LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the untimely death of former Buffalo
Sabres professional hockey player Richard Lionel (Rick) Martin, distin-
guished athlete and citizen, and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize those individuals within our midst who have contributed great-
ly to the quality of our lives by a commitment to excellence and whose
actions and accomplishments have served to honor and benefit the people
of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to also pay tribute
to outstanding athletes who distinguished themselves through their
exceptional performance, and attained unprecedented success and the
highest level of personal achievement; and
WHEREAS, It is also the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
and pay tribute to remarkable individuals whose lifework and civic
endeavor served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and
the great State of New York; and
WHEREAS, A resident of Akron, New York, former Buffalo Sabres profes-
sional hockey player Richard Lionel (Rick) Martin tragically died on
March 13, 2011, at the age of 59; and
WHEREAS, Born on July 26, 1951, in Verdun, Quebec, Canada, Rick Martin
was a member of the celebrated "French Connection" line of the Buffalo
Sabres, one of the most prolific scoring lines in the National Hockey
League in the 1970s; known also as "Rico," he was outwardly the happiest
member of Buffalo's French Connection; and
WHEREAS, Playing left wing for the Sabres, the left-handed Rick Martin
possessed a powerful and accurate slap shot and wrist shot; he was the
Sabres' career leader in hat tricks, scoring three or more goals in a
game 21 times; and
WHEREAS, Selected by Buffalo fifth over all in the 1971 amateur draft,
Rick Martin made an instant impact in the National Hockey League, scor-
ing a rookie record of 44 goals in the 1971-72 season; he scored 52
goals in consecutive seasons beginning in 1973-74; in 1975, as part of
the French Connection, he led Buffalo to the Stanley Cup finals against
the Philadelphia Flyers; and
WHEREAS, Traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1981, Rick Martin retired
due to a knee injury after two more seasons; in his 685 game NHL career,
he scored 384 goals and 701 points; he played in seven All-Star games;
and
WHEREAS, In 1995, the Buffalo Sabres honored Rick Martin's career by
retiring his Number 7 jersey; and
WHEREAS, Survived by his wife, Mikey, and by his two sons, Corey and
Josh, Rick Martin leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the
passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he enter-
tained, thrilled, served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the untimely death of former Buffalo Sabres professional hockey
player Richard Lionel (Rick) Martin, distinguished athlete and citizen,
and devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Richard Lionel (Rick) Martin.