Buffalo Sabres
| Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|
| File:Sabres.gif | |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Northeast |
| Founded | 1970 |
| History | Buffalo Sabres 1970 - present |
| Home arena | HSBC Arena |
| City | Buffalo, New York |
| Team colors | Navy Blue, Gold, Silver |
| Media | MSG Network WGR (550 AM) |
| Owner(s) | B. Thomas Golisano |
| General manager | Darcy Regier |
| Head coach | Lindy Ruff |
| Captain | Daniel Brière Chris Drury |
| Minor league affiliates | Rochester Americans (AHL) Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (CHL) |
| Stanley Cups | None |
| Conference championships | 1974-75, 1998-99 |
| Division championships | 1974-75, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1996-97 |
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They began playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a 1970 expansion team.
Franchise history
1970-71 — 1995-96: The original blue and gold
The Buffalo Sabres, along with the Vancouver Canucks, joined the NHL in the 1970-71 season. The Sabres' first owners were Seymour and Northrop Knox, scions of a family long prominent in Western New York. They picked the team's nickname because a sabre had long been considered a weapon carried by a leader. 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.
Buffalo had been a hotbed for minor-league hockey, and the Buffalo Bisons had been one of the pillars of the American Hockey League, winning the Calder Cup in their final year before yielding to the Sabres.
The French Connection
The Sabres, playing their first of many seasons at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, got off to a good start before they even hit the ice when they picked future Hockey Hall of Fame center Gilbert Perreault first overall in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. 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 did not make the playoffs.
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 in the league, but lost in the quarterfinals in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Game 6 at the Aud ended with the fans serenading their team in a chant of "Thank you Sabres! Thank you Sabres!", a moment many consider to be the greatest in team history. The chant would be heard again several more times in team history.
Fog and the 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 Final for the first time in team history to play against the rough Philadelphia Flyers (recently nicknamed the "Broad Street Bullies), a series which included the legendary Fog Game (game three of the series). Due to unusual heat in Buffalo in May 1975, 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 — in 1996 the Florida Panthers' Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room. The Sabres won that game thanks to Rene Robert's goal in overtime. However, Philadelphia would wind up taking the Cup in six games.
The French Connection, joined by 50-goal scorer Danny Gare, continued to score prolifically for the Sabres in 1975-76, but the team lost in the quarterfinals to the New York Islanders. The Sabres continued to coast through the late 1970s behind the French Connection of Perreault, Martin, Robert, and Gare, but they were unable to return to the Final despite a regular season Conference championship in 1980 and being the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic team when they toured the United States.
Hard times at the Aud
Robert was traded to the Colorado Rockies in 1980, and Martin to the Los Angeles Kings in 1981. Perreault retired in November 1986 after spending sixteen years with the Sabres, including several years as the team's captain. Stars for Buffalo in the 1980s included Perreault, the tough and yet skillful right winger Mike Foligno, defenseman Phil Housley, 1983-84 Vezina and Calder Trophy winner Tom Barrasso, and left-winger Dave Andreychuk. The Sabres of the 1980s missed the playoffs only twice, in 1986 and 1987, however only twice in the decade did they get past the first round of the playoffs. The 1986-87 season saw a new low as Buffalo finished an NHL-worst 28-44-8. This finish gave them the first-overall draft selection. The Swords snapped up Pierre Turgeon of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Granby Bisons. Turgeon would have a solid rookie season, finishing sixth in team scoring with 42 points, and would later be the key to the package sent by the Sabres to the New York Islanders to acquire Pat Lafontaine.
On June 16, 1990, Buffalo dealt Housley, along with Darrin Shannon and a 1990 first-round pick (Keith Tkachuk), to the Winnipeg Jets for Dale Hawerchuk and a 1990 first-round selection (Brad May). Hawerchuk and May would help form the core of the Sabres through the early 1990s.
In 1989, following the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the top young Soviet player to defect to the NHL was Alexander Mogilny, who signed with the Sabres. Alongside center Pat LaFontaine, Mogilny hit his stride, tying Calder Trophy winner Teemu Selänne of the Jets with 76 goals in 1993. This was the season during which ex-Edmonton Oilers net minder Grant Fuhr was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs — he'd coached Felix Potvin well enough that he was unseated as the Leafs' go-to goalie. The Sabres finally again advanced past the first-round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens. The end of the first-round, against the Boston Bruins, gained long-time radio announcer Rick Jeanneret league-wide fame, with his famous MAY DAY!" call on Brad May's series clincher in overtime of game four.
Also during the 1992-93 NHL season, the Sabres executed what probably was the most important trade in team history, and acquired goaltender Dominik Hašek from the Chicago Blackhawks for Stephane Beauregard and a 1993 fourth-round draft pick (Eric Daze). Hasek had spent the previous two seasons as a backup goalie in Chicago behind Eddie Belfour, however "The Dominator" became the Sabres' starting goaltender the next season, and blossomed into one of the best goaltenders in the history of the game. "The Fury" and Hasek tied for the the 1994 William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed. Hašek was the game's pre-eminent goaltender for several years in the NHL and in international competition. He's currently tied for second in the Vezina Trophy race with Bill Durnan with six; the all-time record is seven, set by Jacques Plante. But early in the abbreviated 1995 season, Fuhr was sent to the struggling Los Angeles Kings.
Leaving the Aud
The 1995-96 season was the first season under coach Ted Nolan and the last for the Sabres at the Memorial Auditorium, or the Aud. Nolan brought an exciting brand of hockey to Buffalo. During his coaching tenure, his Sabres were referred to as the "hardest-working team in hockey" and still are. Even though the Sabres failed to have success in the win column and played before an average of only a little over 13,000 fans, fourth-fewest in the history of the team at the Aud, the fans had a special love affair with the team. May, Rob Ray and Matthew Barnaby became the 1990s version of the characters from the movie Slap Shot, "The Hanson Brothers". 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.
1996-97 — 2005-06: Black and red era
New arena and new attitude
Nolan and the Sabres rebounded in 96-97, their first at Marine Midland Arena, by winning the Northeast Division (their first division title in sixteen years), with Nolan winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, Hašek winning both the Hart and Vezina Trophies, 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 took place during the playoffs. Tensions between Nolan and Hašek had been high for most of the season, however, after being scored upon in game three of the first-round against the Ottawa Senators, Hašek left the game, forcing backup Steve Shields to step in. Hašek 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 Hašek. After the Senators won game five, Hašek came out of the Sabres' training room and physically attacked Kelley, tearing his shirt. Despite issuing 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 Hašek was healthy (Hašek most likely would not have been suspended had he not been cleared to play). Set to return in game four with the team down by three games in the series, Hašek 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 the almost inevitable sweeping elimination with a win. Again before the fifth game, Hašek declared himself unfit to play and Buffalo lost 6-3, losing the series in five games.
New fish butts
Despite the infighting, the season was a fitting tribute to Seymour Knox, who died on May 22, 1996. During the season, his brother Northrop sold the team to Adelphia Communications.
New owner John Rigas' first act was to fire general manager John Muckler, who had a noted feud with Nolan. All-Star goaltender Hašek, 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, before he was Coach of the Year. Regier then pulled the contract off the table and didn't 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. After Nolan, former Sabres captain Lindy Ruff, Buffalo's current bench boss, was hired as head coach on July 21, 1997, agreeing to a three-year deal.
Seemingly in the blink of an eye, the Sabres organization, after having their most successful season in nearly two decades, had now rid itself of both the reigning NHL Executive (Muckler) and Coach of the Year (Nolan).
Behind Hašek, left-winger Miroslav Šatan (who led the team in scoring), right-winger Donald Audette, center Michael Peca, and several role-playing journeymen including enforcer Matthew Barnaby, the Sabres reached the Conference Final in 1998, but lost to the Washington Capitals in six games.
"No Goal!"
In 1999, Satan scored 40 goals. The Sabres would add centers Stu Barnes from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Joé Juneau from the Capitals. Michal Grosek had the best season of his career, and the team finally returned the Stanley Cup Final, this time against the Dallas Stars.
In the sixth game, literal "Star" winger Brett Hull's triple-overtime goal — one that still remains controversial as Hull's skate was 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. At the time, even Dallas Morning News hockey writer Keith Gave questioned the legality of the goal. 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, and their ruling stood. ESPN's "Page 2" staff has ranked the call as the fifth worst officiating call in sports history. [1] Conversely, Al Strachan of the Toronto Daily Sun wrote "There should have been no controversy whatsoever. When Hull first kicked the rebound on to his stick, he had neither foot in the crease. At the instant he kicked the puck, he became in control of it. It was only in the follow-through of that kick that his left foot moved into the crease." [2] Buffalo sports fans, who have suffered through some of the biggest misfortunes in sports history (such as "Wide Right" and "Music City Miracle"), refer to the game as "No Goal", a phrase still used in Western New York to this day.
The next year, a disappointing season with tired and discouraged players culminated with a first-round playoff series loss to the Flyers. Like the previous season, there would be another officiating controversy. In game two high-flying Flyers' winger John LeClair scored through a hole in the mesh at the side of the net, which isn't considered a goal. Originally called a goal, the play was reviewed, yet was still inexplicably was allowed to stand. Philadelphia 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 the Flyers in six games in the first round of the playoffs (with a resounding 8-0 victory in the series-winning game), but lost in the second round to the Penguins on a seventh-game overtime goal scored by defenseman Darius Kasparaitis.
Third jersey
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 2000-06 when the red jersey was retired. With the return to blue and gold came the return of the original Sabres Jersey which was worn from 1970-96. The Sabres in 2006 made the original blue jersey their new third jersey.
Missing the playoffs
After lengthy, and failed, negotiations with their star goaltender, the Sabres traded Hašek to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2001. The Dominator wanted to play for a contender. Without Hasek and Peca, the Sabres missed the 2002 playoffs.
In the summer of 2002, Rigas and his sons were arrested for bank, wire, and securities fraud for embezzling more $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 Rigas remained the owner on paper. The affair came as something of an embarrassment to the NHL. Only five years earlier, it had tightened its standards for vetting prospective owners after seeing John Spano buy the New York Islanders only to discover he'd grossly inflated his net worth and committed massive bank and wire fraud.
For awhile, there were no interested buyers, and it looked like the Sabres would either move or fold. The leading candidate was Mark Hamister, a local businessman who owned the Arena Football League's Buffalo Destroyers. Hamister was the personal choice of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. However, over time it became obvious that Hamister's financial assets were highly suspect and that his bid was heavily dependent upon government financing. It also became known that Hamister had won an expansion af2 team in Dayton, Ohio and got numerous concessions from local government, but moved them to Cincinnati before they had ever played their first game in Dayton. He was also considering moving the Destroyers (and as it turned out, did — to Columbus, Ohio). Under pressure from fans concerned that Hamister might move the Sabres too, state officials scuttled a critical incentive package, effectively killing his bid.
Help from Golisano
Finally, the Sabres were sold in 2003 to Rochester, New York billionaire and former New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano, whose bid included no government funding. Golisano immediately lowered ticket prices, making him a hero to Sabres fans.
The team emerged from its struggles, and the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs the following season, which saw the debuts and/or development of prominent young players such as Daniel Brière and Derek Roy. One memorable moment in 2003-04 was on New Year's Eve 2003, when Maxim Afinogenov and Miroslav Satan both scored hat tricks against the Washington Capitals at home. The Swords won a sound 7—1.
2004-05
The NHL cancelled the 2004-05 NHL season due to a labor dispute; however, the league and the NHL Players Association were able to devise a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in the summer of 2005, thus enabling NHL hockey to return for the 2005-06 season.
On March 7, 2005, the Sabres lost their main cable television broadcaster, as the Empire Sports Network (which had been on the air from 1991 to 2005) ceased operations as a cost cutting moved during the Adelphia scandal and reorganization (Empire, like the Sabres, had been owned by Adelphia). Adelphia sold their rights to Sabres telecasts to accomodate that move. For the 2005-06 campaign, the Madison Square Garden Network (MSGN), a New York City-based channel which mostly broadcasts New York Rangers games, took the rights to broadcast Sabres games to television viewers in western New York.
2005-06
In 2005-06, the Sabres raced to a hot start and stayed near the top of the standings all season long, finishing with their best season in over twenty years. On April 3, they clinched their first Eastern Conference playoff spot 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. This tied the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes for the most wins in the Conference; the Sabres ranked fourth overall behind Ottawa, Carolina and the New Jersey Devils as they dropped their division to the Senators. Ironically, Hašek was now sporting a Roman head. 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 also finshed with 25 road wins, another franchise record.
Buffalo defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the first-round of the 2006 Playoffs in six games. On two occasions, the Sabres scored seven or more goals in the series. In the second round of the playoffs, the Sabres defeated the top-seeded Sens in five games. Three of the victories came in overtime, including the series-clinching game five, which was won on a short-handed goal by Jason Pominville to send Buffalo to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Despite being without some or all of their four top defensemen 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 six. In the deciding game, the Sabres led the Hurricanes 2-1 going into the final period, but blew the lead early in the third and gave up two more late goals for a 4-2 final score. The game-winning goal was scored on the power play by Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour after Brian Campbell was penalized for shooting the puck into the crowd. The 'Canes went on to beat the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup.
The Sabres' better-than-expected season was recognized on June 22, 2006 at the NHL Awards Ceremony, when Lindy Ruff edged Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette 155 votes to 154 to win the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year. It was the closest vote in the award's history. After Nolan, Ruff is the second Sabres coach to win the award.
2006-07—Today: A New Blue and Gold
2006-07 & "The Worm"
On September 16, the Sabres unveiled new home and away jerseys featuring navy blue, yellow (gold), white and silver colors, along with third jerseys featuring the Sabres original blue jersey at an open practice at HSBC Arena. An online petition against the new logo had eclipsed the 30,000 signature mark by that point, indicating that growing numbers of Sabres fans hadn't accepted the logo. Sabres Managing Partner Larry Quinn, when asked about the reaction of the fans said, "I can make a promise to our fans, if we're in the deciding game of the Stanley Cup, that old blue and gold jersey is going to be worn if we're at home, so we'll have the opportunity to win the Cup with it. And I've also asked the league if we can wear our white vintage and they're looking to see if we can." [3]
Despite the petition and campaign against the new logo, it has been reported that the Sabres currently have the top-selling jersey on NHL.com, and sales of Sabres gear was up almost 900% compared to the same period in 2005.[4]
The jersey's unveiling overshadowed the beginning of the team's training camp, opening with the most expensive group of Sabres to date. The team's payroll was over the league salary cap of $44 million US. Even at that price tag they were forced to let some key figures in their playoff run of 2006 move on.
On October 20, 2006, the Sabres defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 to set a new franchise record with their 12th consecutive regular-season victory. The previous record was held by the 1974-75 team that won 11 straight games at the end of that season.
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 to open a season with a winning streak of at least ten games. The only other team to start a season with as many consecutive victories were the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993-94, who also started 10-0.
On November 5, 2006 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).
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Records as of November 2, 2006. [5]
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1970-71 | 78 | 24 | 39 | 15 | — | 63 | 217 | 291 | 1188 | 5th, Eastern | Did not qualify |
| 1971-72 | 78 | 16 | 43 | 19 | — | 51 | 203 | 289 | 831 | 6th, Eastern | Did not qualify |
| 1972-73 | 78 | 37 | 27 | 14 | — | 88 | 257 | 219 | 940 | 4th, Eastern | Lost in Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1973-74 | 78 | 32 | 34 | 12 | — | 76 | 242 | 250 | 787 | 5th, Eastern | Did not qualify |
| 1974-75 | 80 | 49 | 16 | 15 | — | 113 | 354 | 240 | 1229 | 1st, Adams | Won in Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Black Hawks) Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (Canadiens) Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Flyers) |
| 1975-76 | 80 | 46 | 21 | 13 | — | 105 | 339 | 240 | 943 | 2nd, Adams | Won in Preliminary Round, 2-1 (Blues) Lost in Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Islanders) |
| 1976-77 | 80 | 48 | 24 | 8 | — | 104 | 301 | 220 | 848 | 2nd, Adams | Won in Preliminary Round, 2-0 (North Stars) Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Islanders) |
| 1977-78 | 80 | 44 | 19 | 17 | — | 105 | 288 | 215 | 800 | 2nd, Adams | Won in Preliminary Round, 2-1 (Rangers) Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Flyers) |
| 1978-79 | 80 | 36 | 28 | 16 | — | 88 | 280 | 263 | 1026 | 2nd, Adams | Lost in Preliminary Round, 1-2 (Penguins) |
| 1979-80 | 80 | 47 | 17 | 16 | — | 110 | 318 | 201 | 967 | 1st, Adams | Won in Preliminary Round, 3-1 (Canucks) Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Black Hawks) Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Islanders) |
| 1980-81 | 80 | 39 | 20 | 21 | — | 99 | 327 | 250 | 1194 | 1st, Adams | Won in Preliminary Round, 3-0 (Canucks) Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (North Stars) |
| 1981-82 | 80 | 39 | 26 | 15 | — | 93 | 307 | 273 | 1425 | 3rd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-3 (Bruins) |
| 1982-83 | 80 | 38 | 29 | 13 | — | 89 | 318 | 285 | 1031 | 3rd, Adams | Won in Division Semifinals, 3-0 (Canadiens) Lost in Division Finals, 3-4 (Bruins) |
| 1983-84 | 80 | 48 | 25 | 7 | — | 103 | 315 | 257 | 1190 | 2nd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Nordiques) |
| 1984-85 | 80 | 38 | 28 | 14 | — | 90 | 290 | 237 | 1221 | 3rd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-3 (Nordiques) |
| 1985-86 | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | — | 80 | 296 | 291 | 1608 | 5th, Adams | Did not qualify |
| 1986-87 | 80 | 28 | 44 | 8 | — | 64 | 280 | 308 | 1810 | 5th, Adams | Did not qualify |
| 1987-88 | 80 | 37 | 32 | 11 | — | 85 | 283 | 305 | 2277 | 3rd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-4 (Bruins) |
| 1988-89 | 80 | 38 | 35 | 7 | — | 83 | 291 | 299 | 2034 | 3rd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-4 (Bruins) |
| 1989-90 | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | — | 98 | 286 | 248 | 1449 | 2nd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1990-91 | 80 | 31 | 30 | 19 | — | 81 | 292 | 278 | 1733 | 3rd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 31 | 37 | 12 | — | 74 | 289 | 299 | 2713 | 3rd, Adams | Lost in Division Semifinals, 3-4 (Bruins) |
| 1992-93 | 84 | 38 | 36 | 10 | — | 86 | 335 | 297 | 1873 | 4th, Adams | Won in Division Semifinals, 4-0 (Bruins) Lost in Division Finals, 0-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1993-94 | 84 | 43 | 32 | 9 | — | 95 | 282 | 218 | 1760 | 4th, Northeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Devils) |
| 1994-951 | 48 | 22 | 19 | 7 | — | 51 | 130 | 119 | 1022 | 4th, Northeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Flyers) |
| 1995-96 | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | — | 73 | 247 | 262 | 2195 | 5th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 1996-97 | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | — | 92 | 237 | 208 | 1840 | 1st, Northeast | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Senators) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1-4 (Flyers) |
| 1997-98 | 82 | 36 | 29 | 17 | — | 89 | 211 | 187 | 1768 | 3rd, Northeast | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Flyers) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-0 (Canadiens) Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Capitals) |
| 1998-99 | 82 | 37 | 28 | 17 | — | 91 | 207 | 175 | 1561 | 4th, Northeast | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Senators) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-2 (Bruins) Won in Conference Finals, 4-1 (Maple Leafs) Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Stars) |
| 1999-00 | 82 | 35 | 32 | 11 | 4 | 85 | 213 | 204 | 1173 | 3rd, Northeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Flyers) |
| 2000-01 | 82 | 46 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 98 | 218 | 184 | 1249 | 2nd, Northeast | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Flyers) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3-4 (Penguins) |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 35 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 82 | 213 | 200 | 1217 | 5th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 27 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 72 | 190 | 219 | 1276 | 5th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 37 | 34 | 7 | 4 | 85 | 220 | 221 | 1289 | 5th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2004-052 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005-063 | 82 | 52 | 24 | — | 6 | 110 | 281 | 239 | 1144 | 2nd, Northeast | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Flyers) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-1 (Senators) Lost in Conference Finals, 3-4 (Hurricanes) |
| 2006-07 | 14 | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | 25 | 63 | 39 | 148 | ||
| Totals | 2794 | 1315 | 1046 | 409 | 24 | 3059 | 9371 | 8500 | 48661 | — | — |
- 1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
- 2 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
- 3 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games tied after regulation will be decided in a shootout; SOL (Shootout losses) will be recorded as OTL in the standings.
Notable players
Current roster
As of November 5, 2006. [1]
| # | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 
|
Ryan Miller | L | 1999 | East Lansing, Michigan |
| 43 | 
|
Martin Biron | L | 1995 | Lac-Saint-Charles, Quebec |
| # | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 
|
Toni Lydman | L | 2005 | Lahti, Finland |
| 6 | 
|
Jaroslav Špaček | L | 2006 | Rokycany, Czechoslovakia |
| 10 | 
|
Henrik Tallinder | L | 2001 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| 27 |
|
Teppo Numminen - A | R | 2005 | Tampere, Finland |
| 38 |
|
Nathan Paetsch | L | 2003 | LeRoy, Saskatchewan |
| 45 | 
|
Dmitri Kalinin | L | 1998 | Cheljabinsk, U.S.S.R. |
| 51 |
|
Brian Campbell | L | 1997 | Strathroy, Ontario |
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |
|
Derek Roy | C/LW | L | 2001 | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 12 |
|
Ales Kotalik | LW/RW | R | 1998 | Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia |
| 13 |
|
Jiri Novotny | C/RW | R | 2001 | Pelhřimov, Czechoslovakia |
| 19 |
|
Tim Connolly (IR) | C | R | 2001 | Syracuse, New York |
| 20 |
|
Daniel Paille | C | L | 2002 | Welland, Ontario |
| 21 |
|
Drew Stafford | RW | R | 2004 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 22 |
|
Adam Mair | C/W | R | 2002 | Hamilton, Ontario |
| 23 |
|
Chris Drury - C | C | R | 2003 | Trumbull, Connecticut |
| 26 | 
|
Thomas Vanek | LW/RW | R | 2003 | Vienna, Austria |
| 28 |
|
Paul Gaustad | C/LW | L | 2000 | Fargo, North Dakota |
| 29 |
|
Jason Pominville | RW/LW | R | 2001 | Repentigny, Quebec |
| 48 |
|
Daniel Brière - C | C | R | 2003 | Gatineau, Quebec |
| 55 | 
|
Jochen Hecht | LW/C | L | 2003 | Mannheim, West Germany |
| 61 |
|
Maxim Afinogenov (IR) | RW | L | 1997 | Moscow, U.S.S.R. |
| 76 |
|
Andrew Peters | LW/RW | L | 1998 | St. Catharines, Ontario |
Team captains
- Floyd Smith, 1970-71
- Gerry Meehan, 1971-74
- Jim Schoenfeld, 1974-77
- Danny Gare, 1977-82
- Gilbert Perreault, 1982-86
- Lindy Ruff, 1986-89
- Mike Foligno, 1989-90
- Mike Ramsey, 1991-92
- Pat LaFontaine, 1992-97
- Alexander Mogilny, 1993-94 (interim)
- Michael Peca, 1997-00
- Donald Audette, 1997-98 (interim)
- No captain, 2000-01
- Stu Barnes, 2001-03
- Miroslav Satan, October 2003
- Chris Drury, November 2003
- James Patrick, December 2003
- J.P. Dumont, January 2004
- Daniel Brière, February 2004
- Chris Drury, March & April 2004
- Daniel Brière & Chris Drury, 2005- present
- Players
- Tim Horton, D, 1972-74, inducted 1977
- Gilbert Perreault, C, 1970-87, inducted 1990
- Dale Hawerchuk, C, 1990-95, inducted 2001
- Pat LaFontaine, C, 1991-97, inducted 2003
- Builders
- George "Punch" Imlach, Head coach/GM, 1970-78, inducted 1984
- Scotty Bowman, Head coach/GM, 1980-87, inducted 1991
- Seymour H. Knox III, Owner (team co-founder), 1970-96, inducted 1993
- Roger Neilson, Assistant/Head coach, 1979-81, inducted 2002
- Broadcasters
- Ted Darling, 1970-92, inducted 1994
Retired numbers
- 2 Tim Horton, D, 1972-74, number retired January 15, 1996
- 7 Rick Martin, LW, 1971-81, number retired November 15, 1995*
- 11 Gilbert Perreault, C, 1970-86, number retired October 17, 1990*
- 14 Rene Robert, RW, 1972-79, number retired November 15, 1995*
- 16 Pat LaFontaine, C, 1991-97, number retired March 3, 2006
- 18 Danny Gare, RW, 1974-81, number retired November 22, 2005
- 99 Wayne Gretzky, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000
- 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 HSBC Arena's rafters.)
* When Rene Robert & Rick Martin were retired, Gilbert Perreault was present, as the entire "French Connection" line was given retirement together. Today, each linemate's banner is next to one another at HSBC Arena, with a banner above indicating their line's nickname.
First-round draft picks
- 1970: Gilbert Perreault (1st overall)
- 1971: Rick Martin (5th overall)
- 1972: Jim Schoenfeld (5th overall)
- 1973: Morris Titanic (12th overall)
- 1974: Lee Fogolin (11th overall)
- 1975: Bob Sauve (17th overall)
- 1976: None
- 1977: Ric Seiling (14th overall)
- 1978: Larry Playfair (13th overall)
- 1979: Mike Ramsey (11th overall)
- 1980: Steve Patrick (20th overall)
- 1981: Jiri Dudacek (17th overall)
- 1982: Phil Housley (6th overall), Paul Cyr (9th overall), & Dave Andreychuk 16th overall)
- 1983: Tom Barrasso (5th overall), Normand Lacombe (10th overall), & Adam Creighton (11th overall)
- 1984: Mikael Andersson (18th overall)
- 1985: Calle Johansson (14th overall)
- 1986: Shawn Anderson (5th overall)
- 1987: Pierre Turgeon (1st overall)
- 1988: Joel Savage (13th overall)
- 1989: Kevin Haller (14th overall)
- 1990: Brad May (14th overall)
- 1991: Philippe Boucher (13th overall)
- 1992: David Cooper (11th overall)
- 1993: None
- 1994: Wayne Primeau (17th overall)
- 1995: Jay McKee (14th overall) & Martin Biron (16th overall)
- 1996: Erik Rasmussen (7th overall)
- 1997: Mika Noronen (21st overall)
- 1998: Dmitri Kalinin (18th overall)
- 1999: Barrett Heisten (20th overall)
- 2000: Artem Kryukov (15th overall)
- 2001: Jiri Novotny (22nd overall)
- 2002: Keith Ballard (11th overall) & Daniel Paille (20th overall)
- 2003: Thomas Vanek (5th overall)
- 2004: Drew Stafford (13th overall)
- 2005: Marek Zagrapan (13th overall)
- 2006: Dennis Persson (24th overall)
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
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Gilbert Perreault | C | 1191 | 512 | 814 | 1326 | 1.11 |
| Dave Andreychuk | LW | 837 | 368 | 436 | 804 | .96 |
| Rick Martin | LW | 681 | 382 | 313 | 695 | 1.02 |
| Craig Ramsay | LW | 1070 | 252 | 420 | 672 | .63 |
| Phil Housley | D | 608 | 178 | 380 | 558 | .92 |
| Rene Robert | RW | 524 | 222 | 330 | 552 | 1.05 |
| Don Luce | C | 766 | 216 | 311 | 527 | .69 |
| Mike Foligno | RW | 664 | 247 | 264 | 511 | .79 |
| Danny Gare | RW | 503 | 267 | 233 | 500 | .99 |
| Alexander Mogilny | RW | 381 | 211 | 233 | 444 | 1.17 |
NHL awards and trophies
Franchise individual records
- Most Goals in a season: Alexander Mogilny, 76 (1992-93)
- Most Assists in a season: Pat LaFontaine, 95 (1992-93)
- Most Points in a season: Pat LaFontaine, 148 (1992-93)
- Most Points in a season, defenseman: Phil Housley, 81 (1989-90)
- Most Points in a season, rookie: Rick Martin, 74 (1971-72)
- Most Penalty Minutes in a season: Rob Ray, 354 (1991-92)
- Most Wins in a season: Don Edwards, 38 (1977-78)
- Most Shutouts in a season: Dominik Hasek, 13 (1997-98)
- Most Hat-tricks: Rick Martin, 21
Trivia
- The city of Buffalo is the setting for the film Bruce Almighty; one of the major plot points is a riot that occurs after the Sabres win the Stanley Cup.
References
- ^ ESPN.com - Page2, Worst Calls In Sports History
- ^ Canoe.ca, Brett's goal good as gold
- ^ http://eod.liquidviewer.com/wgr-od/wgr/20060916_Quinn.wma
- ^ Street and Smith's Sports Business Daily, New Logo, Colors Propel Sabres' Jersey To Top Spot In Sales, October 18, 2006
- ^ Hockeydb.com, Buffalo Sabres season statistics and records
See also
- List of Buffalo Sabres players
- Head Coaches of the Buffalo Sabres
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons
External links
- Official website of the Buffalo Sabres
- Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association
- Buffalo Sabres Fan site
- SabreSFans - By the Fans, For the Fans
- LetsGoSabres.com - Buffalo Sabres Online Network
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