Photo:Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images
Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images
The family concluded its statement writing that Jeanneret “will be loved forever.”
The Buffalo Sabres’ teamshared its own postremembering Jeanneret following the news. It said the Sabres “mourn the life of our legendary broadcaster and a member of our family, Rick Jeanneret, who passed away today. We send all of our love to his family and friends, and the entire Sabres community.”
Buffalo Sabres' post sharing a statement from the Jeanneret family on social media.Buffalo Sabres/Instagram
Buffalo Sabres/Instagram
Sabres owner Terry Pegula described Jeanneret as a “very special and a very loved man” to all who knew him in his ownstatementon his passing. He added that Jeanneret’s mark on Sabres’ history “extends far beyond the broadcast booth and we will miss him dearly.”
Broadcaster Rick Jeanneret of the Buffalo Sabres speaks to the crowd before their game against the Montreal Canadiens at HSBC Arena on October 15, 2010 in Buffalo, New York.Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images
Jeanneret, a native of St. Catharines, Ontario, was known for having several memorable calls throughout the years.
One of his top sayings included, “Top shelf, where mama hides the cookies,” which happened whenever a Sabres player would score a puck high into the net, per ESPN. He also infamously called out “May Day! May Day!” after Brad May scored a goal against the Boston Bruins in the 1993 playoffs leading to a 6-5 overtime win, per the outlet.
The team’s general manager Kevyn Adams,wrotethat Jeanneret wasn’t just the “voice of the Sabres,” but “the voice for our city,” and that he had not only fostered Adams’ own love for hockey but so many others as well.
However, Jeanneret’s success didn’t come without trials, as he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, which led him to miss a few games during that season. He had also been fitted with a pacemaker in 2016 due to having a slow pulse, ESPN reported.
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Despite this, he kept coming back, and even attended Sabres games after his retirement last season, per the outlet.
During the ceremony, Jeanneret said, per ESPN, “I stood down here 10 years ago upon my induction into the Sabres' Hall of Fame, and I remember saying that night, this is the only job I ever wanted. This is the only place I wanted to be. I meant every word on that particular night. And boy, do I mean it now.”
source: people.com
