RIP Richard Martin

From the Buffalo News...Rick Martin, one-third of the most fabled line in Buffalo Sabres history, died today of a heart attack. He was 59.

Martin reportedly had a heart attack while driving in Clarence, a law enforcement officer said on the condition of anonymity.

Martin became etched in local lore as the high-scoring winger on the "French Connection," skating alongside Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert as the infant Sabres captured the area’s attention.

Martin helped welcome new Sabres owner Terry Pegula to town late last month, skating onto the ice with Perreault and Robert and shaking Pegula’s hand at center ice as the fans in HSBC Arena cheered.
A childhood hero, who I got to know later in life

 

I followed hockey big-time in the '70s (even though the hometown Dead Things sucked). I watched lots of "Hockey Night in Canada."

The French Connection was really something to watch, and Rick was the best of the three.

So sad, and way too young to go.

 

Sabres beat the Sens 6-2 today and the crowd was chanting for them to get 7 in honour of Martin. Lindy Ruff was a teammate of Martin's so this was probably a tough game for him

RIP. The French Connection line would have thrived in post-lockout hockey

 

What a terrific player he was, and the perfect compliment to 'Bert in the middle. Martin had such a hard shot, rivaling that of the great Bobby Hull. Rico was the master of the toe drag, too, which is so often how he found himself in the clear. ... How I loved watching that line work its magic ... My prayers are with his family and friends ...

 

I bought a game-worn Martin LA Kings jersey in the early 80s. It's in my closet now.
Because he was mostly hurt while on the team, I wore the sweater many more times than he did.
RIP

 

That was a fun group to watch. Sabres also had "King Kong" Korab.

Remember they lost to The Flyers in '75 finals. Most memorable was that the arena in Buffalo developed a fog and you could barely see.

 

I had Sabres season tickets in 1971-72, my senior year in high school, Martin's rookie year, and the first season of the balcony in the old Aud. He could really play, had an unbelievably hard shot, and great sideburns.

If memory serves me right, the French Connection started very late in that year when Rene Robert was acquired from the Penguins. I think Mike Byers or someone had played on the line with Perrault and Martin before that. I think ugly Don Luce and Craig Ramsay joined the team that year as well and the pieces for a contender began falling into place.

I know for sure, even though the fog of many $.90 cent bottles of Stroh's, that was the year Gerry Meehan knocked the Flyers out of the playoffs with a last-second goal on Easter Sunday in the final game of the season.

The most memorable thing about the 1975 SCF was Jim Lorentz killing the bat with his stick. Plus I think he scored the OT goal to win the fog game.

 

Jesus, you're almost as old as me.

 

Old enough to remember watching Jim Schoenfeld and Mike Veisor playing for the Red Wings in the OHA on Hamilton TV on Thursdays, I think, and watching Dave Keon starring for the Leafs on the Wednesday night edition of HNIC, hearing Foster Hewitt's introductions from "high in the gondola overlooking Maple Leaf Gardens" and Dave Hodge with the Prince Valiant haircut.