(This is Part 2 of a series that I hope won't have to go any longer. Part 1 discussed why the lockout could hurt the NHL's legacy and stunt it's growth. This part will be an appeal from the fan's perspective.)
Brian Campbell was an all-star defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres in the mid-2000's. He has since gone on to play a meaningless half-season in San Jose, win a Stanley Cup with Chicago and lead the Florida Panthers to their first playoff appearance in 12 years. Yet I would wager that upon mention of his name, any Sabre's fan immeadiately thinks of the hit in the video above.
Campbell wasn't a bruiser by any means which is what made the hit so much more suprising. He was known for his vision, passing ability and rarely making mistakes. However, on this night, he hit R.J. Umberger into a concussed stupor and himself into Buffalo sports history.
This hit took place in the first overtime of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 2006. Because of the Sabre's franchise long three-season playoff-less streak from 2002-2004 and the unforgivable 2005 lockout; it had been ages since the Buffalo had tasted playoff hockey. Game 1 could not have been a better welcome back to playoff hockey for Sabres fans.
A deep playoff run was the furthest things from the average hockey fan's mind before the season. Nearly every analyst/expert predicted the anonymous/young Sabres would make very little noise. Despite losing their two best players (Danny Briere and J.P. Dumont) to injury for most of the season, the Sabres defied their critics and earned the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.They were matched up against the tougher and more experienced Philadelphia Flyers in the first round.
After falling behind early the Flyers scored a late goal to send the game to overtime; this is where Mr. Campbell comes in. Umberger, a 24-year-old rookie, came through the top of his own zone with his head down as Campbell took full advantage of the situation. When Umberger got to the blue line, Campbell unleashed one of the most viscious and powerful hits in NHL history on him. Umberger was concussed and some minor disagreements ensued. Danny Briere would later end the game with a goal in the second overtime. The Sabres would go on to defeat the Flyers in six games and then the top-seeded Senators in five. In the conference finals the Sabres ran into the Carolina Hurricanes and the injury bug. After losing Tim Conolly and four defensemen, the Sabres fell to Carolina in seven games.
The 2006 playoffs have long since passed and most of the players on that Sabres team no longer remain in Buffalo. The team has been to the playoffs three times since then and is still in search of it's first Stanley Cup. The Sabres may not have won it all in 2006 but they captured some of the magic that playoff hockey creates. They took a city, desperate for sports success of any kind, on a six-week ride that it will never forget. This hit has become the symbol of that post-season. When he dropped his shoulder into an unsuspecting rookie, Brian Campbell unknowingly etched himself into one of the few positive areas of Buffalo sports lore.
This, more than any other reason, is why the lockout must end. Every spring features at least one fairy-tale story. Every spring, one city latches on to a team and pins all their hopes and happiness to that team's success. The NHL playoffs are North American sport's most unpredictable post-season, no amount of hockey knowledge will help you accurately predict the outcome of any given spring. For the fan's sake, bring back the ultimate die-hard fan sport.
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