Legendary Sabres Broadcaster Rick Jeanneret Dies at 81

Hockey Hall of Fame member and longtime Buffalo Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret passed away on Thursday at the age of 81.

Former Buffalo Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret passed away on Thursday night after a multi-year battle with organ failures, the team has confirmed. He was 81 years old. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News first reported his death.

"It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, Rick Jeanneret, Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Buffalo Sabres," said a statement from his family, shared by the Sabres on social media. 

"He will be loved forever."

Jeanneret was a legend in both the broadcasting community and the hockey community at large, earning widespread praise for the never-ending passion he imbued into his calls, as well as his knowledge of the game. The native of St. Catherines, Ont., served as the voice of the Sabres for nearly their entire existence, joining the club as a radio broadcaster in 1971, Buffalo's second season as an NHL franchise, before moving to television in 1995. 

Jeanneret's final season behind the mic came in 2021-22, with the entire season dedicated to celebrating his incredible run on the airwaves. His last game came on April 29, 2022, versus the Chicago Blackhawks, during which Jeanneret was able to make a Casey Middlestadt overtime-winner his final call before making his way down to the ice and saluting a sea of adoring fans chanting his name. He retired as the NHL's longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in league history.

On April 1, 2022, Jeanneret saw his name raised to the rafters of KeyBank Center on RJ Night, during which fans, Sabres players, staff and alumni honored the commentator in a pregame ceremony.

"Rick was indeed a very special and very loved man, to and by all, who knew him and listened to him, his magic, and his command," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in a statement Thursday night. "How glad I am to have known him. How lucky were we all to have been around him and to have listened to him."

Jeanneret became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 as the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award, presented to members of the broadcasting industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and hockey. On top of that, he was also inducted to the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame and Terrace Bay, Ont.'s Sports Wall of Fame. He is also an honorary inductee into the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame.

"Rick Jeanneret's mark on Sabres history extends far beyond the broadcast booth and we will miss him dearly," Pegula said. "I extend my deepest condolences to (Jeanneret's wife) Sandra, Rick's family, friends, and all that were loved by him."