On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres announced that play by play broadcaster Rick Jeanneret would return for the 2021-22 season, and that it would be his final season before retirement. He’ll reportedly be calling 20 home games during his last hurrah with the Sabres.
Jeanneret called his first game as the Sabres play by pay broadcaster on October 10, 1971, and the upcoming season will be his 51st with the team.
In a statement, Jeanneret talked about getting to call games with fans in the arena this fall.
“To my Sabres family,” Jeanneret said in a statement, “To spend 50 years doing any one job is more than a person can ask for, let alone one as special as mine. My interactions with the fans at KeyBank Center have been one of the thrills of my career, one that was sorely missing over the past year.
“So, let’s make it 51. I look forward to seeing you at the rink for one last run.”
The Sabres also put together a video highlighting some of Jeanneret’s greatest calls.
The 79-year old Hall of Famer has had some scares in recent years. Back in 2014, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, and in 2018, he left the arena on a stretcher mid-broadcast, though he was released from the hospital soon after and has avoided major issues since. He teased retirement in both 2019 and 2020 before finally making his decision on Friday.
