hire for the Sabres!!
A lot of young talent in Buffalo. If he gets a good head coach, they'll be in the playoffs in short order
to another M guy in the league.
40 year decision to come to the University of Michigan paying off!
GO BLUE!