Buffalo Sabres Alumni 2007

Slap Shot 2, "Play it Again" for Charity

Sabres Alumni 2007 / 2008

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(photo by Mike's wifee Steph)

Team FedEx from Hamilton-Ont. played us at Copps Collisium on March 1, 2008!

Buffalo Sabres / D.C. Snipers at Hamburg, NY. 03/01/2008

Buffalo Sabres Alumni 2008: Ric Martin, Ric Seiling, Darryl Shannon, Mark LaForest, Mike Boland, Craig Muni, Scot Metcalf, Frank Standfield and Hanson Brother Steve Carlson!

(Donut Connection meets French Connection)

Jon and Rob sandwich Buffalo Sabre great Ric Martin! (of the French Connection)

Sabres Alumni 2007: Can you find Buffalo favorites: Ric Martin (Rico), Derek Smith, Richie Dunn, Ric Seiling, Yuri Khmylev, Rob Ray, Darryl Shannon, Grant Ledyard, Mike Boland, Craig Charron AND --The originial Hanson Brothers?

Classic Rob Ray Video!

(Photo by someone!)

Rob Ray (L) gives Jon a rest. Razor has been to all our games in Buffalo!

Mark "Trees" LaForest played goal for us in 2008! (and in a bunch of NHL games)

Mike and his better half --wife Steph with Steve Carlson in Hamilton, Ontario!

The fastest goal of the day!
"In one of my shifts I witnessed the fastest goal I have ever been no part of. A wrist shot went wide on our goalie and Sabre Alum Yuri Khmylev cleared it up the left side to Rochester great Craig Charron who passed over to Sabre Alum Ric Seiling who weaved through traffic and dropped it to Charron who then "nutted" a wrist shot from the slot. As I chugged up the left side like a slow moving freight train the buzzer sounded --- SCORE!!!! I didn't even touch the puck! All I did was skate up the left side and watch in amazement. After the goal Charron skated backwards past me on the way to the bench and said while smiling; "it's easy --- just like that, eh?" That short 10-second shift was incredible and memorable, to say the least..." (By Rob Ziemba-2007)

Sabre Mike Boland (C) got cut in our game! John Persinger let the game get out -of-hand!

Craig Muni earned -3- Stanley Cup's with Edmonton!

He also played for the Sabres---and us!

Late night hockey at Copps Collisium in Hamilton was great, but no fans showed up!

(Photo by: some guy on the bench)

Rob and Jon with the Boys in Buffalo in March 2007!

FOUR Memorable Moments at Buffalo in 2007 and 2008:

2007: As "Play It Again" for Charity Chairman Jon was leaving the HSBC Arena after our game at the HSBC Arena he noticed a broken Buffalo Ty Conklin goalie stick in the trash can near the Sabre's locker room. Jon thought; "man, this would look great over our bed at home" and proceeded to remove it from trash can. All of sudden, an older security guard - almost instantly--came out of nowhere and grabbed the stick out of Jon's hand while saying. " YOU CAN'T TAKE STUFF OUT OF THE GARBAGE CAN HERE!" Gimme back my stick! Jon thought as he lowered his head and walked away---without the stick! (it was estimated that Jon actually held the broken stick for about 90-seconds before Security wrestled the stick away from him)

2008: What's believed to be the same grumpy security guard from 2007 -- told Jon to "get off the ice" at the HSBC Arena. Witnesses say most of our team (except for Jon) had already exited the Ice after our game with the Hamburg, NY Police Department while Jon stood by the bench to chat with family. Once again--out of nowhere came the same "grumpy" security from last year. As he emerged from the hallway he approached the Sabre Bench and yelled to Jon to "get off the ice--now!"

Locker room talk produced the following two reasons for this. 1) The guy has a bug in his ear for Jon. 2) NHL Rules mandate that no-one be on the ice 3-hours before a game. (#2 is the right answer, although #1 sounds better)

2008: As our team took the ice for warmups 10-minutes to game time we noticed our goalie still had not shown up. As I was leaving the locker room a goalie came through the door carrying the larger "old school" hockey pads, a beat up hockey bag from some ex-NHL team and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. After I said hi he asked me if I had an extra jersey. "Sure, man--" so I went to my bag and tossed him my nicely, clean and folded Blue Labatts Jersey that was carefully placed in my bag. As I tossed it to him I jokingly said, "try not to burn a hole in it with your cigarette." and took to the ice for warmups. After he got dressed and skated a few laps, someone yelled "Trees" is here. I thought to myself, Trees?? I've heard that name before, at Hershey Bears games and in Philadelphia at Flyers Games. So I skated by him and yelled hey--your Mark LaForest aren't you. He said "YEP, good oberservation---Tree's I am". I just laughed and skated away! Another guy I used to watch play, was now our goalie! Good time! Thanks Trees for the memories, see you in 2009, everyone in Hershey and Philadelphia says hi!

2006-2007-2008 and probably 2009: Being told by Steven Carlson (Steve Hanson) that Jon and I are horrible skaters and can't play hockey. Funny stuff, eh?