damage that all but ended Martin's career. Martin underwent surgery in Toronto and on March 10, 1981, Scotty Bowman traded Martin and Don Luce to the Kings for a pair of draft picks, one of which the Sabres used to get goalie Tom Barrasso in 1983. Martin played four games for the Los Angeles Kings before hanging up the skates. In 1989 he, along with the other two members of the French Connection, were inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. His number 7 was retired along with Rene Robert's #14 on November 15, 1995, flanking the #11 of Gilbert Perreault under a French Connection banner. On Oct. 25, 2005, Martin was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. In 2010, in commemoration of the Sabres' 40th season, The Buffalo News ranked Martin number 4 out of the top 40 Sabres of all time, while he was voted #5 by fans. After his death in 2011, the Sabres honored his memory by painting the number 7, the number Martin wore for most of his career with Buffalo, behind each goal at the HSBC Arena for the remainder of the 2010-11 season. In 2012, a statue of "The French Connection" was unveiled in front of the Sabres' arena, today known as KeyBank Center. Achievements 1st Team All Star (1973–74) 1st Team All Star (1974–75) 2nd Team All Star (1975–76) 2nd Team All Star (1976–77) 7 Straight NHL All Star Game Appearances (1972–1978) 3rd All Time in Hat Tricks (21) among Left Wingers (Modern Era) 11th All Time in Career Goals Per Game Average in NHL History Gold Championship Canada Cup 1976 (Team Canada) 5 "Top 10" finishes in Goals 2 "Top 10" finishes in Points 5 "Top 10" finishes in Even Strength Goals 3 "Top 10" finishes in Game Winning Goals 5 "Top 10" finishes in Power Play Goals 5 "Top 10" finishes in Goals Per Game Average 2 "Top 10" finishes in Points Per Game Average 6 Team Scoring Records (Buffalo Sabres) #7 Team Jersey Retired (Buffalo Sabres) Buffalo Sabres Hall Of Famer Personal life Rick and his wife were owners of Globalquest Solutions and Globalquest Staffing Solutions in Williamsville, New York. Martin owned a bar/restaurant called Slapshot on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Rick Martin died on March 13, 2011, in Clarence, New York, from a heart attack while driving, a complication of hypertensive