Buffalo Sabres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buffalo Sabres |
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| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Atlantic |
| Founded | 1970 |
| History | Buffalo Sabres 1970–present |
| Home arena | KeyBank Center |
| City | Buffalo, New York |
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| Colors | Royal blue, gold, white |
| Media | MSG Western New York WGR 550 Sabres Hockey Network |
| Owner(s) | Terry Pegula |
| General manager | Kevyn Adams |
| Head coach | Lindy Ruff |
| Captain | Rasmus Dahlin |
| Minor league affiliates | Rochester Americans (AHL) Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 0 |
| Conference championships | 3 (1974–75, 1979–80, 1998–99) |
| Presidents' Trophies | 1 (2006–07) |
| Division championships | 6 (1974–75, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1996–97, 2006–07, 2009–10) |
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team from Buffalo, New York. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL) as part of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team started in 1970, at the same time as the Vancouver Canucks, when the league grew to 14 teams.
The Sabres have played their home games at KeyBank Center since 1996. Before that, they played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium from when they first started. Terry Pegula owns the Sabres; he bought the team in 2011 from Tom Golisano.
The team has reached the Stanley Cup Final twice. They lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and to the Dallas Stars in 1999. The Sabres and the Canucks are the oldest active NHL teams that have not yet won the Stanley Cup. The Sabres currently have the longest streak of not making the playoffs in the NHL, which is 14 seasons. This is an NHL record.
Contents
- Team History
- Team Information
- Season Records
- Players and Staff
- Team and League Honors
- See also
Team History
Starting Out and the French Connection (1970–1981)
The Sabres, along with the Vancouver Canucks, joined the NHL in the 1970–71 season. Their first owners were Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup Knox, from a well-known family in Western New York. Buffalo already had a history with professional hockey, as the Buffalo Bisons were a strong team in the American Hockey League (AHL) before the Sabres began.
The Knox brothers wanted a new name for the team, not "Bisons." They held a contest, and "Sabres" was chosen. Seymour Knox felt a sabre (a type of sword) was a weapon used by a leader and could be good for both offense and defense. The Sabres also started their own AHL farm team, the Cincinnati Swords. Punch Imlach, a former manager and coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs, became the Sabres' first general manager and head coach.
The Sabres' first season in 1970 was also when the Buffalo Bills football team joined the National Football League. The city of Buffalo suddenly had three major professional sports teams. The Sabres quickly became more successful than the basketball team, the Buffalo Braves.
When the Sabres first started, they used a song called "Sabre Dance" as their entrance music. This music has been linked to the team ever since, often played at the start of each period.
The top pick in the 1970 NHL amateur draft was expected to be Gilbert Perreault. The Sabres or the Canucks would get the first pick, decided by spinning a wheel. The Sabres got the lucky spin, and Perreault joined the team. He scored 38 goals in his first season (1970–71), which was a record for an NHL rookie at the time. He also won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie.
In the team's second season, Rick Martin and Rene Robert joined Perreault. They became one of the best forward lines in the NHL during the 1970s. Martin broke Perreault's rookie goal record with 44 goals. They were called "The French Connection" because they were all French-Canadian. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in 1972–73, their third year, but lost to the Montreal Canadiens.
After missing the playoffs in 1973–74, the Sabres had one of the best records in the NHL in 1974–75. They reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time, playing against the Philadelphia Flyers. One famous game in that series was the "Fog Game." Because of unusual heat and no air conditioning in the arena, heavy fog formed on the ice. Players and the puck were hard to see. During this game, Sabres player Jim Lorentz hit and killed a bat flying across the rink. The Sabres won that game in overtime, but the Flyers won the series 4–2.
The French Connection era ended when Robert was traded in 1979 and Martin in 1981. All three players had their jersey numbers (11, 7, and 14) retired. A statue honoring them was put up outside KeyBank Center in 2012.
Division Rivalries (1981–1996)
From 1981–82 onward, the Sabres often finished in the middle of their division. This meant they usually had to face strong teams like the Boston Bruins or Canadiens in the playoffs. They won a playoff series against Montreal in 1983 and Boston in 1993. However, they lost to division rivals many times and missed the playoffs in 1985–86 and 1986–87. Gilbert Perreault reached 500 goals in 1985–86 and retired in 1987.
The Sabres picked Pierre Turgeon first in the 1987 NHL entry draft. He quickly helped the team reach the playoffs. In 1989, Alexander Mogilny joined the team, becoming the first Soviet player to come to the NHL with the help of the Sabres. The Sabres traded Turgeon in 1991 in a big trade that brought Pat LaFontaine to Buffalo.
In 1992–93, amazing goaltender Dominik Hasek joined the team. In the 1993 playoffs, the Sabres surprised the Bruins by winning their series in four games. Brad May scored the winning goal in overtime, which was made famous by announcer Rick Jeanneret's "May Day!" call. However, the Sabres then lost to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Sabres moved to a new arena, Marine Midland Arena (now KeyBank Center), in 1996. The last game at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was on April 14, 1996.
Stanley Cup Final Appearance and New Owners (1996–2005)
In 1996–97, the Sabres had a great season. They won their division title for the first time in 16 years. Coach Ted Nolan won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach. Dominik Hasek won both the Hart (MVP) and Vezina (best goalie) awards. Michael Peca won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward.
However, there were some issues during the playoffs. Tensions between Nolan and Hasek were high. Hasek left a playoff game due to injury, and later had an incident with a newspaper columnist. The NHL suspended Hasek for three games. Despite this, the team rallied to win their first series. After the season, general manager John Muckler was fired, and Nolan also left the team. Former Sabres captain Lindy Ruff was hired as the new head coach in July 1997.
New Owners and Return to the Final
In 1997–98, the Sabres were sold to John Rigas, owner of Adelphia Communications. The team reached the conference finals that season but lost to the Washington Capitals.
In the 1998–99 season, Miroslav Satan scored 40 goals. The team also added centers Stu Barnes and Joe Juneau. The Sabres returned to the Stanley Cup Final, playing against the Dallas Stars. In game six, Brett Hull scored a goal in triple overtime that ended the series, giving the Stars the Cup. There was a lot of discussion about whether Hull's skate was in the goalie's crease before the puck, which was against the rules at the time. The rule was changed for the next season.
In 1999–2000, the Sabres made the playoffs as the eighth seed. They faced the Philadelphia Flyers, and there was another controversial goal where the puck went through a hole in the net. The Flyers won that game and the series.
Captain Michael Peca missed the 2000–01 season due to a contract disagreement and was later traded. Even so, the Sabres beat Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. They then lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in game seven of the second round. After long talks, the Sabres traded star goalie Dominik Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings in 2001.
Ownership Problems and League Shutdown
In 2002, owner John Rigas and his sons faced serious legal charges for misusing money from their company. The NHL took control of the team for a while. After two years of uncertainty, the team was sold to a group led by Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano in March 2003.
Under NHL control, the team began to rebuild. They traded veteran players like Rob Ray and Stu Barnes. They also acquired Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. Even though the team improved in 2003–04, they missed the playoffs. The next season, 2004–05, was canceled due to a league-wide lockout.
Success After the Lockout (2005–2010)
In the 2005–06 season, the Sabres had their best record in over 20 years and made the playoffs for the first time since 2000–01. They won 52 games, a franchise record, and earned 110 points.
Buffalo defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2006 playoffs. Then they beat the top-seeded Ottawa Senators. The Sabres reached their first conference finals since 1999, playing against the Carolina Hurricanes. Many of their top defensemen were injured. Despite this, the Sabres pushed the series to seven games before losing to Carolina, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. Coach Lindy Ruff won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
The Sabres started the 2006–07 season with 10 wins in a row, a new team record. They also set an NHL record for consecutive road wins to start a season. The team reached 50 wins for the second time in its history. The Sabres won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time, giving them home-ice advantage throughout the 2007 playoffs. They beat the New York Islanders and New York Rangers to reach their second straight conference finals. However, they were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators in five games.
In April 2007, ESPN the Magazine ranked the Sabres as the best of 122 major professional sports teams in North America. They were praised for how accessible their players were, their low ticket prices, and their exciting style of play.
After Briere and Drury Left
On July 1, 2007, the Sabres lost both of their co-captains, Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, who left as free agents. The team almost lost Thomas Vanek too, but the Sabres matched a big contract offer from the Edmonton Oilers.
During the 2007–08 season, the Sabres hosted the 2008 Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This outdoor game was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. The Sabres lost 2–1 in a shootout. The Sabres did not make the 2008 playoffs, becoming one of only a few teams to go from finishing first overall to missing the playoffs the next year.
In the offseason, the Sabres acquired Craig Rivet and extended contracts for players like Ryan Miller and Jason Pominville. Rivet was named team captain.
In the 2009–10 season, the Sabres made history by winning two games in a row after being down by three or more goals. On March 27, the Sabres secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2006–07. They also won the Northeast Division title. However, they were defeated by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs.
The 2010–11 roster did not change much. The team signed veteran defensemen Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrisonn.
The Pegula Era (2010–present)
In November 2010, news came out that billionaire Terry Pegula planned to buy the Sabres. Pegula was the founder of East Resources, a large private company. After some back-and-forth, Pegula and Tom Golisano agreed on the sale in January 2011. NHL owners approved the sale on February 18.
Terry Pegula was introduced as the Sabres' owner at a public event on February 23. All three members of The French Connection were there for what would be their last public appearance together before Rick Martin's death. After Pegula took over, the Sabres played very well, finishing the regular season strong and making the playoffs. Many people felt Pegula's ownership brought new energy to the team. The Sabres clinched a playoff spot on April 8, 2011, but lost their first-round series in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Playoff Drought
The Sabres started the 2011–12 season by playing games in Finland and Germany as part of the NHL Premiere series. Jason Pominville was named the Sabres' 13th full-time captain. The team started strong but struggled after goalie Ryan Miller was injured. They ended up missing the playoffs.
The 2012–13 NHL lockout shortened the 2012–13 season. After a slow start, coach Lindy Ruff's contract was ended on February 20, 2013, after 16 seasons as head coach. Ron Rolston took over as interim head coach. The Sabres were active in trades, sending players like Jordan Leopold and Jason Pominville to other teams.
In the following season, on November 13, 2013, general manager Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston were fired. Former Sabres coach Ted Nolan became interim head coach. Pat LaFontaine was named president of hockey operations. On January 9, 2014, Tim Murray became the new general manager. Murray traded star goalie Ryan Miller and captain Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues. The Sabres finished last in the NHL and missed the playoffs again.
The 2014–15 season was similar, with the team finishing last in the NHL. On March 26, 2015, some fans cheered when the opposing team scored the winning goal, hoping it would help the Sabres get a better draft pick. The Sabres clinched last place and got the second pick in the draft, which they used to select Jack Eichel. Murray fired Nolan at the end of the season. Dan Bylsma was hired as the new head coach.
With new players like Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Ryan O'Reilly, the team improved in 2015–16. Even though they missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season, they had a much better record.
In 2016, the team announced that its TV broadcasts would be on their own regional sports network, MSG Western New York. The team did not improve much in 2016–17, missing the playoffs for the sixth season in a row. This led to the firings of coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Tim Murray.
In 2017, the Sabres hired former players Jason Botterill as general manager and Phil Housley as head coach. Former scoring leader Jason Pominville returned to the team in a trade.
In the 2017–18 season, the Sabres played in the 2018 Winter Classic, losing to the New York Rangers. Buffalo finished last in the NHL again and won the draft lottery, using the pick to select Rasmus Dahlin.
On November 27, 2018, the Sabres had a great start to the season, leading the league in points after 25 games. They won 10 games in a row, tying a franchise record. However, the team then struggled and missed the playoffs, leading to Housley's firing.
Ralph Krueger was named the Sabres head coach in May 2019. In the 2019–20 season, the Sabres missed the postseason for the ninth straight season, even with an expanded playoff format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 16, 2020, Jason Botterill was fired and replaced by Kevyn Adams.
On March 17, 2021, coach Ralph Krueger was fired during a long losing streak. Don Granato was named interim head coach. On March 29, 2021, the Sabres tied an NHL record for the longest losing streak at 18 games. Granato was named the full-time head coach at the end of the season.
With their last-place finish in the 2020–21 season, they won the draft lottery and selected Owen Power first overall in the 2021 draft. Longtime announcer Rick Jeanneret announced his final season. Before the 2021–22 season, the Sabres traded away Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. During the season, the team traded Jack Eichel for Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and draft picks. Eichel had a disc injury and wanted a specific surgery that the Sabres did not approve. After the trade, the Vegas Golden Knights funded his surgery, and he later won the Stanley Cup with them in 2023. The Sabres missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season, setting a new NHL record.
The Sabres improved in the 2022–23 season, finishing with a winning record for the first time since 2011. They missed the playoffs by only one point.
On August 17, 2023, Rick Jeanneret passed away. The Sabres honored him by renaming the street next to KeyBank Center "RJ Way." The team struggled slightly in the 2023–24 season. They traded captain Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. On April 9, 2024, the Sabres were eliminated from playoff contention. Coach Granato was fired on April 16, 2024. One week later, on April 22, former coach Lindy Ruff returned as the new head coach.
In the 2024–25 season, the Sabres had a 13-game losing streak. Owner Terry Pegula visited the team to show his support. On April 8, 2025, the team was eliminated from playoff contention for the 14th time. After the season, Erie County announced plans to end its lease of KeyBank Center in September 2026. The Sabres stated they do not plan to move.
Team Information
Logo and Uniforms
The Sabres have mostly used a main logo with a bison on top of two crossed sabres inside a blue circle with gold trim. This logo was used from 1970 to 1996 and was brought back in 2020.
For 26 years at the Buffalo Auditorium, the Sabres wore white uniforms with blue and gold shoulders and stripes. On the road, they wore blue uniforms with gold stripes. In 1978, the main logo was added to the shoulders.
When they moved to KeyBank Center in 1996, the Sabres changed their logo and colors. Red, black, and silver replaced blue and gold. A new "bison head" logo became the main one. Their uniforms were black for road games (later home) and white for home games (later road).
The first alternate jersey for the Buffalo Sabres was made in 2000. It was mostly red with black and silver stripes. It also had "Buffalo" written on a black stripe. The logo was a black circle with two crossed sabres, like the original logo.
On September 16, 2006, the Sabres showed off new home and away jerseys with midnight blue, gold, silver, and white colors. A new logo, a styled bison, was not very popular and was nicknamed the "Buffaslug." Despite this, the Sabres brought back the classic blue jerseys as an alternate.
The classic blue jersey eventually became the main home jersey on September 18, 2010. A matching white road jersey was also released. They also had an alternate jersey that looked like the old Buffalo Bisons team.
In 2013, the Sabres released a new alternate jersey with a gold front and navy back. This uniform was only used for two seasons.
The Sabres kept their uniforms mostly the same when Adidas became their supplier. They were also the only NHL team to have numbers on the front of their jerseys.
During the 2018 Winter Classic, the Sabres wore white uniforms with classic blue and gold colors, but with a different stripe pattern.
The 2019–20 season was the last for the navy and gold look. The Sabres announced they would return to royal blue uniforms for the next season. They also used a 50th-anniversary white alternate jersey with metallic gold details.
On August 11, 2020, the Sabres showed their new uniforms for the upcoming season. The style is like the ones from the team's early days. Numbers are no longer on the front of the jersey. The Sabres also released a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform, bringing back the "crossed swords" logo from 2000–2006 but in the current royal, gold, and white colors.
For the 2022 Heritage Classic, the Sabres wore another version of their classic uniforms, but without the blue shoulder yoke and with a cream base.
On August 31, 2022, the Sabres announced that their black uniform from 1995–2006 would become their new alternate jersey. This uniform also inspired their second "Reverse Retro" uniform, but in white, blue, and gold colors.
Broadcasters
The Canadian and U.S. national anthems are sung before every Sabres home game. This is because Buffalo is very close to the Canadian border, and many fans come from Canada. Doug Allen sang the anthems for many years until 2021. Curtis Cook is the arena's organist.
Minor League Teams
The Sabres are connected to two minor league teams: the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL. The Americans play in Rochester, New York. The Sabres were first linked to the Americans from 1979–80 to 2007–08. The Americans won three championships during that time. The Sabres became linked with the Americans again in the 2011–12 season when Terry Pegula bought both teams.
The Jacksonville Icemen are based in Jacksonville, Florida. They have been the Sabres' ECHL team since the 2023–24 season.
Season Records
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Sabres. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Buffalo Sabres seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses/SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2020–21 | 56 | 15 | 34 | 7 | 37 | 138 | 199 | 8th, East | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 32 | 39 | 11 | 75 | 232 | 290 | 5th, Atlantic | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 42 | 33 | 7 | 91 | 296 | 300 | 5th, Atlantic | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 39 | 37 | 6 | 84 | 246 | 244 | 6th, Atlantic | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 82 | 36 | 39 | 7 | 79 | 269 | 289 | 7th, Atlantic | Did not qualify |
Players and Staff
Current Roster
Updated December 30, 2022
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 |  |
Craig Anderson | G | L | 44 | 2021 | Park Ridge, Illinois |
| 74 |  |
Rasmus Asplund | C | L | 27 | 2016 | Filipstad, Sweden |
| 78 |  |
Jacob Bryson | D | L | 27 | 2017 | London, Ontario |
| 38 | |
Kale Clague | D | L | 27 | 2022 | Regina, Saskatchewan |
| 31 | |
Eric Comrie  |
G | L | 30 | 2022 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 24 | |
Dylan Cozens | C | R | 24 | 2019 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 26 | |
Rasmus Dahlin (A) | D | L | 25 | 2018 | Trollhattan, Sweden |
| 4 | |
Jeremy Davies | D | L | 28 | 2022 | Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec |
| 45 | |
Casey Fitzgerald | D | R | 28 | 2016 | North Reading, Massachusetts |
| 28 |  |
Zemgus Girgensons (A) | C | L | 31 | 2012 | Riga, Latvia |
| 29 | |
Vinnie Hinostroza | RW | R | 31 | 2021 | Melrose Park, Illinois |
| 10 |  |
Henri Jokiharju |
D | R | 26 | 2019 | Oulu, Finland |
| 17 | |
Tyson Jost | C | L | 27 | 2022 | St. Albert, Alberta |
| 19 | |
Peyton Krebs | C | L | 24 | 2021 | Okotoks, Alberta |
| 1 | |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | G | L | 26 | 2017 | Espoo, Finland |
| 46 |  |
Ilya Lyubushkin | D | R | 31 | 2022 | Moscow, Russia |
| 37 | |
Casey Mittelstadt | C | L | 26 | 2017 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota |
| 21 | |
Kyle Okposo (C) | RW | R | 37 | 2016 | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 71 | |
Victor Olofsson | LW | L | 30 | 2014 | Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
| 77 |  |
JJ Peterka | LW | L | 23 | 2020 | Munich, Germany |
| 25 | |
Owen Power | D | L | 22 | 2021 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 22 | |
Jack Quinn | RW | R | 23 | 2020 | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 23 | |
Mattias Samuelsson | D | L | 25 | 2018 | Voorhees, New Jersey |
| 53 | |
Jeff Skinner | LW | L | 33 | 2018 | Markham, Ontario |
| 72 | |
Tage Thompson | C | R | 27 | 2018 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 89 | |
Alex Tuch | RW | R | 29 | 2021 | Syracuse, New York |
Team Captains
Reference:
- Floyd Smith, 1970–1971
- Gerry Meehan, 1971–1974
- Jim Schoenfeld, 1974–1977
- Danny Gare, 1977–1981
- Gilbert Perreault, 1981–1986
- Lindy Ruff, 1986–1989
- Mike Foligno, 1989–1990
- Mike Ramsey, 1991–1992
- Pat LaFontaine, 1992–1997
- Alexander Mogilny, 1993–1994 (interim)
- Michael Peca, 1997–2000
- Stu Barnes, 2001–2003
- Rotating, 2003–2004
- Miroslav Satan, October 2003
- Chris Drury, November 2003
- James Patrick, December 2003
- Jean-Pierre Dumont, January 2004
- Daniel Briere, February 2004
- Chris Drury, March–April 2004
- Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, 2005–2007 (co-captains)
- Rotating, 2007–2008
- Jochen Hecht, October 2007
- Toni Lydman, November 2007
- Brian Campbell, December 2007
- Jaroslav Spacek, January 2008
- Jochen Hecht, February 2008
- Jason Pominville, March–April 2008
- Craig Rivet, 2008–2011
- Jason Pominville, 2011–2013
- Steve Ott and Thomas Vanek, October 2013 (co-captains)
- Steve Ott, 2013–2014
- Brian Gionta, 2014–2017
- Jack Eichel, 2018–2021
- Kyle Okposo, 2022–2024
- Rasmus Dahlin, 2024–present
Front Office
Kevyn Adams, who used to play in the NHL, became the team's general manager on June 16, 2020. Kim Pegula, as chief operating officer of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, is the team president. In May 2025, the Sabres added Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior adviser.
Head Coaches
The Sabres named Lindy Ruff head coach on April 22, 2024. He returned for his second time coaching the team, after coaching Buffalo from 1997 to 2013.
Seven of the 20 head coaches the Sabres have had also played for the team. Two others played in the Sabres' minor league system.
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)
- 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), and Dave Andreychuk (16th overall)
- 1983: Tom Barrasso (5th overall), Normand Lacombe (10th overall), and 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)
- 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: Artyom 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)
- 2008: Tyler Myers (12th overall), Tyler Ennis (26th overall)
- 2009: Zack Kassian (13th overall)
- 2010: Mark Pysyk (23rd overall)
- 2011: Joel Armia (16th overall)
- 2012: Mikhail Grigorenko (12th overall), Zemgus Girgensons (14th overall)
- 2013: Rasmus Ristolainen (8th overall), Nikita Zadorov (16th overall)
- 2014: Sam Reinhart (2nd overall)
- 2015: Jack Eichel (2nd overall)
- 2016: Alexander Nylander (8th overall)
- 2017: Casey Mittelstadt (8th overall)
- 2018: Rasmus Dahlin (1st overall)
- 2019: Dylan Cozens (7th overall), Ryan Johnson (31st overall)
- 2020: Jack Quinn (8th overall)
- 2021: Owen Power (1st overall), Isak Rosen (14th overall)
- 2022: Matthew Savoie (9th overall), Noah Ostlund (16th overall), and Jiri Kulich (28th overall)
- 2023: Zach Benson (13th overall)
- 2024: Konsta Helenius (14th overall)
- 2025: Radim Mrtka (9th overall)
Team and League Honors
Hockey Hall of Famers
Many people connected to the Buffalo Sabres have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. This includes 14 former players and four people who helped build the sport. The builders include former general managers, head coaches, and owners.
Three Sabres broadcasters also received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame: Ted Darling (1994), Rick Jeanneret (2012), and Harry Neale (2013).
Four sports writers from Buffalo and St. Catharines, Ontario, also received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Players
- Dave Andreychuk
- Tom Barrasso
- Dick Duff
- Grant Fuhr
- Clark Gillies
- Doug Gilmour
- Dominik Hasek
- Dale Hawerchuk
- Tim Horton
- Phil Housley
- Pat LaFontaine
- Alexander Mogilny
- Gilbert Perreault
- Pierre Turgeon
Builders
- Scotty Bowman
- Punch Imlach
- Seymour H. Knox III
- Roger Neilson
Retired Numbers
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Number retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tim Horton | D | 1972–1974 | January 5, 1996 |
| 7 | Rick Martin | LW | 1971–1981 | November 15, 1995 1 |
| 11 | Gilbert Perreault | C | 1970–1987 | October 17, 1990 1 |
| 14 | Rene Robert | RW | 1972–1979 | November 15, 1995 1 |
| 16 | Pat LaFontaine | C | 1991–1997 | March 3, 2006 |
| 18 | Danny Gare | RW | 1974–1981 | November 22, 2005 |
| 30 | Ryan Miller | G | 2002–2014 | January 19, 2023 |
| 39 | Dominik Hasek | G | 1992–2001 | January 13, 2015 |
- 1 When the numbers for Robert (No. 14) and Martin (No. 7) were retired, Gilbert Perreault was there. The entire "French Connection" line had their numbers retired together.
- SHK III and NRK (team founders Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup R. Knox. Banners with their initials are in the KeyBank Center.)
- RJ (longtime announcer Rick Jeanneret. A banner with his initials was raised on April 1, 2022.)
- Although Alexander Mogilny's number 89 is not officially retired, it has only been used once since he left.
- The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its teams in 2000.
Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame
Reference:
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Scoring Leaders
Regular Season Scoring Leaders
These are the top ten players with the most points in the team's regular season history. Numbers are updated after each NHL regular season.
- * – current Sabres player
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Franchise Single-Season Records
- Most goals: Alexander Mogilny, 76 (1992–93)
- Most assists: Pat LaFontaine, 95 (1992–93)
- Most points: Pat LaFontaine, 148 (1992–93)
- Most penalty minutes: Rob Ray, 354 (1991–92)
- Most goals, defenseman: Phil Housley, 31 (1983–84)
- Most assists, defenseman: Phil Housley, 60 (1989–90)
- Most points, defenseman: Phil Housley, 81 (1989–90)
- Most goals, rookie: Rick Martin, 44 (1971–72)
- Most assists, rookie: Phil Housley, 47 (1982–83)
- Most points, rookie: Rick Martin, 74 (1971–72)
- Most wins: Ryan Miller, 41 (2009–10)
- Most shutouts: Dominik Hasek, 13 (1997–98)
NHL Awards and Trophies
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Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy |
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
Lester B. Pearson Award Lester Patrick Trophy
NHL Plus/Minus Award
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See also
In Spanish: Buffalo Sabres para niños
