Sabres Hall-of-Fame play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret passes away

Legendary Buffalo Sabres play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret passed away Thursday at the age of 81.

Jeanneret called Sabres games from 1971 until his retirement in 2022 and served as the team's broadcaster emeritus last season.

RJ is a member of the Sabres Hall of Fame, the Hockey Hall of Fame (as the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award in 2012), the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Township of Terrace Bay, Ontario's Sports Wall of Fame, and an honorary member of the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame.

"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. "How glad I am to have known him. How lucky were we all to have been around him and to have listened to him.

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

Because of his impact on the franchise, Jeanneret is one of only 11 members of the Sabres organization to have a banner raised to the rafters of KeyBank Center in his honor.

Former owners Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup R. Knox, and alumni Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Rene Robert, Tim Horton, Danny Gare, Pat LaFontaine, Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller are the others.

RJ's signature calls - from "May Day" to "Scary Good" to "Top Shelf Where Mama Hides The Cookies" - have immortalized some of the greatest plays in Sabres history.

While he would always cede the title of "Voice of the Sabres" to his predecessor, the late Ted Darling, Jeanneret's unique and exciting calls were, for generations of Sabres fans, second to none.

"Growing up in Buffalo, Rick Jeanneret was not just the voice of the Sabres, he was the voice for our city. He helped foster my love of hockey, along with so many others," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. "Beyond the booth, Rick was an incredible man that was loved by all. His wit and humor was unmatched and we are all lucky to have known him.

"I am heartbroken by his passing and send my condolences to his wife, Sandra, and all of his family and friends. May he rest in peace."

During his banner night on April 1, 2022, it was the Sabres who rose to the occasion before a sold-out crowd in a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. After the final horn, forwards Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin escorted RJ onto the ice to be part of their postgame celebration and the players welcomed him into the locker room to present him with the team sword, which is awarded to the player of the game following each victory.

"Being a Sabres fan since I was 3 years old, it meant a lot to me to see someone who really propelled my love for the game to be honored in that way," Tuch said. "It was just a phenomenal night in general and it was great that we got to win, but afterwards just the applause and the gratitude that everyone showed him was phenomenal."

The energy inside KeyBank Center led captain Kyle Okposo to call it his favorite game as a Sabre.

"Fans were into it all night, doing the wave in the third," he said the next day. "Guys got chills. …It was pretty special."

The final game of his career, of course, went to "oooooooovertime." On April 29, 2022, Casey Mittelstadt scored 2:07 into the extra period to end the season and cap off Jeanneret's 51-year tenure behind the mic.

Jeanneret exited the broadcast booth in the Ted Darling Memorial Press Box one last time and again headed down to ice level to join the players and staff in celebration. He acknowledged the 19,070-plus fans in attendance, who rose for a standing ovation, chanting his name.

Jeanneret retired as the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in NHL history. He called his first Sabres game on the radio on October 10, 1971 and joined the team's TV broadcast in 1995.

He is survived by his wife, Sandra, his children, Mark, Chris and Shelly, and many beloved grandchildren.