Gerry Meehan

Perhaps better known to younger fans as the former general manager of the Buffalo Sabres from 1986-87 through 1992-93, Meehan was previously a pretty good hockey player and former captain of the Buffalo Sabres

Meehan was the last overall selection of the very first NHL entry draft back in 1963. There were only 21 players selected, most of whom never amounted to much in the National Hockey League. Meehan was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and turned into a solid two way player who played 670 NHL games with six clubs.

The Toronto born Meehan starred with the junior Marlboros and helped the club win the Memorial Cup in 1967. After scoring 31 goals for the CHL's Tulsa Oilers in 1967-68, Meehan was promoted to the big leagues for the first time in 1968-69, playing in 25 games for the Leafs before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of package used to acquire veteran tough guy Forbes Kennedy.

Meehan didn't fit into the Flyers' plans. He played in just 12 regular season and 4 playoff games in the orange jerseys but was otherwise diminished to the minor leagues. It wasn't until the NHL continued its expansion before Meehan finally received a chance to prove himself in the NHL. The Buffalo Sabres picked him in the 1970 Expansion Draft. Meehan would play with the Sabres for the next 4 seasons, 3 of which he served as team captain. Meehan also established himself as decent scorer, scoring 94 goals in his tenure with the Sabres, including a 31 goal campaign in 1972-73.

Meehan began the 1974-75 season in Buffalo but just three games into the season was moved to the Vancouver Canucks. Later that season he was moved to the Atlanta Flames. By January 1976, the Flames traded him to the lowly Washington Capitals. The veteran pivot was a popular star and team leader for the Caps. In 1976-77, he recorded a career high 64 points while playing with Bill Riley and Bob Sirois.

Meehan's scoring slowed to a crawl in the coming seasons. By 1978-79 he was released by the Caps after 18 games. He briefly signed with the WHA, but retired after that season.

It should surprise no one that Meehan became an administrator at the NHL level. A very studious person, Meehan worked on his education during the season and the off seasons, eventually earning a law degree from the University of Buffalo. During the 1986-87 season, he replaced Scotty Bowman, whom under he served as an assistant, as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, a position he held until the end of the 1992-93 season.