I'll take Jerome Bechard. Who you got?
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Sometimes life just works out perfectly. The Sabres play in Atlanta on Sunday, so I got to travel to Georgia, where I began covering hockey for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in 2000. The city is about an hour south of Atlanta, and the team I wrote about, the Columbus Cottonmouths,is playing tonight. So I made the journey down.
The best part is, it's the 10-year reunion of their 1997 Central Hockey League championship team. There are 25 guys in town, and I covered probably 20. I still keep in touch with the captain of those teams, Jerome Bechard, and he's now the GM and coach.
Which gets me to the point of this. Beesh was the greatest hockey player I've ever seen. (Here are his numbers.) He was born to play hockey. You know those guys: missing teeth, fearless, eager to do anything to win, would block a shot with his skull if it prevented a goal. He's not the best player, but he's the ultimate player. Bechard is absolutely beloved by his town and teammates, and of course hated by everyone else's players and fans. During one playoff series, an opposing player tried to hit him with his car in the parking lot!
Chris Drury was the closest I've encountered to Beesh from the aspect that he'd do anything to win. But Bechard loves hockey off the ice, while I've always got the sense Drury just loves the on-ice aspect.
So, the question is, who's your Jerome Bechard? Who's the guy that makes hockey matter for you? He doesn't have to be the best, just the ultimate.
---John Vogl
Forgot one: Mike Ramsey
Posted by: Mike C | January 09, 2008 at 04:46 PM
I'd probably have to say Mark Messier - and he had plenty of talent to go with his determination.
If we're restricted to those who wore Sabres uniforms, I'd say Schoenfeld, Ruff, Foligno, LaFontaine, Peca before he got greedy, McKee. And of course, Drury.
The closest candidate on the current team is probably Gaustad.
Posted by: Mike C | January 09, 2008 at 04:44 PM
The only bonehead talking politics is James Z from Kaisertown. That is because he has nothing better to do now that he has impregnated all 16 of his cats.
Posted by: Sabre Fan | January 09, 2008 at 03:48 PM
James Z is the best player any Buffalo team has ever had.
He even found bin Laden in his cave in the fields by Houghton Park.
Whatta man! (Meow.)
Posted by: lol | January 06, 2008 at 11:17 AM
andrew peters. he's the best hockey player ever and right now for the sabres. they could trade everyone on the team, but if they had 5 peters on offence, 5 on defence and peters in goal, the sabres would win the cup 5 times in a row.
Posted by: gilbert perr-o-no | January 06, 2008 at 09:28 AM
The Ultimate Sabre had to be Val James. His hands were legendary, and his hockey acumen was second to none.
Posted by: Will from Wales | January 06, 2008 at 09:07 AM
I think the closest we have to an ulimate hockey player now is Derek Roy.
Posted by: fed up | January 06, 2008 at 07:47 AM
John Ferguson and/or Bobby Clarke. Honorable mention: Keith Magnusen.
Posted by: cliff | January 06, 2008 at 06:42 AM
Ill go with....Ovechkin
Posted by: Anthony | January 06, 2008 at 03:40 AM
That's an easy one, Steve Yzerman. Having been a hockey fan first and a Wings fan second, both from the days of the Original 6, I believe Yzerman was the ultimate hockey player. Skill, heart, loyalty, dedication and a burning desire to win.. the guy had it all.
Posted by: Bill Weston | January 06, 2008 at 02:04 AM
thats easy, our captain (whoops, i mean was our captain) Chris Drury
Posted by: Jon | January 05, 2008 at 08:35 PM