Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team
Encyclopedia
The Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team is an independent barnstorming
hockey (and occasionally basketball) team located in Buffalo, New York
. Its roster consists entirely of retired National Hockey League
players, mostly former members of the Buffalo Sabres
. The team is operated by the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association.
The team plays teams assembled by various local organizations around Western New York
primarily as charity fundraisers. Its uniform is identical to the classic "blue and gold" Sabres home (white) uniform from 1970 to 1996.
The team considers First Niagara Center to be its home arena but rarely plays there.
One of its more recent and most notable games took place on March 29, 2007, when the team played a home game against the Buffalo Police Department as a fundraiser for police officer Patty Parete, who suffered spinal injury from a gunshot wound. The game drew over 7,000 fans as the Sabres Alumni won, 9–3. http://www.buffalonews.com/102/story/43048.html
The Alumni Team played at HSBC Arena as part of the pre-game events for the 2008 NHL Winter Classic held at Ralph Wilson Stadium
on January 1, 2008.
The Sabres Alumni are also the owners of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres
junior hockey team.
Several other players have been known to play on the Sabres Alumni team, depending on the importance of the event. Such players, whose participation varies widely, include:
Notable non-Sabres to have played for the team include:
The Buffalo Sabres Alumni are committed to helping in the community. For the past three years the Alumni have been playing basketball against faculty in local high schools to help raise money for programs. Look for Alumni events on their web site.
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
hockey (and occasionally basketball) team located 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...
. Its roster consists entirely of retired 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...
players, mostly former members of the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
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 .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. The team is operated by the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association.
The team plays teams assembled by various local organizations around 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...
primarily as charity fundraisers. Its uniform is identical to the classic "blue and gold" Sabres home (white) uniform from 1970 to 1996.
The team considers First Niagara Center to be its home arena but rarely plays there.
One of its more recent and most notable games took place on March 29, 2007, when the team played a home game against the Buffalo Police Department as a fundraiser for police officer Patty Parete, who suffered spinal injury from a gunshot wound. The game drew over 7,000 fans as the Sabres Alumni won, 9–3. http://www.buffalonews.com/102/story/43048.html
The Alumni Team played at HSBC Arena as part of the pre-game events for the 2008 NHL Winter Classic held 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...
on January 1, 2008.
The Sabres Alumni are also the owners of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Amherst, New York. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.-History:...
junior hockey team.
Roster
- 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....
- Grant LedyardGrant LedyardGrant Stuart Ledyard is a former National Hockey League defenceman. He was never drafted in the NHL Entry Draft.Ledyard made his NHL debut in the 1984–85 season with the New York Rangers. A journeyman, he played with nine NHL teams during his career. He spent the most time with the Buffalo...
- Craig MuniCraig MuniCraig Douglas Muni is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 819 National Hockey League games over the course of his career...
- Ric SeilingRic SeilingRichard James Seiling is a retired former professional ice hockey player. He spent the majority of his 738-game NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres, but also played one season for the Detroit Red Wings. After his retirement he became a successful harness racer. He is the younger brother of fellow...
- Richie DunnRichie DunnRichard L. Dunn is a former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Hartford Whalers between 1977 and 1989. In his NHL career, Dunn appeared in 483 games...
- Darryl ShannonDarryl ShannonDarryl Shannon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was drafted 36th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft and as well as the Leafs, he played for the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, and the Montreal Canadiens...
- Morris TitanicMorris TitanicMorris S. Titanic is a retired former National Hockey League ice hockey player. He was selected 12th overall in the 1973 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres...
- Mike BolandMike John BolandMike John Boland is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.-Playing career:He was drafted in the seventh round, 110th overall, by the Kansas City Scouts in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft...
- Derek Smith
- Yuri KhmylevYuri KhmylevYuri Alexeyevich Khmylev is a retired professional ice hockey player. Khmylev played 11 seasons in his native Russia for Krylya Sovetov before being selected as a 27-year-old in the 5th round, 108th overall, of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.-Russian career:Khmylev represented the...
- Richard SmehlikRichard SmehlikRichard Šmehlík is a Czech former National Hockey League defenceman. He was drafted in the fifth round, 97th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft....
Several other players have been known to play on the Sabres Alumni team, depending on the importance of the event. Such players, whose participation varies widely, include:
- The "French Connection" lineThe 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,...
of Rick MartinRick 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...
(prior to his death), 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...
, and 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,... - Larry PlayfairLarry PlayfairLarry William Playfair is a retired former professional ice hockey player with a reputation as a hard-working, pugnacious defender...
- Fred StanfieldFred StanfieldFrederic William Stanfield is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1964 until 1978.Stanfield played 914 career NHL games, scoring 211 goals and 405 assists for 616 points...
- Bill HajtBill HajtWilliam Albert Hajt is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL from 1973 until 1987...
- 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...
- 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,...
- Tony McKegneyTony McKegneyAnthony Syiid McKegney is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91.-Career:...
- Andrew PetersAndrew PetersAndrew Peters is a retired Canadian ice hockey left winger- Playing career :Peters was drafted 34th overall by the Sabres in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft...
Notable non-Sabres to have played for the team include:
- Mark LaforestMark LaforestMark Andrew "Trees" LaForest is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. LaForest played for four NHL teams in his career before he retired with the Ottawa Senators. For a short time early in the 2000s LaForest help coach minor hockey in Wainfleet, Ontario...
, a Welland, OntarioWelland, OntarioWelland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
native and journeyman NHL goalie who, like Kuntar, never played for the Sabres but plays in net for the Alumni. - Kevyn AdamsKevyn AdamsKevyn W. Adams is a retired professional ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Phoenix Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks, and is currently the Associate Coach for the Buffalo Sabres...
, who played most of his NHL career with the Carolina HurricanesCarolina HurricanesThe 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...
. Adams resides in Bemus Point, New YorkBemus Point, New YorkBemus Point is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The village is within the Town of Ellery and located along the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake. The population was 340 at the 2000 census...
and grew up in ClarenceClarence, New YorkClarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...
; he joined the team in 2009. - Seymour H. Knox IV, son of former Sabres owner Seymour H. Knox III and nephew of 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...
, the only non-professional hockey player to have ever played for the team, playing goaltender on at least one occasion. - Marcel DionneMarcel DionneMarcel Elphege "Little Beaver" Dionne is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers...
, Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe 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...
centreman. Dionne resides in Buffalo but never played there in his career (he spent most of his career with the Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles KingsThe 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...
). He has thus far played in two Sabres Alumni games—the first in 1997 (a fundraiser for 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...
)http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/1997/02/03/daily13.html as an opponent and again in 2007 (the Parete fundraiser) as a member of the team http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-161257971.html thus making him the most prominent non-Sabre to play for the team. Dionne at one time was affiliated with the Sabres' then-ECHL affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Buffalo Sabres Alumni are committed to helping in the community. For the past three years the Alumni have been playing basketball against faculty in local high schools to help raise money for programs. Look for Alumni events on their web site.