Danny Gare Autographed Card

Earlier this week, the Buffalo Sabres continued their 50th anniversary celebrations by having a "Founders Night", commemorating the Knox brothers being awarded a new franchise (along with the Vancouver Canucks, two markets that had been passed over in the 1967 expansion).

Sure, that makes the Sabres and Canucks tied for second-longest Stanley Cup drought behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the fans there have almost never wavered their support despite having witnessed just two Cup Finals in their history (1975 and 1999), and not having made the playoffs since 2011 - the longest active sequence without postseason play.

That wasn't the case in the 1970s, as the "French Connection" - one of the era's best NHL line's, starring Gilbert Perreault, Richard Martin and René Robert - ensured Buffalo at least made the playoffs practically every season (save for 1973-74). It was adding a secondary All-Star forward like Danny Gare, however, that proved to be the spark that was needed to bring the Sabres to the final round of play.

A short and strong player, Gare willed himself to two 50-goal seasons in the era of the Broad Street Bullies (1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup champions) and Big Bad Bruins - and the third Montréal Canadiens dynasty, of course. It was his character that had his named the Sabres' captain (1977-81) ahead of Perreault (81-85), who may still today be the face of the franchise's first 50 years.

If I were to make an All-Sabres Team, my first unit would be:

Forwards: Perreault, Martin, Robert
Defence: Phil Housley and Lindy Ruff
Goalie: Dominik Hasek
Coach: Scotty Bowman

My second unit would likely be:

Forwards: Pat Lafontaine, Alexander Mogilny, Gare
Defence: Mike Ramsey and Larry Playfair
Goalie: Ryan Miller, slightly ahead of Roger Crozier
Coach: George "Punch" Imlach

Granted, the defence isn't as strong as that of other similar lists for other teams, but the offence, goaltending and coaching is nothing to sneeze at - you might even say "world-class".

Which brings me to card #88 from Topps' 1980-81 Topps set, showing Gare wearing the Sabres' classic blue (away) uniform with the captain's "C" prominent on his chest:

The cards, which he signed in blue sharpie at a card convention in a Toronto suburb nearly 10 years ago, reflects that he had been named as an end-of-season All-Star (2nd Team All-Star). He has also participated in two All-Star Games and played for Team Canada at the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cups (winning in his first attempt, losing to the Soviet Union the second time around).

Guy Lapointe Autographed Card

I'd been waiting for this news for years, and it was announced yesterday: Guy Lapointe will once again be reunited with Larry Robinson and Serge Savard to form the historical ''Big Three''... atop the rafters of the Bell Centre. Indeed, the Montréal Canadiens will retire his #5 (which won't be too much of a problem since it's already retired in honor of Bernard ''Boom Boom'' Geoffrion) some time next season, possibly when the Minnesota Wild - who he currently works for, as the head scout - come visit.

Like Geoffrion, Lapointe had a tremendous slap shot, and like Savard and Robinson, his hip checks were almost deadly, but he also had dazzling speed  - and where Savard had dedication and Robinson had an angry focus, Lapointe had fun and energy.

Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden famously wrote, in his classic book The Game:

In the early and mid-1970s, except for Bobby Orr, Guy Lapointe was the best defenceman in the NHL. He was strong and powerful, an explosive skater with a hard, low shot, but what made him unique was the emotion he could bring to a game. During flat, lifeless stretches, uncalculated, he would suddenly erupt with enormous impatient fury, racing around the ice, daring and inspired on offence and defence, giving the game a new mood; turning it our way. It is a rare ability, and even as Denis Potvin and Robinson matured in mid-decade to push him onto second all-star teams and beyond, it was a skill that even they couldn’t match.

And the praise also came from Savard and Robinson, both of whom have always pushed for Lapointe's number to be retired by the team, and in both cases, they argued in his favour even before their own jerseys were hanging from the rafters.

Then again, a Norris trophy nominee, six-time Stanley Cup winner, member of Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series (with Savard and despite his wife due to give birth to his first-born), the 1976 Canada Cup and the 1979 Challenge Cup and Hall of Famer in his own right couldn't have made it on sheer luck alone.

I've had this card since I was a kid, possibly from his days as an associate coach with the Québec Nordiques; I remember I got to meet him through a man I considered to be my grandfather, who had been a sports journalist in the 1950s, 1960s 1970s and 1980s:

It's from the 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee set (card #60, noting that he made the end-of-season Second All-Star Team) by Topps, and was signed in thick black sharpie.