The city is abuzz as the 2016 NHL draft is only a couple days away. The logo can be seen all around town; Buffalo emblazoned through the middle and the First Niagara Center weaved into it. Tickets have been at a premium with it being the first time here since 1998. Our neighbors to the north have the coveted 1st overall pick, and the Sabres are currently sitting at 8th. Leading up to this momentous event for our city, who better to speak with than one of the greatest to ever to put on the blue and gold, René Robert. In typical Buffalonian pride, the iconic Sabre’s pregame meal spot, Chef’s, seemed the logical dining choice to meet up with the legend.
Prompt and waiting for my arrival René is at home; wrapping up a phone call while happily greeting fans, shaking hands, and waving to those coming into the restaurant. If you are new to town you might think he is one of the restaurant owners. His picture and name are all over the walls, and also adorn one of the restaurant’s banquet rooms. Upon seeing me, he outstretched his hand and gave a genuine smile. “Good to see you, how did you do last night?” he asks, as we get motioned over to the table by the hostess. An advocate of giving back to the community, René had been Master of Ceremony of the live auction for a charity golf tournament, benefiting Roswell Cancer Institute, the previous evening.
Part of the famed “French Connection” line and Sabres hall of famer, René sat down with me at the classic red and white table cloths, decorated with the signature Chef’s bibs. The waitress greets us and brings some water and bread. A mixed salad is ordered for the table as we begin our conversation. “I hope I didn’t twist your arm too bad last night?” he says with a smile and a chuckle, referring to the pressure and encouragement he applied as the auctioneer, to sway me into buying an item in the auction. I laughed as well and said “No, it all goes toward a great cause.”
We chat about Buffalo, the city, food, our dogs, golf and of course hockey. René still spends a lot of his time here in Buffalo, making appearances at a variety of events. The people that know him well describe him as one of the kindest and most generous people you will ever meet.
The next pass of the waitress he orders without looking at the menu “I’ll have the veal parm.” Something you would expect from a regular whose name is on the wall. She follows up asking if he would like his side of spaghetti parmed? He says, “No thank you, I’ll take the side of spaghetti home and give it to my dogs.” I went with the hockey player pre-game staple, the Chicken Parm.
We discuss yesterday’s game of golf, and how he enjoys getting out to play. An avid golfer the retired all-star holds an 8 handicap, and typically gets out a few days a week. Although his game has changed “I can’t hit the ball that far anymore. I can hit my hybrid accurately, but for my second shot I would rather hit an 8 or 9 iron instead of a 4 iron.”
We talk about broadcasting and our backgrounds leading to his home province of Quebec; he knows my love of food, so he recommends his favorite two places in the city limits of Montreal. “Whenever I head to Montreal, I have to visit Moishe’s Steakhouse.” His other favorite is Schwartz’s for their smoked meat; closely related to pastrami.
As the food arrives, the waitress helps us put our bibs on. René, the father of two and grandfather of three, jokes in appreciation “Thanks, how did you know I have a bad shoulder?” As we eat, we get into the hockey talk and the draft. He talks about his role during the NHL draft. He says “We are there to entertain and have fun. Walk around and shake hands.” When it came to the next steps of the draft, he didn’t talk about specifics regarding who he thinks the Sabres will draft, but he did offer his perspective on the team.
“I like (Tim) Murray – I think he’s a great general manager,” he said emphatically. He liked the move by Murray to get the rights for Jimmy Vesey and he thinks Murray and Jack Eichel can convince him to stay.
When it comes to the Sabres and the playoffs: “They’ll make the playoffs next year! Unless they have a lot of bad injuries early on. If they stay healthy, they’ll make the playoffs.” He feels the Sabres are a playoff team this next year and will be a real contender to win the Stanley cup in 3-5 years.
He thinks perhaps a trade or two might have to happen in order to take them to the next level and open up space for the players they need or free agents. “You’re missing another good defenseman” he said. Following up on his previous idea, I probed to see if he bought in to the Steven Stamkos hype. “I think they’re gonna take a run at Stamkos if he’s not looking for an eight-year contract. If not, there’s a couple good free agents out there as well.”
Wrapping up lunch, he reminisced on his time spent on the Sabres, including his favorite memory. “I have a lot of them,” he said. “Playing with Rico (Rick Martin) and Gilbert (Perreault), I really have so many of them.” I highlighted the goal he scored against Philly in the “fog game” of the cup finals in OT. Which he said “Yes, and I scored two against Montreal.” Referring to the overtime heroics he displayed in Game 5 against the Canadiens. A crushing blow to the Habs of which they never recovered losing in Game 6 to the Sabres.
After the meal, as we were walking out, he mentioned how he still gets coffee crisp for friends when he comes down. I told him that a few stores just started selling them locally. “What they need here, is Ketchup Chips!” I told him.
He laughed and said “You like those?” That sparked his memory and said, hold on one second. He ducked into the kitchen quickly and popped out with a brown bag with a loaf of bread in it.
“One of the perks I have here,” he said. My response – “Well, when your name is on the wall; you get the carte blanche treatment!”
Being a young hockey player growing up I spent much of my childhood going to the Aud, hearing the great stories about the names I would see high above in the rafters. He’s a perfect example of a great ambassador to the city, and you can see his passion for Buffalo. There’s no question he’s “All-in” to what’s forthcoming, and like the rest of the constituents he’s excited for Buffalo’s Next Chapter!