Friends, Colleagues Look Back on Helper's Career with Preds, NHL

Photos of Gerry Helper aren't particularly easy to come by.
He wasn't in the spotlight much, instead taking his spot over the shoulder of the player, the coach, the general manager or the executive during his 40 years in hockey, almost 25 of those spent in Nashville with the Predators.
But what is lacking in physical evidence of Helper on the job is more than made up for with words and memories from those all across the game. The hockey world, although seemingly large - now with 32 teams in the NHL - still has that small-town feel, and countless individuals have interacted with Helper over the past four decades.

As the Predators celebrate their now-former senior vice president of communications and senior advisor, it's apropos to hear from some of those who know Helper best.
Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner: "Gerry Helper isn't just a 'hockey guy,' though he most certainly and thoroughly is that. He embodies the best of our great game. Gerry's obsession with the accuracy of game notes, to his drive to connect his teams to their communities taught all of us that no detail was too small to matter and no goal too big for the NHL to pursue. His genuine and relentless positivity was infectious."
Frank Brown, former NHL Communications Executive: "Gerry's career-long devotion to the best interests of our game and our League is surpassed only by his love for family and his ability to see the biggest possible picture when it comes to simply being warm and kind and human to friends near and far. Gerry knows that actions speak louder, and his actions always have reflected his humanity."
Mike "Doc" Emrick, former NHL Play-by-Play Broadcaster: "Gerry was a guy who had a smile, a great handshake and was there from an era when he was to help you. And even though he moved through eras of telecopiers, and then fax machines, and then voicemail, and then all of the modern conveniences… unlike some others who followed, he never changed."
Paul Wieland, former Buffalo Sabres Public Relations Director: "Gerry and I share the same alma mater - St. Bonaventure - and it is largely due to our shared experiences in the university's journalism program that encouraged me to sign him on as an intern with the Sabres. Despite daunting transportation issues, he never missed a game, and soon became a valued member of our PR team. When he was soon to graduate, I knew he was the guy I needed to make our PR staff much better. I had no budget for an additional staff person, but Gerry was too good to pass on. So, I convinced the owning Knox brothers to let me get a mid-year budget increase to offer him a job. Thank God, he took it. Gerry was the best hire we ever made."
Ralph Schulz, Predators Foundation Board Member: "Gerry is a part of the foundation that has catapulted Nashville forward. As the Predators entered Nashville, he led an effort with Jack Diller to establish the team as a community asset instead of just an entertainment opportunity. He led an effort to establish a new standard for professional sports to localize that asset. As we have seen, many others have followed that example."
Pete Weber, Voice of the Predators: "I wish I could remember the specific date when I met Gerry, because that turned out to be such a significant time for my life and career. Gerry was a tremendous help to me doing the Sabres games on Cable TV with Mike Robitaille. Little did I know back in 1984-85 that he would put me together with Terry Crisp here in Nashville to do the Predators broadcasts. Without question, Terry and I had a good long and enjoyable run as the broadcasters for the Predators. And how did that happen? Because Gerry had the intuition that the two of us would click - and click we did."
Terry Crisp, Predators Broadcaster: "Gerry is the main reason that [my wife] Sheila and I are a part of the Predator Family. He is the person who put Pete Weber and I together as partners doing Preds broadcasts, and for that we are forever grateful. His loyalty, dedication and work ethic for every team he has been involved with will always be his trademark."
Kevin Weekes, NHL Network Broadcaster: "Gerry was one of the people I looked forward to seeing going into any building at any time, whether it was early in my career with Hockey Night in Canada or the NHL Network or since between NHL Network and ESPN. Gerry was always very easy to speak with, pleasant to deal with and interact with. He always protected his players, always protected the coaches and staff, but knew that he was also able to help orchestrate the relationship between press, media, players, staff and the club."
Sean Henry, Predators President and CEO: "He launched two franchises that both focused on a fun environment that engaged with the community heavily to help seed and grow the franchises in Tampa and Nashville. Both are now known for their success on so many fronts because of Gerry's early and consistent nurturing. He literally took the franchises from a piece of paper and turned them into what they are today. He wrote the playbook on how to launch successful franchises and careers."
David Poile, Predators General Manager: "We are very fortunate to have had Gerry work for our organization since Day One. He was the perfect person to help us start a franchise, having already successfully done so in Tampa Bay, and his wealth of knowledge and history of hockey gave us an advantage right from the beginning. Gerry always put the Predators first, and while we will miss his knowledge and experience, we wish him and his family all the best in retirement."