Buffalo Sabres broadcasting legend Rick Jeanneret dies at 81
Posted August 17, 2023 11:09 pm.
Last Updated August 17, 2023 11:10 pm.
Rick Jeanneret, a Hall of Fame broadcaster best known for his legendary play-by-play for the Buffalo Sabres, has died at age 81.
The NHL club announced the news Thursday.
Jeanneret’s incredible 51-year career ended following the 2021-2022 season. He called his last game for the Sabres on April 29, 2022.
“Rick was indeed a very special and very loved man, to and by all, who knew him and listened to him, his magic, and his command,” Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in a release by the team. “How glad I am to have known him. How lucky were we all to have been around him and to have listened to him.
“Rick Jeanneret’s mark on Sabres history extends far beyond the broadcast booth and we will miss him dearly. I extend my deepest condolences to Sandra, Rick’s family, friends, and all that were loved by him.”
Rick Jeanneret forever. ????????pic.twitter.com/zOEwKaMkYX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 18, 2023
In a release from the Jeanneret family, shared by the Sabres, they revealed he passed away after a two-year battle with multi-organ failures.
A statement from the family of Rick Jeanneret. ???? pic.twitter.com/0vnbXAxytN
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) August 18, 2023
From Niagara Falls, Ont., Jeanneret was inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame in 2011. He was given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for career excellence in broadcasting by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
