Sabres GM takes on the Powers that Be

[Realgeorge]

Even owners and GMs grow weary of the NWO system


From an NHL website: "Fun Fact: Back in 1974, the Buffalo Sabres drafted a player who did not exist. The ruse was instigated by former Sabres public relations man Paul Weiland and general manager Punch Imlach, who were bored with the tedious process of the draft and looking for a way to liven up the event.

Weiland created fake stats for a player named Taro Tsujimoto of the Tokyo Katanas in the Japanese League. When the time came for Buffalo to make its next-to-last choice (183rd overall), Imlach announced Tsujimoto as the Sabres' pick. With Weiland's fake stats circulating in the room, some believed that Buffalo general manager Punch Imlach and his scouting staff had uncovered a real gem. Major media outlets - including The Hockey News - dutifully reported the pick.

Weeks later, Imlach owned up to his hijinks. He admitted that he found Tsujimoto's name in a Buffalo phone book and that "Katanas" was the Japanese translation for Sabres.

For years, the NHL listed the name of the player in its draft records. It has since replaced the name with "ineligible claim." The Sabres' media guide still lists Tsujimoto as the pick."

 

[C Darwin]

Yutaka Fukufuji
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yutaka Fukufuji is the first Japanese citizen to be drafted as a goaltender (and the third overall) by the National Hockey League. The first, Taro Tsujimoto, was a name "plucked out of the Buffalo telephone book" as a joke in 1974 by Buffalo Sabres GM Punch Imlach[1]. The second, Hiroyuki Miura, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1992, but never played a game.

Fukufuji was born in Kushiro, Hokkaid_, Japan. He played on the Kokudo hockey team of Asia League Ice Hockey in 2001. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2004 entry draft in the 8th round, 238th overall. He made his North American debut on February 7, 2003 with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones. He was voted the ECHL rookie of the month in January of 2003. He played for the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL in 2004-2005 leading the team in wins, GAA, and shutouts. Yutaka signed a 2 year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings in August 2005. After starting the 2005-2006 season with the Reading Royals, the Kings ECHL franchise, Yutaka was the number 2 goalie on the AHL Manchester Monarchs for a time.

On December 15, 2006, Fukufuji was called up on to the Los Angeles Kings on emergency basis. He became the first Japanese-born player to dress for an NHL game, but he did not play.

When goaltender Mathieu Garon was placed on injured reserve with a broken finger, Fukufuji was again recalled and flew in from Cleveland, Ohio to dress as the backup Kings goalie Barry Brust. On January 13, 2007, Fukufuji made his first NHL appearance, the first by a Japanese-born player, when Kings coach Marc Crawford decided to put him in to start the third period of a game against the St. Louis Blues. Fukufuji entered the game with the Kings trailing 5-4. He allowed one goal in the period, and the Kings also scored one goal while he was in net. The final score of the game was 6-5 in favor of St. Louis; as Fukufuji was the goaltender who allowed the decisive sixth St. Louis goal, he was assessed the loss.