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Top 5 greatest captains of all-time on the Buffalo Sabres

By Sion Fawkes

BUFFALO, NY - OCTOBER 5: Mike Grier #25 and Chris Drury #23 of the Buffalo Sabres observe the national anthem during the game with the New York Islanders on October 5, 2005 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won 6-4. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - OCTOBER 5: Mike Grier #25 and Chris Drury #23 of the Buffalo Sabres observe the national anthem during the game with the New York Islanders on October 5, 2005 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won 6-4. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /
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The Buffalo Sabres have an iconic history and in part, it is because of their many team captains over the years. Here are the five best.

This article is going to be different than other All-Time Lists, because player ability is not the key focus. For example, the Buffalo Sabres employed Gilbert Perreault as a team captain, but you will not find him on this list.

Instead, you will find captains who led the Sabres to multiple successful seasons, or captains forced to face adversity given the team’s situation. But before listing the top five captains in team history, I would first like to hand out two honorable mentions who just missed the cut.

Pat LaFontaine

LaFontaine was one of the best players in Buffalo Sabres history, and he was also one of the better captains. While the Sabres were not at their best under him, they still snagged one Northeast Division title in 1996-97. They also won two playoff series with him in charge.

Danny Gare

Between 1979 and 1981, the Sabres had two exciting seasons, and Gare was tasked to lead the team. They won the Adams Division twice and even snagged the Prince of Wales Trophy, which was then awarded to the conference’s regular season champion. While the Sabres did not dive too deep into the playoffs, we nevertheless need to realize Gare’s value as a team captain.

Buffalo Sabres
BUFFALO, NY – OCTOBER 15: Former Buffalo Sabres owner Seymour Knox III re-enacts the first puck drop at the first home game for the Buffalo Sabres 40 years ago on this date against the Montreal Canadiens against at HSBC Arena on October 15, 2010 in Buffalo, New York. Former Sabre player Floyd Smith (left) and Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens take the faceoff. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /

The best team captains in Buffalo Sabres history: Captain #5 – Floyd Smith

Smith was the first captain in franchise history and he held the position for one season. While the expansion Sabres were predictably a bad hockey team, anyone taking on the role of captaining a bunch of kids and cast-offs will always go down as one of the best ever, regardless of the final record.

This was the case for Smith, who saw the Sabres earn just 63 points that year and score just 217 goals 2.78 per game in 78 outings while they allowed nearly four per contest. Smith appeared in just 83 games for the Sabres, and he came to the team via trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for cash that also brought Brent Imlach to the team.

While he will never go down as one of the Sabres all-time greats, Smith showed a willingness to step into one of the most undesirable roles during the twilight of his career. And for that, he snagged the fifth spot on this list.

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