The Life & Legacy of Sabres’ Play-By-Play Rick Jeanneret

On the personal end of his life, he accomplished one of the greatest feats known to man, and he did it over the age of 70. In July 2014, he was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer, which was a devastating blow. Despite this, he fought hard and revealed in November of that same year that his treatment was a success, and he was cancer free. That recovery was both inspiring and incredible. While he missed a decent amount of time calling games that season, the fact that he was able to do any of them was nothing short of monumental.

What Made RJ Unique?

Over the span of 50 years, RJ has been the voice behind some of the most iconic moments in Sabres history. From incredible saves by legendary goalies Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek to heroic overtime goals from Danny Briere and Maxim Afinogenov, his electric performance on the mic was the primary reason for his longevity. His ability to break down a play to its simplest, yet most descriptive measure was what set him apart from everyone else in the business. When RJ spoke, you didn’t need to be watching the game to see what was happening. The manner in which he described the smaller details of each play brought the listener and the viewer together as they both got to experience what was happening on the ice as if they were right up on the glass.

I will never forget one of the greatest examples of this happening, as it was for one of the most famous goal calls in Sabres history. It was Game 5 against the New York Rangers in the 2007 Playoffs, and I was sitting in my parents’ car listening to the game as we were out and about. I was on the edge of my seat as I felt the tension building as Buffalo was down 1-0 with only 16 seconds remaining on the clock.

As Chris Drury lined up against Michael Nylander and lost the draw, the call started and built quickly from calm to an explosion of joy. The roar of the crowd coupled with RJ’s “SCORES!” brought out goosebumps and elation as Drury tied the game. Each second from the moment the puck went to the boards on the faceoff, he described every detail flawlessly. The call continued as RJ yells out “Chris, DRUUURY! Who else? Who Else?” and things got so much more intense and emotional. I did not see the replay of the goal until later that night, but hearing the way he described each of those seconds made me feel like I was right there.

There was never a moment lost when RJ was calling a game, and the intensity of each high-octane play was always at its peak when he was up in the booth. While he may have lost some of that luster towards the tail end of his career, he was still the same man at heart; putting everything he had into calling the play and invigorating the audience with an immersion that only he could provide.

RJ’s Calls That Will Echo In Eternity

Just like the famous movie quote from Gladiator, what RJ did in his life will echo through eternity in hockey history . With his thundering voice, he took ordinary players and made them extraordinary; he took magical moments and made them immortal by adding his exquisite phrasing. Players like Brad May being remembered for “May Day”, or Brian Campbell forever having his name attached to RJ Umberger as he dropped a massive hit on him, or even Jason Pominville “raising the population of Pominville” every time he scored. Every single one of these players, including famous Sabres like Afinogenov, Rene Robert, Hasek, and Miller have some of his greatest calls tied to their names.

Afinogenov was a fan favorite for numerous reasons, but one highlight in general where he did a spinning move at the opposing net to bury a goal up close gave RJ the call of “Roll the highlight film!”, and it became a staple in his repertoire. Robert is already a Sabres icon as a member of their famed “French Connection” line, but thanks to RJ he will always have his name be synonymous with the “fog game” final goal. Miller was the Sabres goaltender for over a decade, and few things in the hockey world were more recognizable when he made a big save and fans would hear RJ caw “MILLERRRRRRRR” to bring the proper energy to the saves he made. Hasek is one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history, and his legacy is forever tied to some of the best RJ calls, including the famous words “We are NOT worthy”.

The player list would go on and on if someone tallied up all the different calls tied to different Sabres. A select few stand out as staple calls that RJ used consistently throughout the years and hearing them just made the games that much more invigorating. “Top shelf where mama hides the cookies,” and “We are going to OOOOOOO-vertime,” are the two most famous ones, as generations of Sabres fans were graced with those words across decades of play calling.

RJ Calls That Deserve More Recognition

51 years is a long time to be calling hockey games, and as he uttered so many iconic lines, there are a few that stand out for me personally. I already mentioned the call about Drury against the Rangers, but I have a few more that I feel are worth giving attention to that truly show how much RJ’s call enhanced the moment. These are some lesser-known calls that I feel still capture the spirit of the moment, and make them that much more special.

Overtime in Buffalo has long been a big deal as RJ would extend the word to make it “OOOOOO-vertime” and while winning a game in OT is always exciting, there was something a little more special about it when the final call made by RJ added that excitement factor. While there are too many amazing overtime goals to count, there are three that stand out to me as “underrated”.

The first one was done in 2012 by former Sabres star Thomas Vanek. In a tight game against the Washington Capitals, he picks up the puck in the neutral zone and then turns around to the center of the opposing blue line to deke and walk through multiple defenders (including John Carlson) to score on the backhand. RJ explodes with excitement as you hear “Oh my what a goal! Vanek just turned everybody inside-out, upside-down, and BINGO”, as you watch the entire Sabres team mob Vanek. The skill of the move matched with the rising excitement from RJ as he sees the play developing, combined with the final goal call created an incredible moment overall.

The second one was done by Rasmus Ristolainen in 2016 against the Edmonton Oilers. Despite recovering from cancer a few years prior, it did not slow him down enough to take his energy away from him. On the play, Ristolainen took a one-time shot from Ryan O’Reilly and blasted the puck off the crossbar and in, making an incredibly loud “ping” sound that echoed throughout the arena. RJ followed that up with an emphatic call saying “That’s the LOUDEST goal in Buffalo this year. CLANK off the pipe!”, and I remember feeling the power behind the shot combined with the power behind the call to make that moment unique.

The third goal that I feel will get a lot more attention as the years go by is RJ’s final call. How fitting it was that it be an overtime-winning goal, but this time by Casey Mittelstadt. While the power behind his voice was not quite there anymore, his love and excitement for the game were clearly present. The final play-by-play words after the OT goal was “Casey! Casey at the bat! Casey Mittelstadt hammers it home, and Buffalo wins it… in OOOOOOOO-vertime”. How perfect that a call he made famous would be the final words he shouted into that microphone one more time. He gave an extremely heartfelt message for his actual final words from the booth, but as far as calling a game went, there couldn’t have been a better moment to solidify the end of his career.

RJ’s Color Commentators

Even as the primary voice of the Sabres for so long, RJ had some incredible support over the years via his color commentators. From the witty banter between him and Rob Ray, the sarcastic remarks between him and Harry Neale, or the double dose of energy from him and Jim Lorentz, he had so many great moments mixed in with them to either enhance his play calls or to have a fun on-air experience. In recent years while Buffalo has not been a very good team, the fun little moments of hearing stories and experiences between Ray and RJ made watching some games bearable again. While he may have been the star of the broadcast, every single one of his color commentators was an integral part of what made him so likable.

RJ’s Lasting Effect on the Buffalo Community

All day on Aug. 18, 2023, the Sabres had a loop of the iconic broadcaster’s voice playing outside of KeyBank Center. Combined with a mural showing “RJ”, fans from all around town had been showing their love and support for his life. One individual even put a box of cookies on top of the “RJ” sign in honor of his famous “top shelf where mama hides the cookies” line he coined.

That is what Jeanneret means to Buffalo; everything and more. He was the embodiment of what it means to be a Buffalo sports fan, and he is the reason so many people today are Sabres fans. The local community and the NHL community all have been out in full force showing their appreciation for RJ. Even the legendary retired broadcasting voice of Mike “Doc” Emerick stopped by the Sabres’ daily show “Sabres Live” to give a heartfelt message regarding Jeanneret’s life and legacy. Numerous other players including current captain Kyle Okposo, and former player and head coach Lindy Ruff came on their show and had nothing but kind words to share about his impact on their lives.

Final Words From A Sabres Fan

Owners, players, coaches, and front office staff are what make up an NHL team. The colors of the jerseys, the logo designs, the atmosphere of the building, and the roars of the fans screaming in their seats are what bring the team to life. Then there is RJ; the man who brought all of those things together on every given night there was a Sabres game. No matter their standing, no matter their struggle, he was right alongside us cheering for this team in his own way while simultaneously giving us a reason to watch. Nothing can replace the light and life he brought to the blue and gold. Nobody can replace the voice he had that resonates through the memories that all Sabres fans have. He is the number one fan for all eternity, and just like he has done for so many players, he too deserves to be immortalized as he has been.

All of Buffalo stands together to remember the most important man to ever grace the Sabres with his presence. It is just a shame to know that he will not get to see the Sabres hoist a Stanley Cup. Nobody on Earth was more deserving of seeing that for the first time, and it hurts a little more knowing that he will never be able to utter the words every Sabres fan has longed for; “For the first time, the Buffalo Sabres have won the Stanley Cup”. It is with a heavy heart all of Buffalo remembers Rick Jeanneret as the greatest play-by-play broadcaster of all time as we honor his life and the legacy he left behind. We will always love you RJ… Thank you so much for all the memories.