October 14, 1974 -- When a professional athlete is traded, that person rarely comes back to play a good-sized role in the trading team's organization. Yet that's exactly what happened when Buffalo completed a good-sized deal around the start of the 1974-75 season. Twice.
Buffalo sent center Gerry Meehan and defenseman Mike Robitaille to Vancouver for defenseman Jocelyn Guevremont and forward Bryan McSheffrey.
Meehan had been an original Sabre and a captain of the team, and still had some good years ahead of him although he was on some bad teams. The center had 28 goals on the 1976-77 Washington Capitals, no easy task. Robitaille served Vancouver well until an injury ruined his career; he ended up in a lawsuit over the treatment of the injury.
Meanwhile, Guevremont proved to be a good addition to the Buffalo defensive group. He was an offensive threat for more than four years from the blue line, and helped the team reach the finals in 1975. McSheffrey only played in three games as a Sabre, but went on to become a member of the Buffalo Norsemen of the North American Hockey League in 1975-76.
Meanwhile, Meehan later came back to the Sabres' front office and served as the team's general manager for part of the 1980's and 1990's. Robitaille found work as a Sabres' broadcaster, covering a variety of roles during the past two-plus decades.
--- Budd Bailey
tagged
History