Buffalo Sabres
Encyclopedia
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey
team based in Buffalo, New York
. They are members of the Northeast Division
of the Eastern Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
, joined the NHL in the 1970-71 season. Their first owners were Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox, scions of a family long prominent in Western New York
. Buffalo had a history of professional hockey. The Buffalo Bisons
had been one of the pillars of the American Hockey League
(AHL), winning the Calder Cup
in their final season.
Wanting a different name other than "bison" that was common among Buffalo sports teams, the Knoxes immediately commissioned a name-the-team contest. The winning choice, "Sabres", was chosen because Seymour Knox felt a sabre
was a weapon carried by a leader and was swift and strong on offense as well as defense. The Knoxes had tried twice before to get an NHL team, first when the NHL expanded in 1967
, and then unsuccessfully attempting to buy the Oakland Seals with the intent of moving them to Buffalo. At the time of their creation, the Sabres exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team
, the Cincinnati Swords
. Former Toronto Maple Leafs
general manager and head coach Punch Imlach
was hired in the same capacity with the Sabres.
would be junior phenom Gilbert Perreault
. Either the Sabres or the Canucks would get the first pick, to be determined with the spin of a roulette wheel. Perreault was available to the Sabres and Canucks as this was the first year that the Montreal Canadiens
did not have a priority right to draft Quebec
-born junior players.
The Canucks were allocated numbers 1-10 on the wheel, while the Sabres had 11-20. When league president Clarence Campbell
spun the wheel, he initially thought the pointer landed on 1. However, while Campbell was congratulating the Vancouver delegation, Imlach asked Campbell to check again. As it turned out, the pointer was on 11—effectively handing Perrault to the Sabres.
Perreault scored 38 goals in his rookie season of 1970–71, at the time a record for most goals scored by a rookie in the NHL, and was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
as Rookie of the Year. Despite Perreault's star play, the Sabres finished well out of playoff contention.
In the team's second season, 1971–72, rookie Rick Martin
, drafted fifth overall by Buffalo in 1971
, and Rene Robert
, acquired in a late-season trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins
, joined Perreault and would become one of the league's top forward lines in the 1970s. Martin broke Perreault's record at once with 44 rookie
goals. They were nicknamed "The French Connection
" after the movie of the same name
and in homage to their French-Canadian roots. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in 1972–73, just the team's third year in the league, but lost in the quarterfinals in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup
champion Montreal Canadiens
.
for the first time in team history to play against the rough Philadelphia Flyers
(who had been recently nicknamed the "Broad Street Bullies"), a series which included the legendary Fog Game (Game 3 of the series). Due to unusual heat in Buffalo in May 1975 and the lack of air conditioning in the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
, portions of the game were played in heavy fog. Players, officials, and the puck were invisible to many spectators. During a face-off and through the fog, Sabres center Jim Lorentz
spotted a bat
flying across the rink, raised his stick, and killed it. It was the only time that any player killed an animal during an NHL game. The Sabres won that game thanks to Rene Robert's goal in overtime. However, Philadelphia would wind up taking the Cup in six games, winning the series 4 games to 2.
, continued to score prolifically for the Sabres in 1975–76, but the team lost in the quarterfinals to the New York Islanders
. The Sabres had success through the late 1970s behind Gare and the French Connection (Perreault, Martin and Robert), but they were unable to return to the Finals despite a Wales Conference championship
in 1980 and being the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic Team when they toured the United States. The French Connection era came to an end with Robert's trade to the Colorado Rockies in 1979 and Martin's trade to the Los Angeles Kings
in 1981, by which time Martin's career was essentially finished as the result of a devastating knee injury in 1980.
, the NHL realigned its conferences and adopted an intra-divisional playoff format for the first two rounds. It was the beginning of an era in which the Sabres would finish in the middle of the Adams Division standings with regularity, and then face the near-certainty of having to get past either the Boston Bruins
or Canadiens to make it to the conference finals. Aside from first-round victories over Quebec in 1982-83 and Boston in 1992–93, the era saw the Sabres lose to division rivals Boston, the Quebec Nordiques
and Montreal in the Adams Division semifinals (first round) a combined eight times, and miss the playoffs altogether in 1985-86 and 1986-87—only the second and third times out of the playoffs in franchise history. Perrault reached the 500-goal mark in the 1985-86 season and retired after playing 20 games in 1986-87, 17 years after joining the Sabres as their first draft pick.
Pierre Turgeon
was drafted by the Sabres as the 1st overall pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
, and would quickly make an impact with the team once he arrived. During his rookie season in 1987-88, he helped the Sabres reach the playoffs for the first time in three years. He was joined in 1989 by Alexander Mogilny
, who — with the help of Sabres officials — became the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL, and cleared the way for all other Russian players to follow. In the 1989–90 season, the Sabres would improve to finish with 98 points — third-best in the league — but the playoff futility would continue in a first-round loss to Montreal. Turgeon was traded to the New York Islanders in 1991 as part of a blockbuster seven-player trade that brought Pat LaFontaine
to Buffalo.
In 1992–93, Dominik Hasek
joined the team in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks
. In the 1993 playoffs, the Sabres upset the Bruins in a four-game sweep in the Adams Division semifinals, their first playoff series victory in 10 years. The series-winning goal was scored by Brad May
in overtime of Game 4 in Buffalo, made famous by Rick Jeanneret's famous "May Day!" call. However, the Sabres were swept in the division finals by Montreal, losing all four games by a score of 4-3 (the last 3 games in overtime).
in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Despite Hasek winning a 1-0 (4 OT) goaltending duel with the Devils' Martin Brodeur
in Game 6 — the Sabres' longest game ever — Buffalo would lose the series in seven games. Another first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia in the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season was followed by a 5th-place finish in the Northeast Division in 1995-96, as the team missed the playoffs completely for the first time in nine years It was the first season under coach Ted Nolan
and the last for the Sabres at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Nolan brought an exciting brand of hockey to Buffalo. During his coaching tenure, Buffalo was referred to as the "hardest-working team in hockey". This season also featured the debut of "walk-on" veteran player Randy Burridge
. After attending training camp on a try-out basis, Burridge earned a spot on the roster. He scored 25 goals that season and was second in team scoring to Pat LaFontaine. Burridge also earned the Tim Horton
Award for being the unsung hero and was voted team Most Valuable Player
.
The final game in Memorial Auditorium was played on April 14, 1996, a 4-1 victory over the Hartford Whalers
. Sabres principal owner Seymour Knox died a month later, on May 22, 1996.
as the NHL's top coach, Dominik Hasek
winning both the Hart and Vezina Trophies (the first goaltender to do so since Montreal's Jacques Plante in 1962), Michael Peca
taking home the Frank J. Selke Trophy
as the best defensive forward in the NHL, and general manager John Muckler
honored as Executive of the Year.
However, the regular season success was all overshadowed by what had taken place during the playoffs. Tensions between Nolan and Hasek had been high for most of the season, however, after being scored upon in Game 3 of the first round against the Ottawa Senators
, Hasek left the game, forcing backup Steve Shields
to step in. Hasek claimed he felt his knee pop, and the team doctor pronounced him day-to-day. Buffalo News columnist Jim Kelley
wrote a column that night for the next day's newspaper that detailed the day's events, which irked Hasek. After the Senators won Game 5, Hasek came out of the Sabres' training room and physically attacked Kelley, tearing his shirt. Despite the fact that Hasek issued an apology, things went downhill afterwards. Shields starred as the Sabres rallied to win the series against Ottawa. But before the next series against the Philadelphia Flyers
, the NHL announced that Hasek had been suspended for three games — with the Sabres informing the league that Hasek was healthy (Hasek most likely would not have been suspended had he not been cleared to play). Set to return in Game 4 with the Sabres down by three games to none, Hasek told the Sabres' coaching staff he felt a twinge in his knee and left the ice after the pregame skate. Shields turned in another season-saving performance as Buffalo staved off elimination with a win in overtime. Again before Game 5, Hasek declared himself unfit to play and Buffalo lost 6–3 and the series.
Team President Larry Quinn
fired general manager John Muckler
, who had a noted feud with Nolan. Hasek, who supported Muckler, openly told reporters at the NHL Awards Ceremony that he did not respect Nolan, placing new GM Darcy Regier
in a tough position. He offered Nolan just a one-year contract for a reported $500,000. Nolan refused on the grounds that his previous contract was for two years. Regier then pulled the contract off the table and did not offer another one, ending Nolan's tenure as Sabres coach. Nolan was offered several jobs from the Tampa Bay Lightning
and New York Islanders
, which he turned down, and was out of the NHL until June 2006 when he was named coach of the Islanders. Former Sabres captain Lindy Ruff
was hired as head coach on July 21, 1997, agreeing to a three-year deal. The Sabres organization, after having their most successful season in nearly two decades, had fired both the reigning NHL Executive (Muckler) and Coach of the Year (Nolan).
(who led the team in scoring), right-winger Donald Audette
, center Michael Peca, and several role-playing journeymen including Matthew Barnaby
, the Sabres reached the Eastern Conference Finals
that season, but lost to the Washington Capitals
in six games.
In 1998–99, Miroslav Satan scored 40 goals. The Sabres would add centers Stu Barnes
from the Pittsburgh Penguins
and Joe Juneau
from the Capitals
. Michal Grosek
had the best season of his career, and the team finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals
, this time against the Dallas Stars
. In Game 6, Dallas Stars winger Brett Hull
's triple-overtime goal — as Hull's skate was clearly visibly in Hasek's crease — ended the series, and the Stars were awarded the Cup. In 1999, it was illegal to score a goal if an offensive player's skate entered the crease before the puck did. NHL officials, however, maintained that Hull's two shots in the goal mouth constituted a single possession of the puck since the puck deflected off Hasek. The rule was changed for the following season, allowing players to be inside the goaltender's crease as long as they do not interfere with the goalie.
The next year was a disappointing season. The team struggled in the regular season, due to injuries to Hasek as well as other tired and discouraged players. Doug Gilmour
was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks
at the trade deadline and sparked the Sabres to a playoff berth. However, Gilmour was stricken by stomach flu during the post-season and even the return of Hasek could not prevent their first-round playoff series loss to Philadelphia. Like the previous season, there would be another officiating controversy. In Game 2, Flyers left wing John LeClair
put the puck in the net through a hole in the mesh. While replays appeared to show the puck going in through the side of the net, the goal was allowed to stand. The Flyers would win the game 2–1 and go on to win the series 4–1.
Captain Michael Peca sat out 2000–01 due to a contract dispute, and eventually was traded to the Islanders in June 2001 for Tim Connolly
and Taylor Pyatt
. Even so, the Sabres still defeated Philadelphia in six games in the first round of the playoffs (with a resounding 8–0 victory in the series-winning game). In the second round, they faced the underdog Pittsburgh Penguins
led by rejuvenated superstar Mario Lemieux
and captain Jaromir Jagr
, who had won his fifth Art Ross Trophy
that season, losing on a seventh-game overtime goal scored by defenseman Darius Kasparaitis
. After lengthy and failed negotiations with their star goaltender, the Sabres traded Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings
in the summer of 2001, bringing a five-year era of playoff success to a close. Without Hasek and Peca, the Sabres missed the 2002 playoffs.
The first third Jersey
of the Buffalo Sabres was created in 2000. The primary color was Sabre red, with black and gray stripes on the sleeves. It also featured the word "Buffalo" written on a black stripe outlined by gray near the waist. The logo was a black circle with two sabres crossing each other. The third jersey ran from 2000–2006 when the red jersey was retired.
For a while, there were no interested buyers. After the two-year period of uncertainty that left the Sabres franchise in limbo, the team was sold to a consortium led by Rochester, New York
billionaire and former New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano
and by former Sabres president Larry Quinn
, whose bid included no government funding. Golisano was introduced as team owner on March 19, 2003.
could make only minimal moves. However, with the consultations of impending new ownership, the team began their rebuilding process around the March 2003 trade deadline by clearing out veteran players. The first to go was winger Rob Ray
who was sent to Ottawa. The team then sent center and team captain Stu Barnes
to the Dallas Stars
for young winger Michael Ryan and a draft pick.
A third deal sent center Chris Gratton
to the Phoenix Coyotes
with a draft pick for Danny Briere and a draft pick, adding a player who would play a key role in the Sabres' resurgence in later years.
The 2003–04 season saw the team emerge from its financial struggles and, though the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs, the development of prominent young players.
were able to agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in the summer of 2005, thus enabling NHL hockey to return for the 2005–06 season.
On January 19, 2005, the Sabres lost their main cable television broadcaster, as the Empire Sports Network
(which had been on the air since 1991) ceased operations in a cost-cutting move during the Adelphia scandal and reorganization. (Like the Sabres, Empire had been owned by Adelphia prior to the NHL's seizure of the franchise.) Adelphia sold their rights to Sabres telecasts and for the 2005–06 campaign Madison Square Garden Network (MSG), a New York City-based channel which broadcasts New York Rangers
, New York Islanders
and New Jersey Devils
games, took over the rights to broadcast Sabres games to television viewers in western New York
, with the Sabres controlling all aspects of the broadcast. The agreement has since been extended through 2016.
and Carolina Hurricanes
for the most wins in the Eastern Conference. They finished with the fifth-best record in the league, behind Detroit, Ottawa, Dallas and Carolina. The Sabres also finished with 25 road wins, another franchise record.
Buffalo defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the first-round of the 2006 playoffs
in six games. In the second round, the Sabres defeated top-seeded Ottawa in five games. A total of three victories in the series came in overtime, including the series-clinching Game 5, which was won on a short-handed goal by Jason Pominville
Video] to send Buffalo to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes
. It was the first time in NHL history that a series had been decided on a short-handed goal.
Despite being without some or all of their four top defensemen (Teppo Numminen
, Dmitri Kalinin
, and Henrik Tallinder
), and their top powerplay
scorer, Tim Connolly
, who had 11 points in 8 games in the playoffs, for much of the series, the Sabres fought back from a three-games-to-two deficit to force a seventh game by way of a 2–1 OT win in Game 6. Buffalo led the Hurricanes 2–1 going into the final period of the deciding game but blew the lead early in the third and gave up two more late goals for a 4–2 final score. The Sabres were recognized on June 22, 2006 at the NHL Awards Ceremony, when Lindy Ruff
edged Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette
to win the Jack Adams Award
as Coach of the Year in the closest vote in the award's history. Ruff was the second Sabres coach to win the award.
The Sabres started 10–0, not only setting a new franchise record for consecutive wins to start a season, but becoming just the second team in NHL history (after the 1994 Toronto Maple Leafs
) to open a season with a winning streak of ten games. The streak was ended on October 28 in a 5–4 shoot out loss to the Atlanta Thrashers
. On November 5 the Sabres defeated the New York Rangers in New York to set a new NHL record for consecutive road wins to start a season (eight), which was extended to ten games (tying the team record for consecutive road wins) with a 7–4 win over the Stanley Cup Champion Hurricanes on November 13, 2006.
Three Buffalo Sabres were voted by fans to be starters at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas: goalie Ryan Miller, forward Danny Briere, and defenseman Brian Campbell. Briere won the All-Star MVP Award, tallying 1 goal and 4 assists. Lindy Ruff was the head coach for the Eastern Conference, who lost the game 12–9.
On March 30 after a 6–4 defeat of the New York Islanders
, the team reached the 50-win plateau for the second time in franchise history. On April 7 in a 2–0 defeat of the Washington Capitals, the Buffalo Sabres won the Presidents' Trophy
for the first time in franchise history, giving the team the home ice advantage for their entire run in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs
. They also tied the 1974–75 team's franchise record for points in a season.
In the April 9, 2007 issue of ESPN the Magazine
, the Buffalo Sabres ranked first of 122 major professional sports franchises in North America. Buffalo was cited for its player accessibility, low ticket prices, and exciting brand of hockey.
The Sabres defeated the New York Islanders
and the New York Rangers
to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. On May 19, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators
after five games.
) and Chris Drury
(who went to the New York Rangers
) during the free agency period. The Sabres nearly lost Thomas Vanek
to the Edmonton Oilers
who offered him a seven-year, $50 million offer sheet, but the Sabres matched the offer on July 6. After these events, the team changed its policy of not negotiating contracts during the regular season. On October 16, 2007, they signed Jochen Hecht
to a 4 year $14.1 million dollar contract. Long-time Sabres broadcast color commentator Jim Lorentz
announced his retirement during the preseason. Hockey Night in Canada
's Harry Neale
took over the position in October 2007.
The Sabres' January 1 home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins
was played outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium
, home of the National Football League
's Buffalo Bills
. Officially, the game was called the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic
, known to some as the "Ice Bowl", due to it taking place at the same time as college football bowl games. The Sabres lost 2–1 in a shootout. With a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens
on April 3 that eliminated the Sabres out of playoff contention, they became only the third team in NHL
history to go from finishing first overall in the regular season standings to finishing out of the playoffs the following year.
affiliate, beginning in the 2008–09 season
, would be the Portland Pirates
from Portland, Maine
. This ended their 29-year affiliation with the Rochester Americans
. The Sabres signed with the Pirates for two seasons, with a parent club option for a third.
The Sabres entered the 2008 free agency period quietly, but on July 1 they signed goaltender Patrick Lalime
to a two-year contact. Three days later, the Sabres acquired Craig Rivet
from San Jose
in exchange for a second round draft pick in each of the next two drafts.
The Sabres also extended the contracts of three players. On June 30, Paul Gaustad
was given a four-year extension. Gaustad was due to become a restricted free agent after the 2008-2009 season
. On July 18, Ryan Miller signed a five-year extension through the 2013-2014 season. Two months to the day, Jason Pominville
also signed a five-year extension through 2013-14. Miller was slated to become an unrestricted free agent following the upcoming season while Pominville was set to become a restricted free agent.
On October 8, the Sabres named defenseman Craig Rivet
captain of the team. He is the first single full-time captain since Stu Barnes
in 2001-2003. At the trade deadline the Sabres were active. First, they signed Tim Connolly to an extension worth $4.2 million for two years. They also acquired Mikael Tellqvist
from the Phoenix Coyotes
for a fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft
. Then Dominic Moore came from the Toronto Maple Leafs
for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft
. Finally, they received a second-round pick in the 2009 draft from the Edmonton Oilers
in exchange for Ales Kotalik
. On April 9, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated from the playoffs.
General manager Darcy Regier announced on the first day of free agency that the Sabres had agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent defenseman Steve Montador to a two-year contract. The Sabres also signed free agent defenseman Joe DiPenta to a one-year contract on July 11. They also extended contracts with three other players. On July 20 the Buffalo Sabres agreed to terms with Andrej Sekera
on a multi-year deal and signed Clarke MacArthur
to a one-year contract. On August 11 the Sabres signed Mike Grier
to a one-year contract. Grier, already having played two seasons with the Sabres, returned after playing the last three with the San Jose Sharks
. At the beginning of the season the Sabres announced the Buffalo Sabres Road Crew which saw appearances by the Sabres’ coaching staff, GM Darcy Regier
and broadcasting crew for charity. A total of four stops were scheduled throughout the season in Tampa, Florida
, Washington, D.C.
, Raleigh, NC and Atlanta at established Buffalo fan clubs. Many native Western New Yorkers now live in those four cities; Sabres fans have been known to have large contingents in attendance, rivaling those of the home teams, when playing in Raleigh and Tampa. On January 1, the Buffalo Sabres became the first team to win consecutive games when trailing by three or more goals since Dallas did it in 2005–06. Buffalo beat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 in overtime. It was Buffalo's second straight win in a game it trailed 3-0, following a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh. On March 3, the day of the trade deadline, the Sabres made two deals. The first was with the Columbus Blue Jackets
which sent them Nathan Paetsch
and a second-round draft pick in exchange for Raffi Torres
. The Sabres' second and final deal sent Clarke MacArthur to the Atlanta Thrashers
for third and fourth-round draft picks. On March 27, the Sabres clinched their first playoff berth since 2006–07 with a 7–1 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning
. On April 6, the Sabres clinched the Northeast Division title by defeating the New York Rangers
by a score of 5–2. On April 26, the third-seed Sabres were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the sixth-seed Boston Bruins
in six games.
's Buffalo Bisons
, complete with the team's 40th Anniversary insignia (basically the original royal blue version of the current logo with the year "1970" inside). The roster did not have many significant changes; one of the most notable was the team's decision to waive center Tim Kennedy, a Buffalo native, to avoid paying the award he won in arbitration. Kennedy signed with the New York Rangers, but was waived prior to the regular season. Defensemen Henrik Tallinder
and Toni Lydman
were both allowed to leave as free agents, while the team signed veterans Jordan Leopold
and Shaone Morrisonn
to replace them. Additionally, center Rob Niedermayer
was added as a Cup-winning, veteran presence. On November 30, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News
reported a story that billionaire Terrence Pegula
had signed a letter of intent to purchase the Sabres from Golisano for US$150 million. Pegula was the founder, President and CEO of East Resources
, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States before selling the company. After the report was released, Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn claimed that the report was "untrue" but had refused further comment. The $150 million was later determined to be an undervalued amount as Forbes Magazine had valued the team at just under $170 million in 2010. In December, Pegula officially expressed interest in buying the Sabres for $170 million and submitted a letter of intent to the NHL. In January, Golisano reportedly issued a counteroffer with an asking price of US$175 million. An agreement between Pegula and Golisano to sell the team was reached on January 29, 2011 with Pegula buying the team for $189 million ($175 million with $14 million in debt included) with the Sabres and Golisano officially making an announcement in a press conference on February 3, 2011. League owners approved the sale on February 18. In the conference, it was revealed that an unnamed bidder submitted a much higher bid than Pegula's, but made the bid contingent upon moving the team. The description is consistent with that of Jim Balsillie
, who has made public his efforts to move a team to Hamilton, Ontario
, a move that the Sabres have actively opposed. Terry Pegula named former Pittsburgh Penguins
executive Ted Black to be the team President. Pegula was introduced as the Sabres' owner in a public ceremony at HSBC Arena on February 23, accompanied by what would be the final appearance of all three members of The French Connection before Rick Martin
's death three weeks later.
February 28 marked the trade deadline in which the Sabres had limited action. The week before the team had attempted to trade Craig Rivet
but was unsuccessful so he was waived on February 23. He cleared waivers and was assigned to the Sabres’ AHL affiliate. On February 25, Rivet entered re-entry wavers and was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Late on February 27, the team acquired Brad Boyes
from the St. Louis Blues
for a second-round draft pick. This was the Sabres' sole trade of the deadline. After Pegula's official takeover of the team, the Sabres finished the regular season 16–4–4, never losing two consecutive games in that span, and landed the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Pegula's approach was credited by players, fans, and the public with bringing new energy to the team, sparking a run to the playoffs that seemed improbable only months earlier. On April 8, the Sabres clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, beating the Philadelphia Flyers
4–3 in overtime
. The Sabres clinched the 7th seed and faced Philadelphia in the first round. The Sabres had a three games to two lead but lost the series in seven games.
and Germany
. Prior to the first game Lindy Ruff named Jason Pominville
the Sabres 13th full time captain in team history.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses/SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Players
Builders
Broadcasters
Retired numbers 16 Pat LaFontaine
, C, 1991–97, number retired March 3, 2006
18 Danny Gare
, RW, 1974–81, number retired November 22, 2005
SHK III and NRK (team founders Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup R. Knox
. Two banners bearing their initials and the Sabres blue and gold reside in the First Niagara Center's rafters.)
The number 00 was not allowed on any NHL team, since Martin Biron
was the last player to wear that jersey number.
* When the #14 of Robert
and the #7 of Martin
were retired, Gilbert Perreault
was present, as the entire "French Connection" line was given retirement together. Perreault's #11 was lowered and then raised back in the center under the French Connection banner, as shown above.
During the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
, draftees were given jerseys with an apostrophe
before the 11 (i.e. ’11), to distinguish them from the 11 that was retired in honor of Perreault, the only Sabre to ever wear the number in game play. (NHL draft custom states that draftees are given jerseys with the number indicating the year they were drafted.)
1982
1986
1989
1994
1995
1996
1998
2000
2001
2005
2007
2009
2010
2011
2012
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Sabres player
Prince of Wales Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
Jack Adams Award
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester Patrick Trophy
NHL Plus/Minus Award
Vezina Trophy
William M. Jennings Trophy
who was hired in 1997. He was previously an assistant general manager with the New York Islanders
.
, Bill Inglis
, Jim Schoenfeld
, Craig Ramsay
, Rick Dudley
, and current coach Lindy Ruff
.
The current head coach is Lindy Ruff
who was named the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres on July 21, 1997. He was previously an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers
. Ruff is the longest-serving NHL head coach as of 2011.
Past
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. They are members of the Northeast Division
Northeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81
The Sabres, along with the Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, joined the NHL in the 1970-71 season. Their first owners were Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox, scions of a family long prominent in Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
. Buffalo had a history of professional hockey. The Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
had been one of the pillars of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL), winning the Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
in their final season.
Wanting a different name other than "bison" that was common among Buffalo sports teams, the Knoxes immediately commissioned a name-the-team contest. The winning choice, "Sabres", was chosen because Seymour Knox felt a sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
was a weapon carried by a leader and was swift and strong on offense as well as defense. The Knoxes had tried twice before to get an NHL team, first when the NHL expanded in 1967
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
, and then unsuccessfully attempting to buy the Oakland Seals with the intent of moving them to Buffalo. At the time of their creation, the Sabres exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, the Cincinnati Swords
Cincinnati Swords
The Cincinnati Swords are a defunct American Hockey League team, founded in 1971, when the newly created NHL expansion team, Buffalo Sabres, exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team to replace the team they forced out of the AHL, the Buffalo Bisons...
. Former Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
general manager and head coach Punch Imlach
Punch Imlach
George "Punch" Imlach , was an NHL coach and general manager. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early career:...
was hired in the same capacity with the Sabres.
French Connection
The consensus was that first pick in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft1970 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 11, 1970 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft...
would be junior phenom Gilbert Perreault
Gilbert Perreault
Gilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
. Either the Sabres or the Canucks would get the first pick, to be determined with the spin of a roulette wheel. Perreault was available to the Sabres and Canucks as this was the first year that the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
did not have a priority right to draft Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
-born junior players.
The Canucks were allocated numbers 1-10 on the wheel, while the Sabres had 11-20. When league president Clarence Campbell
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell OBE, QC was the third president of the National Hockey League from 1946 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
spun the wheel, he initially thought the pointer landed on 1. However, while Campbell was congratulating the Vancouver delegation, Imlach asked Campbell to check again. As it turned out, the pointer was on 11—effectively handing Perrault to the Sabres.
Perreault scored 38 goals in his rookie season of 1970–71, at the time a record for most goals scored by a rookie in the NHL, and was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as Rookie of the Year. Despite Perreault's star play, the Sabres finished well out of playoff contention.
In the team's second season, 1971–72, rookie Rick Martin
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
, drafted fifth overall by Buffalo in 1971
1971 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
, and Rene Robert
Rene Robert
René Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
, acquired in a late-season trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, joined Perreault and would become one of the league's top forward lines in the 1970s. Martin broke Perreault's record at once with 44 rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
goals. They were nicknamed "The French Connection
The French Connection (hockey)
The French Connection was a line of professional ice hockey forwards who played together for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1979. The line consisted of Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault at centre and All-Stars Rick Martin and Rene Robert at left wing and right wing,...
" after the movie of the same name
The French Connection (film)
This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...
and in homage to their French-Canadian roots. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in 1972–73, just the team's third year in the league, but lost in the quarterfinals in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
.
Fog and the bat: The 1974-75 finals
After a subpar year in 1974 that saw them miss the playoffs, the Sabres finished in a tie for the best record in the NHL in the 1974–75 regular season. Buffalo would advance to the Stanley Cup Finals1975 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since...
for the first time in team history to play against the rough Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
(who had been recently nicknamed the "Broad Street Bullies"), a series which included the legendary Fog Game (Game 3 of the series). Due to unusual heat in Buffalo in May 1975 and the lack of air conditioning in the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was an indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. It hosted the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL, the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, the Buffalo Braves of the NBA, the Buffalo Stallions of MSL, the Buffalo Bandits of MILL, the Buffalo Blizzard of the second NPSL and the Buffalo...
, portions of the game were played in heavy fog. Players, officials, and the puck were invisible to many spectators. During a face-off and through the fog, Sabres center Jim Lorentz
Jim Lorentz
James Peter Lorentz, Jr. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1970. He was the color analyst for the Sabres on the...
spotted a bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
flying across the rink, raised his stick, and killed it. It was the only time that any player killed an animal during an NHL game. The Sabres won that game thanks to Rene Robert's goal in overtime. However, Philadelphia would wind up taking the Cup in six games, winning the series 4 games to 2.
The late 1970s
The French Connection, joined by 50–goal scorer Danny GareDanny Gare
Daniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
, continued to score prolifically for the Sabres in 1975–76, but the team lost in the quarterfinals to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Sabres had success through the late 1970s behind Gare and the French Connection (Perreault, Martin and Robert), but they were unable to return to the Finals despite a Wales Conference championship
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
in 1980 and being the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic Team when they toured the United States. The French Connection era came to an end with Robert's trade to the Colorado Rockies in 1979 and Martin's trade to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1981, by which time Martin's career was essentially finished as the result of a devastating knee injury in 1980.
Adams Division rivalries: 1981-82—1992–93
In 1981-821981-82 NHL season
The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against...
, the NHL realigned its conferences and adopted an intra-divisional playoff format for the first two rounds. It was the beginning of an era in which the Sabres would finish in the middle of the Adams Division standings with regularity, and then face the near-certainty of having to get past either the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
or Canadiens to make it to the conference finals. Aside from first-round victories over Quebec in 1982-83 and Boston in 1992–93, the era saw the Sabres lose to division rivals Boston, the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
and Montreal in the Adams Division semifinals (first round) a combined eight times, and miss the playoffs altogether in 1985-86 and 1986-87—only the second and third times out of the playoffs in franchise history. Perrault reached the 500-goal mark in the 1985-86 season and retired after playing 20 games in 1986-87, 17 years after joining the Sabres as their first draft pick.
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...
was drafted by the Sabres as the 1st overall pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
1987 NHL Entry Draft
The 1987 NHL Entry Draft was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1986–87 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.-Selections...
, and would quickly make an impact with the team once he arrived. During his rookie season in 1987-88, he helped the Sabres reach the playoffs for the first time in three years. He was joined in 1989 by Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
, who — with the help of Sabres officials — became the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL, and cleared the way for all other Russian players to follow. In the 1989–90 season, the Sabres would improve to finish with 98 points — third-best in the league — but the playoff futility would continue in a first-round loss to Montreal. Turgeon was traded to the New York Islanders in 1991 as part of a blockbuster seven-player trade that brought Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
to Buffalo.
In 1992–93, Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
joined the team in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. In the 1993 playoffs, the Sabres upset the Bruins in a four-game sweep in the Adams Division semifinals, their first playoff series victory in 10 years. The series-winning goal was scored by Brad May
Brad May
Brad S. May is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League . He grew up in Stouffville, Ontario, but played his rep minor hockey in Markham, Ontario. A veteran of over 1,000 NHL games, May was known more for his enforcing skills than his scoring...
in overtime of Game 4 in Buffalo, made famous by Rick Jeanneret's famous "May Day!" call. However, the Sabres were swept in the division finals by Montreal, losing all four games by a score of 4-3 (the last 3 games in overtime).
Final years in "The Aud": 1993–94—1995-96
With the NHL adopting a conference playoff format for the 1993–94 season, the Sabres faced the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Despite Hasek winning a 1-0 (4 OT) goaltending duel with the Devils' Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
in Game 6 — the Sabres' longest game ever — Buffalo would lose the series in seven games. Another first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia in the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season was followed by a 5th-place finish in the Northeast Division in 1995-96, as the team missed the playoffs completely for the first time in nine years It was the first season under coach Ted Nolan
Ted Nolan
Theodore John Nolan is currently the Head Coach of Latvia men's national ice hockey team...
and the last for the Sabres at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Nolan brought an exciting brand of hockey to Buffalo. During his coaching tenure, Buffalo was referred to as the "hardest-working team in hockey". This season also featured the debut of "walk-on" veteran player Randy Burridge
Randy Burridge
Randall "Stump" Burridge is a retired professional ice hockey player.He played 706 games played in the National Hockey League, scoring 199 goals and notching 251 assists for a total of 450 points, and accumulating 458 penalty minutes....
. After attending training camp on a try-out basis, Burridge earned a spot on the roster. He scored 25 goals that season and was second in team scoring to Pat LaFontaine. Burridge also earned the Tim Horton
Tim Horton
Myles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
Award for being the unsung hero and was voted team Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
The final game in Memorial Auditorium was played on April 14, 1996, a 4-1 victory over the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
. Sabres principal owner Seymour Knox died a month later, on May 22, 1996.
New arena and off-ice tumult: 1996-97
Nolan and the Sabres rebounded in 1996–97, their first at Marine Midland Arena, by winning their first division title in sixteen years, with Nolan winning the Jack Adams AwardJack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as the NHL's top coach, Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
winning both the Hart and Vezina Trophies (the first goaltender to do so since Montreal's Jacques Plante in 1962), Michael Peca
Michael Peca
Michael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...
taking home the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
as the best defensive forward in the NHL, and general manager John Muckler
John Muckler
John Muckler is a professional hockey coach and executive, most recently serving as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. Muckler has over 50 years of professional hockey experience as a part owner, general manager, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head...
honored as Executive of the Year.
However, the regular season success was all overshadowed by what had taken place during the playoffs. Tensions between Nolan and Hasek had been high for most of the season, however, after being scored upon in Game 3 of the first round against the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Hasek left the game, forcing backup Steve Shields
Steve Shields (hockey player)
Steven Charles Shields is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Shields grew up in North Bay, Ontario playing minor hockey until Bantam with the local Athletics AA program of the NOHA. At age 16, Shields moved to southern Ontario to play for the St. Marys Lincolns...
to step in. Hasek claimed he felt his knee pop, and the team doctor pronounced him day-to-day. Buffalo News columnist Jim Kelley
Jim Kelley
James Thomas "Jim" Kelley, Jr. was a professional sports news columnist whose 30-year career focused primarily on the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, and the greater Buffalo area...
wrote a column that night for the next day's newspaper that detailed the day's events, which irked Hasek. After the Senators won Game 5, Hasek came out of the Sabres' training room and physically attacked Kelley, tearing his shirt. Despite the fact that Hasek issued an apology, things went downhill afterwards. Shields starred as the Sabres rallied to win the series against Ottawa. But before the next series against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the NHL announced that Hasek had been suspended for three games — with the Sabres informing the league that Hasek was healthy (Hasek most likely would not have been suspended had he not been cleared to play). Set to return in Game 4 with the Sabres down by three games to none, Hasek told the Sabres' coaching staff he felt a twinge in his knee and left the ice after the pregame skate. Shields turned in another season-saving performance as Buffalo staved off elimination with a win in overtime. Again before Game 5, Hasek declared himself unfit to play and Buffalo lost 6–3 and the series.
Team President Larry Quinn
Larry Quinn (ice hockey)
Larry Quinn is an American ice hockey executive and businessman, best known for his involvement with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL...
fired general manager John Muckler
John Muckler
John Muckler is a professional hockey coach and executive, most recently serving as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. Muckler has over 50 years of professional hockey experience as a part owner, general manager, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head...
, who had a noted feud with Nolan. Hasek, who supported Muckler, openly told reporters at the NHL Awards Ceremony that he did not respect Nolan, placing new GM Darcy Regier
Darcy Regier
Darcy John Regier is the current general manager of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He also played 26 games in the NHL for the Cleveland Barons and New York Islanders as a defenceman...
in a tough position. He offered Nolan just a one-year contract for a reported $500,000. Nolan refused on the grounds that his previous contract was for two years. Regier then pulled the contract off the table and did not offer another one, ending Nolan's tenure as Sabres coach. Nolan was offered several jobs from the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
and New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, which he turned down, and was out of the NHL until June 2006 when he was named coach of the Islanders. Former Sabres captain Lindy Ruff
Lindy Ruff
Lindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
was hired as head coach on July 21, 1997, agreeing to a three-year deal. The Sabres organization, after having their most successful season in nearly two decades, had fired both the reigning NHL Executive (Muckler) and Coach of the Year (Nolan).
New owners and return to the finals
During the 1997–98 season, the Sabres, which had lost $32 million over the previous three seasons and nearly missed payroll in December 1997, were sold by Northrop Knox to John Rigas, owner of Adelphia Communications. Shortly thereafter, Quinn was dismissed and replaced by John Rigas's son, Timothy Rigas. Behind Hasek, left-winger Miroslav SatanMiroslav Satan
Miroslav Šatan is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga.-Pre-NHL:In 1991–92, he played for the local HC Topolcany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division...
(who led the team in scoring), right-winger Donald Audette
Donald Audette
Donald Audette is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers.-Playing career:He was drafted in the 9th round of the...
, center Michael Peca, and several role-playing journeymen including Matthew Barnaby
Matthew Barnaby
Matthew Barnaby is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey right winger. Barnaby played in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks and the Dallas Stars.-Playing career:He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres...
, the Sabres reached the Eastern Conference Finals
1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1998 following the 1997–98 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
that season, but lost to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
in six games.
In 1998–99, Miroslav Satan scored 40 goals. The Sabres would add centers Stu Barnes
Stu Barnes
Stuart Barnes is an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars....
from the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and Joe Juneau
Joé Juneau
Joé Juneau is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and engineer, born in Pont-Rouge, Quebec. He played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens.-Playing career:Originally drafted...
from the Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
. Michal Grosek
Michal Grosek
Michal Grošek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004....
had the best season of his career, and the team finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals
1999 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1999 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup. The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Dominik Hasek. The...
, this time against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
. In Game 6, Dallas Stars winger Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
's triple-overtime goal — as Hull's skate was clearly visibly in Hasek's crease — ended the series, and the Stars were awarded the Cup. In 1999, it was illegal to score a goal if an offensive player's skate entered the crease before the puck did. NHL officials, however, maintained that Hull's two shots in the goal mouth constituted a single possession of the puck since the puck deflected off Hasek. The rule was changed for the following season, allowing players to be inside the goaltender's crease as long as they do not interfere with the goalie.
The next year was a disappointing season. The team struggled in the regular season, due to injuries to Hasek as well as other tired and discouraged players. Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
at the trade deadline and sparked the Sabres to a playoff berth. However, Gilmour was stricken by stomach flu during the post-season and even the return of Hasek could not prevent their first-round playoff series loss to Philadelphia. Like the previous season, there would be another officiating controversy. In Game 2, Flyers left wing John LeClair
John LeClair
John Clark LeClair is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins...
put the puck in the net through a hole in the mesh. While replays appeared to show the puck going in through the side of the net, the goal was allowed to stand. The Flyers would win the game 2–1 and go on to win the series 4–1.
Captain Michael Peca sat out 2000–01 due to a contract dispute, and eventually was traded to the Islanders in June 2001 for Tim Connolly
Tim Connolly
Tim Connolly is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and Taylor Pyatt
Taylor Pyatt
Taylor William Pyatt is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he played major-junior with the Sudbury Wolves...
. Even so, the Sabres still defeated Philadelphia in six games in the first round of the playoffs (with a resounding 8–0 victory in the series-winning game). In the second round, they faced the underdog Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
led by rejuvenated superstar Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
and captain Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
, who had won his fifth Art Ross Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
that season, losing on a seventh-game overtime goal scored by defenseman Darius Kasparaitis
Darius Kasparaitis
Darius Kasparaitis is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman. Known by the nickname Kaspar, he has dual citizenship in both the United States and Russia, and he has played for the Russian national ice hockey team.- Playing career :Kasparaitis left Lithuania for Russia at age 14 after...
. After lengthy and failed negotiations with their star goaltender, the Sabres traded Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the summer of 2001, bringing a five-year era of playoff success to a close. Without Hasek and Peca, the Sabres missed the 2002 playoffs.
Third jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
of the Buffalo Sabres was created in 2000. The primary color was Sabre red, with black and gray stripes on the sleeves. It also featured the word "Buffalo" written on a black stripe outlined by gray near the waist. The logo was a black circle with two sabres crossing each other. The third jersey ran from 2000–2006 when the red jersey was retired.
Ownership turmoil and league takeover
In May 2002, John Rigas and his sons were indicted for bank, wire, and securities fraud for embezzling more than $2 billion from Adelphia (Rigas eventually was convicted and presently is appealing a sentence of 15 years in prison). The league took control of the team, though the Rigas family remained owners on paper.For a while, there were no interested buyers. After the two-year period of uncertainty that left the Sabres franchise in limbo, the team was sold to a consortium led by Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
billionaire and former New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano
Blase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
and by former Sabres president Larry Quinn
Larry Quinn (ice hockey)
Larry Quinn is an American ice hockey executive and businessman, best known for his involvement with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL...
, whose bid included no government funding. Golisano was introduced as team owner on March 19, 2003.
Building for the future: 2002–03—2003–04
With the 2002–03 season having started under league control, general manager Darcy RegierDarcy Regier
Darcy John Regier is the current general manager of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He also played 26 games in the NHL for the Cleveland Barons and New York Islanders as a defenceman...
could make only minimal moves. However, with the consultations of impending new ownership, the team began their rebuilding process around the March 2003 trade deadline by clearing out veteran players. The first to go was winger Rob Ray
Rob Ray
Robert John Ray, nicknamed Rayzor is a Canadian sports broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism....
who was sent to Ottawa. The team then sent center and team captain Stu Barnes
Stu Barnes
Stuart Barnes is an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars....
to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
for young winger Michael Ryan and a draft pick.
A third deal sent center Chris Gratton
Chris Gratton
Christopher A. Gratton is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who last played with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
to the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
with a draft pick for Danny Briere and a draft pick, adding a player who would play a key role in the Sabres' resurgence in later years.
The 2003–04 season saw the team emerge from its financial struggles and, though the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs, the development of prominent young players.
The lockout: 2004–05
Although the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a labor dispute, the league and the NHL Players AssociationNHL Players Association
The National Hockey League Players' Association or NHLPA is the labor union for the group of professional hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the thirty member clubs in the National Hockey League located in the United States and Canada...
were able to agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in the summer of 2005, thus enabling NHL hockey to return for the 2005–06 season.
On January 19, 2005, the Sabres lost their main cable television broadcaster, as the Empire Sports Network
Empire Sports Network
Empire Sports Network was a regional sports network on cable television which served upstate New York from Buffalo to Albany, parts of northern Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio...
(which had been on the air since 1991) ceased operations in a cost-cutting move during the Adelphia scandal and reorganization. (Like the Sabres, Empire had been owned by Adelphia prior to the NHL's seizure of the franchise.) Adelphia sold their rights to Sabres telecasts and for the 2005–06 campaign Madison Square Garden Network (MSG), a New York City-based channel which broadcasts New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
games, took over the rights to broadcast Sabres games to television viewers in western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
, with the Sabres controlling all aspects of the broadcast. The agreement has since been extended through 2016.
2005–06
In 2005–06, the Sabres took off, going 18-2-2 in one stretch that put them near the top of the standings. They remained there for the rest of the season, finishing with their best record in over twenty years and clinching their first playoff berth since the 2000–01 season. The team finished the regular season with 52 wins, surpassing the 50–win mark for the first time in franchise history. They also finished with 110 points, their first 100–point season in 23 years and tied the 1979–80 club for the second-best point total in franchise history. The Sabres tied the Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
for the most wins in the Eastern Conference. They finished with the fifth-best record in the league, behind Detroit, Ottawa, Dallas and Carolina. The Sabres also finished with 25 road wins, another franchise record.
Buffalo defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the first-round of the 2006 playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
in six games. In the second round, the Sabres defeated top-seeded Ottawa in five games. A total of three victories in the series came in overtime, including the series-clinching Game 5, which was won on a short-handed goal by Jason Pominville
Jason Pominville
Jason John Pominville is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger and the captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
Video] to send Buffalo to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. It was the first time in NHL history that a series had been decided on a short-handed goal.
Despite being without some or all of their four top defensemen (Teppo Numminen
Teppo Numminen
Teppo Kalevi Numminen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres.-Playing career:...
, Dmitri Kalinin
Dmitri Kalinin
Dmitry Vladimirovich Kalinin is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, and Henrik Tallinder
Henrik Tallinder
Henrik Tallinder is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League.- Playing career :...
), and their top powerplay
Powerplay
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
scorer, Tim Connolly
Tim Connolly
Tim Connolly is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, who had 11 points in 8 games in the playoffs, for much of the series, the Sabres fought back from a three-games-to-two deficit to force a seventh game by way of a 2–1 OT win in Game 6. Buffalo led the Hurricanes 2–1 going into the final period of the deciding game but blew the lead early in the third and gave up two more late goals for a 4–2 final score. The Sabres were recognized on June 22, 2006 at the NHL Awards Ceremony, when Lindy Ruff
Lindy Ruff
Lindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
edged Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
to win the Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as Coach of the Year in the closest vote in the award's history. Ruff was the second Sabres coach to win the award.
2006–07
On September 16, 2006 the Sabres unveiled new home and away jerseys featuring midnight blue, maize (gold), silver, and white colors. The new logo, a stylized bison, was widely reviled, with some giving it the name "Sluggalo" or "Buffaslug."The Sabres started 10–0, not only setting a new franchise record for consecutive wins to start a season, but becoming just the second team in NHL history (after the 1994 Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
) to open a season with a winning streak of ten games. The streak was ended on October 28 in a 5–4 shoot out loss to the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. On November 5 the Sabres defeated the New York Rangers in New York to set a new NHL record for consecutive road wins to start a season (eight), which was extended to ten games (tying the team record for consecutive road wins) with a 7–4 win over the Stanley Cup Champion Hurricanes on November 13, 2006.
Three Buffalo Sabres were voted by fans to be starters at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas: goalie Ryan Miller, forward Danny Briere, and defenseman Brian Campbell. Briere won the All-Star MVP Award, tallying 1 goal and 4 assists. Lindy Ruff was the head coach for the Eastern Conference, who lost the game 12–9.
On March 30 after a 6–4 defeat of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the team reached the 50-win plateau for the second time in franchise history. On April 7 in a 2–0 defeat of the Washington Capitals, the Buffalo Sabres won the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
for the first time in franchise history, giving the team the home ice advantage for their entire run in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
. They also tied the 1974–75 team's franchise record for points in a season.
In the April 9, 2007 issue of ESPN the Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, the Buffalo Sabres ranked first of 122 major professional sports franchises in North America. Buffalo was cited for its player accessibility, low ticket prices, and exciting brand of hockey.
The Sabres defeated the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. On May 19, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
after five games.
2007–08
The Sabres lost both of their co-captains, Danny Briere (who went to the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
) and Chris Drury
Chris Drury
Christopher Drury is an American retired professional ice hockey player. Drury is a Hobey Baker Award-winner with Boston University, a Calder Trophy winner with the Colorado Avalanche, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, a two-time Olympic silver medalist with the United States, and a...
(who went to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
) during the free agency period. The Sabres nearly lost Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek is an Austrian professional ice hockey left winger, an alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League...
to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
who offered him a seven-year, $50 million offer sheet, but the Sabres matched the offer on July 6. After these events, the team changed its policy of not negotiating contracts during the regular season. On October 16, 2007, they signed Jochen Hecht
Jochen Hecht
Jochen Hecht is a German professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
to a 4 year $14.1 million dollar contract. Long-time Sabres broadcast color commentator Jim Lorentz
Jim Lorentz
James Peter Lorentz, Jr. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1970. He was the color analyst for the Sabres on the...
announced his retirement during the preseason. Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
's Harry Neale
Harry Neale
Harold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
took over the position in October 2007.
The Sabres' January 1 home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
was played outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
, home of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Officially, the game was called the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic
AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic
The 2008 NHL Winter Classic also known as the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic was a National Hockey League game played on January 1, 2008, at 1:27 p.m. ET, outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. It was the first regular-season outdoor professional ice hockey game to be played in...
, known to some as the "Ice Bowl", due to it taking place at the same time as college football bowl games. The Sabres lost 2–1 in a shootout. With a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on April 3 that eliminated the Sabres out of playoff contention, they became only the third team in NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
history to go from finishing first overall in the regular season standings to finishing out of the playoffs the following year.
2008–09
On June 10, the Sabres officially announced their new American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, beginning in the 2008–09 season
2008–09 AHL season
The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...
, would be the Portland Pirates
Portland Pirates
The Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the...
from Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. This ended their 29-year affiliation with the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
. The Sabres signed with the Pirates for two seasons, with a parent club option for a third.
The Sabres entered the 2008 free agency period quietly, but on July 1 they signed goaltender Patrick Lalime
Patrick Lalime
Patrick Lalime is a Canadian professional ice hockey broadcaster and former player. Lalime played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres...
to a two-year contact. Three days later, the Sabres acquired Craig Rivet
Craig Rivet
Craig A. Rivet is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. He has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League....
from San Jose
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for a second round draft pick in each of the next two drafts.
The Sabres also extended the contracts of three players. On June 30, Paul Gaustad
Paul Gaustad
Paul Michael Gaustad is a professional ice hockey center and an alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
was given a four-year extension. Gaustad was due to become a restricted free agent after the 2008-2009 season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. On July 18, Ryan Miller signed a five-year extension through the 2013-2014 season. Two months to the day, Jason Pominville
Jason Pominville
Jason John Pominville is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger and the captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
also signed a five-year extension through 2013-14. Miller was slated to become an unrestricted free agent following the upcoming season while Pominville was set to become a restricted free agent.
On October 8, the Sabres named defenseman Craig Rivet
Craig Rivet
Craig A. Rivet is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. He has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League....
captain of the team. He is the first single full-time captain since Stu Barnes
Stu Barnes
Stuart Barnes is an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars....
in 2001-2003. At the trade deadline the Sabres were active. First, they signed Tim Connolly to an extension worth $4.2 million for two years. They also acquired Mikael Tellqvist
Mikael Tellqvist
Mikael Tellqvist is a professional Swedish ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Modo Hockey in Elitserien.-Playing career:...
from the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
for a fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
. Then Dominic Moore came from the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
. Finally, they received a second-round pick in the 2009 draft from the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in exchange for Ales Kotalik
Aleš Kotalík
Aleš Kotalík is a professional ice hockey right winger playing for HC Mountfield České Budějovice of the Czech Extraliga.-Playing career:...
. On April 9, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated from the playoffs.
2009–10
Andrej Sekera
Andrej Sekera is a Slovak ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round, 71st overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.-Playing career:...
on a multi-year deal and signed Clarke MacArthur
Clarke MacArthur
Clarke MacArthur is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Sabres in the third round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. MacArthur started his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres, and was later...
to a one-year contract. On August 11 the Sabres signed Mike Grier
Mike Grier
Michael James Grier is a retired professional ice hockey winger who most recently played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, and San Jose Sharks...
to a one-year contract. Grier, already having played two seasons with the Sabres, returned after playing the last three with the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. At the beginning of the season the Sabres announced the Buffalo Sabres Road Crew which saw appearances by the Sabres’ coaching staff, GM Darcy Regier
Darcy Regier
Darcy John Regier is the current general manager of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He also played 26 games in the NHL for the Cleveland Barons and New York Islanders as a defenceman...
and broadcasting crew for charity. A total of four stops were scheduled throughout the season in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Raleigh, NC and Atlanta at established Buffalo fan clubs. Many native Western New Yorkers now live in those four cities; Sabres fans have been known to have large contingents in attendance, rivaling those of the home teams, when playing in Raleigh and Tampa. On January 1, the Buffalo Sabres became the first team to win consecutive games when trailing by three or more goals since Dallas did it in 2005–06. Buffalo beat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 in overtime. It was Buffalo's second straight win in a game it trailed 3-0, following a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh. On March 3, the day of the trade deadline, the Sabres made two deals. The first was with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
which sent them Nathan Paetsch
Nathan Paetsch
Nathan Paetsch is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for EHC Wolfsburg of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .-Playing career:...
and a second-round draft pick in exchange for Raffi Torres
Raffi Torres
Raphael "Raffi" Torres is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the New York Islanders fifth overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He has additionally played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers,...
. The Sabres' second and final deal sent Clarke MacArthur to the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
for third and fourth-round draft picks. On March 27, the Sabres clinched their first playoff berth since 2006–07 with a 7–1 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. On April 6, the Sabres clinched the Northeast Division title by defeating the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
by a score of 5–2. On April 26, the third-seed Sabres were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the sixth-seed Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in six games.
2010–11: A new owner
The Sabres unveiled new jerseys on September 18 that formally readopted the classic 1970-1996 logo, with a third jersey having an alternate throwback arrangement that pays homage to the American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
, complete with the team's 40th Anniversary insignia (basically the original royal blue version of the current logo with the year "1970" inside). The roster did not have many significant changes; one of the most notable was the team's decision to waive center Tim Kennedy, a Buffalo native, to avoid paying the award he won in arbitration. Kennedy signed with the New York Rangers, but was waived prior to the regular season. Defensemen Henrik Tallinder
Henrik Tallinder
Henrik Tallinder is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League.- Playing career :...
and Toni Lydman
Toni Lydman
Toni Lydman is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. He has previously played for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Tappara , and HIFK . He lives with his wife Heta and his two daughters, Amanda and Ellen...
were both allowed to leave as free agents, while the team signed veterans Jordan Leopold
Jordan Leopold
Jordan Leopold is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, currently playing with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and Shaone Morrisonn
Shaone Morrisonn
Shaone Morrisonn is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Rochester Americans of the AHL.- Playing career :Shaone started his hockey career with the Vancouver Thunderbird Minor Hockey Association...
to replace them. Additionally, center Rob Niedermayer
Rob Niedermayer
Robert W. Niedermayer, Jr. is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for HC Lugano of the National League A in Switzerland. He also played for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres...
was added as a Cup-winning, veteran presence. On November 30, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
reported a story that billionaire Terrence Pegula
Terrence Pegula
Terrence M. "Terry" Pegula is an American businessman. Pegula founded East Resources, a natural gas drilling company, before selling the company to Royal Dutch Shell for approximately $4.7 billion....
had signed a letter of intent to purchase the Sabres from Golisano for US$150 million. Pegula was the founder, President and CEO of East Resources
East Resources
East Resources, Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company, was founded in 1983 by Terrence M. Pegula. East Resources sold its assets in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Rockies to an affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell in July 2010....
, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States before selling the company. After the report was released, Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn claimed that the report was "untrue" but had refused further comment. The $150 million was later determined to be an undervalued amount as Forbes Magazine had valued the team at just under $170 million in 2010. In December, Pegula officially expressed interest in buying the Sabres for $170 million and submitted a letter of intent to the NHL. In January, Golisano reportedly issued a counteroffer with an asking price of US$175 million. An agreement between Pegula and Golisano to sell the team was reached on January 29, 2011 with Pegula buying the team for $189 million ($175 million with $14 million in debt included) with the Sabres and Golisano officially making an announcement in a press conference on February 3, 2011. League owners approved the sale on February 18. In the conference, it was revealed that an unnamed bidder submitted a much higher bid than Pegula's, but made the bid contingent upon moving the team. The description is consistent with that of Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
, who has made public his efforts to move a team to Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, a move that the Sabres have actively opposed. Terry Pegula named former Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
executive Ted Black to be the team President. Pegula was introduced as the Sabres' owner in a public ceremony at HSBC Arena on February 23, accompanied by what would be the final appearance of all three members of The French Connection before Rick Martin
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
's death three weeks later.
February 28 marked the trade deadline in which the Sabres had limited action. The week before the team had attempted to trade Craig Rivet
Craig Rivet
Craig A. Rivet is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. He has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League....
but was unsuccessful so he was waived on February 23. He cleared waivers and was assigned to the Sabres’ AHL affiliate. On February 25, Rivet entered re-entry wavers and was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Late on February 27, the team acquired Brad Boyes
Brad Boyes
Bradley Keith Boyes is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ....
from the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
for a second-round draft pick. This was the Sabres' sole trade of the deadline. After Pegula's official takeover of the team, the Sabres finished the regular season 16–4–4, never losing two consecutive games in that span, and landed the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Pegula's approach was credited by players, fans, and the public with bringing new energy to the team, sparking a run to the playoffs that seemed improbable only months earlier. On April 8, the Sabres clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, beating the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
4–3 in overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
. The Sabres clinched the 7th seed and faced Philadelphia in the first round. The Sabres had a three games to two lead but lost the series in seven games.
2011-12
The Sabres began the Season in part of the NHL Premiere series for the First time, receiving particularly positive reception for their two games in FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Prior to the first game Lindy Ruff named Jason Pominville
Jason Pominville
Jason John Pominville is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger and the captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
the Sabres 13th full time captain in team history.
Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Sabres. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Buffalo Sabres seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses/SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | 308 | 242 | 1st, Northeast | Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Senators Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 39 | 31 | 12 | 90 | 255 | 242 | 4th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 41 | 32 | 9 | 91 | 250 | 234 | 3rd, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | 235 | 207 | 1st, Northeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... ) |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 43 | 29 | 10 | 96 | 245 | 229 | 3rd, Northeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
Honored members
Members of the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Players
- Dick DuffDick DuffTerrence Richard "Dick" Duff was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 18 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League . He also served as head coach of the Leafs for part of the...
, C, 1970–72, inducted 2006 - Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
, G, 1993–95, inducted 2003 - Clark GilliesClark GilliesClark "Jethro" Gillies is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He provided both physical presence and offensive punch for the NHL's New York Islanders during their four-year run as Stanley Cup champions. In a career that spanned 958 games, Gillies...
, C, 1986–88, inducted 2002 - Tim HortonTim HortonMyles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
, D, 1972–74, inducted 1977 - Gilbert PerreaultGilbert PerreaultGilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
, C, 1970–87, inducted 1990 - Dale HawerchukDale HawerchukDale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...
, C, 1990–95, inducted 2001 - Pat LaFontainePat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
, C, 1991–97, inducted 2003 - Doug GilmourDoug GilmourDouglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
, C, 2000-01, inducted 2011
Builders
- George "Punch" Imlach, head coach/GM, 1970–78, inducted 1984
- Scotty BowmanScotty BowmanWilliam Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
, head coach/GM, 1980–87, inducted 1991 - Seymour H. Knox III, owner (team co-founder), 1970–96, inducted 1993
- Roger NeilsonRoger NeilsonRoger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
, assistant/head coach, 1979–81, inducted 2002
Broadcasters
- Ted DarlingTed DarlingEdgar Lee "Ted" Darling , was the original "Voice of the Buffalo Sabres" ice hockey team for twenty-two seasons, calling the team's games on television from the team's inaugural season in 1970 to 1991...
, 1970–92, inducted 1994
Retired numbers
- 2 Tim HortonTim HortonMyles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
, D, 1972–74, number retired January 15, 1996 - The French Connection:
Rick MartinRichard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
, LW, 1971–81, number retired November 15, 1995* - 11 Gilbert PerreaultGilbert PerreaultGilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
, C, 1970–87, number retired October 17, 1990* - 14 Rene RobertRene RobertRené Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
, RW, 1972–79, number retired November 15, 1995*
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
, C, 1991–97, number retired March 3, 2006
Danny Gare
Daniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
, RW, 1974–81, number retired November 22, 2005
Northrup R. Knox
Northrup Rand Knox , was a Buffalo banker, sportsman, and community leader who, along with his brother Seymour, brought the National Hockey League franchise the Buffalo Sabres to Buffalo, New York. Knox is the third generation of the Knox family to serve as chairman of Marine Midland Bank and its...
. Two banners bearing their initials and the Sabres blue and gold reside in the First Niagara Center's rafters.)
The number 00 was not allowed on any NHL team, since Martin Biron
Martin Biron
Martin Gaston Biron is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders...
was the last player to wear that jersey number.
Rene Robert
René Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
and the #7 of Martin
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
were retired, Gilbert Perreault
Gilbert Perreault
Gilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
was present, as the entire "French Connection" line was given retirement together. Perreault's #11 was lowered and then raised back in the center under the French Connection banner, as shown above.
During the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
2011 NHL Entry Draft
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted...
, draftees were given jerseys with an apostrophe
Apostrophe
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritic mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet or certain other alphabets...
before the 11 (i.e. ’11), to distinguish them from the 11 that was retired in honor of Perreault, the only Sabre to ever wear the number in game play. (NHL draft custom states that draftees are given jerseys with the number indicating the year they were drafted.)
Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame
1980- Frank ChristieFrank ChristieFrank Christie was a Scottish football player and manager. Christie played for Liverpool and East Fife and later managed the latter club...
- Roger CrozierRoger CrozierRoger Allan Crozier was a Canadian professional hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals....
- George "Punch" Imlach
1982
- Tim HortonTim HortonMyles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
- Fred T. Hunt
1986
- David FormanDavid FormanDavid Forman is an internet entrepreneur. who has played several suit roles in Jim Henson's Creature Shop, notably as the character of Leonardo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film...
- Don LuceDon LuceDonald Harold Luce is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres from 1969 to 1982...
- Craig RamsayCraig RamsayCraig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
1989
- Richard MartinRichard MartinRichard Martin may refer to:*Saint Richard Martin*Richard Martin , , Master of the Mint 1582-1617*Richard Martin , , lawyer of the Virginia Company...
- Gilbert PerreaultGilbert PerreaultGilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
- Rene RobertRene RobertRené Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
1994
- Danny GareDanny GareDaniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
1995
- Jim SchoenfeldJim SchoenfeldJames Grant Schoenfeld is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is currently the assistant general manager with the New York Rangers, as well as an interim assistant coach...
- Robert O. Swados
1996
- Ted DarlingTed DarlingEdgar Lee "Ted" Darling , was the original "Voice of the Buffalo Sabres" ice hockey team for twenty-two seasons, calling the team's games on television from the team's inaugural season in 1970 to 1991...
- Seymour H. Knox III
- Northrup R. KnoxNorthrup R. KnoxNorthrup Rand Knox , was a Buffalo banker, sportsman, and community leader who, along with his brother Seymour, brought the National Hockey League franchise the Buffalo Sabres to Buffalo, New York. Knox is the third generation of the Knox family to serve as chairman of Marine Midland Bank and its...
1998
- Jack Gatecliff
- Larry PlayfairLarry PlayfairLarry William Playfair is a retired former professional ice hockey player with a reputation as a hard-working, pugnacious defender...
2000
- Don EdwardsDon EdwardsWilliam Donlon Edwards is an American politician of the Democratic Party, formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives from California.-Biography:...
- Bill HajtBill HajtWilliam Albert Hajt is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL from 1973 until 1987...
- Wayne Redshaw
- Robert "Rip" Simonick
2001
- Jerry KorabJerry KorabJerry Joseph Korab is a retired Canadian professional hockey player. A defenseman, he played in the National Hockey League from 1971 to 1985....
- Mike Racicot
- Mike Ramsey
2005
- Mike FolignoMike FolignoMichael Anthony Foligno is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for fifteen seasons from 1979–80 until 1993–94...
- Dick JohnstonDick JohnstonRichard Frederick Johnston was a 19th century center fielder in Major League Baseball. He played eight seasons in the majors, for five different teams in three different leagues.-Sources:...
- Pat LaFontainePat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
- Rudy MigayRudy MigayRudolph Joseph Migay is a retired a Canadian ice hockey forward.Migay began his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1949...
- Robert E. Rich, Jr.Robert E. Rich, Jr.Robert E. Rich, Jr. is Chairman of Rich Products Corporation, the largest family-owned frozen foods manufacturer in the United States and based in Buffalo, New York. With a net worth of $1.8 Billion he is #397 on Forbes' 2009 list of billionaires. His father Robert E. Rich, Sr...
- George Strawbridge
2007
- Phil HousleyPhil HousleyPhillip Francis Housley is a former American ice hockey player who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and Toronto Maple Leafs...
2009
- Dave AndreychukDave AndreychukDavid John Andreychuk is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning...
- Milt Ellis
2010
- Joe CrozierJoe CrozierJoseph Richard Crozier is a former professional ice hockey defenceman and head coach who played and coached primarily in the minor leagues....
- Jim LorentzJim LorentzJames Peter Lorentz, Jr. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1970. He was the color analyst for the Sabres on the...
2011
- Alexander MogilnyAlexander MogilnyAlexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
- Jim KelleyJim KelleyJames Thomas "Jim" Kelley, Jr. was a professional sports news columnist whose 30-year career focused primarily on the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, and the greater Buffalo area...
2012
- Dale HawerchukDale HawerchukDale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...
- Rick JeanneretRick JeanneretRichard "Rick" Jeanneret is the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network. Having started with the team on radio during the 1971–72 season, he is the longest-tenured announcer in the NHL...
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Sabres player
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NHL awards and trophies
Presidents' TrophyPresidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
- 2006–07
Prince of Wales Trophy
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
- 1974–75, 1979–801979-80 NHL seasonThe 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers , and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total...
, 1998–99
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
- Don LuceDon LuceDonald Harold Luce is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres from 1969 to 1982...
: 1974–75 - Pat LaFontainePat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
: 1994–95
Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
- Gilbert PerreaultGilbert PerreaultGilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
: 1970–71 - Tom BarrassoTom BarrassoThomas Patrick Barrasso is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
: 1983–84 - Tyler MyersTyler MyersTyler Myers is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Sabres in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At the end of the 2009–10 NHL season, Myers won the...
: 2009–102009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
- Craig RamsayCraig RamsayCraig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
: 1984–85 - Michael PecaMichael PecaMichael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...
: 1996–97
Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
- Dominik HasekDominik HašekDominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
: 1996–97, 1997–98
Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
- Ted NolanTed NolanTheodore John Nolan is currently the Head Coach of Latvia men's national ice hockey team...
: 1996–97 - Lindy RuffLindy RuffLindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
: 2005–06
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Since the award was established in 1988, no player has won it more than...
- Rob RayRob RayRobert John Ray, nicknamed Rayzor is a Canadian sports broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism....
: 1998–99
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"...
- Gilbert PerreaultGilbert PerreaultGilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
: 1972–73
Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
- Dominik HasekDominik HašekDominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
: 1996–97, 1997–98
Lester Patrick Trophy
Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL...
- Pat LaFontainePat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
: 1996–97 - Scotty BowmanScotty BowmanWilliam Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
: 2000–01
NHL Plus/Minus Award
NHL Plus/Minus Award
The NHL Plus-Minus Award is a trophy awarded annually by the National Hockey League to the ice hockey "player, having played a minimum of 60 games who leads the league in plus/minus statistics." It is sponsored by a commercial business, and it has been known under five different names...
- Thomas VanekThomas VanekThomas Vanek is an Austrian professional ice hockey left winger, an alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League...
: 2006–07
Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
- Don Edwards & Bob SauveBob SauveRobert F. Sauvé is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, and currently a player agent.-Playing career:...
: 1979–80 - Tom BarrassoTom BarrassoThomas Patrick Barrasso is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
: 1983–84 - Dominik HasekDominik HašekDominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01 - Ryan Miller: 2009–102009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
William M. Jennings Trophy
William M. Jennings Trophy
The William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
- Tom BarrassoTom BarrassoThomas Patrick Barrasso is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
& Bob SauveBob SauveRobert F. Sauvé is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, and currently a player agent.-Playing career:...
: 1984–85 - Dominik HasekDominik HašekDominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
& Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
: 1993–94 - Dominik HasekDominik HašekDominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
: 2000–01
Team captains
- Floyd SmithFloyd SmithRonald Floyd Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres and who coached for 4 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres...
, 1970–71 - Gerry MeehanGerry MeehanGerard Marcus Meehan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and the former general manager and Senior Vice President of the Buffalo Sabres.-Playing career:...
, 1971–74 - Jim SchoenfeldJim SchoenfeldJames Grant Schoenfeld is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is currently the assistant general manager with the New York Rangers, as well as an interim assistant coach...
, 1974–77 - Danny GareDanny GareDaniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
, 1977–81 - Gilbert PerreaultGilbert PerreaultGilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
, 1981–86 - Lindy RuffLindy RuffLindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
, 1986–89 - Mike FolignoMike FolignoMichael Anthony Foligno is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for fifteen seasons from 1979–80 until 1993–94...
, 1989–90 - No captain, 1990–91
- Mike Ramsey, 1991–92
- Pat LaFontainePat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
, 1992–97- Alexander MogilnyAlexander MogilnyAlexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
, 1993–94
(while LaFontaine was injured)
- Alexander Mogilny
- Michael PecaMichael PecaMichael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...
, 1997–2000 - No captain, 2000–01
- Stu BarnesStu BarnesStuart Barnes is an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars....
, 2001–03
- Rotating captains, 2003–04
- Miroslav SatanMiroslav SatanMiroslav Šatan is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga.-Pre-NHL:In 1991–92, he played for the local HC Topolcany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division...
, October 2003 - Chris DruryChris DruryChristopher Drury is an American retired professional ice hockey player. Drury is a Hobey Baker Award-winner with Boston University, a Calder Trophy winner with the Colorado Avalanche, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, a two-time Olympic silver medalist with the United States, and a...
, November 2003 - James Patrick, December 2003
- Jean-Pierre DumontJean-Pierre DumontJean-Pierre "J. P." Dumont is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He currently plays for SC Bern in the National League A.-Amateur career:Dumont played four seasons for Val-d'Or Foreurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
, January 2004 - Daniel BriereDaniel BrièreDaniel "Danny" Brière is a French Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . He has previously played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres...
, February 2004 - Chris DruryChris DruryChristopher Drury is an American retired professional ice hockey player. Drury is a Hobey Baker Award-winner with Boston University, a Calder Trophy winner with the Colorado Avalanche, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, a two-time Olympic silver medalist with the United States, and a...
, March & April 2004
- Miroslav Satan
- No captain, 2004–05 (Lockout)
- Daniel BriereDaniel BrièreDaniel "Danny" Brière is a French Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . He has previously played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres...
& Chris DruryChris DruryChristopher Drury is an American retired professional ice hockey player. Drury is a Hobey Baker Award-winner with Boston University, a Calder Trophy winner with the Colorado Avalanche, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, a two-time Olympic silver medalist with the United States, and a...
, 2005–07
(co-captains)
- Rotating captains, 2007–08
- Jochen HechtJochen HechtJochen Hecht is a German professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, October 2007 - Toni LydmanToni LydmanToni Lydman is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. He has previously played for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Tappara , and HIFK . He lives with his wife Heta and his two daughters, Amanda and Ellen...
, November 2007 - Brian CampbellBrian CampbellBrian Wesley Campbell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
, December 2007 - Jaroslav SpacekJaroslav SpacekJaroslav Spacek is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, January 2008 - Jochen HechtJochen HechtJochen Hecht is a German professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, February 2008 - Jason PominvilleJason PominvilleJason John Pominville is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger and the captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, March & April 2008
- Jochen Hecht
- Craig RivetCraig RivetCraig A. Rivet is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. He has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League....
, 2008–11 - Jason PominvilleJason PominvilleJason John Pominville is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger and the captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, 2011- present
General managers
The current General Manager is Darcy RegierDarcy Regier
Darcy John Regier is the current general manager of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He also played 26 games in the NHL for the Cleveland Barons and New York Islanders as a defenceman...
who was hired in 1997. He was previously an assistant general manager with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Head coaches
Of the fourteen head coaches the Sabres have used in their history, six of them had previously played for the Sabres during their playing career: Floyd SmithFloyd Smith
Ronald Floyd Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres and who coached for 4 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres...
, Bill Inglis
Bill Inglis
William John "Billy" Inglis is a former professional ice hockey centre. He played 36 games in the National Hockey League: 22 with the Los Angeles Kings and 14 with the Buffalo Sabres...
, Jim Schoenfeld
Jim Schoenfeld
James Grant Schoenfeld is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is currently the assistant general manager with the New York Rangers, as well as an interim assistant coach...
, Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
, Rick Dudley
Rick Dudley
Richard Clarence Dudley is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Dudley was previously the general manager of several hockey teams. Dudley played in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League. Dudley has also served as a head coach in the National...
, and current coach Lindy Ruff
Lindy Ruff
Lindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
.
The current head coach is Lindy Ruff
Lindy Ruff
Lindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
who was named the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres on July 21, 1997. He was previously an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
. Ruff is the longest-serving NHL head coach as of 2011.
Broadcasters
Current- Rick JeanneretRick JeanneretRichard "Rick" Jeanneret is the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network. Having started with the team on radio during the 1971–72 season, he is the longest-tenured announcer in the NHL...
TV and radio play-by-play (home games) - Harry NealeHarry NealeHarold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
TV and radio color commentator (home games) - Rob RayRob RayRobert John Ray, nicknamed Rayzor is a Canadian sports broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism....
Studio analyst/bench reporter - Kevin SylvesterKevin Sylvester (broadcaster)Kevin Sylvester is the alternate television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network...
Studio host/substitute play-by-play (away games) - Mike RobitailleMike RobitailleMichael James David Robitaille is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks...
Studio analyst - Danny GareDanny GareDaniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
Fill-in Studio analyst/ play-by-play (away games)
Past
- Ted DarlingTed DarlingEdgar Lee "Ted" Darling , was the original "Voice of the Buffalo Sabres" ice hockey team for twenty-two seasons, calling the team's games on television from the team's inaugural season in 1970 to 1991...
TV play-by-play (1970–1991) - Dave HodgeDave HodgeDave Hodge is a Canadian sports announcer who currently works for TSN, and has worked in the past for the CBC and CFRB 1010 radio in Toronto.-Broadcasting career:...
Radio play-by-play (1970–1971) - Jim LorentzJim LorentzJames Peter Lorentz, Jr. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1970. He was the color analyst for the Sabres on the...
Color commentator (1981–2007) - Danny Gare Bench reporter (?–2004)
- Brian Blessing Studio analyst (1995–2004)
- John GurtlerJohn GurtlerJohn Gurtler II is an American sportscaster from Orchard Park, New York. He is most notable for having succeeded Ted Darling as television play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Sabres, a position he held from 1992 until 1995...
TV play-by-play (1991–1995) - Pete WeberPete Weber (broadcaster)Pete Weber is the play-by-play voice of the NHL's Nashville Predators, a position he has held with the organization since the team's first season ....
Radio play-by-play (1994–1996)
See also
- Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey TeamBuffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey TeamThe Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team is an independent barnstorming hockey team located in Buffalo, New York. Its roster consists entirely of retired National Hockey League players, mostly former members of the Buffalo Sabres...
, a team composed of former Sabres - List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons