The Buffalo Sabres announced they'll host a reunion of the 2005-06 roster, which features several of the best players in the NHL franchise's storied history, during a Jan. 15 game against the Montreal Canadiens at the KeyBank Center.
Sabres fans who attend the contest will receive a black and red team pennant with the Goathead logo. There will also be a pregame happy hour at the arena, an on-ice celebration with former player introductions and the national anthem sung by fan favorite Doug Allen.
The reunion will happen one day before team legend Ryan Miller, who was part of the 05-06 squad, hosts his annual Catwalk for Charity event in Buffalo.
Few Sabres teams resonated more with Buffalo sports fans than the 2005-06 club
The Sabres had missed the playoffs three straight years leading into the NHL's lockout, which wiped out the entire 2004-05 campaign. So, there was little optimism about the team when hockey returned to action the following season.
It didn't take long for Sabres fans to see the league's new rules for cracking down on obstruction to create a more exciting brand of hockey would benefit their team in a massive way, though.
Buffalo won six of its first eight games with a high-flying style of play that suited its fast, skillful group of young players.
The names will bring a smile to the face of the Western New York faithful: Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Maxim Afingenov, Tim Connolly, Ales Kotalik, Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Brian Campbell, Jochen Hecht, J.P. Dumont, Jason Pominville, Paul Gaustad, Mike Grier, Teppo Numminen, Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman and a cast of rotating depth players. Add in the goaltending tandem of Ryan Miller and Martin Biron and the Sabres were off and running.
Buffalo finished third in the Eastern Conference with 110 points before winning playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators. It ultimately fell short in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Sabres reached the NHL's penultimate playoff round again the next season, this time getting eliminated by the Sens.
Although the franchise didn't reach hockey's pinnacle, and then the course of the club changed when Drury and Briere departed in free agency, Buffalo sports fans still look back fondly at the era that featured the memorable Party in the Plaza celebrations.
These type of events have always generated terrific attendance for Sabres in recent years, such as the night legendary announcer Rick Jeanneret was inducted in the team's Hall of Fame, which showcases the local love for the organization despite an active 14-year playoff drought causing some fandom to go dormant for the time being.
It'll be more of the same on Jan. 15, which will probably be a sellout in downtown Buffalo as fans reminisce about "Better Days" in franchise history.