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12/15/2000 | FALCONS VS PIRATES | SPRINGFIELD FALCONS DANIEL BRIERE MOVES THE PUCK TO THE PORTLAND NET AS PIRATES MIKE FARRELL TRIES TO STOP HIM IN THIS FIRST PERIOD PLAY.

(MARK M. MURRAY PHOTO)

I was reading a story the other day about how it appears that there is a chance that Daniel Briere is ending his NHL career after this season.

It is almost hard to believe that Danny is now 37 years old, as it seems like just yesterday he was a scoring sensation in Springfield where he was the AHL Rookie of the Year. In 1997-98, the first round draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes put up 92 points in just 68 games.

Always tagged with being too small, Danny went on to prove the skeptics wrong as he had a great NHL career and was known for his clutch playoff scoring.

What a lot of people don't know, is that, as good as a hockey player he was, he is even a better person. He may very well be one of the nicest young men ever to wear a Falcons uniform.

During his time in Springfield, Danny went out of his way to be a part of the community. The kids loved him and he was a frequent visitor at many youth hockey practices.

There was one young youth player who idolized him but never had a chance to meet him. When Danny heard about it, without telling anyone, he drove to Greenfield, about a 30-minute drive and sat in the stands to watch the youngster play. After the game he went down to the dressing room to sign autographs and meet all of the players.

Danny never forgot his time in Springfield, where he had a chance to hone his skills. Long after he was an established NHL player, he still remained in touch with many of the people he had met during his time here. One summer, my wife and I had to attend a wedding in Phoenix. We were killing some time in a shopping mall when I heard someone yell out to me. It was Danny, who went out of his way to come over and visit with us and catch up on what everyone was doing back in Springfield.

It is because of players like Danny Briere that make our league very special. We get a chance to watch the super stars of tomorrow play right here in our own backyard. You also get a chance to meet them personally when they are out in our community taking part in a variety of events. The next time you hear about Falcon's players doing a personal appearance stop by and shake their hand. Getting to know them as down to earth good young men will help you enjoy games even more.

Thanks for your support and see you at the Nest.

Bruce Landon is director of hockey operations for the Springfield Falcons. He can be reached by commenting on this blog or sending him an e-mail at blandon@falconsahl.com. For more information visit the team website.