Rick Jeanneret wanted to call one more Buffalo Sabres playoff series. The legendary play-by-play announcer did everything in his power to make it happen, including a reduced schedule during the final seasons of his legendary 51-year career, but it unfortunately never came to fruition.
Jeanneret retired at the conclusion of the 2021-22 NHL season. He died in August 2023.
Now, after the Sabres finally snapped their 14-year postseason drought, longtime Buffalo fan favorite Rob Ray is reflecting on his former broadcast partner and the massive shoes being filled by his replacement, Dan Dunleavy.
"I know nights Dan gets really excited when he is doing his calls, you think sometimes, 'How would RJ have done it?'" Ray told Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News. "I think he would have been over the top and excited. It would have been nice for him to find the playoffs one more time again. It's unfortunate. But the great thing about Dan and I, a guy like RJ will always be a part of everything. It is almost like he is sitting up in the booth with Dan there every night doing his thing. I think he is watching and looking and has a big ... smile on his face."
Dunleavy deserves a lot of credit. Replacing somebody with the legacy Jeanneret left behind is a monumental task. But the 60-year-old Canadian has done a terrific job of finding his own voice without losing the energy RJ brought to each and every Sabres game.
Jeanneret's long list of accolades includes enshrinement in five different Halls of Fame: the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame along with an honorary induction in the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame.
His countless unforgettable calls, ranging from "May Day! May Day!" and "La-La-La-La-LaFontaine" to "Top shelf where momma hides cookies" and "These guys are good! Scary good!" will live on in the memories of Sabres fans forever.
"He is on our minds all the time," Dunleavy told Pergament.
Buffalo Sabres honored Rick Jeanneret after breaking the longest playoff drought in NHL history
The Sabres have featured numerous elite players in franchise history, including Dominik Hasek, Gilbert Perreault (and his French Connection line mates, Rick Martin and Rene Robert), Pat LaFontaine, Alexander Mogilny, Phil Housley, Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Ryan Miller, among others.
Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson are well on their way to joining that group, too.
Yet, you could argue no person is more synonymous with Sabres hockey than Jeanneret. His five-decade tenure, unique play-calling style and strong relationship with the fans made him one-of-a-kind.
His impact is still felt. After Buffalo clinched a berth in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday, it posted a video on social media with a previously recorded voiceover from RJ:
This thing of ours is forever, Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/pUzOX32ake
— x - Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 4, 2026
Emotional is the only word to describe the video, which received over one million Twitter/X views.
Jeanneret was always far more than a play-by-play man in Buffalo. He was an integral part of what made being a Sabres fan special. You know something big was about to happen when his decibel level rose, and his subsequent calls could give you goosebumps.
His voice was so important to the experience that local TV channels that carried playoff games — once it reached the stage where the broadcasts were all on national stations, not the Empire Sports Network or MSG — and WGR 550, the Sabres' radio home, would sync up their broadcasts during the postseason so fans could watch the game while still listening the Jeanneret's call.
There will never be another RJ, and that's the way it should be.