The French Connection (ice hockey)

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In ice hockey , The French Connection was the nickname of one of the Buffalo Sabers ' most famous storm ranks , which consisted of Gilbert Perreault , René Robert and Richard (Rick) Martin . The trio of strikers was named after the film of the same name, The French Connection , as all three come from the French-speaking part of Canada, the province of Québec .

Statue in honor of the French Connection in front of the First Niagara Center

Gilbert and Rick Martin played together as a junior and were reunited by the Sabers for the 1971/72 season . When René Robert then joined the Sabers, one of the most productive offensive formations in NHL history was born, which for example scored 291 points in the 1974/75 season (René Robert: 40 goals, 60 assists ; Rick Martin 52 goals, 43 assists ; Gilbert Perreault: 39 goals, 57 assists) and all three ended up in the top ten of the top scorers in the NHL. Although the offensive strength of this series could lead the Sabers to the final of the Stanley Cup , the Sabers have never won the cup.

The three players stood together from the end of the 1971/72 season to the end of the 1978/1979 season on the ice, after which Robert was transferred to the Colorado Rockies . The numbers of all three players are no longer assigned by the Sabers - they hang together under the roof of the First Niagara Center .

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