There is sad breaking news out of the National Hockey League to report. Legendary Buffalo Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret has died this evening at the age of 81.
He retired last year after 51 years with the organization, starting with their second NHL season in 1971-72 and earned the Hockey Hall of Fame Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.
From the official report from The Buffalo News:
"Jeanneret was inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame in 2011 and a had a big year in 2012, with nods to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The biggest honor came on Nov. 12, 2012, when he was given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for career excellence in broadcasting by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Jeanneret was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, and lived most of his adult life in Niagara Falls, Ont. It was in Niagara Falls in 1963 when his career switched from being a radio disc jockey to a hockey broadcaster when he called games of the Junior A Niagara Falls Flyers. Jeanneret, in fact, continued DJ work on CJRN in Niagara Falls into the early 90s before finally giving up those duties to concentrate solely on hockey.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra, whom he always referred to as "Cupcake", sons Mark and Chris and stepdaughter Shelly. Mark Jeanneret spent several years a hockey broadcaster with the OHL's Erie Otters and substituted for his father on Sabres play by play during 2010 road games in Calgary and Edmonton."
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