Titanic has moment to remember

by Dave Ricci, Sports Reporter

Adam Titanic wore an ear-to-ear smile. There was no doubt in his mind this was a night that he’ll never forget.

Titanic, a Sweet Home High School junior, had the thrill of a lifetime when he and his Panther teammates faced rival Amherst Tigers in the Buffalo Sabres High School Hockey Shootout that took place during the second intermission of the Sabres-Washington Capitals game on Dec. 9.

Viewing the game from the press box is HSBC Arena, the players also got to sit in on head coach Lindy Ruff’s post game press conference.

“At first, in the locker room I had butterflies I was very nervous,” Titanic said with a smile after he score a goal during his turn. “I just got out there felt calm and relaxed and did what I had to do.”

If the combination of the sir name “Titanic” and the Buffalo Sabres rings familiar it should. Adam is the son of Morris Titanic who was the Sabres first round pick of the 1973 NHL draft.

“It’s actually been very good,” Adam said. “He’s been my coach for travel since I was a little boy. I just realize that I’ve got big shoes to fill if I want to go anywhere. He came to the game tonight and I got a text after the shot and he said ‘great goal’ it was really encouraging and I was really happy to get that.”

When asked if Morris, who currently serves as business manager for Rainbow Transportation makes a point of telling Adam, and his younger sister Heather who plays varsity basketball for Sweet Home, to not worry about living up to his name and just carve their own path in athletics. Adam said sports are a distant second place to what their dad puts the most emphasis on.

“His main thing is academics,” Adam explained. “You’ve got to do very good school to go somewhere then comes sports. He’s really confident with me and my sister he thinks we both have potential to do very well.”

Growing up the son of a former pro athlete has its pluses as Adam can relay experiences about meeting Sabre legends like the French Connection, Danny Gare and Lindy Ruff.

But while those stories would obviously spark the interest of any local hockey junkie the more you talk to Adam Titanic what stands out is a polite, personable young man. He doesn’t walk around with a sense of entitlement that somehow his father’s accomplishments mean he’s owed something. He’s just a modest, hard working kid.

“He’s just a real nice kid,” said Panthers coach Dave Gerspasch. “Someone that you would want as your son. Nice to other people has lots of friends a very hard worker and very, very humble.”

A three-year varsity player and assistant captain the Titanic’s can be proud that they raised a good hockey player. But they can be even prouder that they’ve raised a good son.