Buffalo Stampede

[Billsman]

<deadilnk entry_key="Roller Hockey International">Roller Hockey International</deadilnk> team based in Buffalo, NY (http://www.answers.com/topic/buffalo) that was founded in the second season of the RHI. The team played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (http://www.answers.com/topic/buffalo-memorial-auditorium) from 1994-1995. The team won the 1994 RHI <deadilnk entry_key="Roller Hockey International">Murphy Cup</deadilnk>.

The team folded after the 1995 season and to take its place, the Phoenix Cobras moved to Buffalo and assumed all of the Stampede's player contracts. They then changed their name to the Empire State Cobras and ultimately the Buffalo Wings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Wings_%28roller_hockey%29).


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Buffalo_Stampede.gif



All-time roster

Norm Bazin
Paul Beraldo
Chris Bergeron
John Blessman
Scott Burfoot
<deadilnk entry_key="Fred Carroll">Fred Carroll</deadilnk>
Jason Cirone
Rick Corriveau
Pat Curcio
<deadilnk entry_key="Joe Daly">Joe Daly</deadilnk>
<deadilnk entry_key="Derek DeCosty">Derek DeCosty</deadilnk>
Bob Delorimiere
Lou Franceschetti (http://www.answers.com/topic/lou-franceschetti)
<deadilnk entry_key="John V. Hendry">John Hendry</deadilnk>
Steve Herniman
<deadilnk entry_key="Alex Hicks">Alex Hicks</deadilnk>
Jamey Hicks
Scott Humphrey (http://www.answers.com/topic/scott-humphrey)
Tom Jaeggi
Dave Lemay
Jim MacDougal
<deadilnk entry_key="Mark Major">Mark Major</deadilnk>
Craig Martin (http://www.answers.com/topic/craig-martin)
Chris Monzidelus
<deadilnk entry_key="Claude Morin (PQ)">Claude Morin</deadilnk>
Jay Neal
Tom Nemeth
Dale Reinig
Len Soccio
Jeff Triano
John Vecchiarelli
Nick Vitucci Coaches

<hr>
Chris McSorley - 1994
John Vecchiarelli - 1995 (Player Coach)
Rob Ray (http://www.answers.com/topic/rob-ray-1) - 1995 (Bench Coach)
Wikipedia

[JLB]

very kewl! :rockon:

The home of the Buffalo Wings is it just a coincidence?

http://www.kelseys.ca/images/global/menu/ChickenWings.jpg

[Darksyde]

John Vecchiarelli on O and Nick Vitucci in goal was a nasty combo that 1st year.

[Smerlas#76]

Does anyone remember that crazy "fan" dressed in the Afro wig and 70s garb who used to dance around and act all nuts?

[SabresFan220]

My family and I used to go to a lot of Stampede games years ago. We went to the championship game against the Minnesota team (I think they were the Blueoxen or something). They had this huge gong they rang after we won that game. I remember that Matthew Barnaby was at that game sitting not too far from us. My dad told me to go over there and tell him he should suit up in case we needed him later in the game but I didn't do it. He left early for some reason, team curfew maybe, I'm not sure. It's funny really, I think I was 6 or 7 back then and I remember it pretty clearly.

[Snarf]

The Stampede had a lot going on around the game. Claude Scott was the "mascot" for the team. Claude used to work for the Quebec Nordiques and would run around the crowd and play his trumphet and get the crowd going. Some of his routines were a bit off colored which made it more fun. They had Pincey would would bang the gong after each Stampede goal. They had "Elvis" sing the anthems at each game. They had cheerleaders, plus they had girls from a local strip club who would walk around the crowd and throw prizes out. They ended up hiring the Afro guys to be at each game. There used to be a hot tube near the rink that people could rent out which usually had hot girls in it. And the Stampede was the only game I ever went to which has a bikini contest at halftime.

The crowds used to get into the games pretty well. The team averaged around 6,000 a game which was good in the RHI. One time againts the New Jersey Rockin' Rollers the team started throwing water bottles and sticks in the crowd and the crowd was throwing pretty much everything not nailed down at the the NJ bench. More then one coach was thrown out of a game for going after a fan or two.

SabresFan220, the championship game was againts the Portland Rage. Actually it was the second game of a two game series. RHI had two game series. If the series was tied after the two games a 15 minute mini game was played after game two. In the conference final the Stampede lost game one at home to the Minnesota Artic Blast but came back to beat the Artic Blast in game two and the mini game to win a trip to the Murphy Cup.

[Smerlas#76]

The reason why I asked if anyone remembers the Afro guy was because......I was the Afro Guy!!

Snarf......I didn't get paid....just the opportunity to get in for free. I dressed in the NHL officials locker room...that was pretty cool. Signed autographs...tons of good times. The best part....I was invited into the Stampede locker room after they won the RHI championship and got to drink beer...yes beer......from the CUP.

Me and a buddy dressed up like that for the very first Stampede game and danced like hell when they scored a goal. Some PR guy asked us if we wanted to come to every game and he would let us in for free. Hey, we were 18 so it sounded good. After the first game though my buddy no longer wanted to do it. However, I didn't give a SHI*.

Met Barnaby...Ray...Folingo...T. Thomas...J. Kelly. It was awesome!!!

I have a few photos of myself if anyone cares to see. However, this was before the digital age so I would have to get them scanned.

Best thing ever was that ESPN...yes..ESPN showed the championship on tape delay months later. At this point I had gone off to my freshman year in college in PA. Anyways...I had told some guys that I was "Superfly/Superfan" that summer and they didn't believe me. Well, the cameras got a close up of me a couple of times after the Stampede would score a goal. We were in the one guys room all watching the the game and drinking beers when I was shown all dressed up and dancing. It was one of the funniest times in my life.

[Smerlas#76]

Little tid-bit about Claude I wanted to mention. Yea, some of his stuff was "off-colored" to say the least. When a bunch of young girls would approach him for an autograph he would sometimes sign it "Claude /Hyatt Rm # 212."

Whenever I asked him if he was serious he would just laugh!!

[SabresFan220]

I certainly should have asked you for an autograph having seen you since you were so hard to miss. The Buffalo Wings days are more clear to me than the Stampede days, but I loved going to roller hockey games.

I got to know some of the players on the Wings, I talked with Kenny Corp a few times and he gave me one of the official league pucks in the locker room once. I still have it and it still has the RHI sticker on it. Jason Dimytrovic (I know I spelled that wrong) was really cool too, both of them were really friendly and I just liked talking hockey with them. I was happy to see Jason was the head coach of the Wings junior team after the RHI mens division folded. The last I heard about Kenny Corp was seeing his name in an issue of the Hockey News as the leading scorer in mens hockey in Norway. He kept trying to convince he could score goals, told me he was really good at Beach hockey, but with the Wings he was the resident tough guy. I guess he found a league he could score in.

[Snarf]

The reason why I asked if anyone remembers the Afro guy was because......I was the Afro Guy!!

Snarf......I didn't get paid....just the opportunity to get in for free. I dressed in the NHL officials locker room...that was pretty cool. Signed autographs...tons of good times. The best part....I was invited into the Stampede locker room after they won the RHI championship and got to drink beer...yes beer......from the CUP.

Me and a buddy dressed up like that for the very first Stampede game and danced like hell when they scored a goal. Some PR guy asked us if we wanted to come to every game and he would let us in for free. Hey, we were 18 so it sounded good. After the first game though my buddy no longer wanted to do it. However, I didn't give a SHI*.

Met Barnaby...Ray...Folingo...T. Thomas...J. Kelly. It was awesome!!!

I have a few photos of myself if anyone cares to see. However, this was before the digital age so I would have to get them scanned.

Best thing ever was that ESPN...yes..ESPN showed the championship on tape delay months later. At this point I had gone off to my freshman year in college in PA. Anyways...I had told some guys that I was "Superfly/Superfan" that summer and they didn't believe me. Well, the cameras got a close up of me a couple of times after the Stampede would score a goal. We were in the one guys room all watching the the game and drinking beers when I was shown all dressed up and dancing. It was one of the funniest times in my life.

Please scan the pictures, I would love to see them. I still have white stampede jersey in the back of the closet somewhere. I should break it out someday, I bet I would be the only one at the arena wearing that one.

Claude is working for the Lake Erie Monsters now. I want t make it down to Cleveland for a game just to see him again.

[shotgun]

i missed about 4 games i used to go to them all thay where kickass. i have pics somewhere from the championship game.

[BuffaloRedleg]

when i was a kid i got to play roller hockey during intermission I scored and it was AWESOME

[Smerlas#76]

Please scan the pictures, I would love to see them. I still have white stampede jersey in the back of the closet somewhere. I should break it out someday, I bet I would be the only one at the arena wearing that one.

Claude is working for the Lake Erie Monsters now. I want t make it down to Cleveland for a game just to see him again.


The pictures are at my parents house. I will grab them at some point this week and scan them. The lighting in the AUD was terrible...so they are not the highest quality.

Claude is still performing?!?!

The Stampede would bring tables/chairs onto the floor after a game so the players (and me and Claude) could sign autographs for fans. That was really cool. I don't see any team allowing that to happen now.

[Smerlas#76]

I certainly should have asked you for an autograph having seen you since you were so hard to miss. The Buffalo Wings days are more clear to me than the Stampede days, but I loved going to roller hockey games.

I got to know some of the players on the Wings, I talked with Kenny Corp a few times and he gave me one of the official league pucks in the locker room once. I still have it and it still has the RHI sticker on it. Jason Dimytrovic (I know I spelled that wrong) was really cool too, both of them were really friendly and I just liked talking hockey with them. I was happy to see Jason was the head coach of the Wings junior team after the RHI mens division folded. The last I heard about Kenny Corp was seeing his name in an issue of the Hockey News as the leading scorer in mens hockey in Norway. He kept trying to convince he could score goals, told me he was really good at Beach hockey, but with the Wings he was the resident tough guy. I guess he found a league he could score in.


Hey, I only live in Cheektowaga. If ya still want an autograph I will do it!! LOL!!!

[ckg68]

Claude Scott,if I remember right,does his thing for other teams too-not just the Monsters.

[banditslaxnut]

I went to a bunch of those games. I still have a black Stampede jersey as part of my Buffalo sports collection. I even got Yvan Cournoyer's autograph at a game against Montreal. Speaking of which, whenever the Roadrunners would come to town, i had a stuffed Road Runner hung in effigy for those games. Good times.

[Dockwalliper]

Dave Schultz was the coach of the Philly team. We went early and stood by the locker room door behind the golds and got Schultz to autograph both a Sabres and Flyers pucks.

[BfloGeno]

I'm looking for a vecchiarelli jersey (sixe xl) PM me if you have one in good shape!

[Dockwalliper]

I'm wearing my Purple Stampede sweatshirt today.

[Rockstar]

The reason why I asked if anyone remembers the Afro guy was because......I was the Afro Guy!!

Snarf......I didn't get paid....just the opportunity to get in for free. I dressed in the NHL officials locker room...that was pretty cool. Signed autographs...tons of good times. The best part....I was invited into the Stampede locker room after they won the RHI championship and got to drink beer...yes beer......from the CUP.

Me and a buddy dressed up like that for the very first Stampede game and danced like hell when they scored a goal. Some PR guy asked us if we wanted to come to every game and he would let us in for free. Hey, we were 18 so it sounded good. After the first game though my buddy no longer wanted to do it. However, I didn't give a SHI*.

Met Barnaby...Ray...Folingo...T. Thomas...J. Kelly. It was awesome!!!

I have a few photos of myself if anyone cares to see. However, this was before the digital age so I would have to get them scanned.

Best thing ever was that ESPN...yes..ESPN showed the championship on tape delay months later. At this point I had gone off to my freshman year in college in PA. Anyways...I had told some guys that I was "Superfly/Superfan" that summer and they didn't believe me. Well, the cameras got a close up of me a couple of times after the Stampede would score a goal. We were in the one guys room all watching the the game and drinking beers when I was shown all dressed up and dancing. It was one of the funniest times in my life.



Ok I’m drunk so I don’t want to get to silly about this but, HOLY SHIT DUDE!! That’s awesome! I have the ticket stub from every single game in the first season, including the playoffs and the championship game. That we won!!!
Wow! Those games were amazing. I really had a thing for roller back in those days. Man, I don’t know where to start.
John Vecchiarelli was so freakin good I couldn’t figure out (as a young ignorant man) why he wasn’t playing for the Sabres. Our goalie Nick Vitucci was a brick wall. And our goon (everyone fought which was awesome) Mark Major, who by no coincidence I’m assuming wore number 32. WOW! He could score and would literally scare the shit out of opponents. He was the baddest goon in the league and scored goals.
It was amazing sitting in the stands early in the season by myself, and by the time the playoffs came around it was packed.

Granted It was a long time ago and I have drank away most my memory in the last decade but I believe the Championship game was almost sold out by face-off. If not it sure looked like it in there.

Freakin Claude. WOW! Hahaha He would hang on the boards with his legs over the glass and play that freakin trumpet.

Dude do you remember the game the guy on, I have no idea what team pulled a Slapshot move and was ejected from the game. So he proceeded to throw his stick at the ref. Then his helmet, then elbow pads and then his jersey. Finally his teammates pulled him off but he wasn’t done. He threw an f-in chair on to the sport court and it ripped a piece of the playing surface off the floor. Unbelievable.

My one crazy story (I’ll keep it short this post is waaay to long) I don’t remember what happened but being a kid about to try out for the ECC team that had won the national title in 93’ I was a little hot headed. I started getting in to it with a player on the other team. We started jawing at each other and he came to the boards, I ran towards the boards and was ready to go! Security grabbed me and his teammate’s grabbed him as he was literally half over the glass. I actually didn’t get tossed, surprisingly. Haha. I probably would have got my ass kicked.

Man….. Great memories. Thank you for this thread BILLSMAN!

[SabresFan220]

On an interesting side note, Len Soccio played for the German National team in the Olympics in 2002. I remember he scored on Hasek in that Olympics. Jason Cirone actually played for the Italian national team in this past winter Olympics, he scored on Brodeur in their game against Canada. It was pretty cool seeing those guys on the International stage when I remembered them playing for the Stampede. Even Alex Hicks had a brief NHL career playing for the Panthers, Rob Ray was suspended for slew footing him once, haha.