And a winner.
From Trumbull, Connecticut and his Little League World Series triumph to the Stanley Cup in Colorado to Calgary to Buffalo to Broadway, Drury quietly plied his trade becoming the antithesis of the modern sports star. As Lynn Zisner aptly wrote in a piece from Sunday's NY Times, Drury was a "Reluctant Sports Star."
In Buffalo, the retirement of "Captain Clutch" received ample coverage, albeit from a detached, journalistic standpoint. Neither Buffalo News columnist Bucky Gleason nor Senior Sports Columnist, Jerry Sullivan, inked a inked anything on the former Sabres captain. Which is somewhat curious considering how much Drury meant to the team's success, especially the two post-lockout years.
With plenty of air-time to fill during the summer, WGR had the opportunity to talk extensively about Drury and his years in Buffalo. And they did.
The afternoon crew tempered their spurned-lover bitterness remaining emotionally detached while focusing upon his clutch-scoring, rather than re-opening old wounds.
I had listened to the afternoon show for a good couple of hours, with guest Paul Hamilton chiming in, and was listening for someone to mention his desperation vs. Ottawa in the 2007 Eastern Conference Championship. Not once did they mention a series of events that, for me, not only defined Drury as a leader, but also provided a backdrop to his departure.
The 2007 Ottawa Series and Off-Season
On May 19, 2007, the Sabres faced the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Finals down three games to one. It was a bleak situation, but not insurmountable.
Midway through the third period, Drury took a Tim Connolly shot to the face that required stitches and a stint in the trainer's room which kept him there until overtime. With his stitches fresh and the season on the line he still had the intestinal fortitude to throw his body in front of a shot to save a goal as the Sabres scrambled to save their playoff lives.
Unfortunately, their season ended that night 9:32 into overtime and, as we all know, the debacle that was the 2007 off-season officially began.
That off-season, he was out the door headed to Broadway.
The reasons for his departure will never be known. All we know is that he received a huge contract from the team he loved growing up, the New York Rangers.
Something that seems to be forgotten concerning that contract, though, is that Sabres President Larry Quinn offered a last-minute contract offer that matched what the Rangers had offered.
Gutting the 2005/06 Sabres
The thing about Drury, especially with the backdrop of the NHL during his tenure which went from "trap hockey" to the "new NHL," is that he was a true pro. His game was not based upon any one skill in particular. He just had the hockey smarts to know where to go, the intestinal fortitude to get there and the skill to finish. Traits that are era-transcending.
The Sabres team that came out of the lockout were just like that. Sure, they had the skill of the young guns, but they also had a group of veterans which exemplified the grit and determination needed to win. It was a very successful, well-balanced team.
But, after losing to Carolina in the 2006 Eastern Conference Championship, the team went through some serious changes with the balance now leaning heavily towards the skill side of the equation.
Gritty defenseman Jay McKee left for St. Louis. Veteran stalwart, and personal Drury friend, Mike Grier, headed west to San Jose'. And in a decision that clearly defined the direction in which the team was headed, rock-solid veteran JP Dumont was allowed to walk in favor of a soft-but-skilled, Ales Kotalik, as the team tried to become cap compliant.
The sucking sound we heard that year was the sound of professionalism, veteran leadership and tons of grit leaving the Sabres.
The NHL Changed, and So Did the Sabres Fate
The Sabres entered the 2006/07 season a markedly different team heavy on skill. And it wasn't a bad thing as they rolled through the regular season skating, scoring and winning at a ferocious clip all the way to the Presidents Trophy.
They were able to play the game at high speed because the NHL rules had allowed for it. But as the season entered the final months, the game was changing, ever so slightly, back to an obtrusive style that was like a restrictor plate on the team that Jaromir Jagr once labeled "a Ferrari."
Even with the changes, the Sabres could still light the lamp. But, the playoffs are a different beast.
The 2007 playoffs saw the run-n-gun Sabres take care of the NY Islanders in five games. They then struggled against the NY Rangers in a hard-fought six games.
In the Eastern Conference Championship that year, the Ottawa Senators, a bigger, grittier team with more skill and veteran leadership than the Sabres, proceeded to dismissed them in five games. Interesting to note that the Sabres had beaten the Senators the year earlier in five games.
Drury Was Slated To Be the Only One Of His Kind Left
As Drury entered the 2007 off-season, he'd witnessed first-hand what the loss of McKee, Grier and Dumont had done to the team--a total turn-around for the worse--and yet another veteran loss was on the horizon.
With the Sabres needing to sign Thomas Vanek, who was coming off a stellar season, it was apparent that either Drury or Briere would need to go for the team to become cap-compliant.
Back in October of 2006, a verbal deal was said to have been reached between Quinn and Drury. The Sabres had made their choice early that season, knowing what lied ahead financially. Briere would be the odd man out. Of the core veterans who took this team to an improbable run in 2005/06, only Drury would remain.
Having seen the results of a decision to go heavy on youth and skill, and with his counterpart--Briere--headed out the door, Drury took the $35m NY Ranger offer and travelled cross-state to play for his favorite team growing up.
Hindsight
The crux of the issue between Drury and the Sabres seemed to be the team-building philosophy of that era. In that 2007 Ottawa series, he'd seen first-hand the character of the players surrounding him. They were his antithesis and there were just too many of those types and not enough of the McKee's, Grier's, Dumont's and Briere's.
To say I was disappointed when he left would be an understatement, but even during the summer of 2007, I never took it personally, never wished ill will on him, or any other former Sabre who left of his own accord.
Best wishes in your retirement, "Captain Clutch."
Thanx for the memories.
Some links that helped with this blog:
Scott Burnside on Chris Drury:
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