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Toronto Maple Leafs – Toronto Maple Leafs

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Throughout the year, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the National Hockey League (NHL), discovering the best and worst each team has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also feature a drink based off the franchise. Today, we *looks at calendar*… ugh, travel to Toronto to investigate why the Maple Leafs have often been named the “Most Hated Team in Hockey”:

Establishment Story: The Toronto hockey team was founded in 1917. The club was known as the Arenas and later St. Patricks, before finally receiving the Maple Leafs moniker in 1927, when the team was bought by Conn Smythe. An Original Six franchise, the Leafs were rebranded by Smythe to match the national symbol of Canada. They were also to wear red and white jerseys, but briefly wore white and green, before settling on their iconic blue and white.

Stanley Cups: None since 1967 and that’s all that really matters. Seriously, though, the Leafs have won 13 championships, all of which occurred when the league consisted of only six teams. The Leafs have two recognized dynasties, from 1946-51 and 1961-67. Not only has the team not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, they have no Finals appearances since then, as well, with five Conference Finals losses during that time.

Celebrity Fan: Somehow, the Leafs have quite the collection of celebrity supporters. Actors Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Will Arnett and Keanu Reeves support the team, along with musicians Justin Bieber and Drake. Professional wrestler Edge is a fan, as is astronaut Chris Hadfield. As for female celebs, tennis star Bianca Andreescu can often be seen rocking the blue and white. Personally, I think they’re all nuts!

Leafs Blue

Super Fan: Steven Glynn, better known by the moniker Steve Dangle, turned his Leafs fandom into a career. Dangle went from posting YouTube videos to becoming an analyst for Sportsnet. His book This Team Is Ruining My Life (But I Love Them): How I Became A Professional Hockey Fan, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim. Today, Dangle co-hosts a podcast and the blooper web series Steve’s Dang-Its.

Mascot: Carlton the Bear is a polar bear, named for the street Maple Leaf Gardens was located. Carlton wears jersey number 60, in homage to the address of the iconic arena. Carlton debuted for the 1995-96 season. At the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, Carlton hosted the inaugural Mascot Summit. Carlton is on track to surpass long-time Leafs player George Armstrong for most appearances with the franchise during the 2023-24 season.

Tradition: The Leafs greatest ritual is losing, particularly in the first round of the playoffs, if they even get there. Just kidding! When the team has made the post-season in more recent years, fans have gathered in Maple Leaf Square, located outside Scotiabank Arena. This has provided the Sip Advisor with many moments of schadenfreude, as Toronto supporters have been visibly crushed by losses. I must admit, their tears sustain me!

Appearances in Media: The Leafs most prominent appearance in popular culture is in the Mike Myers’ movie The Love Guru, where Myers plays a guru tasked with fixing the team’s players, particularly star Darren Roanoke. The Leafs were also heavily featured in the 1971 Canadian film Face-Off. Another notable appearance in media is Toronto’s inclusion in the children’s book The Hockey Sweater.

Carlton the Bear

Events/Scandals: The Harold Ballard years as owner of the Leafs were filled with controversies, with perhaps the most notable blemish on the franchise being the Maple Leaf Gardens child sex abuse scandal. Ballard owned the arena during the time a trio of employees abused at least two dozen children. Ballard was also convicted of 47 counts of fraud, theft and tax evasion, during his ownership tenure, serving one-third of a nine-year prison sentence.

Rivalry: Everyone hates the Leafs, right? Okay, they do have a substantial fan base, much of whom probably don’t like me very much, but I’m not wrong that many revile Toronto. Enemy teams include the Ottawa Senators (Battle of Ontario), Montreal Canadiens (only two Canadian clubs, divided by language and other cultural differences, until 1967), Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres (Battle of the QEW).

Tragedy: Bill Barilko spent his entire NHL career with the Leafs. He was the overtime hero of the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals, but disappeared that off-season while on a fishing trip. In 1962, the wreckage of the plane Barilko had been travelling in was discovered. Barilko is the subject of The Tragically Hip song Fifty Mission Cap, which has become an anthem of sorts for Leafs fans. Also, Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov succumbed to a brain tumour in August 2023.

Player Nicknames: As much as I hate the Leafs, their fans have come up with some creative monikers for players. Tops among them, would be Optimus Reim for goaltender James Reimer. The name was based on Optimus Prime from the Transformers franchise. Other popular culture nicknames for players include The Cat (Felix Potvin), from the character Felix the Cat, Captain Crunch (Wendel Clark), based off the children’s cereal, and Uncle Leo (Leo Komarov), borrowed from Seinfeld.

Harold Ballard

Line: Many trios in hockey history have been dubbed ‘The Kid Line’, but the original played for the Leafs during the 1930s. Joe Primeau was 23 years old, while his linemates, Charlie Conacher and Harvey Jackson were only 18 when they were put together in late 1929. The unit only won one Stanley Cup together, despite five Finals appearances. The line has remained popular over the years, with a children’s book published in 2001.

Captain: George Armstrong was captain of the Leafs for a club record 12 seasons. He played his entire 21-campaign career with the team, winning four Stanley Cups. Armstrong’s jersey number 10 was retired by the Leafs in 2016. Another notable captain for Toronto was Mats Sundin, who in 1997, became the first non-Canadian to wear the ‘C’ in franchise history. Sundin served in the role for 11 seasons, becoming the longest serving non-North American born captain in NHL history.

Enforcer: Tie Domi is the Leafs single-season and all-time penalty minute king, with 365 and 2,265 minutes in the sin bin. Domi also has the most fighting majors in NHL history with 333, a majority of those recorded during his time with Toronto. Domi was originally drafted by the Leafs in 1988, but didn’t play for them until 1995, after stops with the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.

Family Values: Perhaps the most notable family members to play together with the Leafs were brothers-in-law Shayne Corson and Darcy Tucker, from 2000 to 2003. Tucker is married to Corson’s sister, with the two also previously playing for the Montreal Canadiens together. Father and son combos to play for the Leafs, include Mike and Nick Foligno, Bryan and Mason Marchment and Tie and Max Domi.

Tie Domi

Returning Players: Wendel Clark spent three stints with the Leafs. He was drafted first overall by the team in 1985, playing nine seasons (three as captain) in his first tenure. Clark then spent two campaigns with other teams, before returning to Toronto for another go around. Clark retired after the 1999-2000 season, following a final 20 games with the Leafs. Fellow franchise icon Doug Gilmour also ended his career with the Leafs in 2003, injured in his first game back after a trade deadline deal.

Short Stint: For a time, each season seemed to feature the Leafs bringing in an aged star – or two – hoping they would add something to their upcoming playoff chances. This included Tom Barrasso (four games in 2002), Phil Housley (four games in 2003), Glen Wesley (12 games in 2003), Brian Leetch (28 games in 2004), and Ron Francis (24 games in 2004). Another brief tenure with the club, belongs to Joe Thornton, who suited up with Toronto for 51 games in 2020-21.

Undrafted: Borje Salming was brought to the NHL from Sweden as a free agent in 1973. By the end of his long tenure with the Leafs, he changed the perception of European players being seen as soft. This was perhaps best exemplified when Salming had his face accidentally stepped on by a skate in 1986, requiring over 200 stitches and cosmetic surgery to repair. Salming holds a number of Leafs records for a defenseman.

Trade: One of the largest transactions in NHL history was the 1992 10-player deal between the Leafs and Calgary Flames that brought cult hero Doug Gilmour to Toronto. During his first full season with the Leafs, Gilmour recorded 127 points and earned the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the league. Gilmour’s tenure would also see the team make back-to-back appearances in the Conference Finals.

Doug Gilmour

Signing: The Leafs struggled mightily from the late 2000s to the mid 2010s, exacerbated by a number of misguided free agent deals. This included contracts for Jeff Finger (four-year, $14 million in 2008), Mike Komisarek (five-year, $21.5 million in 2009) and David Clarkson (seven-year, $36.75 in 2013). Finger played half his contract with Toronto’s minor league affiliate, Komisarek had his contract bought out in the final season and Clarkson was traded after two campaigns.

Draft Pick: The Leafs have picked first overall twice in their history, taking Wendel Clark in 1985 and Auston Matthews in 2016. Some of their other top picks include Darryl Sittler (8th overall in 1970), Lanny McDonald (4th overall in 1973), Morgan Rielly (5th overall in 2012), and Mitch Marner (4th overall in 2015). Perhaps their greatest diamond in the rough selection was taking Tomas Kaberle 204th overall in 1996. He would go on to play 12 seasons in Toronto.

Holdouts: During the 1981-82 season, Darryl Sittler requested a trade due to the deterioration of his relationship with Leafs management and ownership. When no deal was reached after months of waiting, Sittler left the team, at the advice of his doctor, on the basis he was “mentally depressed”. Sittler was eventually dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers, ending his 12-season tumultuous stint with the franchise.

Buyouts: Mikhail Grabovski had completed the first season of his five-year, $27.5 million contract, when the Leafs surprisingly used one of their compliance buyouts from the 2012-13 lockout on him. This meant Grabovski was due $14.33 million over the next eight seasons. Two days earlier, the Leafs used their other compliance buyout on defenseman Mike Komisarek, owing him $2.33 million over two years.

Darryl Sittler

Unique Game: Given the Leafs profile, the team has been used for many marquee NHL events. This included the 2014 Winter Classic and 2017 NHL Centennial Classic, both against the Detroit Red Wings, a 2018 Stadium Series contest versus the Washington Capitals, and the 2022 Heritage Classic opposite the Buffalo Sabres. Toronto also played two 1993 pre-season games against the New York Rangers in London, United Kingdom.

Goal: Each game of the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals went to overtime, with the Leafs pulling off a 4-1 series victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Bill Barilko scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal at 2:53 of Game 5’s extra period. Another famous tally in Leafs lore is the one Bobby Baun scored in overtime of Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals, while playing with a broken ankle. The Leafs would win Game 7 4-0, earning their third consecutive championship.

Fight/Brawl: Things got out of hand during a 2013 pre-season game versus the Buffalo Sabres, leading to a brawl. When Buffalo enforcer John Scott went after Toronto star Phil Kessel, newly-signed Leaf David Clarkson left the bench to protect Kessel. This resulted in an automatic 10-game suspension for Clarkson, who never got going in Toronto, and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after 118 games and only 15 goals and 26 points, despite an annual salary of $5.25 million.

Injury: When Leafs forward Ace Bailey suffered a severe head injury, following a hard check by Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins, two major developments came from the incident. First, the inaugural NHL all-star game was played months later to raise money for Bailey and his family. Second, at that all-star benefit game, Bailey’s number 6 jersey was retired, becoming the first player in professional sports history to receive such an honour.

Ace Bailey

Penalty: Leafs enforcers have a history of getting into trouble. Tiger Williams was charged with assault (later acquitted) for a 1977 stick hit on Dennis Owchar, which required 46 stitches to seal. A decade later, John Kordic high sticked Keith Acton, resulting in a 10-game suspension. Tie Domi had two infractions earn him lengthy bans, one for sucker punching Ulf Samuelsson in 1995 (eight games) and another for elbowing Scott Niedermayer in the 2001 playoffs (rest of series and eight games the following season).

Wildest Story: When Brian Spencer was to make his debut with the Leafs on December 12, 1970, he informed his father, Roy, of the good news. Later, Roy tried to watch the game on TV, but was greeted with a Vancouver Canucks-California Golden Seals contest instead. Upset, Roy drove 135 km to the closest TV station, where he threatened employees at gunpoint to air the Leafs game. A standoff with police and shootout ensued, resulting in Roy’s death. Brian would later also die by gunshot during a drug robbery.

Blooper: In one of the most viewed NHL videos of all-time, enforcer Tie Domi was banished to the penalty box during a game in Philadelphia. A Flyers fan was heckling Domi, so the enforcer squirted his water bottle into the crowd. Another angered fan ended up falling into the penalty box when the pane of glass separating players from the audience gave way. Domi punched the fan multiple times before being pulled away. Domi was fined $1,000 for the incident.

Miscellaneous: In an event that would make international headlines, the Leafs lost a 2020 game with Emergency Back-up Goalie David Ayres in net for the opposing Carolina Hurricanes. Worst of all, Ayres was employed by the Leafs, as a building operator/Zamboni driver. Ayres became a legend following the 6-3 victory, receiving his own day in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the story is set to become a Disney feature film.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs

  • 0.75 oz Blue Curacao
  • 0.75 oz Irish Cream

I still find it hard to believe, as a youngster, I was a fan of the Leafs. Today, everything about Toronto and their sports landscape irks me. This is because the sports networks are all based there and we who live elsewhere in the country are treated to an unwanted deluge of coverage on Toronto teams.

Buffalo Sabres – Buffalo Cocktail

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Throughout the year, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the National Hockey League (NHL), discovering the best and worst each team has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also feature a drink based off the franchise. Today, we journey to Buffalo to eat some wings… er, I mean learn about the Sabres and what makes them so tasty (sorry, still thinking about those wings!):

Establishment Story: The Sabres entered the NHL as an expansion team in 1970. The original owners, the Knox family, had tried twice before to bring an NHL team to Buffalo, first for the original league expansion in 1967 and next when trying to relocate the Oakland Seals. The same year the Sabres joined the NHL, the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Braves joined the National Football League and National Basketball Association, respectively.

Stanley Cups: Much like their expansion cousins, the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo has never won the Stanley Cup. They have reached the finals twice, losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and Dallas Stars in 1999. Their defeat by Dallas is best remembered for the controversial series-ending overtime goal, scored by Brett Hull, with his foot in the crease. For years, this act resulted in no goal being awarded and the rule was changed following this moment.

Celebrity Fan: Actress Noureen DeWulf, who has appeared in movies such as Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and The Back-up Plan, as well as the TV series Anger Management, took her fandom of the Sabres to a whole new level in 2011, when she married goaltender Ryan Miller. DeWulf later appeared on the reality series Hockey Wives, which followed her life and others married to or dating NHL players.

Buffalo Sabres

Super Fan: Anna Szczepanksi (aka Momzie) has been a fan of the Sabres since their inception, attending nearly every home game the team has ever played from her rinkside seat. Following the 2018-19 season, at the age of 95, Szczepanski was presented the Sabres Fan of the Year award, which came with the honour of dropping the puck for a ceremonial face-off at the last home game of that campaign.

Mascot: Sabretooth is a sabre-toothed tiger, with a coat of the Sabres blue and yellow colours. His favourite foods include chicken wings (I’m guessing in Buffalo sauce) and fired penguin, while his preferred songs are comprised of Let Me Clear My Throat, Sabre Dance and Eye of the Tiger. Sabretooth was also the mascot of the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits from 1992 to 1998.

Tradition: Sabre Dance is a musical movement from the 1942 ballet Gayane, which features dancers using sabres. It has been used as an unofficial anthem for the Sabres throughout their existence. Although it disappeared for a time, the song returned in 2011 and is played as the Sabres return to the ice after the first and second intermissions, as well as after goals.

Appearances in Media: Part of the movie Bruce Almighty’s climax involves the Sabres winning the Stanley Cup, which results in fans rioting and chaos spreading across Buffalo. It should be noted, not a single rioter is wearing Sabres gear, but a more generic version of the team’s red and black colour scheme. Also, the Sabres defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, which isn’t possible, since both teams are in the same conference.

Sabres Cup

Events/Scandals: Jack Eichel’s exit from Buffalo came with much controversy. When the captain suffered a disc herniation in his neck in April 2021, Eichel wanted to undergo disc replacement surgery, while the team preferred he have the more common fusion surgery. The saga ended with Eichel being stripped of his captaincy and later traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for a package of assets. Eichel then finally had the surgery of his choice in November 2021.

Rivalry: The Sabres two greatest rivals are Atlantic Division opponents the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. Their feud with the Leafs is known as the Battle of the QEW, the route which connects the team’s arenas, only 100 miles apart from each other. This brings a large contingent of Leafs fans to any game in Buffalo. The Sabres and Bruins have met in the playoffs eight times, with the Bruins winning the first five series, before Buffalo finally broke through in 1993.

Tragedy: Defenseman Tim Horton played the last two seasons of his long NHL career with the Sabres. On February 21, 1974, Horton was killed in a single-vehicle car crash, while returning to Buffalo, following playing in Toronto the night before. It was later revealed he was driving while intoxicated. Despite being named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017, Horton is best recognized for co-founding the Tim Hortons donut chain, which is iconic across Canada.

Player Nicknames: Dominik Hasek’s ascent to being one of hockey’s greatest goalies ever may have never happened were it not for his trade from the Chicago Blackhawks to Buffalo. Once a member of the Sabres, his talents shined and he was aptly nicknamed The Dominator, as a result. Hasek’s success was credited for opening the door for other European goalies to make their way to the NHL.

Jack Eichel

Line: The French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert, played together from 1972 to 1979. The trio was named the French Connection, based off the 1971 movie, because all three were from Quebec. They combined for 1,681 points over 1,536 games played together. Statues of each of the three players can be found outside the KeyBank Center.

Captain: Gilbert Perreault played his entire 17-season career with the Sabres. He was the team’s first ever draft pick and captained Buffalo from 1981 to 1986. Perreault holds the Sabres franchise records for goals, assists, points and games played. Another interesting note about Perreault, he originally retired at the end of the 1985-86 season, but returned for 20 games the following campaign, in order to be eligible for a better NHL pension.

Enforcer: Rob Ray holds the record for most penalty minutes in franchise history at 3,189. He was such a prolific pugilist, a rule was even created based off his fighting style, where he would quickly discard his jersey and shoulder pads, allowing freedom from his opponent’s grasp and being able to throw punches at will. Today, a player whose jersey is not tied down and comes off in a fight, receives a game misconduct.

Family Values: Brothers Bob and Jean-Francois Sauve were members of the Sabres organization from 1980 to 1983, except for a 41-game tenure for Bob with the Detroit Red Wings. Bob was a goalie for the team, while Jean-Francois played center. Decades later, brothers Cal and Ryan O’Reilly would be teammates together, but while Ryan was a star with Buffalo, Cal spent the majority of 2015-2017 with the minor league Rochester Americans.

French Connection

Returning Players: Dave Andreychuk was drafted 16th overall in 1982 by the Sabres. He spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Buffalo, before being traded to Toronto. After stints with four teams, Andreychuk returned to the Sabres for the 2000-01 season. He moved on to the Tampa Bay Lightning next, where he would win his only Stanley Cup in 2004. Andreychuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.

Short Stint: Following being traded to Buffalo, as part of the deal that sent Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues, Patrik Berglund played in only 23 games, before leaving the team, resulting in him being suspended and his contract terminated. Berglund walked away from $12.5 million remaining on his contract, in the name of improving his mental health. He returned to hockey the next season, playing in Sweden.

Undrafted: Rick Dudley joined the Sabres in 1972-73 and played 279 games over two stints with the club (he spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in between). In 1989, Dudley returned to Buffalo as head coach of the Sabres, lasting two and a half seasons before being fired. Dudley is currently a Senior Advisor to the GM with the Florida Panthers.

Trade: The absolute steal of acquiring Dominik Hasek from the Chicago Blackhawks is the Sabres greatest trade ever. All they had to give up was fellow goalie Stephane Beauregard and a fourth round pick in the 1993 draft, which was used on Eric Daze. Out of the shadow of Blackhawks starter Ed Belfour, Hasek flourished in Buffalo, going on to capture six Vezina Trophies and two William M. Jennings Trophies.

Dominik Hasek

Signing: The Sabres are guilty of making some really bad signings over the salary cap era. This included Ville Leino (six years, $27 million) and Christian Ehrhoff (10 years, $40 million) in 2011, Matt Moulson (five years, $25 million) in 2014, and Kyle Okposo (seven years, $42 million) in 2016. Leino and Ehrhoff would receive compliance buyouts in 2014, while Moulson was demoted to the minors in 2017. Okposo remains with Buffalo, but has never lived up to the expectations of his contract.

Draft Pick: The Sabres first-ever draft pick was the first overall selection of the 1970 entry draft. Gilbert Perreault was the obvious choice and he would write much of their record book, while playing his entire career with the team. Buffalo has selected first overall three other times, picking Pierre Turgeon in 1987, Rasmus Dahlin in 2018 and Owen Power in 2021. The Sabres also had back-to-back second overall picks in 2014 and 2015, taking Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel.

Holdouts: Mike Peca sat out the entire 2000-01 season, before finally being traded to the New York Islanders for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt, the fifth and eighth overall picks in the 1999 draft. Peca was the Sabres captain at the time of his holdout, a role he gave up midway through the contract dispute. Peca had been the team’s captain since 1997, leading them to the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.

Buyouts: Aside from the previously mentioned buyouts for Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino, the Sabres also bought out center Cody Hodgson in 2015. Just two years prior, Hodgson had been signed to a six-year, $25.5 million pact, but recorded only six goals and 13 points in the second year of the deal. Following one season with the Nashville Predators/minor league Milwaukee Admirals, Hodgson was forced to retire due to malignant hyperthermia.

Draft Lottery

Unique Game: The Sabres were part of the NHL’s first outdoor regular season game in the U.S. when they participated in the 2008 Winter Classic vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Their next Winter Classic appearance would be in 2018 against the New York Rangers. The Sabres were outside again against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2022 Heritage Classic in Hamilton, Ontario. Buffalo also opened the 2011 season against the Anaheim Ducks in Helsinki, Finland and Los Angeles Kings in Berlin, Germany.

Goal: While Brad May wasn’t known for his scoring prowess, he scored one of the most memorable goals in Sabres history. In the first round of the 1993 playoffs, the Sabres had pushed the heavily favoured Boston Bruins to the brink of elimination. In overtime of Game 4, May scored, completing the sweep. Perhaps better than the actual goal was legendary Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret’s call, where he repeatedly shouted “Mayday”, giving the famous game-winner its name.

Fight/Brawl: Rob Ray’s fighting skills were also handy off the ice, as seen during an April 14, 1992 game versus the Quebec Nordiques. While a scrum was taking place on the ice, an inebriated Nordiques fan came on the ice and charged at the Sabres bench. Ray pummeled the fan with repeated punches, as security tried to pull the fan away. Luckily for Ray, no criminal charges or NHL discipline were levied for the incident.

Injury: In one of the NHL’s most gruesome injuries of all-time, Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk had his carotid artery and jugular vein cut by an errant skate blade. Malarchuk survived because of the quick action of trainer Jim Pizzutelli, a former US Army combat medic. The cut needed 300 stitches to be repaired and Malarchuk remarkably returned to action 10 days later, but the incident caused him post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues.

Rob Ray

Penalty: During the 1997 playoffs, Dominik Hasek claimed he had injured his knee. Journalist Jim Kelley questioned whether the injury was legit and accused Hasek of having “poor mental toughness”. When Kelley approached Hasek for an interview days later, Hasek attacked the writer, ripping his shirt off. This resulted in Hasek being suspended for three games and fined $10,000.

Wildest Story: In 1989, Alexander Mogilny became the first hockey player to defect from the Soviet Union. He had been drafted by the Sabres in 1988 and following the conclusion of the 1989 World Championships in Sweden, he fled with the help of Sabres officials. For his debut with Buffalo, Mogilny wore jersey number 89, is honour of the year he arrived and also his draft position.

Blooper: During a game against the San Jose Sharks on March 14, 2017, Sabres center Jack Eichel was passed the puck deep in his own zone. He was checked as he went to pull the puck forward and it bounced off his skate and dribbled into the net past goalie Robin Lehner. The own goal would prove to be the game winner that night, as the Sharks defeated the Sabres 4-1. On the plus side, Eichel scored for his own team, as well.

Miscellaneous: The Sabres 11th round draft choice (183rd overall) at the 1974 NHL amateur draft was the fictional Taro Tsujimoto. Buffalo GM Punch Imlach made the selection in protest of how the draft was being operated, in order to thwart the rival WHA. Tsujimoto was said to have previously played for the Tokyo Katanas (similar to a sabre). On occasion, fans would chant ‘We Want Taro’, following the hoax being revealed and a jersey with his name and number 74 is available for sale.

Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo Cocktail

Buffalo Cocktail

  • 1.5 oz Whiskey
  • Top with Club Soda
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Garnish with a Lemon Slice

I searched extensively for a Sabres-themed cocktail and came up empty. The best I could find was this drink, suggested to be consumed while supporting Buffalo-based teams. To jazz up the recipe, I used Crown Royal Peach Whiskey and Mango Club Soda.