BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gerry Meehan, one of the Buffalo Sabres’ first players who went on to an influential role as the team’s general manager, has died. He was 79.The Sabres announced Meehan’s death on Saturday after being informed by a member of his family. The team said he died Friday. The cause of death and where Meehan died were not immediately available.Meehan was from Toronto but essentially adopted Buffalo as his hometown as a player and eventual executive. As GM, he was responsible for acquiring eventual hall of famers Dominik Hasek, Pat LaFontaine, Alexander Mogilny and Dale Hawerchuk spanning the late 1980s and early 1990s.His introduction to Buffalo came after splitting his rookie NHL season between Toronto and Philadelphia in being selected by the Sabres in the 1970 expansion draft.The center went on to set up the franchise’s first goal in a two-assist outing in Buffalo’s first game. Meehan later became the team’s captain before being traded to Vancouver in October 1974.Upon completing his 10-year NHL career and two games with Cincinnati of the World Hockey Association in 1978-79, Meehan returned to Buffalo to earn a law degree before joining the Sabres’ front office in 1984 under general manager Scotty Bowman.In replacing Bowman as GM during the 1986-87 season, Meehan oversaw numerous franchise-changing moves, including Mogilny’s defection from the Soviet Union in 1989. Meehan and Sabres player development director Don Luce traveled to Sweden, where Mogilny was competing in a tournament, and covertly ushered him back to North America.Mogilny referred to Meehan as “my guiding light when I came into the NHL” during his induction speech last year.In a statement …
