Eric Staal Named Buffalo Sabres Special Assistant To GM | Sabres Live

Eric Staal Named Buffalo Sabres Special Assistant To GM | Sabres Live

Eric, it would appear retirement from hockey has been short-lived for you. Was this kind of the plan all along? Uh, yes. I think so. I mean, I’ve always, you know, I have such a passion for the game and such a uh a love for everything about hockey and um you know, this opportunity I’m I’m super grateful for and um you know, I’ve got a a great relationship with Kevin and um you know, talked a number of times since I’ve been done playing and no, you dive into everything post hockey playingwise and um you know, it’s been such a treat to you know, just be with my family, be with my kids, be around and um but you still have a itch and desire for, you know, for the professional game. You know, I’ve done it for so much of my life and um you know, I feel like um you know, I can help uh in different ways that um I’m excited about. So, this is uh something that, you know, I I thought maybe uh was a possibility, but obviously you need an opportunity and you need to um you know, get connected somewhere. and I’m just fortunate uh that you know um Kevin’s given me this chance to do what I can to help. Did that itch somehow get heightened uh even more by how your career ended which was two more trips to the Stanley Cup final and being that close like Montreal in 21, Florida in 23. I think some people are very aware of your whole career body of work, but that’s that’s quite a way to go out with, you know, piling up the playoff games. Again, for absolutely, you know, I think um it also gives you an appreciation for how hard it is and I, you know, I I knew that obviously as a young guy coming in, you’re pretty wideeyed and you’re just taking it all in and and learning as much as you can every moment. And I was fortunate to be on a phenomenal team with great leadership and great people and players and we and we win a Stanley Cup. And then, you know, and then I go really long throughout my career without having a sniff again really um until the last uh two of the last three years playing and um you know, and so close to to getting it again, but but not being able to. It it for sure added that motivation and that desire to uh to try and win it again because it’s so special and um now obviously not being able to you know put the skates on and and be out there but have an opportunity in in a different role. It’s still important. I think you know that um when you’re done playing how important every role is within an organization to have success and it um you know it starts with uh ownership and then it continues to filter down uh throughout your organization to have success and win a championship. So um you know I I know that and and this is obviously a different role and and um a different opportunity but it’s still that nonetheless and still important uh to to success. So um it’ll be fun. um still have a a desire and an itch to to win another Stanley Cup and um you know that’s what I’m going to try and help uh help do with Buffalo. What do you think you took away most from the two? I We could go through all the teams because you obviously had such great personal success with Minnesota late in your career, but specifically with the Panthers and with Montreal. um you know what you saw within those organizations in those specific times recognizing that the Montreal trip to the final was a cohort shortened season and uh different configuration as far as the divisions and whatnot. You know what I now being a couple years removed from those teams and you know being on successful teams in the past um you know what I what I do know is it’s a it’s a tough league. It is a very very fine line between winning and losing. And you know when when things aren’t uh maybe going the way you hope because every team has has down times during the year. It’s when those down times happen you’re able to uh to rebound to to get out of the rut real quick. Um and and that may mean you’re going to lose a couple more but you’re at least you know you’re digging yourself out of the rut a little bit. I think there’s, you know, ways throughout a season where there’s nights where you just as a team, you just know you need to get a W. And I think those teams that I was on, um, you know, Montreal and Florida, I mean, we I wouldn’t say we, you know, were, uh, top of the division all year, we were we had a grind of a year where there were times in the year where there were games you you just knew you had to get points. you had to get something out of the game to make sure you kept climbing the ladder in the standings. It’s just a really really fine line in in the league. There’s so many great teams, so many great players that um you know, when you’re when you’re riding the high, you got to try and ride it as long as you can. And when you’re down in the the depths of of uh a couple game losing streak, you got to try and work as hard as you can to get out. And I think those teams that I was on really understood that. We had players that understood that and you know if you can get that out of the guys um you know you get yourself in a good spot and obviously playoffs you get the momentum going your way and um it can carry you a long ways. So those are those are things I think that you you learn as a player um that are real important through the course of an 82 game season. So, what do you think in the in this role as special assistant to the GM, like to exactly what you were just talking about, like in what ways do you think you’ll be leaned upon here and able to add to the conversation and in and in what areas? Be it off ice, on ice, in the room, you know, that kind of stuff. Yeah. I mean, I think uh you know, that’ll be up to Kevin in certain uh aspects as far as that goes, but you know, I I think just you know, having someone uh like me with another voice or or or thought uh reasoning. I mean, I’ve been fortunate to have been in the league for as long as I have been. I’ve got three brothers that are all in professional hockey. I’ I’ve I’ve lived it my whole life and um you know I feel like I’ve been on on probably a few more teams than other guys but also you build so many great relationships that way and I I think you can lean on that uh in in difficult moments and in good moments and I think uh you know for me it’s just adding another voice another thought another um idea may that it may be u moving forward uh whether it be players or or teamwise Um, you know, I’m just looking forward to kind of helping to contribute and in any way I can really. Um, you know, I want to win another Stanley Cup. Um, now that I’m not playing, I want to win it on the other side and um, you know, I’m just looking forward to the opportunity and doing whatever I can to help uh, in whatever area that is. Do you think that there are areas of the game though that you are a little bit more interested in in becoming like understanding of whether that’s you know players and contracts and things like that or whether it’s player development or it’s scouting or you know what whatever might be top of mind for you. Yeah. You know, I think in in this role, I’m pretty pretty lucky, I would say, and fortunate. I I I feel like I’m going to get an opportunity to kind of see, you know, all aspects of of how an organization runs and and and learn as much as I can, ask questions when uh when I when I want. And, you know, I like I said, I’ve got a great relationship with Kevin. He’s a he’s a great person and a great hockey guy that’s been in this for a while. and um just lucky that he’s given me this chance to, you know, kind of see that other side and and you know, I think being not that far removed from playing, I’m going to have perspective that’s maybe different than other guys as far as um players themselves, uh players that maybe they’re looking at or or thinking about making moves towards or uh or in that area. you know, I’m going to have um you know, close relatively close experience to to have been out there either with or against some of these guys. So, I think that’s valuable. Um but, you know, just I I I think just seeing how it all works. You know, you’re a player for so long and you’re you’re like, “Ah, you always you always say, I’m never going to be on the other side.” You’re just playing just playing just playing. You’re worried worried worried about that. And then and all of a sudden you get old like everybody and then you’re like, “Oh, well, I still love the game and still want to be involved and and this is just a great opportunity for me to be able to do that.” And um you know, I’m just excited to uh to join the the group and um help whenever uh whatever way I can. But you were also here for a brief period of time, too. So, how does that play into this and a willingness to come back here? Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, it was it it’s unfortunate now looking back, you know, this situation that it was with COVID and the no fans and and um just the the part of not being able to really invest in relationships um with with my teammates. We were all so segregated. We were around in the ranks and that was about it. but you never really got to connect with uh you know with guys families and and uh kind of all the things that you need to have when you’re when you’re when you’re on a team. Um so that was difficult. Um obviously the the year I was there or the time I was there it was you know within our own division played a lot of really tough teams. uh we just uh didn’t have enough to uh withstand what you need to have success. But uh but I could tell, you know, the the type of sports town Buffalo is. It’s a phenomenal place to to play hockey. I played in there enough as a road player. Um conference finals in ’06, I was absolutely amazing. I’ll never forget the, you know, being in the hotel and how loud the downtown was with people just getting ready for playoff games. It was it was awesome, even as a road player. So, it’s a great sports town. Um, and I’m just excited to, you know, uh, join alongside these guys and and, uh, hopefully continue to build something that, uh, the people of Buffalo can be proud of. At the end of the day, the, you know, the journey hopefully ends in winning. That’s the goal for everybody. Do you think you you have learned um a difference in how to win over the course of your time in hockey? You referenced, you know, you were fortunate to get that taste early, but do you now see like a million different layers that it takes to get to winning? Uh absolutely. You definitely learn a ton over, you know, the the longevity that I had planned and you learn, you know, when when you try and um bank the the years that you had success and what made that success. And I I think the number one thing that I could, you know, say right here would be the closeness that a team needs to have. When you’re when you’re and and that goes hand in hand, right? If you’re having success, usually the team’s a little closer. when you’re not, it’s a little bit more difficult. But if you can start on that page first, um you know, I think it changes. Uh so you need great people, you need great players, um but you need to have that uh that team uh dynamic where you’re willing to do the extra, you know, push push each other in practice. Yes, it can be competitive and um you know, you’re you’re not always getting along in practice, but you’re pushing each other to be better. And I think any team that I’ve ever had been on that’s been successful is a is a really close-knit team, but a team that um was was highly competitive with each other in in the right ways. And um you know, that’s what you you want and that’s what you want to build uh in order to uh to s to succeed and and uh achieve what you want. Do you have an itinerary yet? What’s your first big assignment? Uh, nothing yet, but I I think I’ll be in town next week uh at the the amateur meetings. Uh, I think they kind of uh give a lay of the land as far as getting ready prepared for uh for the amateur draft, which uh which will be cool for I get to meet a lot of the guys that are obviously already within the organization and and do some hand shaking, but really just soak in, you know, I’m going to soak in as much as I can, learn as much as I can, and um I’m just excited to uh you know, to add add as much value as I can. Um obviously, next week will be a little different. I’m I’m pretty uh pretty green and fresh, but hey, just sitting there and learning and and um seeing how it all works is going to be really cool for me, and I’m I’m excited about it. Thank you for the time today. Welcome back to Buffalo. Appreciate it, Brian. Sounds good. [Music]

Eric Staal joined Brian Duff on Sabres Live to discuss being hired as the Buffalo Sabres special assistant to the general manager. The former Sabres forward discussed joining Sabres GM and former teammate Kevyn Adams, what he’s looking to bring to the new role, his experience with players and returning to a great sports town in Buffalo.

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