Tag Archives: Dominik Hasek

Ottawa Senators – The Statesman

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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’re off to Canada’s capital city for some parliamentary meetings with the Ottawa Senators:

Establishment Story: The Senators – not to be confused with the original Ottawa Senators (1883-1934) – entered the NHL as an expansion team for the 1992-93 season. The successful expansion bid began with a ‘Bring Back the Senators’ campaign, launched by real estate developer Bruce Firestone. After 11,000 season ticket pledges were secured, Firestone was granted the new franchise in 1990.

Stanley Cups: The original Senators claimed the Stanley Cup 11 times, with only one championship coming under NHL operation, when they won the first NHL Stanley Cup Finals over the Boston Bruins in 1927. Version 2.0 of the Senators has never won the big prize, coming closest in 2007, where they were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks in the Finals in five games.

Celebrity Fan: While fans’ hopes for movie star Ryan Reynolds to become part of the franchise’s new ownership group didn’t pan out, it should be noted Friends star Matthew Perry has been a supporter of the Senators for the team’s entire existence. Perry was raised in Ottawa and attends occasional games. Another long-time fan is comedian Tom Green, who wore a Senators hat in the video for Check the O.R., by his rap group Organized Rhyme.

Senators Logo

Super Fan: Jonathan Pitre was born with a rare skin disease, which results in painful blisters. Pitre worked hard to spread awareness of his condition, including being named an honourary scout of the Senators on November 21, 2014. He later attended the NHL Awards as an invitee of the team. Sadly, Pitre passed away on April 4, 2018. The hardest working player at Senators developmental camp is presented the Jonathan Pitre Award.

Mascot: Spartacat is a lion, whose ‘paw-sition’ with the Senators is Ambassador of Fun. Spartacat debuted with the rest of the team on October 8, 1992, with his ‘mane’ goal being to make people laugh. One of his preferred hobbies is “raking Leafs”. Spartacat is heavily involved in community programs, such as Read to Succeed and regularly visits the Sens Zone at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Tradition: During playoff runs, fans of the team (the diehards are known as the Sens Army, with some even dressing in Roman legion gear) tend to congregate along Sens Mile, otherwise known as Elgin Street. These gatherings are called Red Rallies. The Senators also have their own theme song, created by Carmelo Scaffidi, who would often play the trumpet tune from the stands of the arena. When Scaffidi passed away in 2016, the Senators paid tribute to his association with the club.

Appearances in Media: The Game Changers documentary series ran from 2015 to 2019 and profiled the not-for-profit community programs being operated by the Senators organization and the people behind them. With the tagline “Passion has no off-season”, initiatives highlighted by the show included mental health awareness, pediatric palliative care, school programs and summer camps and work being done by the wives and girlfriends of Senators players.

Spartacat

Events/Scandals: For years, the Senators have pursued a new arena closer to downtown Ottawa, as they currently play in the suburb of Kanata. The most likely site for this project is the LeBreton Flats land, which is currently owned by the National Capital Commission. Former Senators owner Eugene Melnyk had a development deal in place for the area in 2016, but issues between Melnyk and his own partners resulted in the deal falling through and multiple lawsuits being filed.

Rivalry: Ottawa has long-time feuds with geographical rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs, known as the Battle of Ontario, and the Montreal Canadiens. All three teams have shared the same division since the 1998-99 season. In the early 2000s, the Senators and Maple Leafs met in the playoffs four out of five years, including three straight from 2000 to 2002. Toronto won all four heated encounters.

Tragedy: Bryan Murray was a hockey lifer, his coaching career beginning in 1976 and taking him through multiple leagues before he finally reached the NHL in 1981. From there, Murray spent time with a number of teams, in various roles. Murray joined the Senators in 2004 and remained with the club until his death on August 12, 2017 from colon cancer, which he had battled for a few years. In December 2016, Murray was the first member inducted into Ottawa’s Ring of Honour.

Player Nicknames: When Andrew Hammond joined the Senators from their minor-league team late in the 2014-15 season, it was unlikely the team would make the playoffs. Hammond, nicknamed Hamburglar, put together a record of 20 wins, one loss and two overtime/shootout losses, to propel the Ottawa into the post-season. Given his nickname, fans began throwing McDonald’s hamburgers on the ice following wins.

Hammond

Line: The unit of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley was so successful they earned at least three nicknames, including Capital Punishment Line (Ottawa being the capital of Canada), CASH Line (Captain Alfredsson/Spezza/Heatley) and Pizza Line (due to a promotion from the Pizza Pizza chain, which saw fans be able to convert a home game ticket into a free slice of pizza, if the Senators scored at least five goals).

Captain: Daniel Alfredsson served as the Senators captain for 13 seasons and holds numerous team records, including goals (426), assists (682), points (1,108), power play goals (131), short-handed goals (25), game-winning goals (69), hat tricks (8), and more. His number was retired by the team in 2016, becoming the first modern day Senator to receive that honour.

Enforcer: Chris Neil played his entire NHL career with the Senators, amassing a team record 2,522 penalty minutes over 1,026 games. He added a further 204 penalty minutes in 95 playoff contests. Along with his physicality, Neil also provided offense, scoring 112 goals and 250 points. Neil’s tenure with Ottawa ended unceremoniously in 2017, as the sides agreed to part ways, with Neil later announcing his retirement.

Family Values: Brothers Gord and Kevin Dineen both played for the Senators, albeit not at the same time. Gord was a member of the team during its expansion years, playing two campaigns with the club from 1992 to 1994 and being named captain for the last 17 games of his Ottawa tenure. Kevin played a single season with the Senators in 1999-2000, before being left unprotected for the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft.

Alfredsson

Returning Players: Chris Kelly was drafted by the Senators 94th overall in 1999. He spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the organization and was part of their 2007 Stanley Cup Finals run. Kelly was traded to the Boston Bruins in February 2011, going on to win the Stanley Cup that year. The checking forward returned to Ottawa for the 2016-17 campaign, appearing in all 82 games, despite breaking his leg the previous season. In 2018, Kelly retired and joined the Senators coaching staff.

Short Stint: Legendary goalie Dominik Hasek signed with Ottawa for the 2005-06 season, stating he hoped to play with a Stanley Cup contender. He played well in his 43 games, but was injured at the 2006 Winter Olympics and lost for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. Given his age (41 years old) and injury history, Ottawa chose not to re-sign Hasek, who returned to the Detroit Red Wings and won a second Stanley Cup before retiring from the NHL.

Undrafted: Defenseman Artem Zub was signed by the Senators on May 1, 2020, based on his play in the Kontinental Hockey League and as part of the gold medal-winning Olympic Athletes from Russia at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Zub has signed two more contracts with Ottawa, his latest taking him through the 2026-27 season. The stay-at-home defenseman doesn’t pile up the points, but has solidified the team’s defensive efforts.

Trade: A great move by the Senators was trading constant headache Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders, in exchange for defenseman Zdeno Chara, forward Bill Muckalt and the 2001 second overall draft pick, used to select future top center and star Jason Spezza. Another good transaction was trading for Dany Heatley, sending Marian Hossa and Greg de Vries to the Atlanta Thrashers, before Heatley also became a problem for the team.

Yashin

Signing: Among the best signings in club history was bringing in Claude Giroux (three years, $19.5 million) in 2022 to provide veteran leadership for the up and coming Senators. Giroux would record the 300th goal and 1,000th point of his career in his first season with Ottawa, notching a career-high 35 goals. If Giroux can keep up his production, while the team’s young stars develop, the future is looking bright for the Senators.

Draft Pick: In a four-year span, the Senators held the first overall pick three times, selecting Alexandre Daigle (1993), Bryan Berard (1995) and Chris Phillips (1996). The results were mixed, with Daigle being viewed as one of the biggest draft busts ever and Berard being traded within his draft year, never suiting up for the team, while Phillips became a lifetime Senator. A great draft steal was selecting Daniel Alfredsson 133rd overall in 1994, while the 2020 draft netted Tim Stuetzle (3rd overall) and Jake Sanderson (5th overall).

Holdouts: Drafted second overall in 1992, Alexei Yashin was a constant thorn in the side of Senators management, repeatedly trying to renegotiate his contract with the team. Yashin refused to play the final season of his deal and missed the entire 1999-2000 campaign. The two sides went to arbitration afterwards, with the ruling being that Yashin’s rights still belonged to Ottawa and he would have to play the final year of his pact. He was eventually traded to the New York Islanders in 2001.

Buyouts: The largest financial buyout in Senators history went to winger Bobby Ryan, with the final two seasons of his seven-year, $50.75 million deal signed in 2014 wiped out, with $7.33 million paid out over four seasons. Fellow forward Colin White also had an abrupt ending to his tenure in Ottawa, having the final three seasons of his six-year, $28.5 million pact bought out in 2022, resulting in $5.25 million owed to him over six seasons.

Daigle

Unique Game: The Senators have taken part in the 2014 Heritage Classic versus the Vancouver Canucks, as well as the NHL 100 Classic versus the Montreal Canadiens. They have twice travelled to Sweden for games, first for the 2008 NHL Premiere, taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a pair of contests and next for the 2017 Global Series, where they played another pair of matches against the Colorado Avalanche.

Goal: With a spot in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals just a win away, Daniel Alfredsson scored the overtime winner in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Final, giving the Senators their first championship round appearance in franchise history. Speaking of firsts, it took a Steve Duchesne goal in the final game of the 1996-97 season to clinch Ottawa’s first playoff berth since their 1992 debut.

Fight/Brawl: On March 5, 2004, the Senators and Philadelphia Flyers combined to set a new NHL record for penalty minutes in a game with 419, most of which occurred in the final two minutes of the contest. The mischief started when respective enforcers Rob Ray and Donald Brashear fought, causing a line brawl including goalies. More fights occurred after each restart. The final score, a 5-3 Philadelphia win, is largely forgotten.

Injury: Two injuries at the hands of Philadelphia Flyers players stand out in the history of the Senators. First, in October 1998, forward Andreas Dackell was driven head-first into the glass by hulking star Eric Lindros. 36 stitches to the face and a concussion was the result for Dackell. Next, in January 2000, winger Magnus Arvedson was hit into an open bench door by checker Marc Bureau, requiring emergency intestinal surgery. Arvedson still suffers from stomach issues to this day.

Brawl

Penalty: More about the Senators-Flyers brawl, following the fight-filled affair, which resulted in only three Flyers and two Senators being left on the bench, it took officials 90 minutes to sort out all the penalties. For the following season, the NHL added a rule that gave one-game suspensions to anyone instigating a fight in the final five minutes of a game, while coaches could be fined $10,000.

Wildest Story: 2018-19 was a difficult year for the Senators, due to off-ice issues. Prior to the season’s start, defenseman Erik Karlsson and his wife Melinda filed a protection order against Monika Caryk, the fiancée of teammate Mike Hoffman, over harassing online messages. Both Karlsson and Hoffman would be traded before the start of the campaign. Months later, a number of Senators players were caught on viral video by their Uber driver criticizing assistant coach Martin Raymond. The players later apologized.

Blooper: During a December 2022 game, defenseman Thomas Chabot was taking his frustrations out on his stick while on the Senators bench when he accidentally hit teammate Travis Hamonic in the head. Luckily for Chabot and the team, Hamonic wasn’t seriously injured and remained in the game. The Senators would eventually go on to win 3-2 over the Nashville Predators.

Miscellaneous: Modern day Senators who have had their numbers retired are joined by Frank Finnigan in the rafters of the Canadian Tire Centre. Finnigan played for the original Senators from 1923 to 1931 and 1932 to 1934, and was the last surviving member of the 1927 Stanley Cup champions team. He participated in the ‘Bring Back the Senators’ campaign, but passed away before the team’s 1992 return. Finnigan was to have dropped the ceremonial face-off for the team’s first ever game.

Ottawa Senators: The Statesman

The Statesman

  • 2 oz Rye Whiskey
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Splash of Maple Syrup
  • Dashes of Angostura Bitters
  • Float of Peated Scotch
  • Garnish with a Lemon Twist

Another team I struggled to find a cocktail for, which is more surprising given it’s a Canadian franchise and we’re all looking to combine our two favourite loves of hockey and drinking together. Do better, Canada!

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.