Former NHL Player Michael Peca joins Buffalo Junior Sabres team as GM –NHL News Update
Michael Peca, a former National Hockey League (NHL) great and centre player, who retired during the beginning of 2010 after playing 13 colourful seasons in the major league with various teams, joined Buffalo Junior Sabres on Thursday, August 4, as the minor
league franchise’s general manager.
Larry Playfair, who is the president of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association and Buffalo Junior Sabres club made the announcement regarding the hiring of Peca, and termed his decision as one which would lead the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team into a new
and different direction.
“Michael Peca had expressed an interest in both helping the Junior Sabres and in managing a team so this was a good fit for us. The fact that he is a former Sabre is a bonus”, Playfair said.
Now at the age of 37, and having been away to rest from the NHL for over a year now, analysts are of the view that Peca will be able to make a successful return in managing a well known minor league franchise.
Picked as the 40th overall player during round-two of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by Vancouver Canucks, Peca, a Toronto, Ontario, Canada native, has played with teams all around the league and in both continents.
Peca played his first four major league games with Vancouver during the 1993-1994 season and moved on to Buffalo during the 1995-1996 season. In all, Peca has played five seasons with Buffalo, in which he gained immense popularity and was also named team
captain.
The following seasons were with New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets until finally retiring in 2010.
Nevertheless, Peca remains confident in his abilities to help lead the team, like he once did with the major league affiliate.
“I believe that the sky is the limit. We are in a very competitive league that produces outstanding results for college hockey”, said Peca. “Having said that, I believe we can become an organization that can become a model franchise for and team in any league
to want to emulate“.
Nearly leading Buffalo Sabres to a Stanley Cup by reaching the finals in 2006 makes Michael Peca one of the highest achieving Sabres of all time, a trait which explains why someone would want to choose him.
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