RocJocks: Rory Fitzpatrick was fan-favorite
An Irondequoit native, Rory Fitzpatrick played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League and five seasons with the Rochester Americans. Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadians in 1993, Fitzpatrick was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in the blockbuster Pierre Turgeon trade in 1996.
Although he would play for six different NHL teams, the defenseman saw most of his playing time with the Buffalo Sabres, notching 9 goals in 157 games from 2002 to 2006.
He also played for the Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, and Philadelphia Flyers.
Fitzpatrick was a fan-favorite wherever he went. Fans launched a write-in campaign in 2007 to get him into the NHL All-Star game. The effort fell just short, despite garnering more than 500,000 votes.
At age 33, Fitzpatrick signed a two-year contract to finish his career with the Rochester Americans. He served as team captain during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.
Each week, we recognize a great sports figure from the Rochester area. See the complete list and read more about each figure and their accomplishments online, at RocDocs.com/RocJocks.
Many readers wrote in to nominate Fitzpatrick, including Jenn Doran and Chris Blaine.
Whose name should we add next? Send an email to slahman@gannett.com with your suggestions, or share your ideas on our Facebook page.
SLAHMAN@Gannett.com