“Franchise Player” | Gilbert Perreault: The Original Buffalo Sabre | Sabres Memories
Gilbert Perreault, number 11. He was the franchise player. I’ll be just happy if Perreault can play up to the expectations that everybody thinks he can. He was a natural. He had the natural ability. When you saw Gilbert come around his own net and his mouth wide open, you know he was going to end to end. When he touched the puck he could bring the crowd to their feet. He probably had the best lateral movement in the whole league. He was a strong man. He was a big man. Somewhere between 210 and 220 and as powerful as anybody on the ice. And if you watched him, if you were down at ice level watching him, he skated bow legged. But he went like hell. I mean, he was flying. He could do everything. He was a step above everyone else. Well, more than one step. He would do things that they would happen naturally. You know, people would ask him you know, how do you make this move? Or how do you do this? After practice and I said to Gilbert I said, ‘you think, you know, you could just work with me for a few minutes on… teach me how you deke?’ He was so good to the point where he didn’t know himself how good he was. And he looked at me in this inquisitive way I don’t know how I do them, I just do them. I don’t know how I do it. I just do it. But he did it
From the archives: watch the Sabres Memories episode about Gilbert Perreault. Perreault is known as the “Franchise Player,” “The Original Sabre,” and one of the Buffalo Sabres Sabres greats. Bringing this back from the archives in honor of the anniversary of the 1974-75 team and playoff run.
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5 Comments
Getting that first selection was so critical in advancing this franchise.
This franchise runs purely off of nostalgia at this point
For a bit when I was a kid he lived a few houses down from us, he'd co.e out and play hockey with us back in the early 80s. His son had every toy you every wanted lol. awesome memories
Man.. I miss RJ.
Rob Ray said one time, "Imagine what Perreault's skating would have been like if he had todays skates"