Sabres bring back beloved royal blue, charging buffalo uniforms

What's old is new again in Buffalo with the Sabres' "Return to Royal."

The team revealed its uniforms for the 2020-21 season on Tuesday and they're a throwback to the royal blue, gold and white of the original set with some modern updates.

The Sabres made the announcement with a sharp hype video featuring captain Jack Eichel, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forward Kyle Okposo modeling the home and away uniforms. Buffalo wore their original royal blue uniforms from 1970-1996.

"Our goal throughout this process has been to create a timeless uniform system that respects team heritage and looks boldly towards the future as well," the team explained on its website. "Returning to our beloved royal blue was just the start - we wanted to create something truly unique. To do that, we needed to identify key elements that harken back to what's made this franchise so special through the years."

The inside collar now features two lightning bolts and a star in a homage to the Flag of Buffalo, which is the city seal surrounded by 13 lightning bolts and stars. And there is white piping on top of the traditional gold stripes. The logo does not have the silver accents of the original charging buffalo logo, but it does have the same stitching pattern as the 50th anniversary crest.

The Sabres also enlisted some famous friends to help ring in their return to royal blue. Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas showed his support with a custom hoodie.

Former Sabres goalie and current studio analyst Martin Biron posted a throwback photo from a game in 1996 where he wore the old-school threads.

Joywave, an indie rock band from Rochester, got in on the fun with vocalist Daniel Armbruster showing off his new threads.