Gerbe ready for next level with Sabres
Prospect signs three-year contract
by John Vogl -- News Sports Reporter
Updated: 05/07/08 3:36 PM
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- Nathan Gerbe, left, is introduced by Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier at HSBC Arena. Gerbe was signed for the rookie maximum.
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For an entire week, Nathan Gerbe stood eyeball to Adam’s apple with America’s best professional hockey players. Though he looked up to them when they were standing still, he noticed they were on the same level when they were moving.
With that, Gerbe was able to make his decision. It was time to leave college and join the members of the U. S. world championship team in the NHL.
“Once you get that confirmation, it’s hard to go back,” Gerbe said Tuesday.
There was just one more thing Gerbe needed to know. Did the Buffalo Sabres want him? He found out Monday afternoon as contract talks with General Manager Darcy Regier went from stagnant to signed.
“Nathan spoke to Darcy one on one [Monday] afternoon, and I think he spoke to [coach] Lindy
[Ruff] as well,” said Jordan Neumann, Gerbe’s agent. “I think they made him feel at that time that they really wanted him and they really felt he could contribute. I think that’s what he was waiting for.”
Gerbe flew into Buffalo on Tuesday and signed a three-year deal for the rookie maximum of $850,000 per season. He then went back to Boston for today’s last exam, the final act of an unbelievable junior year at Boston College. He was the best player on the nation’s best team, and the lure of another year on campus was strong. But the 20-year-old loves competing, and the pro ranks are an appealing test.
“This is a great opportunity for myself to further my career in hockey,” Gerbe said in HSBC Arena. “It would be great going back to school and finish up my degree, and that’s something I’m still going to pursue. . . . But I’m very excited to take this step and very proud.”
Gerbe led the NCAA with 68 points in 43 games, including eight points in the Frozen Four to lead Boston College to the national championship. He was on the Sabres’ radar well before that.
“It wasn’t really about the last month or two,” said Regier, who picked Gerbe in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. “Our scouts, when they go out and draft players, it’s their intent to draft people that you believe are going to be NHL players. You’re not going to be 100 percent right, but Nathan never moved off that track and only got stronger and performed at a higher level.”
There will be questions about Gerbe until he makes it in the NHL, and all of them center on his size. He is just 5-foot-5, a head shorter than most players. But the 165-pounder isn’t afraid to play big.
“I’ve played against my size my whole life, and I know how to play against it now,” the Michigan native said. “The biggest thing is people gain respect for small guys who never quit and also win one-on-one battles, who show they can play in the league and show they can be strong enough. That’s one thing I’ll try to do.
“I’m not going to go out and kill a 6-5 guy. I don’t think they’re expecting that of me, but I’m going to be physical. I’m definitely going to let people know I’m there, and I’m going to finish my checks and not shy away from checks.”
Regier doesn’t look at Gerbe’s size as a negative. In fact, he says, it should be a positive influence for everyone of small stature.
“He’s about possibilities,” Regier said. “Let’s face it, people will look at him, and it creates a lot of hope for a lot of people. I don’t think he minds being in some cases the poster boy for creating hope. That’s a wonderful thing to be associated with.”
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Regier said he will talk contract with prospect Tim Kennedy of South Buffalo either today or Thursday. The Michigan State junior is the final piece of the college trio the Sabres were eager to sign. The Sabres signed defense-man Chris Butler of Denver University last month.
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A report out of Toronto on Tuesday said Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano had discussions this winter about selling the team. But Regier shrugged off the report from the Toronto Star that focused on Golisano’s chat with Jim Balsillie, who is trying to place a team in Hamilton, Ont.
“I’ve been aware [of sales talk], they’ve kept me abreast of it, and it hasn’t been any big deal to me, quite frankly, because I don’t think there’s anything there,” Regier said.
The Sabres suggested Golisano is open to offers, something The Buffalo News wrote in February.
“From time to time, we receive inquiries about the possible sale of our franchise,” managing partner Larry Quinn wrote on Sabres.com. “Although it is not uncommon to receive inquiries, it is the policy of our organization not to comment on them. However, we want to reiterate to all Sabres fans and our community that we have not and will not discuss the relocation of our franchise.”
