-
Rick Jeanneret’s legacy as the voice of the Sabres will continue on following his death at 81
Rick Jeanneret’s legacy as the voice of the Sabres will continue on following his death at 81
NEW YORK, BUFFALO (AP) Even though Rick Jeanneret’s loud, energetic voice is no longer audible, the generations of hockey players and fans who listened to him call Buffalo Sabres games during his 51-year career will always treasure his memory.
As soon as the team announced the broadcaster’s passing on Thursday, condolences honoring the man who was lovingly referred to as “RJ” and was thought of as the voice of the Sabres started to arrive. He was eighty-one.
Following a two-year battle with multiple organ failure, Jeanneret passed away with his family by his side, according to a statement released by the Sabres from his family.
One day later, “RIPRJ” was trending on X, the social media site that was formerly known as Twitter, demonstrating the breadth of his impact and the number of people he touched.
“Conveying my condolences to the Jeanneret family on Rick’s demise,” wrote Buffalo-born former Chicago Blackhawks player Patrick Kane. “I grew up liking the Sabres so much because of him in particular.”
“I’m depressed and crying.RIP, RJ,” wrote Matthew Barnaby, a former player for the Sabres. “Everyone loves you,”
Former Sabres co-captain Daniel Brière, general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, expressed his sorrow in a statement.
Buffalo, New York (AP) — The generations of hockey players and fans who heard Rick Jeanneret call Buffalo Sabres games during his 51-year career will always cherish his memory, even though his boisterous, exuberant voice is no longer audible.
Condolences for the broadcaster, who was affectionately known as “RJ” and was regarded as the voice of the Sabres, began to pour in as soon as the team announced his death on Thursday. He was eighty-one years old.
According to a statement issued by the Sabres from his family, Jeanneret passed away with his family by his side after a two-year battle with multiple organ failure.
Jeanneret was known for having various signature calls including “Top shelf, where mama hides the cookies” whenever a Sabres player scored by roofing a shot high into the net. One of his most memorable calls was “May Day! May Day!” after Brad May scored the decisive goal in a 6-5 overtime win to clinch a four-game series sweep of Boston in the first round of the 1993 playoffs. It was also Buffalo’s first playoff series win in 10 years. His other notable calls included “La-la-la-la-Fontaine!” which followed whenever former Sabres captain Pat LaFontaine scored in the 1990s. And there was his “Now do you believe?” call during the Sabres’ run to the Eastern Conference final in 2006. The Sabres honored Jeanneret during his final season
Jeanneret was known for having various signature calls including “Top shelf, where mama hides the cookies” whenever a Sabres player scored by roofing a shot high into the net. One of his most memorable calls was “May Day! May Day!” after Brad May scored the decisive goal in a 6-5 overtime win to clinch a four-game series sweep of Boston in the first round of the 1993 playoffs. It was also Buffalo’s first playoff series win in 10 years. His other notable calls included “La-la-la-la-Fontaine!” which followed whenever former Sabres captain Pat LaFontaine scored in the 1990s. And there was his “Now do you believe?” call during the Sabres’ run to the Eastern Conference final in 2006. The Sabres honored Jeanneret during his final season
