Following a squad all season long, only to see them not make the playoffs for a given season, can be disappointing for fans. However, that doesn't mean that the team you followed can't be entertaining.
Case in point, the Buffalo Sabres 1995-1996 season was one of those teams. The team finished with a record of 33-42-7, 5th out of 6 teams in the Northeast Division and well out of the playoff race.
Not much was expected because the club jettisoned Alexander Mogilny and Dale Hawerchuk during the offseason in cost-cutting moves (and picked up future captain Mike Peca and Randy Burridge, who surprisingly became the clubs 2nd leading scorer). It was also the last season in the Memorial Auditorium or the "Aud" as the team was moving to the nearby Marine Midland Arena the following season. New coach Ted Nolan was brought in by GM John Muckler in hopes of injecting the team with a spark of new identity after a lackluster year the season before.
During the season, all-star goaltender Dominik Hasek was lost to injury shortly before Christmas, leaving the team to backup Andrei Trefilov. Then he went down to injury leaving the team to the then young AHL netminder Steve Shields. Then he went down to injury leaving the team to recall Martin Biron from juniors (who wore the uniform "00" the final player to do so in the NHL and the becoming the only Sabre to wear the original blue and gold, red and black snorting buffalo, and new "slug" uniform) and sign journeyman goaltender John Blue.
The team was entertaining in the sense that Nolan helped to transform the team into a hard-working, never-give-up attitude that endeared them to their fans. Plus they had a roster full of tough guys such as Brad May, Rob Ray, Matthew Barnaby, Bob Boughner and Grant Jennings, who weren't afraid to drop the gloves.
I was a sophomore in high school that season and attended maybe 10 games or so (my parents had seasons) and despite many other future teams finishing better standingswise than the Sabres and having more success, that team gave me the most memories of any squad since than.
Are there any non-successful teams that you have followed that have left similar memories for you?
Last edited by Sinter Klaas: 11-02-2009 at 07:30 PM.
Although they made the playoffs, the also sported a 33-39-8 record.
What made it interesting was that after a moribund 10+ straight losing seasons, some of which were downright horrible... they were finally showing some signs of turning things around. It was Trevor Linden's rookie season (as an 18 year old) and he scored 30 goals... the team had also just acquired Kirk McLean and Greg Adams... and otherwise they picked up a few cagey veterans like Paul Reinhart, Mel Bridgeman to go with the ol' favourites, Stan Smyl, Harold Snepsts and Garth Butcher. They were a very hard working team that was tough to play against. They even managed to push the (eventual Stanley Cup Champion) Calgary Flames to seven games in their playoff series... and I still contend that Joel Otto kicked in the winning goal.
Anyway, for a long suffering fan, it was a sign of better times to come... although it still took another couple more years before the Canucks finally sported an actual winning record.
I became a big Black hawk fan in the mid-50's when they never made the playoffs. The great thing about the original 6 is that every team had a least a couple of superstars and all 6 teams were fun to watch.
The BlackHawks of 1956-57, 1957-58...New Look, New Players, New Attitude, You knew this franchise was emerging from a deep black funk & poised to attain great summits
I used to really enjoy watching the Canucks when they had Smyl,Snepts Fraser etc. They didn't make the playoffs too often but they never gave up in a game. If hard work could overcome superior talent the Canucks would have a cup.
1966-67 Bruins with Bobby Orr. Just seeing the difference that he made to each player's game, creating open ice, giving the team confidence made the games enjoyable.
