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Yvon Lambert

Normand Lacombe

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Jan 30, 2008
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A 4-time Cup champion with the Canadiens in the 1970's, Lambert is remembered most as the player who scored in game 7 of OT in the 1979 Boston-Montreal series. In 1981, Lambert was exposed by Montreal in the Waiver Draft after recording 22 G, 32A and 54 Pts in 1980-81 with the Habs. Lambert was selected by Buffalo and was reunited with his former coach, Scotty Bowman. During his lone season in Buffalo, Lambert was the Sabres 3rd leading scorer, tallying 25 G, 39 A, and 64 Pts in 77 games. It would be Lambert's final NHL season. The next two seasons, Lambert would play in the AHL with Rochester before retiring.

What I don't understand is why did the Sabres demote him after scoring 64 points? Discounting Lambert's rookie season, Lambert was a consistent player throughout his 10 year NHL career, good for about 55-65 points a season. Did the Sabres want to make room for incoming rookies Andreychuk and Housley? I don't believe Lambert suffered an injury since he played two full seasons with Rochester. Some sites said he "jumped" to Rochester to be a player-coach. What's the story?
 
What I find more curious about Lambert, who I thought was a 2nd liner with Montreal (two 32 goal seasons on the 3 or 4 line is pretty darned impressive) is that it had been rumoured that he didn't even learn to skate until he was a teenager. I don't know how accurate that is... can anyone shed some light?
 
DannyGallivan said:
What I find more curious about Lambert, who I thought was a 2nd liner with Montreal (two 32 goal seasons on the 3 or 4 line is pretty darned impressive) is that it had been rumoured that he didn't even learn to skate until he was a teenager. I don't know how accurate that is... can anyone shed some light?
Click to expand...

Didn't play organized hockey until he was a teenager.

Initially - 1974-76 was a bit of a PP specialist with resulting inflated stats.
 
Canadiens1958 said:
Didn't play organized hockey until he was a teenager.

Initially - 1974-76 was a bit of a PP specialist with resulting inflated stats.
Click to expand...
Thank you. That is still pretty remarkable, in this age of kids barely into elementary school playing most months of the year.
 
I believe he was a player/assistant coach in Rochester.

He was slowing down in the second half of the '82 season (only 4 goals in the last 25 games), and the time not many NHL forwards were still effective at age 32. He probably could've stayed on as a PP specialist for one or two more seasons, but maybe he decided getting some coaching experience was better for his future.
 
reckoning said:
I believe he was a player/assistant coach in Rochester.

He was slowing down in the second half of the '82 season (only 4 goals in the last 25 games), and the time not many NHL forwards were still effective at age 32. He probably could've stayed on as a PP specialist for one or two more seasons, but maybe he decided getting some coaching experience was better for his future.
Click to expand...

Yup, playing assistant coach under Bowman protege Mike Keenan in 82-83, where they wom the Calder Cup, then under Joe Crozier the following year, where the Americans lost in the AHL Finals.
After retiring he spent a year coaching the Verdun Jr. Canadiens, then returned to the Habs organization in Public relations.
He was always a Bowman favorite. In Dick Irvin's Behind the Bench Bowman mentions how underrated he was. As others have noted he didn't begin playing until late, and his skating looked laborious, choppy, but he was a very heads up player, who understood his limitations, kept it simple and was a huge asset to the team by playing smart hockey. Middle six utility man who could provide a net front presence on the PP and was a good 2nd unit penalty killer.
 
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Normand Lacombe said:
A 4-time Cup champion with the Canadiens in the 1970's, Lambert is remembered most as the player who scored in game 7 of OT in the 1979 Boston-Montreal series. In 1981, Lambert was exposed by Montreal in the Waiver Draft after recording 22 G, 32A and 54 Pts in 1980-81 with the Habs. Lambert was selected by Buffalo and was reunited with his former coach, Scotty Bowman. During his lone season in Buffalo, Lambert was the Sabres 3rd leading scorer, tallying 25 G, 39 A, and 64 Pts in 77 games. It would be Lambert's final NHL season. The next two seasons, Lambert would play in the AHL with Rochester before retiring.

What I don't understand is why did the Sabres demote him after scoring 64 points? Discounting Lambert's rookie season, Lambert was a consistent player throughout his 10 year NHL career, good for about 55-65 points a season. Did the Sabres want to make room for incoming rookies Andreychuk and Housley? I don't believe Lambert suffered an injury since he played two full seasons with Rochester. Some sites said he "jumped" to Rochester to be a player-coach. What's the story?
Click to expand...
I remember reading that prior to the start of the 1982-83 season, Lambert was told that he could either retire or be sent to the minors. He chose the latter.

I do find it strange that a player who scored 64 points in a season would spend the entirety of the next in the minors. I could see him being demoted after a slow start not to return, but it's something that would never happen in this day and age.

I wonder if in the 1981-82 off-season, if there were some trade offers that the Sabres made to other teams that may have been turned down by the general managers of the other teams.

It does sound like the Sabres wanted to have a slightly younger team, though, and they had Dave Andreychuk waiting in the wings.

Still, I don't think it's something we'll ever see again, that's for sure.
 
Somewhere in our family we have a Lambert hockey stick from his time with the Sabres...I think it was a Koho... he was friends with my grandparent's neighbors in South Buffalo if I'm not mistaken.
 
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