Gerry Meehan

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size =
position = Left Wing
played_for = Toronto Maple Leafs
Philadelphia Flyers
Buffalo Sabres
Vancouver Canucks
Atlanta Flames
Washington Capitals
Cincinnati Stingers
shot = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 2
weight_lb = 200
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1946|9|3|mf=y
birth_place = Toronto, ON, CAN
career_start = 1965
career_end = 1979
draft = 21st overall
draft_year = 1963
draft_team = Toronto Maple Leafs

Gerry Meehan (born September 3, 1946 in Toronto, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey leftwinger and the former General Manager and Senior Vice President of the Buffalo Sabres.

Playing career

He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1963 NHL Amateur Draft, fourth round, 21st overall. He played for the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Flames, Washington Capitals, as well as the Ontario Hockey Association's Toronto Marlboros, American Hockey League's Rochester Americans, CPHL's Tulsa Oilers, Western Hockey League's Phoenix Roadrunners, Seattle Totems, and the World Hockey Association's Cincinnati Stingers. He served as captain for both the Sabres and Capitals.

One of Meehan's career highlights as a Sabre remains a lowlight to Flyers fans. In the last game of the 1971–72 regular season, the Flyers needed a win or a tie against the Sabres to beat out the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final playoff spot. The score was tied, but with just four seconds on the clock, Meehan took a shot from 80 feet away that somehow got by Flyers goalie Doug Favell – ending the Flyers' season. He dedicated many games to his family abroad, including Natalie Meehan who now lives in Burgess Hill, England.

Retirement

While Meehan scored a respectable 423 points in 670 regular season games during his playing career, he has also made a name for himself off the ice. After completing his undergraduate degree from Canisius College in Buffalo, he graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1982. He practiced sports, corporate, and immigration law with the firm Cohen, Swados, Wright, Hanifin, Bradford and Brett, including working on player contracts with Scotty Bowman, then the Sabres' coach and general manager.

General Manager and VP

In 1984, the team made Meehan the first former Sabre to serve in a front-office position, as assistant general manager under Bowman. During the 1986–87 season, Bowman stepped down, and Meehan was promoted to general manager. With the departures of Bowman and superstar Gilbert Perreault, the Sabres finished the season in last place overall that year, but rebounded the next year as NHL's most improved team, with a record of 37–32–11 – and 21 points higher in the standings.

Meehan's years as a general manager were marked by the addition of a number of top-caliber players, including No. 1 draft pick Pierre Turgeon, Soviet defector Alex Mogilny, Dale Hawerchuk, Pat Lafontaine, and Dominik Hašek. In 1993, Meehan was named executive vice president of sports operations, taking a more active role in the organization's business and legal affairs. He resigned his position in December 1994.

External links

* [http://www.gerrymeehan.blogspot.com The Gerry Meehan Archives]
* [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1963/63021.html Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com]
*hockeydb|3655
*legendsofhockey|13693