Rene Robert
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Robert to a tryout contract in 1968, two years before the Sabres inaugural season. He also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins before the Sabres traded for the third piece of the French Connection.
And in hindsight, the Sabres made an outstanding decision. Robert appeared in two All-Star Games, and while his all-time records haven’t shone as much as Perreault’s or Martin’s, Robert still led the league in hat tricks during the 1976-77 NHL Season. He was also a second-team NHL All-Star in 1974-75.
The Sabres retired Robert’s #14 jersey and like Perreault and Martin, became an inductee to the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. One fun fact about Robert is that he salvaged pieces from the old Buffalo Memorial Auditorium to construct his driveway following its 2009 demolition.
So there you have it, Sabres fans of new and old. The French Connection continues to live in the hearts and minds of the Buffalo Sabres faithful. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, history will repeat itself someday in Buffalo. Perhaps accompanied by a Stanley Cup.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)