60 Fun Facts About Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres joined the NHL in 1970 alongside which other expansion team?

The Vancouver Canucks and the Sabres were the NHL's two 1970 expansion teams, each paying a $6 million fee and starting play in the 1970-71 season.

The Sabres' founding owners, the Knox brothers, were grandsons of the co-founders of which retail chain?

Woolworth's was co-founded by their grandfather Seymour H. Knox I, a cousin and partner of Frank Woolworth who merged his own five-and-dime stores into the F. W. Woolworth Company in 1912.

Why did Seymour Knox choose the name Sabres from the name-the-team contest?

Knox explained that 'A sabre is a leader's weapon, good on offence and defence', calling it clean, sharp and decisive on attack and a parrying weapon on defence; he also wanted anything but another Bisons.

Who composed 'Sabre Dance', the Sabres' signature music since 1970?

Aram Khachaturian wrote 'Sabre Dance' for the final act of his 1942 ballet Gayane; the Sabres adopted it as their theme when they entered the NHL in 1970.

The Sabres won the right to draft Gilbert Perreault in 1970 through what method?

A spin of a wheel of fortune settled the first pick: Clarence Campbell misread the pointer as 1 and announced the wrong winner, then looked again at Punch Imlach's urging and saw 11, one of Buffalo's numbers.

Gilbert Perreault set a rookie record with how many goals in 1970-71, winning the Calder Trophy?

Perreault scored 38 goals as a rookie in 1970-71, a record that stood only one season until Rick Martin's 44 the following year.

The French Connection line consisted of Perreault, Rick Martin and whom?

Rene Robert, acquired from Pittsburgh for Eddie Shack in March 1972, joined Perreault and Martin on the line that powered the Sabres to the 1975 Stanley Cup Final.

The French Connection line was named after what?

A 1971 film, The French Connection starring Gene Hackman, gave the line its name, with a nod to the trio's French-Canadian roots.

At the 1974 draft, GM Punch Imlach selected a fictitious Japanese player named what?

Taro Tsujimoto, supposedly of the Tokyo Katanas, was Punch Imlach's 11th-round prank at the tedious 1974 draft; the NHL later voided the 183rd-overall pick, and he became Sabres folklore.

During the Sabres' 1975 Stanley Cup Final 'Fog Game', Jim Lorentz killed what with his stick?

A bat circled through the fog during Game 3 of the 1975 Final, and Lorentz swatted it dead with his stick; Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime.

The Sabres lost their first Stanley Cup Final, in 1975, to which team?

The Philadelphia Flyers, the Broad Street Bullies, won the 1975 Final in six games, clinching 2-0 in Buffalo in Game 6 as Bernie Parent earned the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Which Sabres defenceman died in a 1974 car accident and gave his name to a coffee chain?

Tim Horton, 44 and an active Sabres defenceman, died on the QEW near St. Catharines on February 21, 1974, driving back to Buffalo after a road game; his doughnut chain had opened in 1964.

Which Sabre became the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL, in 1989?

Alexander Mogilny slipped away from the Soviet team at the 1989 World Championship in Stockholm and signed with Buffalo, which had drafted him 89th overall in 1988.

The 1991 trade that sent Pierre Turgeon to the Islanders brought which star centre to Buffalo?

Pat LaFontaine arrived with Randy Wood and Randy Hillier on October 25, 1991, as Turgeon, Uwe Krupp, Benoit Hogue and Dave McLlwain went to the Islanders in a seven-player blockbuster.

Whose overtime goal finished a 1993 sweep of Boston and inspired a famous radio call?

Brad May beat Andy Moog in overtime of Game 4 on April 24, 1993, completing Buffalo's first playoff series win in ten years.

Dominik Hasek came to the Sabres in 1992 in a trade with which team?

The Chicago Blackhawks traded Hasek to Buffalo on August 7, 1992, for goalie Stephane Beauregard and a fourth-round pick, having used him behind Ed Belfour; he became 'The Dominator' in Buffalo.

Dominik Hasek is the only goaltender to have won the league MVP award more than once; what is it called?

He won it in 1997 and 1998, the year he also led the Czechs to Olympic gold in Nagano.

In 1997 Hasek became the first goalie since Jacques Plante to win MVP and which award?

The Vezina went to Hasek alongside the MVP award in 1997, a double last achieved by Jacques Plante in 1962; Hasek also took the Pearson Award that spring.

In the 1997 playoffs, Hasek attacked which Buffalo News columnist over a knee-injury story?

Jim Kelley had questioned the severity of Hasek's knee injury; Hasek grabbed him by the shirt outside the dressing room, apologised later, and was suspended three games and fined $10,000.

Which coach won the 1997 Jack Adams Award with Buffalo, then left after refusing a one-year deal?

Ted Nolan feuded with Hasek and GM John Muckler despite a 1996-97 Northeast Division title; new GM Darcy Regier offered only a one-year deal, Nolan declined, and Lindy Ruff replaced him.

The 1999 Stanley Cup Final ended on a disputed triple-overtime goal by which Dallas Stars player?

Brett Hull scored at 14:51 of the third overtime on June 19, 1999, with his skate in the crease; the NHL ruled he had continuous possession and scrapped the crease rule that summer.

The Sabres were sold in 1998 to John Rigas, owner of which cable company later engulfed in fraud?

Adelphia Communications, the Coudersport, Pennsylvania cable giant, collapsed into bankruptcy in 2002 amid a fraud scandal; Rigas was convicted in 2004, and the NHL took control of the Sabres.

Which Rochester billionaire bought the Sabres out of NHL control in 2003?

Tom Golisano, the founder of payroll company Paychex, bought the Sabres out of NHL receivership in March 2003 and sold them to Terry Pegula in February 2011.

The Sabres opened the 2006-07 season with how many straight wins, tying an NHL record at the time?

Buffalo won its first 10 games of 2006-07, matching the NHL record start set in 1993-94, then won the Presidents' Trophy before losing the conference final to Ottawa.

On July 1, 2007, the Sabres lost both co-captains to free agency: Daniel Briere and whom?

Chris Drury signed a five-year deal with the Rangers on July 1, 2007, the same day Briere left for a bigger contract; Buffalo then matched Edmonton's seven-year, $50 million offer sheet for Thomas Vanek.

The Sabres hosted the first NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2008, at which venue?

Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, the Bills' home, drew 71,217 to the snowy 'Ice Bowl', which Pittsburgh won 2-1 on Sidney Crosby's shootout goal.

Which Sabres goaltender was named the NHL's best in 2010 and started for the US at the Olympics?

Ryan Miller was voted the NHL's top goaltender for 2009-10 and named MVP of that winter's Olympic tournament, starting every game for the silver-medal United States.

Terry Pegula bought the Sabres in 2011 having made his fortune in which industry?

Natural gas made Pegula's fortune: he sold most of East Resources' Marcellus Shale holdings to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion, then bought the Sabres in 2011 and the Bills in 2014.

Which centre did the Sabres draft second overall in 2015 and trade to Vegas in 2021?

Jack Eichel, picked second behind Connor McDavid in 2015, wanted artificial-disc neck surgery the Sabres opposed; Vegas acquired him in November 2021 and he won the Stanley Cup there in 2023.

The Sabres won the 2018 draft lottery and selected which Swedish defenceman first overall?

Rasmus Dahlin of Frölunda went first overall in June 2018 after Buffalo won the lottery from the league's worst record; three years later another lottery win brought Owen Power.

Which forward did the Sabres draft second overall in 2014?

Sam Reinhart went second overall in June 2014, one pick after Aaron Ekblad, and spent seven seasons in Buffalo before a July 2021 trade to Florida.

Who was the Sabres' general manager when they won the 2018 draft lottery?

Jason Botterill, hired from Pittsburgh in 2017, ran the Sabres' draft table when the lottery win delivered the first overall pick in June 2018; he was replaced by Kevyn Adams in June 2020.

The Sabres' original home, used until 1996, was known colloquially as what?

The Aud, formally Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, opened in 1940, hosted the Sabres from 1970 to 1996, then sat vacant for 13 years before demolition began in 2009.

KeyBank Center opened in 1996 under what name?

Marine Midland Arena was the name at the September 1996 opening, after the Crossroads Arena working title; the building later became HSBC Arena, First Niagara Center and, in 2016, KeyBank Center.

The Sabres' 2006 logo, a stylised bison, was widely mocked with what nickname?

Buffaslug was the fans' name for the 2006 bison logo, a gold-and-blue swoosh that looked like a slug; the team dropped it after four seasons for the classic crest.

When the Sabres moved arenas in 1996 they abandoned blue and gold for which colours?

Red, black and silver replaced blue and gold when the Sabres moved into their new downtown arena in 1996, paired with the 'goat head' logo, and lasted until the 2006 rebrand.

The Sabres' classic primary logo shows a bison standing above what?

Two crossed swords sit beneath the charging bison on the crest the Sabres wore from 1970 to 1996 and brought back full-time in 2020.

Which broadcaster's initials 'RJ' hang on a banner at KeyBank Center, raised in April 2022?

Rick Jeanneret called Sabres games for 51 seasons until retiring in 2022; his 'RJ' banner rose on April 1, 2022, and he died in August 2023.

How many players' numbers has Buffalo retired for the French Connection line?

All 3 numbers from the line, Perreault's 11, Martin's 7 and the right winger's 14, were retired and hang together under a single banner.

The Sabres' AHL affiliation with which nearby club lasted 29 years until 2008?

The Rochester Americans were Buffalo's farm club from 1979 to 2008; the Portland Pirates filled the gap until Terry Pegula bought the Amerks in 2011 and restored the partnership.

The Sabres were the first NHL team to beat a Soviet club, during which 1976 event?

Super Series '76 brought CSKA Moscow and the Soviet Wings to NHL rinks; on January 4, 1976, the Sabres crushed the Wings 12-6, the first NHL win over a Soviet club.

Which Sabre scored 50 goals in 1975-76?

Danny Gare reached 50 goals in 1975-76, his second NHL season, one more than Rick Martin's 49; Gare later shared the league lead with 56 in 1979-80.

The Sabres' first general manager and coach, hired in 1970, had previously run which team?

Punch Imlach had coached and managed the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s before the Knoxes hired him in 1970 as Buffalo's first GM and coach.

The Sabres' last game at their original arena in April 1996 beat which team 4-1?

The Hartford Whalers lost 4-1 on April 14, 1996, in the farewell game at the old downtown arena; owner Seymour Knox III died the following month.

Which NBA team began play in the same 1970 off-season as the Sabres, alongside the Bills joining the NFL?

The Braves' owner feuded with the Knoxes and lost; the basketball team was gone by 1978.

Which team swept the Sabres in the 1993 Adams Division final, winning every game 4-3?

The Montreal Canadiens won all four games 4-3, three in overtime, on the way to the 1993 Stanley Cup, their 24th.

Which ECHL club became the Sabres' affiliate from the 2023–24 season?

The Jacksonville Icemen became Buffalo's ECHL affiliate in June 2023, replacing the Cincinnati Cyclones, who had held the role since 2017.

How many Calder Cups did the Sabres' AHL affiliate win during their original 1979–2008 partnership?

Three Calder Cups came to the Sabres' affiliate in that span, in 1983, 1987 and 1996, the last of them under coach John Tortorella.

Why are both the Canadian and US anthems sung before every Sabres home game?

Buffalo borders Canada and many fans come from there: Southern Ontario cities such as St. Catharines sit inside the Sabres' broadcast territory, so both anthems are sung at home games.

What breed was Rick, the service-dog puppy added as the Sabres' official team dog in November 2021?

Rick was a Newfoundland puppy in training as a service dog for a military veteran, introduced in November 2021 and named after the Sabres' longtime play-by-play voice.

Which defenceman did Buffalo draft sixth overall in 1982 straight out of a Minnesota high school?

Phil Housley went from South St. Paul High School to the Sabres' blue line at 18 in 1982-83, scoring 66 points as a rookie, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

What wordmark replaced the bison head on the Sabres' jerseys for a road game on 7 October 2001?

'NEW YORK' in diagonal letters, echoing the Rangers' own sweater, replaced the crest for the Rangers' home opener on October 7, 2001, a tribute to the state after the September 11 attacks.

Which 18-year-old goalie won the Calder Trophy with Buffalo in 1984 straight out of high school?

Tom Barrasso, drafted fifth overall in 1983 from Acton-Boxborough High School in Massachusetts, won the 1984 Calder Trophy as an 18-year-old and was also voted the league's top goaltender.

Until 2020, the Sabres were the last NHL team to feature what on their uniforms?

Numbers on the front of the sweater arrived with the 2006 rebrand and stayed through the return to blue and gold until the royal-blue jerseys of 2020 dropped them.

In which year did the Sabres win their last Northeast Division title?

2010 saw the Sabres finish first in the Northeast with 100 points, their final division title before realignment folded the Northeast into the Atlantic in 2013.

Which Sabre scored 47 goals in 2022-23, the franchise's highest total since 1993?

Tage Thompson scored 47 goals and 94 points in 2022-23, including a five-goal game against Columbus on December 7, 2022, Buffalo's best goal total since 1992-93.

In which city did the Sabres play the 2022 Heritage Classic?

Hamilton, Ontario, staged the 2022 Heritage Classic at its open-air CFL stadium on March 13, 2022; the Sabres won 5-2, their first victory in an outdoor game.

Which Sabres captain led the team to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final?

Michael Peca, the 1997 Selke Trophy winner, captained Buffalo from 1997 to 2000, including the run to the 1999 Final, before a contract holdout ended with his trade to the Islanders.

Which number did Ryan Miller wear in Buffalo out of deference to Dominik Hasek's 39?

Miller's 30 was itself retired on 19 January 2023.

Which forward, acquired from Vegas in November 2021, took No. 89 with the Sabres?

Alex Tuch, a Syracuse-area native, arrived from Vegas in the November 2021 blockbuster and kept the 89 he had worn there, a number long associated with the Sabres' 1989 defector.