Rick Jeanneret was a Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Buffalo Sabres, the longest serving play-by-play announcer in NHL history.
- Died: August 17, 2023 (Who else died on August 17?)
- Details of death: Died of multiple organ failure at the age of 81.
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Rick Jeanneret’s legacy
For many NHL fans, Rick Jeanneret’s name is synonymous with hockey broadcasting. The Canadian-born broadcaster began his career at CHUM in Toronto, then moved around between several stations, including CKLY in Lindsay, Ontario, and CHVC in Niagara Falls, Ontario. In 1963, he began doing color commentary for the Niagara Falls Flyers, a Junior A hockey squad, and moved to play-by-play in 1965.
When he began calling games for the Buffalo Sabres, however, he began his journey to the Hall of Fame. Jeanneret called every Sabres season from 1971-72 to 2021-22. For the first half of that tenure, he did it while also serving as the morning disc jockey for CJRN-AM in Niagara Falls, Ontario. In his later years, he began calling fewer games, especially after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, but continued to be a mainstay for the team.
His best-known call might be of Brad May’s overtime goal against the Boston Bruins in 1993. The win secured a sweep and won the Sabres their first playoff series in a decade. Jeanneret’s call is punctuated by screams of, “May Day! May Day!” Jeanneret is a member of the Hockey, Buffalo Broadcasting, Buffalo Sabres, and Greater Buffalo Sports Halls of Fame, among other honors.
Notable quote
“May Day! May Day! May Day! May Day!”—from the 1993 NHL Game 4 playoff broadcast
Tributes to Rick Jeanneret
Full obituary: The Buffalo News
