The Buffalo Sabres have seen some lean seasons in the 2010s and early 2020s. But this franchise also has its fair share of glory days.
In 2021-22, the Buffalo Sabres posted one of the most memorable final two months of any regular season in a long time. They finished 16-9-3 in March and April 2022, totaling 35 points and giving their long-suffering fan base a reason for hope when October 2022 rolled around.
The 2021-22 season was far from being one of the Sabres best. But their run in March and April may have brought some flashbacks to the team’s glory days, which started shortly after the franchise’s founding in 1970.
Today’s list details those 10 most memorable seasons, from the 1974-75 season in which the Buffalo Sabres earned their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final to their first Presidents’ Trophy in 2006-07.
Are you ready to count down the top 10 seasons in Buffalo Sabres franchise history? Let’s get started, beginning with the least recent.
Top 10 best seasons in Buffalo Sabres franchise history: Season #1 – 1974-75 (Lost Stanley Cup Final)
The season did not end the way the Buffalo Sabres wanted. But they did end up making their first Stanley Cup Final after earning their first Adams Division, Prince of Wales Trophy, and Wales Conference Championship.
Led by head coach Floyd Smith, the Sabres finished 49-16-15, posting an incredible 28-6-6 record at home. It was a renaissance for the Sabres, since in 1973-74, they failed to build on their successful 1972-73 season that saw them make a playoff run.
During the regular season, fans will also remember the 1974-75 team as one that received plenty of honors. The famed French Connection (Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert, and Rick Martin) once again finished near the top of the league in many statistical categories while Martin, Robert, Jerry Korab, and Don Luce earned spots in the 1975 NHL All-Star Game.
Luce also won the Bill Masterton Trophy, which recognizes the player who best shows traits that include perseverance and sportsmanship during the season. Peter McNab paced the league in shooting percentage, at 24.4 percent, and both Martin and Robert earned spots on the NHL All-Star Team at left winger and right winger, respectively.
And while the 1975 Stanley Cup Final did not go the way the Buffalo Sabres planned, losing four games to two to the Philadelphia Flyers, it was one of the most distinguished of the era. Between 1965 and 1979, the Final included either the Montreal Canadiens or the Boston Bruins. All except for 1975.