70 reasons to celebrate Sabres legend Gilbert Perreault's 70th birthday

On the heels of the Buffalo Sabres celebrating their Golden Season, "the franchise" is now 70!
Gilbert Perreault was born in Victoriaville, Quebec on November 13, 1950.
Amazing, elusive, dazzling, graceful, beautiful, bowlegged, gifted, and superstar are but a few of the words often used to describe him.
"He was also the funniest hockey player I ever met," said Sabres Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Rick Jeanneret. "But two words can sum up his style and substance on the ice: Très Magnifique!"
As the first overall selection in the NHL Draft, Perreault became a Sabre on June 11, 1970.
Eleven.
Seventy.
The numbers are simply a part (albeit a large part) of his incredible story. Here are 70 reasons to celebrate No. 11's 70th:

1. Two-time Memorial Cup champion with the Montreal Jr. Canadiens (1969, 1970)
   2. "The Original Sabre"
   3. First NHL goal was both the first power-play goal and the first game-winning goal in team history during Buffalo's inaugural game (October 10, 1970 at Pittsburgh)
   4. First All-Star Game representative for Sabres (January 19, 1971 at Boston)
   5. First hat trick in team history (January 29, 1971 at California)
   6. First 30-goal scorer (February 23, 1971)
   7. First Calder Trophy winner in franchise history (1971)
   8. Eighteen-game point-streak (October 24, 1971 to December 4, 1971)
   9. First Sabres game-winning goal in a playoff game (April 8, 1973 vs. Montreal)

10. Centered the famed French Connection line with Rick Martin and Rene Robert
    11. Played for Team Canada in Summit Series (1972)
    12. Only Sabre to win the Lady Byng Trophy (1973)
    13. Most points in a game: 7 (2 goals, 5 assists) (February 1, 1976 at California)
    14. Most assists in a game: 5 (tied with Pat LaFontaine and Jack Eichel)
    15. Most five-assist games: 3 (tied with Pat LaFontaine)
    16. Won 1976 Canada Cup with Team Canada (4 goals, 4 assists in 7 GP - one point shy of tournament scoring lead)
    17. NHL Second-team All-Star in 1976 and 1977

18. Scored game-winning overtime goal for Wales Conference in 1978 All-Star Game in Buffalo
    19. Represented NHL vs. Soviet Union in 1979 Challenge Cup
    20. Was leading 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs in scoring (21 points in 14 games) when Sabres were eliminated in semifinals
    21. Part of the "Dream Line" with Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur in 1981 Canada Cup
    22. In that tournament, he recorded nine points in four games, including the game-winning goal in the fourth game before breaking his ankle
    23. Despite missing the final three games of the 1981 Canada Cup, he finished three points off the scoring lead (Gretzky - 12) and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team
    24. Sabres Captain from 1981-1986
    25. Sixteenth player in NHL history to record 1,000 points (April 3, 1982)

26. Twelfth player in NHL history to score 500 goals (March 9, 1986)
    27. Assists in club-record 11-straight games (Dec. 23, 1984 to January 13, 1985)
    28. Led Sabres in scoring outright in 11 of his 17 seasons
    29. Finished in the Top 10 of Hart Trophy voting four times
    30. Scored first goal of a game a club-record 83 times
    31. Thirteen empty-net goals (tied for most with Jack Eichel and Miroslav Satan)
    32. Second to Rick Martin (21) in regular season hat tricks with 18
    33. Buffalo was 16-2 when he recorded a 3-goal game, outscoring their opponents 133-65 and averaging 7.4 goals for in those games
    34. In his only playoff hat trick, the Sabres beat the Islanders 7-4 on May 6, 1980
    35. Scored 3 of Buffalo's NHL-record 9 second-period goals in a 14-4 win vs. Toronto on March 19, 1981
    36. The final two hat tricks of his career were his only two natural hat tricks
    37. Retired on November 24, 1986

38. Some franchise records… including most 20-goal seasons (15)
    39. Most consecutive 20-goal seasons (12)
    40. Most 30-goal seasons (10)
    41. Most seasons (17)
    42. Most games played (1,191)
    43. Most playoff games played (90)
    44. Most goals (512)
    45. Most playoff goals (33)
    46. Most goals in one playoff year (10 in 1980)
    47. Most goals in a Semifinal/Conference Final (6 in 1980 vs. NYI)
    48. Most assists (814)

49. Most playoff assists (70)
    50. Most assists one playoff series (7, tied with Dale Hawerchuk and Miroslav Satan)
    51. Most times with seven assists in one playoff series (3 - 1973 vs. MTL, 1982 vs. BOS and 1983 vs. BOS)
    52. Most assists in one playoff game (4, tied with Dave Andreychuk)
    53. Most 4-assist playoff games (2 - April 17, 1980 vs. CHI and April 10, 1982 vs. BOS)
    54. Most points (1,326)
    55. Most playoff points (103)
    56. Playoff points/game with a minimun of 30 games played (1.14, which is also 10th all-time in NHL history)
    57. Most points one playoff year (21)
    58. Most points in a semifinal/conference final (8 in 1980 vs. NYI)
    59. Most game-winning goals (81)
    60. Most playoff game-winning goals (5, tied with Danny Gare)
    61. Most shots (3,077)
    62. Most shots on goal in a Stanley Cup Final (23 in 1975 vs. PHI)
    63. Most penalty minutes by a center (500)
    64. Most All-Star Game appearances at center by a Sabre (6)

65. And other accolades and honors, including two 100-point seasons (with a career-best 113 points in 1975-76)
    66. Three seasons with 60-plus assists
    67. Inducted into Sabres Hall of Fame (1989)
    68. Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame (1990)
    69. Inducted into Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (1991)
    70. First Sabre to have his number retired (October 17, 1990)

When the end-to-end rushes came to an end in November of 1986, Perreault retired as the 7th highest scorer in NHL history. Gordie Howe, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, Stan Mikita, Wayne Gretzky and Johnny Bucyk were the only players ahead of him.
He currently ranks 33rd all-time and, in 2017, was named one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players as part of the league's centennial celebrations.
Perreault was the first, the last, and the only "11" in franchise history.
Eleven.
Seventy.

Happy Birthday, Gilbert!