The
Buffalo Sabres joined the NHL in 1970 after a successful American
Hockey League team enjoyed success in Buffalo as the Bisons
for several years. They got off to a good start before they
even hit the ice, picking future Hall of Fame center Gilbert
Perreault first overall in the NHL's Entry Draft. He would
score 38 goals in his rookie season (enough to earn him the
Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year), but the Sabres
would miss the playoffs.
1992-1993 was also goalie Dominik Hasek's first year in Buffalo
(after spending two years with the Chicago Blackhawks), and
"the Dominator" would become one of the best goaltenders
in league history during the 1990s.
The
Sabres, behind Hasek, enforcer Matthew Barnaby, left-winger
Miroslav Satan (who led the team in scoring), right-winger
Donald Audette, and center Michael Peca, reached the conference
finals in 1998, but would lose to the Washington Capitals.
In
1999, Satan (accent on the second syllable) scored 40 goals,
they would pick up centers Stu Barnes from the Pittsburgh
Penguins and Joe Juneau from the Washington Capitals, and
Michael Grosek had the best season of his career, and the
Sabres would reach the Stanley Cup finals. They made it to
game 6, before losing to the Dallas Stars on Brett Hull's
triple-overtime goal - one that remains in dispute by Sabres
fans who think Hull's skate was in the crease. A disappointing
season in 1999-2000 culminated with a first round playoff
loss to the Flyers.
Peca
sat out the 2000-2001 season in a contract dispute, and eventually
was traded to the Islanders. The Sabres would still make the
second round of the playoffs, but lose to the Penguins.
Hasek
was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2001,
and the Sabres disintegrated, missing the 2002 playoffs. The
team continued to fall in the summer of 2002, as Adelphia
Communications CEO John Rigas, the team's owner, was arrested
for investor fraud for embezeling more than $1 Billion from
his corporation. After being run by the league for a short
period of time, the Sabres were sold in 2003 to local billionaire
and former New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano.
Founded:
1970-1971
Arena: HSBC Arena (capacity 18,690)
Uniform colors: black, red, silver, white
Logo design: a buffalo's head
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