Gerry Meehan, a member of the inaugural 1970-71 Buffalo Sabres who later served as the team’s general manager and orchestrated Alexander Mogilny’s defection from the Soviet Union in 1989 and traded for Dominik Hasek, died Friday. He was 79.
As a player, Meehan, a center, spent parts of five seasons in Buffalo and assisted on the first goal in franchise history. After taking over as captain in 1971-72, he led the Sabres to their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1972-73, when he scored a career-high 31 goals.
After the Sabres traded him to the Vancouver Canucks in 1974, he also played for the Atlanta Flames and Washington Capitals before retiring a following a two-game stint with the World Hockey Association’s Cincinnati Stingers in 1978-79.
Having earned a law degree from the University of Buffalo following his playing days, Meehan was ahead of his time as an executive. He began working in the Sabres’ front office in the 1980s, first serving as an assistant GM before replacing Scotty Bowman as GM early in 1986-87.
Meehan quickly revamped the Sabres after they finished last in the 21-team NHL that season, leading them to six straight playoff berths before he moved up to executive vice president of hockey operations in 1993. He served in that role until 1996.
As a GM, Meehan made bold moves.
In May 1989, Meehan and Don Luce, the Sabres’ director of player development, helped Mogilny become the first player to defect from the Soviet Union and join the NHL.
Their account of getting Mogilny out of Stockholm, Sweden, where the Soviets had competed at the World Championship, and back to the United States sounds like it came off the pages of a spy novel.
Mogilny, widely considered the best player outside of the NHL, would score 76 goals in 1992-93. The winger was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year.
Meehan also made blockbuster trades involving future Hall of Famers throughout his tenure as GM.
After drafting center Pierre Turgeon first overall in 1987, he dealt him to the New York Islanders in 1991 in a huge deal that brought center Pat LaFontaine to Buffalo.
Meehan made one of the most legendary trades in hockey history in 1992, acquiring Hasek, a relatively unknown and unorthodox goalie with the Chicago Blackhawks, in exchange for goalie Stephane Beauregard and future considerations.
Hasek would develop into an all-time great, winning the Vezina Trophy six times and the Hart Trophy twice.
A strong argument can be made it’s the most one-sided deal ever.
Meehan also acquired center Dale Hawerchuk in 1990 in a trade that sent defenseman Phil Housley to the Winnipeg Jets. He also brought goalie Grant Fuhr to Buffalo in 1993 in a massive deal that sent Dave Andreychuk to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Meehan moved back to Western New York in his 70s and served as special counsel with to the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Advancement of Sport. He also worked closely with the NHL Alumni Association and retired players.
“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,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
Meehan was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
He is survived by his wife, Mirella; their children Dan, Adam and Kate; and their grandchildren Christian, Alexander, Nathan and Juniper.