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Former Sabres Great Rick Martin Dies at Age 59

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  • Former Sabres Great Rick Martin Dies at Age 59

    Former Sabres great, Rick Martin, dies at 59
    John Wawrow, The Associated Press

    BUFFALO, N.Y. - Rick Martin, a member of the Buffalo Sabres' famed French Connection line in the 1970s, died after being involved in a one-car accident Sunday. He was 59.

    The team announced Martin's death in a statement before Sunday's game against the Ottawa Senators. New York State Police said Martin died in a one-car crash earlier in the day in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, N.Y.

    Police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

    "Rick was not only one of the greatest players in franchise history, he was a great friend to the Sabres organization and entire community," read a statement released by the Sabres. "The thoughts and prayers of the entire Sabres organization go out to his wife, Mikey, and their two sons, Corey and Josh."

    The Sabres were planning to hold a video tribute to Martin prior to the game.

    Martin was selected fifth overall by the Sabres in the 1971 draft, and immediately made an impact on the team the following season when he scored what was then an NHL rookie record 44 goals. Martin, a native of LaSalle, Que., played left wing on a line centred by Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert, which was eventually dubbed The French Connection.

    He spent 10-plus seasons with Buffalo before his career was cut short by a severe knee injury during a game against Washington in November 1980.

    He was traded to Los Angeles during the 1980-81 season, and only played four games for the Kings through the following season.

    Martin finished with 384 goals and 317 assists for 701 points in 685 career NHL games. He added 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 points in 63 career playoff games.

    He was a five-time 40-goal-scorer, and twice surpassed the 50-goal plateau, when he had 52 in each of the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons. Martin's most productive campaign was in 1974-75, when he had a career-high 95 points (52 goals, 43 assists) in 68 games.

    Martin's 382 goals are most by a Sabres' left-winger, and rank second on the team list. He also ranks second on the team with 47 game-winning goals, while his 695 points rank third. Martin also holds the Sabres record with 21 three-goal games.

    The French Connection is recognized at the Sabres' arena with separate banners honouring all three players hanging together from the ceiling.

    The line was most recently reunited last month, when the three attended a news conference announcing Pennsylvania billionaire Terry Pegula's official purchase of the team. They were invited to attend at the request of Pegula, a longtime Sabres fan.

    Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
    Very sad news!

  • #2
    Former Sabres great Rick Martin dies
    Was part of the famous French Connection

    By Chris Iorfida, CBC Sports



    Rick Martin, left, and longtime teammate Gilbert Perreault were among the former Sabres
    on hand at a Feb. 23, 2011, game to welcome new team ownership.
    (David Duprey/Associated Press)




    Rick Martin, the first 50-goal scorer for the Buffalo Sabres and a member of their famed French Connection line, died Sunday.

    Martin, who was 59, suffered a heart attack while driving in western New York state, according to numerous local media reports.

    Martin was an NHL star in the 1970s with 384 goals and 317 assists for 701 points in 685 games, all but a handful with the Sabres.

    Current Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was among the former teammates who spoke Sunday afternoon before Buffalo hosted Ottawa.

    Ruff said it was a tough day for the organization and that Martin was a good friend, although it took some time before he wasn't intimidated by the talented sniper.

    "I was awestruck, I'll be honest," Ruff said of his first camp with Martin and the other Buffalo stars. "For a young kid that came out of Western Canada and a small town and watched Hockey Night in Canada, knew who the French Connection was ... I felt like, the best description would be a pee wee going to a midget team."

    During his time in Buffalo, Martin combined with fellow French Canadians Gilbert Perreault and René Robert to give Buffalo the top line in the league for a time, and they helped lead the Sabres to the 1975 Stanley Cup final in just the franchise's fifth year of existence.

    "Rick was not only one of the greatest players in franchise history, he was a great friend to the Sabres organization and the entire community," the team said in a statement.

    Born in Verdun, Que., Martin starred with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and was selected fifth overall by Buffalo general manager Punch Imlach in the 1971 NHL amateur draft. The Sabres claimed longtime contributors Craig Ramsay and Bill Hajt in the later rounds of that draft.

    Martin was such a precocious talent that after a 44-goal rookie season with Buffalo — then an NHL record for a rookie — he was part of the Canadian contingent selected for the Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Although he never played in the famous 1972 series, he did score three times for his country in its triumphant Canada Cup win four years later.

    Martin scored 52 goals in consecutive seasons for Buffalo, including in 1974-75, when he contributed seven goals and eight assists in 17 playoff games as the Sabres eventually lost in six games to Philadelphia in the Stanley Cup final.

    "He hit the blue-lline and he was going to find a way to put it in the net one way or another," said former teammate and current Sabres broadcaster Mike Robitaille.

    "He had this fire," Robitaille added. "Scoring was everything to him, he just lived and died [for] sticking the puck in the net.

    "His eyes lit up when he had those opportunities."

    Perreault and Martin. former teammates in junior hockey with the Junior Canadiens, clashed on occasion, and in 1975-76, coach Floyd Smith even broke up the top trio for a while.

    At the 1977 NHL all-star game in Vancouver, Martin scored twice in the third period to win it for his conference and take most valuable player honours.

    The French Connection was done for good after 1978-79, however, when Robert moved on before the next season began to the Colorado Rockies.

    Martin was mostly healthy through his first nine NHL seasons, but ankle and back injuries were a prelude to a collision that led to a serious knee injury. He was traded to Los Angeles but played just four games with the Kings and was finished in the NHL before his 31st birthday.

    There was acrimony for a number of years with the Sabres, as Martin, the team and insurance companies were entangled in several lawsuits. Martin claimed he was given an improper diagnosis for the knee injury by the team doctor, and that he was pressured by coach Scotty Bowman and others to return to the lineup too soon after the injury, leading to a premature end to his career.

    Martin won an undisclosed award in 1994 against the estate of the late team doctor.

    He settled in the Buffalo area and had business interests in the community. In recent weeks, Martin joined Perreault, Robert and other former Sabres to help welcome new owner Terry Pegula.

    "To see the smile on all three of their faces was incredible," Ruff said of the recent reunion.

    Martin is survived by a wife and two children.
    Last edited by Leafsfan1967; 03-13-2011, 04:18 PM.

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    • #3
      Heart disease killed former Sabre Martin (AP)

      An autopsy performed on Rick Martin has determined that former Buffalo Sabres star forward died of hypertensive heart disease. New York State Police issued the findings of the autopsy performed Monday, a day after Martin was found unresponsive after the car he was driving left the road and struck a utility pole in suburban Buffalo.

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