Lifelong fans of the Buffalo Sabres are familiar with the French Connection that fueled the team’s winning ways during the 1970s.
The French Connection has become synonymous with success in Buffalo Sabres lore. And while the Sabres have struggled for over a decade as of 2022, fans who love underdogs have hopped on the team’s bandwagon. Yes, for every successful team’s bandwagon comprising fans rooting for winning teams, there are just as many fans joining bandwagons for the opposite reason.
And new fans love their ailing team even more when they know a little about the once-proud history the Sabres own. The French Connection fueled this proud history, and gave the franchise everything except a Stanley Cup.
But who were these three men and what gave them such storied careers? Let’s explore all three individually, from the start of their NHL careers to the time the Sabres immortalized their jerseys into the KeyBank Center’s rafters.