2009-10 Buffalo Sabres
After finishing in third place in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference with a 41-32-9 record, the Buffalo Sabres have reloaded in the offseason and are again poised to challenge for the President’s Trophy which they won two seasons ago. After being eliminated from the playoffs by a Rangers win and a Canadiens loss, the franchise became the first team to win the President’s Trophy then miss the playoffs the next.
In the offseason, the team signed restricted free agent Steve Montador and defenseman Joe DiPenta. They also signed Mike Grier, agreed to terms with Andrej Sekera and Clarke MacArthur.
As of this writing, the Sabres are sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 32-15-7 record.
Previous Seasons
The 2008-09 season was a disappointing one for Sabres fans. Even though the team finished 41-32-9, their fate was in the hands of the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens and while the Rangers won and the Canadiens lost, the Sabres were left wondering what happened.
What an up and down season the 2007-08 was for Sabers fans. After roaring into a season that had the best record in the league and leading in goals, with Buffalo fans buying out every ticket for a team poised to get the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, other teams on the ice were ready for the Sabers, and fought them until they ran out of steam - and things just got worse from there. After a hand wringing overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Sabers lost their captains to free agency. On Black Sunday, as it is now known, Daniel Briere and Chris Drury went to the Flyers and Rangers, respectively, easily the Sabers’ biggest rivals. There is definitely a question mark on the Sabers’ future now. But fans can rest assured that their team can play, and play well.
The drought that came along with Buffalo Sabres tickets over the last few seasons may be at an end. The Sabres, who finished in fifth place in the Northeast Division for the last three years, didn't plunge into the free agent market like most of the NHL so any improvement has to come from players already on the roster. If the Sabres can make the leap, the HSBC Center may be the scene of long lines for Buffalo Sabes tickets.
The Buffalo Sabres history begins with the city of Buffalo being awarded an NHL franchise in 1970 as part of an NHL expansion plan. The Sabres laid a good foundation for the future in their first year by choosing a well-established coach, Punch Imlach, and making a solid choice in their first draft pick, going with Gilbert Perreault as the #1 pick in the NHL draft. Perreault went on to lead the Sabres in scoring that year with 38 goals while Imlach guided the team to a competitive 24-39-15 record.
Year 2 for the Buffalo Sabres began well also. Buffalo used their draft choice to take Rick Martin. Martin and Perreault blended perfectly and the pair combined to give the Sabres a 74 point scoring spree over the course of the season. Combined with Rene Roberts, acquired late in the season from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sabres created a trio of quality players that soon became known as "The French Connection" because of their scoring prowess. The influence of Imlach continued with his ascension to GM as Imlach reached into the draft bag and pulled out defenseman Jim Schonfeld in 1972, and nabbed veteran Tim Horton to give the Sabres a formidable defense. Now loaded for bear, the Sabres broke through the playoff barrier.
That first trip to the playoffs in 1973 ended quickly as the Sabres were eliminated in their first playoff series by the Montreal Canadiens in 6 games but ignited hope in Buffalo for progress in the next season. Those hopes were dashed in 1973-74 by injuries to Perreault, goalie Roger Crozier, and the death of Tim Horton.
The Sabres rebounded from disappointment in 1974-75. The Sabres placed three players among the league leaders in scoring as Roberts, Perreault, and Martin tore up the NHL. Buffalo locked in a division title in the Adams Division and finished at 49-16-15. Advancing to the playoffs, the Sabres took the series against the Chicago Blackhawks in 5 games. 5 games later, after a series with the Montreal Canadiens, the Sabres advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, winners of the 1974 Stanley Cup. Although the Sabres would come back from two games down to even the series at 2-2, a heartbreaking loss ended their championship hopes.
Can Buffalo Sabres ticket holder’s bank on the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the new season? Fans weren't happy when the Sabres stood pat on the roster and avoided the free agent frenzy that gripped the rest of the NHL. But with a good supply of talent on hand, the stability on the team may pay off in an NHL filled with transient talent. With Briere and Drury manning the center, and Hecht on the wing, Sabres ticket holders may be in for a pleasant surprise.
ABOUT THE BUFFALO SABRES
In 1970, the National Hockey League awarded an expansion franchise to Buffalo New
York. The Buffalo Sabres began play, replacing the American Hockey League’s Bisons
as the areas team. To date, the team has not managed to win a Stanley Cup, although they
made the playoffs for the first time in just their third season. They have made it to the
playoffs a total of 28 times in their history, winning three Conference Championships and
six Division Championships.
When they’re not on the ice, the Buffalo Sabres are out in the community, helping the
less fortunate citizens of Western New York. They visit hospitals, read to children, visit
schools, and make it possible for young fans with special needs to attend games and
watch from a luxury box at the arena.
Individual members of the team are often found supporting area charities and
organizations in their spare time. The Sabres Significant Others is a group composed of
team members’ spouses, who donate time to help feed the hungry, organize fundraisers,
and promote holiday food drives.
Home of the Buffalo Sabres is the HSBC Arena, which opened in 1996 to replace the
old Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. The arena was originally known as Crossroads Arena
during construction but Marine Midland Bank bought the naming rights before the first
game had ever been played. In 1999, HSBC, who owns Marine Midland, changed the
name of the Arena during a corporate makeover. The Arena cost 127.5 million dollars to
build and seats 18,690 fans for hockey games.
The Buffalo Sabres do not have a dance team, although many fans have brought up the
idea, but they do have an awesome mascot. Sabretooth is of course, a saber-toothed tiger
who comes out during games to entertain fans, shoot t-shirts into the crowd, and play in
his custom built playhouse in HSBC arena where he hands out autographs.
Like many other professional sports teams, the team has fans that live in other areas
of the country and the world. To better serve these fans, the Sabres came up with the
Buffalo Sabres Road Crew. The Road Crew is an interactive community where fans can
get together online and find other fans in their area, arrange parties, and talk about the
game and their favorite team. The team visits different cities, meeting and greeting their
fans and hosting Road Crew parties. Registered members also have access to exclusive
road crew paraphernalia.
The Buffalo Sabres organization is entertaining on the ice, giving their fans a show at
each game. They are active in the community, and even considerate of their out of town
fans, catering to fans of all ages and in all places.
