Brad May, Pat LaFontaine on the passing of Rick Jeanneret.

The hockey world lost a truly iconic voice this week when it was announced that legendary voice of the Buffalo Sabres Rick Jeanneret had passed away.

Jeanneret had a tremendous impact on the sport of hockey and is no doubt the reason that many are still fans of the Buffalo Sabres to this day, and his impact wasn't just limited to the fans who tuned in to hear him night after night. Throughout his incredible NHL career Jeanneret had a profound impact on a number of players for the Buffalo Sabres as well, many whose most iconic moments have an equally iconic call from Jeanneret attached to them.

For this reason it came as no surprise to learn that former Buffalo Sabres Pat Lafontaine and Brad May had nothing but kind words and praise for the man when asked about his recent passing.

Despite this being a very sad time for those who love Jeanneret, myself included, May made a great point when he suggested that this is a time that fans and players should be coming together to celebrate all the wonderful moments brought into our lives thanks to Jeanneret.

"He was the voice of our business card for each and every one of us players," May said as per The Athletic. "He was iconic and I have a brand because of him. Our introduction to the community (when) you play in Western New York is Rick’s voice. It’s his voice that people connect to.

"With his illustrations, he made a lot of people fall in love with hockey because of his energy and his descriptions. Instead of being sad as much as it is today, it’s a time for celebration at some point of Rick Jeanneret. Because Buffalo loved him, and he loved Buffalo."

The most iconic moment of Brad May's career will also go down for many as the most iconic call in the career of Jeanneret, an overtime goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs now simply known as "Mayday". It is a moment that helped cement May's legacy in the Buffalo area, and it's all thanks to Rick Jeanneret's incredible love and passion for the sport and the Buffalo Sabres.

Pat LaFontaine left no doubt about how he felt about the Sabres legend either.

"We lost the best there was," said Pat LaFontaine via text. "Plus an amazing human being with a big heart. He was truly, ‘one of a kind."

LaFontaine also often received the Jeanneret treatment, with numerous calls of "La-la-la-la-la-la-LaFontaine" being the ones that fans tend to bring up the most.

My personal favorite however was when Jeanneret put a holiday spin on his iconic call:

May takes comfort in the fact that Jeanneret was given a wonderful send off in his final season in the booth, and although there is sadness in his heart he says he cannot help but smile when thinking of his old friend.

"It was absolutely beautiful,” said May of Jeanneret's send off. "The greatest part is that he knows he was loved. None of us want to leave this world, but the way he lived his life, he made a massive impact in his sphere of influence. I of course was sad, but when I think of him he makes me smile."