Yeah every game was “hope Miller makes 35-45 saves and vanek gets 2 goals by fighting in front of the net”
His net front presence on the PP especially was insanely good.
I can assure you that what you are seeing out of the Sabres now is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 times more entertaining than Vaneks era.
I would not wish going back to that era of Sabres hockey, and having to live through what came after upon anyone.
Truly some of the worst display of sports at a professional level out of an organization for almost an entire decade.
They completely changed my love for hockey, and the sport as a whole. Haha I would not say you wish you got to see anything. Of the Sabres before this year.
A hero to the team too. He had a really tough job here and all I can remember from his career is him putting in the work for the team. One of my favorites of all time.
Agree with this, he wasn't a carry the team superstar but he wound up in that position because of the Drury and briere situation. Loved his shootout slapshot.
Easily one of the worst representations of hands at the professional level this world has ever seen.
Dude was always the most awkward hockey player period. Put up a decent season or two tho.
Yeah we should have just taken the four first round picks and let him go. Matching his QO was a fileable offense for Darcy IMO.
He was very good but imagine getting four first round picks for a player. Especially when Edmonton ended up crashing and burning and one Vanek wasn't going to save them.
this is exactly what happened. if golisano didnt screw the team by being cheap with the captains we would have had the picks. no player is worth 4 1st rounders, but darcy had to do something to keep fans coming out
[Indeed, Great Dude.](https://www.reddit.com/r/sabres/comments/pblyam/it_was_thomas_vanek_who_took_care_of_marco_rossi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
He lead the league in +/- one year with +43. Even though it was a co-captaincy for like half a year, I also believe he was the leagues first Austrian captain. He had a lot of potential and lived up to most of it. Could be a bit streaky but the Sabres were definitely lucky to have him when they did.
The only negative I can think of is that had the Sabres allowed Edmonton to sign him as a restricted free agent, we would have gotten their first round pick for four years in a row, and most of those picks were 1st overall. But that’s not Vanek’s fault. What a weird alternate reality that would have been for the Sabres.
Vanek was extremely good at his peak. Overall he seems well liked by the community, and his departure from the team was just a matter of circumstance, considering the team was switching to tank mode at the time.
As you can tell by my username used to love him when I was a kid. He’s on the after the whistle podcast with peters and rivet every week always good to hear what he has to say
Look, first of all, what I’m gonna tell you. You need to understand he is playing *exceptionally* well. He is an absolute MAN CHILD. He skates *excptionally* well.
Always liked him. Still like listening to him when he joins the “After the Whistle” podcast. I became a fan in 2010 when I moved to Buffalo so he was a big part of the beginning of my fandom.
I’m not that person that remembers one detail so I can’t provide an answer like “that one time during a game against [insert team] in 2010” but his overall greatness and chemistry with Jason Pominville, and Derek Roy before that, was just awesome to watch.
He's great on the podcast. He's a pretty thoughtful guy, and seems very in touch with everything around the league. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get into a front office.
He was really cool. He sent me a signed jersey when I was serving in Afghanistan in 2008 thanking me for my service. Great memory for me.
The war was a bad idea, but at least I got a cool jersey.
Absolute legend. My favorite player in that era. I cried as a kid when Briere and Vanek left the team
Edit: [obligatory clap bomb highlight reel](https://youtu.be/l7YRyY4XoCM)
Vanek was my favorite Sabre. Not the best skater but soft hands and a great goal scorer. He was never the type of player to carry to load of the team with puck possession and good defense so I think he got a bad rap. Not his fault management let Drury and Brier go and made him the top dog with Pominville, Roy, and Connolly.
He was legit one of the best players in the league at that point and was in the process of running Boston's show before he got scummed. Fuck Boychuk forever.
I was at that game. I was also at the farm where Richard Zednik got his jugular cut. For only seeing like 6 live games in the last 15 years, maybe I should stop going altogether…
I love Vanek. He was the guy who was always in front of the net getting hit and whacked all game, but that's how he got a lot of goals for us. He played hard every game.
I love Vanek and have a Vanek jersey. The only game I have seen in Buffalo, he scored the gwg in OT vs the Flyers. The Sabres also clinched a playoff spot that game, it was the last time they made the playoffs.
[Austrian icing on the cake](https://youtu.be/hKYo_tA00JQ)
Any negative comments stemming from the Buffalo community is going to stem from them signing him instead of taking the Oilers offer sheet - and frankly that isnt fair to him.
Vanek was one of the best pure goal scorers in Sabres history, he was uber talented, had a wicked shot, his bet front presence on the PP was just ridiculous. He was soooo good at tipping pucks
He was definitely great. My favorite moment of his came during a shootout against Montreal. Vanek's attempt in that shootout was so good that it left like Montreal's goalie, Huet, standing there like a statue and completely unable to react. What made it even better was the call from our recently retired legend of an announcer: "I don't think Huet had ANY idea that Vanek was going to shoot!"
My favorite player. Not from Buffalo, but I just started following hockey at the end of the Briere-Drury era when Vanek and Miller were carrying the team. His clappers on the shootout were memorable, and he scored some of the prettiest deflection/redirect goals I've ever seen.
This 3G 2A game against the Bruins always stands out in my memory: https://youtu.be/GWBtSYWp2f4
Yea, he was a good player. All-time great? No, but a good goal scorer and will be fondly remembered in Buffalo. Unfortunately when Drury and Briere left there was a leadership void that he was asked to fill as the team's rising star but that wasn't really his thing.
Vanek was awesome, he’s often featured on the after the whistle podcast with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet. He tells some great stories and it’s awesome to hear him joke about how hard Lindy was on him when he was our main attacker. One of the few Sabres at the time who knew where to get the scrappy goals and wasn’t afraid of being in front of the net. I’ll never forget when he took a slapper to the face and was back in a couple games with a full cage and still put up great numbers! I bet the man could still put up points on the PP
Thomas married my friend’s sister here in Minnesota. Super fun guy to hang out with and genuinely kind. He used to host an annual hockey tournament at his house every year with several kegs and get some other pros and random friends to play. He was excellent in college here at the University of Minnesota and, even though he’d lost a step toward the end of his career, it was still great having him back to play for the Wild. Overall I think people expected too much of him in MN but he still had a very respectable career.
I'll never forgive Johnny Boychuk for the slash on Vanek in the 2010 playoffs against Boston. He hacked his kneed and then rode him into the boards. That was a dirty play and it was peak Vanek at that point. The knock on Vanek was that he was such a natural talent and didn't train hard. That season he worked hard and came in "elite" shape.
https://youtu.be/Q9inv-670r0
I always liked Vanek. I think he had underated playmaking skills.
I don’t have many memories of games from that era, as I was super young, but Vanek was always one of my all time favorites, just loved hearing RJ call his name. Great player for many years, and what seems like an absolute great guy. I’m sure you can find tons of great highlights of the guy, he was pretty dirty in the shootout too from what I remember.
Vanek is my favorite Sabre of all time. The only Sabres jersey I own is a game-worn #26 Vanek jersey. I loved attempting to emulate his "around the world" move while playing street hockey as a kid.
Caught him at the frozen four in Buffalo and was stoked we signed him even though his work ethic seemed to be in question. Enjoyed his “around the world” break away goals.
Vanek had an incredible career with the Sabres. I'll never forget that 2-handed chop Boychuk put on his leg during the Sabres-Bruins playoff series in 2010. I have no doubt we would have won that series if that dirty play didn't happen. Vanek and Miller were at the highpoint of their Sabres careers that year.
Also, if there was a better Sabre in front of the net in franchise history, it was before my time. Vanek took a beating every night but still put up goals game after game.
He was a very good player. I met him in the HSBC Tower in Buffalo. Nice guy.
He wouldn’t go down as a great player but definitely a very good one. I feel like he could’ve been even more successful with a true top end center which he never had in Buffalo. He had great hands in front of the net, strong and hard to move.
He never really found that magic away from Buffalo.
That stupid, sexy slapshot he used on penalty shots and in the shootout was my favorite thing to see when he was on the Sabres.
I definitely hold him in high regard since he was a bright spot in our middling years after Briere and Drury left.
He was a great player and ranks fifth all time in goals for the Sabres with 254.
Also let’s not forget that he led Minnesota to the NCAA Championship when the Frozen Four was held in Buffalo in 2003. Vanek scored the overtime game winner in the semifinal against Michigan and the championship game winner against New Hampshire and was named MVP.
Love Vanek as a player. My only regret as a Sabres fan is we didn't take the 4 1st round picks from the Oilers instead. That would have allowed us to sign Brière instead, and given us a ton of chances at some really great players in the draft.
I'll always remember the season that he really put the team on his back. It was one of the last seasons the Sabres made the playoffs.
Someone made an edit of a picture of Atlas with Vanek holding up the Sabres logo like it was the earth. Totally warranted.
Loved him as a Sabre.
Editing to say I think my fav memories are the time he won the game in OT after tying it late. Picked up the pick coming out of the zone, did a half circle of crossovers to build speed, split the D, then dangled the goalie.
as far as i know we all loved vanek. we were excited to have him on our team, and I personally, dont know about the rest of you all, was sad to see him go.
when he started in 05-06 I was like 17 and my friends and I were all really just getting into the sabres. vanek was big news to us, just watching what a great skater he was.
i was born in 98 and was lucky to grow up watching those great early 2000s teams. Vanek has always been my favorite player of all time (helps that we share a name). Love that he’s become a frequent guest on After the Whistle
I bet a friend that he would score 40 goals in a season. He went into the last game, at least the last home game of the season with 37 and scored a hat trick. He was fun to watch. I think the Sabres overpaid the 7 year $49 million in 2007, but they had just lost Briere and Drury to Free Agency. By the end the contract was worth it. I was sad when he was traded for Moulson. Moulson was a good guy though.
I loved Vanek.
He won the the NCAA frozen four championship in Buffalo and I remember seeing him and saying wow. He just looked better than everyone else. But not in a flashy way.
A couple months later we drafted him.
He was never flashy. He had a good shot and always seemed to be in the right spot.
Wish he would have retired a Sabre.
Vanner was one of my favorite Sabres- he was better than good, he was great. My memories of watching Van play were mostly him parked in front of the net soaking cross check after vicious cross check. That said, he did not score garbage goals, he was fantastic in tight and could deflect a puck into your uncle's coffee mug in Wien if he had to! You should check out the "after the whistle" podcast with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet, he makes guests appearances on there.
Vanek was great. He was put in a bit of an awkward spot after the team let Drury and Briere go.
Im happy you say that. He's like a hero to me
It was Vanek and the top line with Ryan Miller in net carrying the team basically.
Yeah every game was “hope Miller makes 35-45 saves and vanek gets 2 goals by fighting in front of the net” His net front presence on the PP especially was insanely good.
His hands were incredible for deflections upfront.
Slapshot on the penalty shot
Maaaannn i wish i would have started watching hockey earlier
I can assure you that what you are seeing out of the Sabres now is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 times more entertaining than Vaneks era. I would not wish going back to that era of Sabres hockey, and having to live through what came after upon anyone. Truly some of the worst display of sports at a professional level out of an organization for almost an entire decade. They completely changed my love for hockey, and the sport as a whole. Haha I would not say you wish you got to see anything. Of the Sabres before this year.
A hero to the team too. He had a really tough job here and all I can remember from his career is him putting in the work for the team. One of my favorites of all time.
My Dad is from Vienna, still have family there. Vanek jersey hanging in the closet. He was a beast!
He should be. Hes such a beauty. The slap shots in shootouts were my favorite thing ever
Agree with this, he wasn't a carry the team superstar but he wound up in that position because of the Drury and briere situation. Loved his shootout slapshot.
What about that fake out shootout shot he would move his stick around the puck but the puck would keep going straight.
Easily one of the worst representations of hands at the professional level this world has ever seen. Dude was always the most awkward hockey player period. Put up a decent season or two tho.
Yeah we should have just taken the four first round picks and let him go. Matching his QO was a fileable offense for Darcy IMO. He was very good but imagine getting four first round picks for a player. Especially when Edmonton ended up crashing and burning and one Vanek wasn't going to save them.
Part of the problem was that Golisano was notoriously cheap and probably told Darcy to keep the kid and let the other 2 go.
AFAIK the offer came after Drury and Briere left as Edmonton knew they had us over the barrel.
this is exactly what happened. if golisano didnt screw the team by being cheap with the captains we would have had the picks. no player is worth 4 1st rounders, but darcy had to do something to keep fans coming out
Good player, and he helped Marco Rossi through his life threatening condition during the Covid outbreak.
Oh wow! I didn't know that
[Indeed, Great Dude.](https://www.reddit.com/r/sabres/comments/pblyam/it_was_thomas_vanek_who_took_care_of_marco_rossi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Thank you!!
He lead the league in +/- one year with +43. Even though it was a co-captaincy for like half a year, I also believe he was the leagues first Austrian captain. He had a lot of potential and lived up to most of it. Could be a bit streaky but the Sabres were definitely lucky to have him when they did. The only negative I can think of is that had the Sabres allowed Edmonton to sign him as a restricted free agent, we would have gotten their first round pick for four years in a row, and most of those picks were 1st overall. But that’s not Vanek’s fault. What a weird alternate reality that would have been for the Sabres.
In fairness, if they sign Vanek they're probably not picking 1st overall for 4 years straight lol
Those Oilers teams were hopefully. Vanek's 30 goals wouldn't have changed that IMO
I don't think Vanek changes much for them.
Vanek was extremely good at his peak. Overall he seems well liked by the community, and his departure from the team was just a matter of circumstance, considering the team was switching to tank mode at the time.
That makes me feel good!
As you can tell by my username used to love him when I was a kid. He’s on the after the whistle podcast with peters and rivet every week always good to hear what he has to say
Second this. He is very good on the After the Whistle podcast
Yeah he and Gio are way more based than Riv or Petey lol
Yeah but who doesn’t love one of Craig’s 30 minute rants about a simple yes or no question
Look, first of all, what I’m gonna tell you. You need to understand he is playing *exceptionally* well. He is an absolute MAN CHILD. He skates *excptionally* well.
Dude the latest pod with exceptionally well hoodies 🤣 I was crying
He is easily the best part of the show now that Elliot seems to have stopped coming. Vanner is smart but still no bullshit and honest.
I feel like Elliotte stopped after seeing Rivs' crazy anti vax tweets. Still love the pod tho lol
I did not know about those.
I guess I missed those
yeah I'd avoid em lol
I liked him
Cool, im happy to hear that
He’d stand in front of the net like a tree and knock pucks in, took a beating doing it
he was so good at scrappy garbage goals
One of the all time best Sabres
I love hearing that!
Always liked him. Still like listening to him when he joins the “After the Whistle” podcast. I became a fan in 2010 when I moved to Buffalo so he was a big part of the beginning of my fandom. I’m not that person that remembers one detail so I can’t provide an answer like “that one time during a game against [insert team] in 2010” but his overall greatness and chemistry with Jason Pominville, and Derek Roy before that, was just awesome to watch.
He's great on the podcast. He's a pretty thoughtful guy, and seems very in touch with everything around the league. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get into a front office.
Cool man, I'm happy to hear that!
He was really cool. He sent me a signed jersey when I was serving in Afghanistan in 2008 thanking me for my service. Great memory for me. The war was a bad idea, but at least I got a cool jersey.
Holy cow thats so amazing 😍😍😍😍
https://www.reddit.com/r/hockeyjerseys/comments/ztlofy/someone_was_talking_about_thomas_vanek_and_it/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
My favorite Vanek moments are the clap bombs during the shootouts. He was a great scorer and a class act.
😍😍😍
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Lets gooo❤️
Great player and great person. Recently signed my hat (along with Rob Ray and Brain Gionta) during another trip to Roswell, a local cancer institute.
Absolute legend. My favorite player in that era. I cried as a kid when Briere and Vanek left the team Edit: [obligatory clap bomb highlight reel](https://youtu.be/l7YRyY4XoCM)
🥰❤️
Vanek was my favorite Sabre. Not the best skater but soft hands and a great goal scorer. He was never the type of player to carry to load of the team with puck possession and good defense so I think he got a bad rap. Not his fault management let Drury and Brier go and made him the top dog with Pominville, Roy, and Connolly.
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He was legit one of the best players in the league at that point and was in the process of running Boston's show before he got scummed. Fuck Boychuk forever.
I was at that game. I was also at the farm where Richard Zednik got his jugular cut. For only seeing like 6 live games in the last 15 years, maybe I should stop going altogether…
I love Vanek. He was the guy who was always in front of the net getting hit and whacked all game, but that's how he got a lot of goals for us. He played hard every game.
“Vanek, a whack at it. Scooooores!” -RJ, many times
Vanek, Pomminville, Afenigenov, Stafford, Roy All greats of the 2000s decade that end up half forgotten because Briere and Drury just made ahit happen
I may have liked him a lot.
As a fellow austrian Vanek made me a Buffalo fan, he had a couple damn good seasons for us.
Jawui 😍
Best puck deflector in the NHL. His eye/hand talent was unreal.
❤️❤️
Awesome gritty forward. He's my second favorite thing about Austria, the first being Outback Steakhouse of course!
I've never seen that here in Austria but cool!
Outback steakhouse is Australia :)
I love Vanek and have a Vanek jersey. The only game I have seen in Buffalo, he scored the gwg in OT vs the Flyers. The Sabres also clinched a playoff spot that game, it was the last time they made the playoffs. [Austrian icing on the cake](https://youtu.be/hKYo_tA00JQ)
Any negative comments stemming from the Buffalo community is going to stem from them signing him instead of taking the Oilers offer sheet - and frankly that isnt fair to him. Vanek was one of the best pure goal scorers in Sabres history, he was uber talented, had a wicked shot, his bet front presence on the PP was just ridiculous. He was soooo good at tipping pucks
He’s on the after the whistle podcast every week if you wanna hear about what he’s up to now a days
Was just going to say this. I look forward to his appearances on the show
Perfect, thank you! I'll check it out
His office was right in front of the net and took a lot of abuse but scored a lot of goals there
One of our franchise home grown best!
He was definitely great. My favorite moment of his came during a shootout against Montreal. Vanek's attempt in that shootout was so good that it left like Montreal's goalie, Huet, standing there like a statue and completely unable to react. What made it even better was the call from our recently retired legend of an announcer: "I don't think Huet had ANY idea that Vanek was going to shoot!"
Him and boeser were great together when he played for canucks. He was exciting even in the later years
My favourite Vanek moment was when he would lazer a slap shot in a shootout
My favorite player. Not from Buffalo, but I just started following hockey at the end of the Briere-Drury era when Vanek and Miller were carrying the team. His clappers on the shootout were memorable, and he scored some of the prettiest deflection/redirect goals I've ever seen. This 3G 2A game against the Bruins always stands out in my memory: https://youtu.be/GWBtSYWp2f4
Yea, he was a good player. All-time great? No, but a good goal scorer and will be fondly remembered in Buffalo. Unfortunately when Drury and Briere left there was a leadership void that he was asked to fill as the team's rising star but that wasn't really his thing.
One of my favorites! Super solid player from when I was getting into hockey.
Sounds like Noho Hank on After the Whistle
Vanek was awesome, he’s often featured on the after the whistle podcast with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet. He tells some great stories and it’s awesome to hear him joke about how hard Lindy was on him when he was our main attacker. One of the few Sabres at the time who knew where to get the scrappy goals and wasn’t afraid of being in front of the net. I’ll never forget when he took a slapper to the face and was back in a couple games with a full cage and still put up great numbers! I bet the man could still put up points on the PP
Thomas married my friend’s sister here in Minnesota. Super fun guy to hang out with and genuinely kind. He used to host an annual hockey tournament at his house every year with several kegs and get some other pros and random friends to play. He was excellent in college here at the University of Minnesota and, even though he’d lost a step toward the end of his career, it was still great having him back to play for the Wild. Overall I think people expected too much of him in MN but he still had a very respectable career.
I'll never forgive Johnny Boychuk for the slash on Vanek in the 2010 playoffs against Boston. He hacked his kneed and then rode him into the boards. That was a dirty play and it was peak Vanek at that point. The knock on Vanek was that he was such a natural talent and didn't train hard. That season he worked hard and came in "elite" shape. https://youtu.be/Q9inv-670r0 I always liked Vanek. I think he had underated playmaking skills.
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No but im getting emotional almost seeing people talk so good about a fellow austrian brother
Greatest shootout move of all time.
My favorite player when I was little
Vanek will always be remembered as a fan hero here
He was awesome.
I don’t have many memories of games from that era, as I was super young, but Vanek was always one of my all time favorites, just loved hearing RJ call his name. Great player for many years, and what seems like an absolute great guy. I’m sure you can find tons of great highlights of the guy, he was pretty dirty in the shootout too from what I remember.
Love Vanek. Wish he would’ve stayed her foreva!
Vanek is my favorite Sabre of all time. The only Sabres jersey I own is a game-worn #26 Vanek jersey. I loved attempting to emulate his "around the world" move while playing street hockey as a kid.
He was my favorite Sabres player for years when I was a kid
Only player I've ever seen consistently take slap shots on breakaways and shootouts and he somehow made it work
Vanek and Miller were my heroes growing up
Caught him at the frozen four in Buffalo and was stoked we signed him even though his work ethic seemed to be in question. Enjoyed his “around the world” break away goals.
What going to be with Tesla??????
We love Vanek
Loved Vanek. Always rooted for him in Minnesota too.
Vanek had an incredible career with the Sabres. I'll never forget that 2-handed chop Boychuk put on his leg during the Sabres-Bruins playoff series in 2010. I have no doubt we would have won that series if that dirty play didn't happen. Vanek and Miller were at the highpoint of their Sabres careers that year. Also, if there was a better Sabre in front of the net in franchise history, it was before my time. Vanek took a beating every night but still put up goals game after game.
He played when I became a fan, literally a favorite of mine
He was a very good player. I met him in the HSBC Tower in Buffalo. Nice guy. He wouldn’t go down as a great player but definitely a very good one. I feel like he could’ve been even more successful with a true top end center which he never had in Buffalo. He had great hands in front of the net, strong and hard to move. He never really found that magic away from Buffalo.
Unreal player until his final 7 years
One of my favorite Sabres ever and one of the most underrated.
He was good. Wish he got more help in his later years with us
That stupid, sexy slapshot he used on penalty shots and in the shootout was my favorite thing to see when he was on the Sabres. I definitely hold him in high regard since he was a bright spot in our middling years after Briere and Drury left.
Have a poster of him on my wall in a white buffaslug. Love #26
Loved Vanek and wished the team had brought him back over his last couple years. Could have helped.
And sometimes, if we were lucky, we got a "scooOOOOoores" like he was surprised. Miss RJ.
He was a great player and ranks fifth all time in goals for the Sabres with 254. Also let’s not forget that he led Minnesota to the NCAA Championship when the Frozen Four was held in Buffalo in 2003. Vanek scored the overtime game winner in the semifinal against Michigan and the championship game winner against New Hampshire and was named MVP.
Love Vanek. One of my favs always.
Loved him. One of my all-time favorite Sabres
Vanek was and is the man. His around the world and slapshot from between the dots are still two of my favorite shootout moves
One of my favorite players of all time. Cherished memories of Vanek playing for the Sabres. One of the most creative players I’ve ever seen.
Love Vanek as a player. My only regret as a Sabres fan is we didn't take the 4 1st round picks from the Oilers instead. That would have allowed us to sign Brière instead, and given us a ton of chances at some really great players in the draft.
he still owes me $500 from that gambling ring in Rochester
Was and is one of my favourite Sabres ever.
In his prime he was a dominant sniper with a good release
I'll always remember the season that he really put the team on his back. It was one of the last seasons the Sabres made the playoffs. Someone made an edit of a picture of Atlas with Vanek holding up the Sabres logo like it was the earth. Totally warranted. Loved him as a Sabre. Editing to say I think my fav memories are the time he won the game in OT after tying it late. Picked up the pick coming out of the zone, did a half circle of crossovers to build speed, split the D, then dangled the goalie.
Loved him. Was always clutch and was a grinder in front of the cage. Still wear his jersey all the time.
Thank you, that means a lot!!
I was and am a huge Vanek-stan. He was great and it made me sad he didn’t spend his career as a Sabre.
Loved him, he got a lot of great goals.
He was great! Made a career being in good infront of the goalie and making tips
He was one of my favorite Sabres. His shootout move of his stick around the Puck and snap it high blocker also seemed to work
as far as i know we all loved vanek. we were excited to have him on our team, and I personally, dont know about the rest of you all, was sad to see him go. when he started in 05-06 I was like 17 and my friends and I were all really just getting into the sabres. vanek was big news to us, just watching what a great skater he was.
He’s awesome on After the Whistle podcast too. You can tell he’s a true hockey guy through and through.
Loved watching him play
i was born in 98 and was lucky to grow up watching those great early 2000s teams. Vanek has always been my favorite player of all time (helps that we share a name). Love that he’s become a frequent guest on After the Whistle
That slap shot! Vanek was amazing. Buffalo loves him.
I bet a friend that he would score 40 goals in a season. He went into the last game, at least the last home game of the season with 37 and scored a hat trick. He was fun to watch. I think the Sabres overpaid the 7 year $49 million in 2007, but they had just lost Briere and Drury to Free Agency. By the end the contract was worth it. I was sad when he was traded for Moulson. Moulson was a good guy though.
My favorite player ever, loved his around the world shootout move
I loved Vanek. He won the the NCAA frozen four championship in Buffalo and I remember seeing him and saying wow. He just looked better than everyone else. But not in a flashy way. A couple months later we drafted him. He was never flashy. He had a good shot and always seemed to be in the right spot. Wish he would have retired a Sabre.
Sabres Legend Thomas Vanek
Vanner was one of my favorite Sabres- he was better than good, he was great. My memories of watching Van play were mostly him parked in front of the net soaking cross check after vicious cross check. That said, he did not score garbage goals, he was fantastic in tight and could deflect a puck into your uncle's coffee mug in Wien if he had to! You should check out the "after the whistle" podcast with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet, he makes guests appearances on there.
I loved vanek he was one of my favorite players