Brad May On Why He Has Belief In The Buffalo Sabres Turning Things Around!

Brad May On Why He Has Belief In The Buffalo Sabres Turning Things Around!

That’s almost exactly identical. I don’t know what you want to do with that. Uh maybe nothing. So, we’ll talk more about that in a little while. Right now, I’m really excited to have Brad May back on the show. For me, it’s been a long time since talking to Brad. Of course, no introduction needed here. Over a thousand games in the league. One of the most famous goals in Savers history, if not number one. Brad, Mike Shepier, how’s life? Hey, Mike. How you doing? I’m all right. What’s new with you? That was a really That was a really nice introduction. I appreciate that. It was um many years ago, 1993, that goal, but uh above and beyond that um my seven and a half, eight seasons I was with the Sabres were truly memorable and I was actually in Buffalo last couple days and um missed my friends there for sure. Uh yeah, you never forget your first, right, Brad? I mean, this is the organization you started with and many great memories the fans have, too. Yeah, you know what? It was incredible place for me to start my career. I’m sure I’ve told this story many times, even on the air with the Sabres, but um I I I was such a lucky guy. I got I got selected to play in Niger Falls for the Niger Falls Thunder when I was a teenager, of course, and then I was drafted 25 30 minutes down the road to the Buffalo Sabres. So, I felt like I was a semi-local boy exactly how Jerry Mian announced it at the draft floor. Um, I was I was given a really really neat opportunity to kind of, you know, immerse myself into obviously Western New York, but the Peninsula 30 minutes away made it much easier to to, you know, make the team, but also make that jump from junior hockey to the NHL. Yeah, I get it. It wasn’t such a foreign thing, right? I mean, you you you could go to places you knew. You almost you grew up in Toronto anyway or near Toronto. So, uh, I think that would be a pretty good advantage for a young player. Buffalo has long been a a a town where I mean, hockey people, so many over the years, have made their homes here. Um, and I just wonder like what what it is for you about this area that on the on the occasion of Give 716 that that makes it so so special to so many. Well, number one, if I if I could just speak of myself for a moment, um I live just north of Toronto, so I’m not too far away. I’m actually I’m on the highway right now, but um because I left Buffalo, but have if I wasn’t living north of Toronto where I grew up, I could see myself living in Western New York, right in Buffalo. I mean, it it it feels feels like home. The cool part about 716 and of course the day of giving and through the organizations in Buffalo and all the 501c3 charities, there’s so many that are underserved and maybe just don’t get in front of, you know, the masses. Um, what an unbelievable endeavor from Mr. and Mrs. Pagula down from the Bills, the Savers, the Bandits, obviously just the community itself in at large. Um when I left this morning, I was at Key Bank in in Williamsville. I looked at the total there at about $860,000. Um which I imagine that’s going to be eclipsed and going to go well into the million dollar um you know threshold. It just speaks volumes of the of the the community, obviously the people in Buffalo, Western New York, and understanding that there’s so many wonderful charities and and giving people um philanthropic people that you know what, they give of themselves and to have the support of their community is is amazing. Last night I was at the draft room right beside the arena and there had to there was a couple hundred people there. It was really really cool. um obviously solid football fans, lacrosse fans, hockey fans, and um you know, a lot of lot of this this money is is desperately needed in those certain sectors. And I’ll just give you one quick story, Mike, if you don’t mind. Um one I I met a and I’m going I I forget her name, but I met a woman last night um who started a charity and they give flowers and gift bags baskets to widowers, you know. So like we first thing you think about is Roswell Park and and children with cancer and and and you go down the path there’s so many people that that need love and support and this woman came up with this idea that on Valentine’s Day they they give these baskets and flowers to widowers and they they’ve tied it into the school system where they have the children, you know, write these Valentine cards and it’s amazing. puts puts a smile on on someone’s face 5 10 years after losing their loved one that you know what they know that they’re supported and they’re loved in their community. it. I I actually I had a tear in my eye when I gave her a hug last night cuz I was like these are things you don’t hear of unless you’re actually you know amongst those people or you know it’s hard for these people to get their their story and and and the word out and this 716 day of giving which is wonderful um enables and and has given these people an opportunity which is fantastic. Very cool and very well said about about the area and the great point about not just the the charities you hear about all the time, not that they’re not worthy with Brad May on the Western Hotline. This is Mike Schop. One hockey related question I wanted to ask you from your experience. I mean, you played for so long and you also played in like all corners of North America and then into broadcasting here and out west also. We’re at a point where I mean Vegas won, Florida has won two, Seattle, Utah. I mean there’s just we we would maybe have a tendency to put down certain markets around here. Thinking of how loyal this fan base is, you know, Florida with empty buildings or Carolina and that’s very different now. And I wonder what your perspective might be when it comes to this cuz the Sabres have some challenges when it comes to recruiting players and it just seems like the competition is obviously deeper and you know better. Yeah. Well, you know what? So, we had this conversation actually this morning, Tim Connelly and myself and along with Marty Bonn and Brian Duff um they did their show from the Key Bank um the the branch that we were at. Um, we had a conversation basically talking about obviously, you know, there’s the zero state taxes, there’s the different regions in the country, of course, you got Canada, you know, you’re dealing with provincial governments and state governments and all these different things. The bottom line is winning begets winning. So, you know, it’s the chicken and egg theory. Is it is it the tax, you know, structures of these different states and and cities that, you know, are obviously more advantageous for players? That’s true. Climate is definitely a difference, a differentiator, but at the end of the day, hockey players want to play hockey and they want to win hockey games and they want to be part of a a vaunting program that that actually produces wins and certainly a lot of excitement and fun. So for Buffalo, listen, we we know the people that are listening to the show know that Western New York certainly Buffalo Sabres, they’ve had a tough run. They they they haven’t been a a good team winning wise for quite some time, and that’s going to hurt them. If they can find the way to turn the corner with the talent and the players they do have, find that spirit and resolve to go win more hockey games, they won’t be a problem recruiting players to come play in Buffalo. and the Buffalo Bills possibly going to another Super Bowl run, all this stuff. Buffalo is an incredible place. It definitely gets overlooked at times when you start looking at all these other factors, but the bottom line is hockey players want to play on a good hockey team, have an opportunity to win and compete. And um I see that happening. I see that being such an opportunity for the Buffalo Sabres and and certainly these young players grab the b, you know, bull by the horns and and and get after it. Um, I’m I’m obviously somewhat biased. I loved my life in Buffalo, and there’s no question there’s competition with other markets, but the game of hockeyy’s grown. The talent level is absolutely the best it’s ever been. And, um, somehow management and coaching, obviously, in Buffalo, have to figure out a way with the players they have to go and win hockey games. If they do that, it’ll take care of itself, right? just as it has at other times in the Sabres history, you know, like what those two incredible seasons 06 and ’07, what where did that come from? You know, like they were just out of bankruptcy and it felt somewhat like this where like maybe they they could have been moved, Brad, you know, in in those years for a minute, but they did not have you put to them super high expectations out of the the lockout and they killed it. So that’s that you can always be optimistic because sometimes you just don’t see it coming. Well, and and the whole point there is and I recognize why we’re talking today about obviously 716 day and and raising my charity and the great community of Western New York. Bottom line is you got to win hockey games. If you win hockey games, that takes care of itself. The excitement will be back in the building. That excitement will bring more fans, more money, and more eyeballs to the to the product. And the bottom line is they got Lindy Ruff who’s had success in Buffalo as a player and as a coach and manager and he’s there and he’s got his team and he’s got to find a way to to beat there’s 31 other teams that want to beat Buffalo’s ass every day that they play them and sometimes over the last 10 15 years it’s probably been an easier night for some of those teams playing against the Buffalo Sabres some way somehow I don’t know go back to maybe and I this is me being a little bit biased but go back to 199596 when Ted Nolan was our coach. We were the hardest working team in hockey or certainly branded as that. We didn’t end up making the playoffs that season the last year at the at the odd. But you know what? We are we are damn exciting. We were we we brought a different element which obviously is not in the game today. We we we had a a heart and a spirit and in the world Cassich, you know, backstopping our team, but and that helps, but at the end of the day, you got to find a way. It’s not just about skating, shooting, and beautiful hockey plays. It’s about taking the will of, you know, away from your opposition. It’s about making any night in the in Bangk difficult night to play. Brad May with us. And of course, sorry. Oh, and of course, and of course the talent level, right? I mean, at the end of the day, they got to win hockey games. They do that. I’ll be a fan. I’ll be driving down from Toronto all the time. Watch. I didn’t mean to step on you there. The connection was breaking up, so I wasn’t sure I still had you. Uh, by the I should I should probably not mention 0607 without also mentioning that you were on the Cup winner that year in Anaheim. That had to be memories you won’t forget. Oh, dude. It was it was it was a dream come true, of course, 16 years in the NHL at that point for my for me. And I got traded at the trade deadline from the Colorado Avalanche. And fortunately for myself, I landed in a with in Anaheim with a great team. And through that playoff run, I was actually had my fingers crossed that Buffalo was going to beat Ottawa in the in the conference final in the East and Anaheim had we, you know, which we did. We beat Detroit. I would have faced against the Buffalo Sabres and that would have that would have been absolutely amazing. Um, unfortunately Ottawa played too well and Buffalo found themselves in some injury trouble and and we didn’t get that chance. But winning the Stanley Cup and just being part of a team that does did that, everybody in Buffalo, I swear to God, if Buffalo ever gets to this point, and I hope it’s sooner than later, we’re all going to have an absolute time of our lives celebrating and cheering that team on because it’s the best it’s the best place to be as a hockey player. And I’m certainly sure as a fan to cheer your team on at that level at that time of the year. So, um, my fingers are crossed for the Buffalo Sabres. One thing I remember about that season, 0607, I remember a lot of things, but from being in here with Bulldog, the the 506 season, the Sabres were so close. 0607, they win the President’s Trophy, but Bulldog kept saying Anaheim is scary. Like they were, and you know, Tim Connelly missing almost that entire season coming back for the playoffs. uh you know, think about how that could have been, you know, did add to their their uh depth. But man, he he I think of Bulldog when I think of those ducks because he was just like, I don’t know. This is about, you know, it’s about the cup, but I don’t know. The interesting part I and I, again, listen, we had our time. Time does pass um the Anaheim Ducks, although we we are emlazing on the Stanley Cup and our team and our names and it’s wonderful. Um, I would say the closest team to be the Florida Panthers, who have obviously won the last two Stanley Cups, um, were the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. A team that actually could beat you in many different fashions. They were tougher than everybody they played. They played tougher. You had a buy in from the whole group. Your star players were tough. We had Tamu Salani who grinded it out. We had Chris Broner and Scott Nethermire. At the end of the day, you need superstars, but then you also need an emerging young core. And that group was Corey Perry, Ryan Gets, Chris Kunit, who goes on to win four Stanley Cups. Wow. We had tough guys in George Peros and Sean Thornton. You know, I when I look at the Florida Panthers, the way they beat their team, you know, the teams they played, um, they took the will away from the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Toronto Maple Leafs, rolled over Carolina, which I didn’t see coming. And then, of course, David for the most part. Um, Florida was a good team, and you know what, if I’m a Buffalo Saber fan, I want to get some of that spirit in. Yeah, that’s a good comp. Dustin Penner, another one from that that Ducks team you were on. big big guys. Well, thank you Brad. It’s uh great to talk to you again and appreciate on behalf of everybody involved your efforts in helping give 716 day come off. Well, the coolest part about it um Mike is is you can’t do it alone. You do team and as an organization and I swear to God the the the community of Western New York is second to none. And it was beautiful to be a part of it. But it takes many of us to to to show up and do this stuff. And of course, it takes all the people that are so kind and generous to donate. So, um I really do hope that the 716 day is a success and has been and um really really thrilled that that I was asked to be part of it. Very nice. Uh thanks Brad. Enjoyed talking to you as always. Take care. All the best to you guys. Thank you, Brad May.

Mike Schopp talked to Brad May on Give 716 Day to catch up on the State of the Sabres, why he LOVES the City of BUFFALO, imaging the celebration if the Sabres turn things around and the beautiful day for Give 716 Day and the amazing people who we are donating to and for! #billsmafia

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