- Meehan picked up the first assist in Buffalo Sabres history and became the team’s second captain
- As GM he built the Buffalo teams that landed Hasek, LaFontaine and Hawerchuk
- Read below for a look back at Gerry Meehan’s life in hockey
Gerry Meehan, one of the first players the Buffalo Sabres ever dressed, has passed away at the age of 79.
The Sabres announced his death on Saturday, saying Meehan died Friday after a family member informed the club. He spent parts of six decades around the NHL, first as a player and then as the executive who shaped some of Buffalo’s best teams.
Their post went up Saturday afternoon:
Buffalo grabbed Meehan in the 1970 Expansion Draft, and he wasted no time leaving a mark. He recorded the first assist in franchise history and became the second captain the Sabres ever named, wearing the C when the club reached its first playoff appearance in 1973.
His playing days ran 10 seasons across six teams. Meehan suited up for Toronto, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Atlanta and Washington, where he captained the Capitals before retiring in 1979.
Meehan earned a law degree once he hung up his skates, then returned to Buffalo as an assistant general manager under Scotty Bowman in 1984. He took over the top job partway through the 1986-87 season.
What he did next is why his name still carries weight in Buffalo. Meehan drafted Pierre Turgeon first overall in 1987, then landed Alexander Mogilny and Rob Ray a year later. He was a driving force in getting Mogilny to North America after the winger’s defection from the Soviet Union in 1989.
The bold moves kept coming. Meehan traded for Dale Hawerchuk in 1990, flipped Turgeon to the Islanders in the package that brought back Pat LaFontaine in 1991, then pried Dominik Hasek out of Chicago in 1992. Hasek went on to become one of the greatest goaltenders the sport has seen.
We at Gino Hard send our condolences to Meehan’s family, friends and the entire Sabres community.
