Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Can you believe it has been 25 years since "No Goal"?
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final started on the evening of June 19, 1999, but ended in the early morning hours of June 20.
SabresClassics on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared some clips from Empire Sports Network's postgame coverage that night, and it led to a trip down memory lane for me.
This was my "No Goal" game experience.
My job for the night was to get reaction from fans as they exited Marine Midland Arena. I figured it would be a very easy assignment.
Boy, was I wrong!
The night included a triple-overtime game that ended at 1:30 a.m. ET, and one of the most, if not the most, controversial goals in Stanley Cup Final history.
I watched the game in one of the Empire broadcast trucks, which was parked out in front of the arena. Once the game was over, all I had to do was talk to fans on the way out to ask them about the Sabres forcing Game 7 or the magical ride coming to an end in Game 6.
By the way, I was not aware of the controversy about Brett Hull's Cup-winning goal. Once the goal was scored, my photographer and I headed for the front doors of the arena.
I did not see any replays. I learned about what happened from the fans.
It was amazing, because the first fans to leave the building didn't know about it either. Once Dallas scored, they headed out and had no idea about the review and subsequent debate over whether it was a good goal or not.
My first wave of interviews were fans who were sad to see them lose, but were thankful for all the thrills from a season that saw the Sabres advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 24 years. They were headed home, or to a bar for some postgame drinks in a very good mood.
Then the mood of the fans changed.
The next wave had stayed in the building, awaiting the result of the goal review. They also caught the different replays of the goal on monitors, as they headed out and were well aware that Hull's skate was in the crease.
The fans' mood went from "Thank you, Sabres!" to "(bleep) you, NHL!"
Then I got word from work that I should head into the building and help cover the new story. I was told to help get interviews in the Sabres' locker room, and cover any interviews in the press conference room.
When I got down there, it was a chaotic scene.
Anyone connected with the Sabres was furious. Anyone connected with the Stars was partying. Everyone (players, coaches, media) was looking for someone from the upper levels of the NHL to explain what just happened.
While I was in the media room, I had the unfortunate job of covering the press conference with Joe Nieuwendyk, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. I thought the Sabres were robbed, and I was angry too. So watching that and hearing the celebration coming from the visiting locker room were hard to handle.
However, I had a job to do, and I'm being paid to be a professional (or something close to it).
The most memorable part of an evening and early next morning filled with memorable moments was when I found Sabres general manager Darcy Regier in the hallway outside the Sabres' locker room. It wasn't that often you'd see emotion from Regier while on the job, but when I stopped him to see if he would speak with us, you could see his eyes were red.
Regier had clearly been shedding tears after a rip-your-heart-out ending to the season. He was fighting those emotions as he talked about how much he hurt for the players and the fans. He looked like a guy that needed a hug. (No, I didn't do that.)
Finally, the NHL decided to make someone available to the media, but it was not commissioner Gary Bettman. Instead, they sent in Bryan Lewis, Supervisor of Officials. I wish I could tell you what he said, but I honestly don't remember.
That is a good thing, because recalling whatever line of bull they spewed forth would just make me angry all over again.
Once Lewis was done, we wrapped up our coverage from the arena. Since it wasn't 4 a.m. yet, the Empire crew decided to go have a much deserved drink or two, and discuss what we all just experienced.
Games/nights like that are what made Empire Sports Network so special. We were always able to provide continuous coverage of big moments in Buffalo sports that no other media outlet could.
We also had far more resources, in terms of on-air talent, photographers and producers that allowed us to give the viewers extensive coverage. The people who worked at Empire were top-notch all the time, but the bigger the moment got, the more they rose to the occasion.
Lindy Ruff wrapped up that season perfectly at the rally outside City Hall just a few days after that crazy night: "No Goal".
