Ed Kilgore has been a household name in and around the Golden Horseshoe for nearly four decades. He's been delivering the sports on WGRZ-TV in Buffalo everyday, for the past thirty eight years. Think about that for a minute. Ed has rubbed shoulders and shared conversations with the sequoias---- the best of Buffalo's best athletes, coaches and managers, including: Punch, Perreault, Martin, Robert, Luce, Rammer, Gare, Orenthal, Jim Braxton, Macadoo, Ernie DiGregorio, Randy Smith, Joe Ferguson, Reggie McKenzie, Joe D., Joe Cribbs, Steve Freeman, The Knox Brothers, Chuck Knox, Machine Gun Kelly, Thurman, Bruce, Andre, Sneaky Pete, St. Patrick, Dale Hawerchuk, Bob Sauve, Wowie Housley, Barrasso, Puppa, Alexander The Great, Foligno, Dave Andreychuk, Playfair, May Day, Lindy, Darcy, Larry Quinn, and Mr. Pegula, to name a few.
That's quite a resume.
Ed's been an interesting and informative resource book that I've enjoyed reading for the past three decades, since I was knee high to a senior level hockey stick.
All due respect to Rick Azar and Van Miller. In my own humble opinion, Ed Kilgore is the best sports anchor to have worked in Buffalo TV in the past four decades.
Today, I tap my stick and tip my bucket to Mr. Ed Kilgore, who this week has passd the baton of WGRZ-TV 11 pm sports anchor duties to another one of my favourite broadcasters, Adam Benigni. I'm a big Benigni fan, and I'm happy for his success. He has paid his dues for the past 15 years at WGRZ and he's earned this well-deserved promotion.
Kilgore's prodigious 38 year career has surpassed that of any and all of Buffalo's best pro and college athletes. I cut my teeth on sports by watching Kilgore on TV. Before there was TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN, and 24 hour cable news and sports networks, there was Ed Kilgore.
Kilgore told The Buffalo News that he is only switching his vantage point. He's not retiring.
“I’ve really had a great and long run at Channel 2, and that will continue a while longer,” said Kilgore, 64, during a telephone interview. “But I’m also ready for a change and doing some different things outside the station. I’ll still be sports director, and I’ll still be covering the Sabres and the Bills. In fact, I’ll be able to see more of the Sabres games.”
Kilgore has covered every major ebvent in Buffalo sports history from four SuperBowls to two Stanley Cup Finals. What I will always consider to be Ed'd best work is the sensitivity and professionalism with which he demonstrated in his eulogy of his dear friend, Rick Martin. Martin died in February, and Kilgore felt the loss on not only a professional level, but a personal level as well. Rico and Ed had formed a unique and special friendship that spanned more than three decade, and the two were often seen around town together, enjoying the other's company. I'll never forget March 24, 2011, the day that the Pegula family hosted the Tribute to Rick Martin at HSBC Arena. Kilgore served as emcee for the event and his grace and strength of character, while under immense emotional pressure underscored Kilgore's greatness to me.
Kilgore earned an induction into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall Of Fame in 2010.
I remember fighting with my brother over which one of us would adjust the foil on the rabbit ears when the reception crapped out while we watched Sabres games on Ed's beloved Channel 2. Darling, Hannigan, and Kilgore were rockstars in my house!
I won't be surprised when I see Kilgore emerge at another local broadcast operation in the weeks to come. He and Mr. Pegula share a cordial relationship. Just sayin'.
Congratulations on your brilliant body of work, Ed.
Thank you for helping to ignite the fire that burns inside of me for the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo sports scene.
Good on John Vogl of The Buffalo News for phoning up former, now current-Sabre-for-now, Al Kotalik. John reached out to Kotalik, who is at his home in the Czech Republic right now, preparing for what will be the most critical training camp of his ice hockey career.
Kotalik told Vogl that he feels confident that he can make a lasting impression with his coaches, GM, owner, and peers.
"I'm coming to training camp with an open mind. I know that I can measure with anybody on that team. I can measure myself up with any guy on that squad, on that team, and I hope I will get the opportunity that I need. Everything else is up to me."
You want my two cents?
Kotalik's struggles will only continue in Buffalo. The Sabres sent him to Edmonton at the '09 trade deadline because he didn't fit into their future plans at that time. The GM knew that he had bevy of skilled youngsters like Stafford, Ennis, and Gerbe in the incubator, and he made the pragmatic decision to develop their youth and then reward them with the opportunity to play a regualr shift in Buffalo. Excellent call by Darcy and Lindy, by the way.
I like that Kotalik feels like he can "measure up with anybody" on the present Sabres roster.
Of course he likes his chances to succeed. he's 6'3 and 225. He possesses a Glock 9 for a shot. He's a quick-catch-quick-release sniper. He thrives in the shootout. He's got all of the hand-eye skills that he needs to be a difference maker in the NHL. However, his feet are his Waterloo. He skated like he was in concrete with the high flying Oilers so they one-timed him to the Rangers, who then unceremoniously launched him to the Flames. His wheels were such a problem there that he was sent to Abbottsford of the AHL on a couple of occassions to work on his mobility.
Look, I like Kotalik. He's was a useful and likeable guy when he was with the Sabres the first time around. I don't see him competing for and earning a roster spot in this training camp. In the end, I feel like his hands will keep him relevant, however, his deteriorating foot speed will be his undoing. I can't see paying a veteran $3 million to ride the wall on the third and fourth lines. He'll give you 15-20 pucks and he'll light the lamp on the PP, however, he'll be a minus player when he is caught staring at the nameplate on the back on the sweaters of Spezza, Kessel, Seguin, Plekanec, and the like as he's too sow to back check and provide help for the D and Ryan Miller.
With incumbent winger Kaleta looking to defend his ice time, and the advent of Zack Kassian and Luke Adam chomping at the bit to make this season's Sabres squad, I honestly cannot see how Kotalik has a chance in H-E-double hockey sticks in earning a roster spot in Buffalo. I don't see it, unless of course he's dropped 10-15 pounds and has been power skating over the Summer. That does not sound like the old Al Kotalik that I know and remember. Perhaps he'll show up to pre-training camp workouts in Buffalo next weeek in the best physical shape of his career. I have my doubts. Who knows, maybe this will be the moment in Kotalik's career that he finally buys in to what his coaches are telling him about his overall game.
One thing I know for certain is that Kaleta, Kassian, and Adam will be in tip top shape and will be loaded for bear. The training camp scrimmages will be must-see for me. Kotalik will tell us all what his level of commitment is in the scrimmages and the exhibition games.
The Sabres are not looking for big, slow players. Thats why Mancari is now a Vancouver Canuck by way of the UFA market. If they wanted slow, older players, they'd have kept Mike Grier and Rob Niedermayer. Jochen Hecht and his slowing wheels are staying put in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. The name of today's game is speed in all three zones. Lindy demands that his forwards create back pressure. You can't do so with flat, bald tires. Lindy wants 160km per hockey. He wants his big men participating in all three zones. Gone are the days when the slow guys can goal-hang and cherry pick.
Forecheck, backcheck, paycheck. You can't have one without the other.
This opportunity is 100% up to Kotalik. I, like a couple dozen NHL GMs, are interested in seeing what he does with it.
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