Sabres legend Rick Martin dies in crash

Remembering the career of Rick Martin
Sabres Legend Dies at 59

Updated: Sunday, 13 Mar 2011, 8:25 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 13 Mar 2011, 6:38 PM EDT

* Paul Peck
* Posted by: Kellie Mazur

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - As one third of the French Connection, Rick Martin's career with the Buffalo Sabres stretched from 1971 to 1981.

His legacy will always be part of that line, the greatest in team history. But on his own, Rick Martin was known as a great player, a great friend and as Lindy Ruff described him, "a heck of a guy."

While Gilbert Perreault was the flashy play maker of the French Connection, Rico was the scorer.

He twice had 50 goal seasons, and his 382 career goals are second in Sabres team history.

Late Sunday afternoon at the Arena, his friends, former teammates and the Sabres owner reacted to Martin's death.

Lindy Ruff said, "We lost a heck of a guy today. He was a teammate. He was someone I worked with, as part of the coaching staff. Someone I played golf with. He was a great person."

"Our thoughts of course are with his family and all his friends. I'm just thinking of all the good years in front of him here in front of our new owner. Things to look forward to, God Bless you Richard. We love you," added former teammate MIke Robitaille.

News Sabres owner Terry Pegula said, "We had a lot of plans for these guys and I guess will we just have an empty seat to carry around."

Martin's last public appearance came three weeks ago, when he, Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert welcomed Pegula as the Sabres new owner.

Its been an especially tragic day for Robert. In addition to losing his linemate, Robert's older brother also passed away.

The Sabres held a moment of silence before Sunday afternoon's game.


http://www.wivb.com/dpp/sports/a-loo...of-rick-martin

Martin honored by his extended family
March 24, 2011 - 1:22 PM

Corey Martin, the son of Sabres legend Rick Martin, knew his dad was a public figure. It was obvious whenever they'd be out and people would stop by to say hello or reminisce.

Corey got a good look at much Buffalo really appreciated his father when he died suddenly March 13. Many of the folks who sent their condolences gave Corey a standing ovation today following his speech in HSBC Arena during the Sabres' tribute to their former player.

The approximately 2,500 people who attended the memorial rose to their feet following Corey's glowing tribute to Martin.

"He went out doing what he loved," said Corey Martin, who recalled the high spirits his father was in just hours before his heart gave out. Rick Martin was pleased to talk about new owner Terry Pegula and was riding with his dog to visit friends when he died.

"There was that renewed sense of optimism from my father," Corey Martin said. "You could see that little gleam in his eye."

Corey Martin was one of eight speakers, in addition to program host Ed Kilgore, who paid tribute to the left winger on the French Connection. Below is the audio of the 70-minute memorial.


http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/...ed-family.html

Martin big supporter of Compass House
Updated: Thursday, 24 Mar 2011, 6:03 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 24 Mar 2011, 6:03 PM EDT

* Victoria Hong
* Posted by: Eli George

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The legacy Rick Martin created on the ice is something so many people know about. But the late Buffalo Sabre helped people outside the rink.

Compass House on Linwood Avenue in Buffalo, a shelter for runaway and homeless youth, is one of the lucky ones. It had a great left winger and his wife on its side.

Executive Director Sylvia Nadler said, "They're regular people in terms of, Hi Rick, hi Mikey," no pretense, but at the same time, they stand out cause how incredibly generous they are."

Nadler describes Rick Martin and his wife, Mikey, as wonderful people, grounded and giving. After Rick's death, the Sabres contacted Nadler saying Mikey and the Martin's have asked all donations be made to Compass House.

"She called and said, "Let Rick do what he can,"" said Nadler.

The Martin's first encountered Compass House back in 2006 when Cory, their, son and his band played for a fundraiser. A few weeks later, they took a tour and a permanent friendship was formed after someone came to the door.

Nadler recalled, "The doorbell rang, not uncommon, and was a young man 14 to 15, with knapsack with all his clothes in it, coming to door saying, "I need help.""

And the Martin's have been offering help ever since through fundraisers, golf tournaments, walks and now through the memorial donations.

"So far in the past two weeks, $3,400 in donations have been collected in Rick's name and in his memory. Every once in a while, we get an e-mail from someone who knew him, but for the most part, they're people who admired Rick from the French Connection or the community," said Nadler.

Nadler says if she could say something to Rick, it would be, "You scored another goal honey, you scored another goal."

If you'd like to make a donation to Compass House, you can do so by following this link-http://www.compasshouse.org/content/pages/donations


http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/buffalo...-Compass-House

Fans and teammates say goodbye to Martin

Updated: Thursday, 24 Mar 2011, 5:49 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 24 Mar 2011, 5:37 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Laughter and tears filled HSBC Arena on Thursday as a memorial service honored Buffalo Sabres legend, Rick Martin.

There was hockey royalty, like the French Connection, and there were everyday fans, about 2,500 people in all, gathered to honor Rick Martin. The Sabres great died 11 days ago when he suffered a heart attack while driving his car in Clarence.

The wail of the bagpipes mixed with the laughter of friends. Those were the sounds inside HSBC Arena Thursday morning. The entire current Sabres roster filed in, and Sabres greats from years gone by were all on hand to pay tribute to the great Rick Martin.

Martin's line mate, Rene Robert, said, "I recently heard that grief is the price we pay for laughter. And Rico used to say all the time, "If you can't have a laugh, this life ain't worth living.""

Robert got the biggest laugh when he pulled out a beer and a cigar to celebrate his former teammate's love of live and a good party.

"That was pretty easy for me to say, "Rico's having a beer." And he's probably having one right now, I hope he is," said Robert.

Martin's line mate, Gilbert Perreault, said, "If we ever made a movie about him, the name of the movie should be, "Rico: The Great Entertainer." He is, he was a great entertainer on the ice, in the dressing room, on the golf course, and in life in general."

Rick Martin, the man, was celebrated as was Rick Martin, the player, with his blistering shot from the wing.

Voice of the Sabres Rick Jeanneret said, "That puck was going in, by hook or by crook, come hell or high water. Intensity was the name of his game."

The media, his teammates and the fans, they all shared their love of Rick Martin with his family.

Martin's son, Corey, said, "He wasn't just my father, he wasn't my mother's husband, he was everybody's family."

Martin's younger brother, Robert, also spoke and said his brother was generous, and fun-loving with a heart of gold.


http://www.wivb.com/dpp/sports/sabre...dbye-to-Martin

Former teammates, son honor Rick Martin in memorial service


Rene Robert, more than anything else about Rick Martin, could always picture his friend holding a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other. When it came time to say goodbye Thursday, there could be only one fitting tribute.

"This is for you, my friend," Robert said as he raised a Budweiser and an unlit stogie.

Martin's friends, family members and fellow Buffalonians in HSBC Arena applauded the gesture, one of many toasts to the late Sabres legend during a first-class memorial. A crowd of 2,500 -- dressed in everything from suits and dresses to jerseys and ball caps -- gathered at the foot of Washington Street to bid adieu to the French Connection star who died March 13.

"Our family would like to thank each and every one of you here for coming out," said Robert Martin, the younger brother and frequent golf partner. "We really appreciate what you're doing for my brother, what you've done for my brother in the 40 years he's been here.

"The outpouring and the indelible mark he left on the community here continues to amaze us."

The 70-minute event featured nine speakers, including program host Ed Kilgore, a bagpipe tribute and two videos that encapsulated the life of the 59-year-old. Martin became a star in Buffalo on the ice during the 1970s and continued to be one off it through his jokes and charitable contributions until succumbing to sudden cardiac arrest brought on by cardiovascular disease.

"When I stood up on that podium and saw all the fans that were there, to have the opportunity to come and give their condolences or just to be around a celebration of life for Rico, I thought it was great," said fellow Sabres Hall of Famer Danny Gare. "He would've loved every minute of that. He felt he was part of this community, and the community felt they were part of him."

Every speaker who walked onto the flower- and picture-filled stage covering the ice spoke of Martin's infectious smile. They told stories of his mischievous pranks and borrowed from his unending joke list.

"We're going to laugh, and that's OK," said Kilgore, the Ch. 2 sportscaster who worked on Sabres broadcasts during Martin's career, which began in 1971 and ended because of a knee injury in 1981. "He wanted to make us laugh. That's what Rico was all about."

The memorial featured recollections of Martin riding airport baggage carousels. Friends and teammates spoke of the good times had by all in various taverns. They talked of the way Martin welcomed fans close on the golf course, at the hospital -- basically anywhere in town.

"Rico also had such an easy way with fans, always taking time to sign an autograph or answer a question," said Ian McPherson, Martin's friend. "He greeted everyone the same, and his unique humility shone through each time. Never once did he not have time, believing that the fans were the reason he was where he was."

Martin first created his legion of fans by performing on the ice. The Sabres' first-round draft pick in 1971 scored 44 goals his rookie year. He averaged 42 during his first nine seasons in Buffalo. He finished with 384 goals in 685 games, all but four spent in Blue and Gold.

"Rico was a flamboyant hockey player," said Gilbert Perreault, the French Connection center who skated with Martin and Robert by his side. "Every time he stepped on the ice, I'm telling you, he was a great performer."

The tribute featured tears along with laughs, with Martin's brother and son, Corey, bringing the most. Robert Martin told of his brother visiting a child stricken with cancer and staying with the parents throughout a delicate surgery. Corey, one of Martin's three sons, earned a standing ovation after his speech.

"This is not just my loss, my family's loss. This is a loss for everybody," Corey Martin said. "This has been an overwhelming thing that has happened with us. We always knew he was a public figure. We saw what he meant to the community, but it wasn't until his passing that it was apparent this was bigger than we ever could have expected."

The 25-year-old said his grief has been tempered by the fact his father was so happy when his life ended. The French Connection was primed to again be an integral part of the organization under new owner Terry Pegula. Father and son discussed that during a two-hour conversation over coffee before Rick Martin walked out the door with his beloved dog to partake in the Sunday routine of visiting friends at various stops.

Martin never returned, but his zest for life continues.

"You could see the excitement," Corey Martin said. "There was a noticeable lightness in the air about him. It's comforting to know that when he walked out that door with his dog that you know he passed doing what he loved."


http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sa...icle375409.ece


Rick Martin Memorial Service photos-http://galleries.buffalonews.com/pho...139.txt&item=1


Videos from the service-the first 8 are about Rick-http://video.buffalonews.com/player/...ry=&searchFor=