Gerry Meehan, who had the first assist in Buffalo Sabres history and later became their general manager, died Friday. He was 79.
Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round (No. 21) of the 1963 NHL Draft, the former forward played 670 regular-season games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Maple Leafs, Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Flames and Washington Capitals and had 423 points (180 goals, 243 assists). He also had one assist in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Gerry Meehan, an original Buffalo Sabre and pillar of the franchise as both its captain and then as its star-acquiring general manager,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
“Chosen by the Sabres in the 1970 Expansion Draft, he assisted on the first goal in franchise history and captained the Club to its first playoff appearance in 1973. Upon retirement after a 10-year NHL career with six teams, Meehan earned his law degree and became the Sabres’ assistant GM under the legendary Scotty Bowman. He succeeded Bowman as GM in 1986; made a series of blockbuster trades to acquire Dale Hawerchuk, Pat LaFontaine, and Dominik Hasek; and was instrumental in bringing Alexander Mogilny to Buffalo upon his hockey-altering defection from the Soviet Union in 1989.
“As shrewd and successful as he was on the ice and in the front office, Meehan had a significant impact on countless players and executives in recent years as a generous mentor and advisor. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Mirella; their children Dan, Adam, and Kate; their grandchildren; and his many friends and fans throughout hockey.”
Meehan was credited with the first assist in Sabres history on Oct. 10, 1970, on a goal by Jim Watson at 5:01 of the second period in a 2-1 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He was selected by the Sabres in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft and later became their second captain. Meehan replaced Scotty Bowman as general manager during the 1986-87 season and later facilitated trades to acquire players such as LaFontaine, Hawerchuk and Hasek.
Meehan was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
