135-742: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum ) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale , Nassau County , New York , on Long Island . The venue is situated approximately 7 miles (11 km) east of the eastern limits of the borough of Queens in New York City , adjacent to the Meadowbrook Parkway . It is one of the larger public auditoriums in the New York metropolitan area . Opened in 1972,
270-510: A SmackDown episode where professional wrestler Droz suffered a (untelevised) career-ending injury in 1999. On August 25, 2002, SummerSlam was hosted at the Coliseum. Later, the WWE held The Great American Bash in 2008, followed by 2010's Fatal 4-Way , at the Coliseum. On April 10, 2017, the renovated Coliseum hosted its first episode of Raw . In October 2018, the Coliseum hosted Evolution ,
405-741: A Wales Conference championship in 1980 and being the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic Team when they toured the United States. The French Connection era ended with Robert's trade to the Colorado Rockies in 1979 and Martin's trade to the Los Angeles Kings in 1981, by which time Martin's career was essentially finished as the result of a devastating knee injury in 1980. All three players have had their sweater numbers (11, 7 and 14, respectively) retired and
540-559: A 7–4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on November 13, 2006. The team reached the 50-win plateau for the second time in franchise history. The Sabres won the presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history, giving them the home-ice advantage for their entire run in the 2007 playoffs . They also tied the 1974–75 team 's franchise record for points in a season. The team defeated the New York Islanders and
675-616: A Boston Bruins game in which Bruins forward Milan Lucic hit and injured goaltender Ryan Miller; the subsequent months saw the Sabres collapse to last place in the Eastern Conference. Despite a two-month rally that began in February along with the emergence of rookie forward Marcus Foligno , the Sabres lost the last two games of the regular season and fell three points short of a playoff spot. The 2012–13 NHL lockout eliminated
810-552: A conditional fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft. On April 1, the Sabres traded Robyn Regehr to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for two-second round draft choices (one in 2014 and the other in 2015 ). The final trade came on the day of the trade deadline, April 3, where the Sabres sent Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild for Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett . At the time of the official announcement, it
945-403: A facility is typically called a stadium . The use of one term over the other has mostly to do with the type of event. Football (be it association , rugby , gridiron , Australian rules , or Gaelic ) is typically played in a stadium, while basketball , volleyball , handball , and ice hockey are typically played in an arena, although many of the larger arenas hold more spectators than do
1080-489: A gross of $ 1.5 million. From June 19 to June 23, 1991, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Coming Out of Their Shells Tour played at Nassau. The inside sleeve to Morrissey 's 1992 album Your Arsenal was shot at a performance at the Coliseum on November 11, 1991. Nassau has been a mainstay of WWE for over 30 years, and has hosted Raw and SmackDown many times, including the taping of
1215-607: A location, often with the specific intent of comparing an idea to a sporting event. Such examples of these would be terms such as "the arena of war", "the arena of love" or "the political arena". Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York . The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in
1350-747: A night at the coliseum as part of the Triumph Tour on August 7, 1981. Chicago played at the coliseum on May 20, 1977, for broadcast on FM radio as part of the One-to-One benefit program begun by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1972. Blue Öyster Cult recorded a live version of "Dr. Music" in Nassau Coliseum on December 30, 1981, that was subsequently released on the Extraterrestrial Live album in April 1982. The Coliseum
1485-523: A noted feud with Nolan. Hasek, who supported Muckler, openly told reporters at the NHL Awards Ceremony he did not respect Nolan, placing new general manager Darcy Regier in a tough position. He offered Nolan just a one-year contract for a reported $ 500,000. Nolan refused on the grounds his previous contract was for two years. Regier then pulled the contract off the table and did not offer another one, ending Nolan's tenure as Sabres coach. Nolan
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#17327725705421620-462: A second-round draft pick. This was the Sabres' sole trade of the deadline. After Pegula's official takeover of the team, the Sabres finished the regular season 16–4–4, never losing two consecutive games in that span, and landed the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Pegula's approach was credited by players, fans and the public with bringing new energy to the team, sparking a run to the playoffs that seemed improbable only months earlier. On April 8,
1755-592: A statue erected in their honor at KeyBank Center in 2012. In 1981–82 , the NHL realigned its conferences and adopted an intra-divisional playoff format for the first two rounds. It was the beginning of an era in which the Sabres would finish in the middle of the Adams Division standings with regularity, and then face the near-certainty of having to get past either the Boston Bruins or Canadiens to make it to
1890-417: A story that billionaire Terry Pegula had signed a letter of intent to purchase the Sabres for US$ 150 million. Pegula was the founder, president and CEO of East Resources , one of the largest privately held companies in the United States before he sold the company. After the report was released, Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn claimed it was "untrue" but refused further comment. The $ 150 million
2025-403: A top-two pick in the 2015 NHL entry draft , which included two extremely highly touted prospects, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel . These spectators' "embrace the tank " philosophy led to criticism from the media and Sabres players for how the fans reacted. However, some praised the fans for how they reacted, saying that they "did the right thing". The Sabres clinched last place (and therefore
2160-522: A top-two pick) with a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 10 (this was later confirmed to be a number-two pick after the team, for the second year in a row, lost the draft lottery); the team used the pick to select Eichel. Murray fired Nolan at the end of the season, citing a lack of chemistry and lukewarm relations between them. On May 28, 2015, Dan Bylsma was hired as the 17th head coach in franchise history. The hiring of Bylsma,
2295-531: A two-year contract. They also signed free agent defenseman Joe DiPenta to a one-year contract on July 11, and extended contracts with three other players: Andrej Sekera to a multi-year deal, Clarke MacArthur to a one-year contract, and Mike Grier to a one-year contract. Grier, having played two seasons with the Sabres, returned after playing the last three with the San Jose Sharks . After only playing two games with Buffalo that season, Daniel Paille
2430-425: A two-year contract. Three days later, the Sabres acquired Craig Rivet from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round draft pick in each of the next two drafts. The Sabres also extended the contracts of three players: Paul Gaustad (four years), Ryan Miller (five years) and Jason Pominville (five years). Miller was slated to become an unrestricted free agent following the upcoming season while Pominville
2565-476: Is also the sport of indoor American football (one variant of which is explicitly known as arena football), a variant of the outdoor game that is designed for the usual smaller playing surface of most arenas; variants of other traditionally outdoor sports, including box lacrosse as well as futsal and indoor soccer , also exist. The term "arena" is also used loosely to refer to any event or type of event which either literally or metaphorically takes place in such
2700-404: Is often regarded by fans as one of the greatest gigs of Springsteen's career. Supertramp performed at the Coliseum on their final tour with Roger Hodgson in 1983 in support of their ...Famous Last Words... album. Styx performed at the Coliseum on their final tour with the band's classic lineup in 1983 in support of their Kilroy Was Here album before guitarist Tommy Shaw quit towards
2835-543: Is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate a multitude of spectators. The word derives from Latin harena , a particularly fine-grained sand that covered the floor of ancient arenas such as the Colosseum in Rome , Italy, to absorb blood. The term arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl , but such
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#17327725705422970-670: The 2010 draft . Dominic Moore came from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft , then Buffalo received a second-round pick in the 2009 draft from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ales Kotalik . On April 9, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated from the playoffs. General manager Darcy Regier announced on the first day of free agency for the following season the Sabres had signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Steve Montador to
3105-517: The 2010 reissue of the album , and in 2017 as a separate release, Live Nassau Coliseum '76 . Queen played at the Coliseum on February 6, 1977, during their A Day at the Races Tour . The band used footage of their performance of " Tie Your Mother Down " in the song's promotional film. They would return on November 19, 1978, on their Jazz Tour . Led Zeppelin played three nights at the Nassau Coliseum on their 1975 North American Tour . During
3240-601: The 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game , during which Wayne Gretzky scored four goals in the third period and was honored as the game's most valuable player. The Islanders were 11–1 in Stanley Cup Finals games at the Coliseum. Their only loss was a 1–0 setback in Game 1 in 1984 to the Edmonton Oilers . Team's fans nicknamed the arena "Fort Neverlose" in honor of the team's strong home record during
3375-640: The Atlanta Thrashers 4–3 in overtime. It was Buffalo's second straight win in a game it trailed 3–0, following a 4–3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On March 3, the day of the trade deadline, the Sabres made two deals. The first was with the Columbus Blue Jackets , which sent them Raffi Torres in exchange for Nathan Paetsch and a second-round draft pick. The Sabres' second and final deal sent Clarke MacArthur to
3510-768: The Barclays Center ). The Coliseum also hosted the New York Arrows and later the New York Express of the original Major Indoor Soccer League . The Arrows, which existed as a franchise from 1978 to 1984, won the first four MISL championships. The short-lived New York Express played part of the 1986–87 season, ending operations before the All-Star break with financial troubles and a 3–23 record. The New York Sets of World Team Tennis played their first match at Nassau Coliseum on May 7, 1974, and won
3645-563: The Buffalo Memorial Auditorium , parts of the game were played in heavy fog that made players, officials, and the puck invisible to many spectators. During a face-off and through the fog, Sabres center Jim Lorentz spotted a bat flying across the rink, swung at it with his stick, killing it. It was the only time that any player killed an animal during an NHL game. The Sabres won that game thanks to Rene Robert's goal in overtime . However, Philadelphia would wind up taking
3780-723: The Campbell Soup Company fortune. Buffalo had a history of professional hockey; immediately prior to the Sabres' establishment, the Buffalo Bisons were a pillar of the American Hockey League (AHL), having existed since 1940 (and before that, another Bisons hockey team played from 1928 to 1936), winning the Calder Cup in their final season. Wanting a name other than " bison " (a generic stock name used by Buffalo sports teams for decades),
3915-711: The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 1978 , 1979 , 1980 , and 1981 . It also has hosted first- and second-round games of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1982 , 1994 , and 2001 . On November 5, 2015, the Nets announced that their new NBA D-League team, the Long Island Nets , would play at the renovated Coliseum starting in 2017 (the team played their first season at their parent team's home,
4050-554: The Eastern Conference . The team was established in 1970 , along with the Vancouver Canucks , when the league expanded to 14 teams. The Sabres have played their home games at KeyBank Center since 1996 , having previously played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium since their inception. The Sabres are owned by Terry Pegula , who purchased the club in 2011 from Tom Golisano . The team has twice advanced to
4185-623: The Empire Sports Network (which had been on the air since 1991) ceased operations in a cost-cutting move during the Adelphia scandal and reorganization. (Like the Sabres, Empire had been owned by Adelphia prior to the NHL's seizure of the franchise.) Adelphia sold their rights to Sabres telecasts and for the 2005–06 campaign Madison Square Garden Network (MSG), a New York City-based channel which broadcasts New York Rangers , New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games, took over
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4320-569: The Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL and general manager John Muckler honored as Executive of the Year. However, the regular season success was overshadowed by what had taken place during the playoffs. Tensions between Nolan and Hasek had been high for most of the season. After being scored upon in Game 3 of the first round against the Ottawa Senators , Hasek left
4455-477: The National Football League (NFL). The 2008 Winter Classic , known colloquially as the "Ice Bowl" due to it taking place at the same time as college football 's bowl games . The Sabres lost 2–1 in a shootout. The Sabres failed to qualify for the 2008 playoffs and became only the third team in NHL history to go from finishing first overall in the regular season standings to finishing out of
4590-676: The National Lacrosse League from 1989 to 2003. In 2007, it was home to four of the New York Titans National Lacrosse League team's eight home games (along with Madison Square Garden). In 2000, 2005 and 2017, the Professional Bull Riders brought their Built Ford Tough Series (originally Bud Light Cup) to the Coliseum. On February 24–25, 2006, the Coliseum hosted the 44th NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships. It
4725-510: The New York Open , an ATP 250 men's tennis tournament replacing the long-running Memphis Open . In 2019, the Coliseum became the home of the National Lacrosse League 's New York Riptide . In 2024 the team would relocate to Ottawa. The seating capacity for hockey during the life of the arena has been: Elvis Presley performed four sold-out concerts at the Nassau Coliseum on June 22, 23 & 24, 1973. His last Coliseum appearance
4860-477: The Oakland Seals with the intent of moving them to Buffalo. Their first attempt was thwarted when Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney persuaded his horse racing friends James and Bruce Norris to select Pittsburgh over Buffalo, while the second attempt was due to the NHL not wanting an expansion market to give up on a team so soon, nor isolate the Los Angeles Kings (the only NHL team other than
4995-655: The Stanley Cup Finals , losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and to the Dallas Stars in 1999 . The Sabres, along with the Canucks, are the oldest active NHL franchises to have never won the Stanley Cup. The Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL and professional sports, at 13 seasons, which stands as an NHL record . The Sabres, along with the Vancouver Canucks , joined
5130-708: The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Coliseum due to a scheduling conflict at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut , the team's home. The Islanders played their last game at the Coliseum before moving to Barclays Center on April 25, 2015, beating the Washington Capitals 3–1 in Game 6 of the first round of the 2015 playoffs against the Washington Capitals forcing a Game 7, held in and won by Washington, ending
5265-915: The 1976 season the Nets joined the National Basketball Association as part of the ABA–NBA merger . After their first season in the NBA, the Nets moved to New Jersey. The New Jersey Nets played four seasons at the Rutgers Athletic Center before completion of the Meadowlands Arena at the Meadowlands Sports Complex . In NCAA Division I men's college basketball , the Coliseum hosted the ECAC Metro Region tournament organized by
5400-502: The 50-win mark for the first time in franchise history. They also finished with 110 points, their first 100-point season in 23 years and tied the 1979–80 club for the second-best point total in franchise history. The Sabres tied the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes for the most wins in the Eastern Conference. They finished with the fifth-best record in the NHL, behind Detroit, Ottawa, Dallas and Carolina. Buffalo defeated
5535-448: The 500-goal mark in the 1985–86 season and retired after playing 20 games in 1986–87, 17 years after joining the Sabres as their first draft pick. The Sabres drafted Pierre Turgeon with the first pick in the 1987 NHL entry draft , and he quickly made an impact with the team. During his rookie season in 1987–88, he helped the Sabres reach the playoffs for the first time in three years. He was joined in 1989 by Alexander Mogilny , who with
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5670-764: The Atlanta Thrashers for third- and fourth-round draft picks. On March 27, the Sabres clinched their first playoff berth since 2006–07 with a 7–1 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning. On April 6, the Sabres clinched the Northeast Division title by defeating the New York Rangers by a score of 5–2. On April 26, the third-seed Sabres were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the sixth-seeded Boston Bruins in six games. The 2010–11 roster did not have many significant changes; one of
5805-584: The Coliseum occupies 63 acres (25 ha) of Mitchel Field , a former Army airfield, later an Air Force base. The facility is located in the Town of Hempstead , within the Uniondale 11553 ZIP code . The Coliseum is used for sporting events, concerts, large exhibitions, as well as trade shows—44,000 square feet (4,100 m) at the main arena, 60,000 square feet (5,600 m) at the Expo Center. In 2015,
5940-620: The Coliseum was a Nets game against the Pittsburgh Condors on February 11, 1972. The Nets won two ABA Championships in the Coliseum, with Hall of Famer Julius Erving headlining the team. In 1973–74 the Nets defeated the Utah Stars in five games to capture their first title. The Nets then captured the final American Basketball Association Championship in 1976 , defeating the Denver Nuggets in six games. Following
6075-512: The Coliseum was recorded for a 1983 HBO concert special and VHS/Laser Disc release, Billy Joel: Live From Long Island . Bruce Springsteen has performed at the arena numerous times, most notably during a three-night stand in December 1980. A number of songs from these shows were part of his 1986 live album , Live/1975–85 , and full recordings of the three performances were released between 2015 and 2021. The New Year's Eve show in particular
6210-568: The Coliseum with no fans. On June 23, 2021, the Islanders played their final game ever at the Coliseum, before moving to their new arena, in a 3–2 overtime win in game 6 of the 2021 Stanley Cup semifinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning , with Anthony Beauvillier scoring the overtime goal to force game 7. However, the Islanders lost game 7, thus making game 6 the last major league sporting event held there, and Beauvillier scored
6345-461: The Coliseum, before moving to the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park for the 2021–22 season, which is also on Hempstead Turnpike , 7.7 miles (12.4 km) west of the Coliseum. It was also the home of the New York Nets (now known as the Brooklyn Nets ) of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1977 and the New York Riptide of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) from 2020 to 2024. In 2017,
6480-409: The Dallas Stars in exchange for young winger Michael Ryan and a draft pick. A third deal sent center Chris Gratton to the Phoenix Coyotes with a draft pick for Daniel Briere and a draft pick, adding a player who would play a key role in the Sabres' resurgence in later years. The 2003–04 season saw the team emerge from its financial struggles and, though the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs,
6615-430: The Dead; and three installments of the Live Phish Series — 4–2–98 , 4–3–98 and 2-28-03 . The Grateful Dead holds the record for the most performances at the venue by a single act with 42 total shows. A banner was raised during a 2019 Dead & Company show commemorating the 44 combined performances by the Grateful Dead and Dead & Company. Genesis ' performance at the Coliseum on November 29, 1981 (during
6750-439: The Islanders' first run at the Coliseum; in Game 6 Cal Clutterbuck of the Islanders scored the final NHL goal in the building, an empty netter at 19:07 of the third period. Following the 2014–15 season , the Coliseum underwent a major renovation. On September 17, 2017, the Islanders returned to the Nassau Coliseum to face the Philadelphia Flyers for a preseason match up. With the Islanders being unhappy at their home in Brooklyn,
6885-426: The Knoxes commissioned a name-the-team contest. With names like "Mugwumps", "Buzzing Bees" and "Flying Zeppelins" being entered, the winning choice, "Sabres", was chosen because Seymour Knox felt a sabre was a weapon carried by a leader, and could be effective on both offense and defense. The Knoxes tried twice before to get an NHL team, first when the NHL expanded in 1967 , and again when they attempted to purchase
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#17327725705427020-463: The NHL in the 1970–71 season . Their first owners were Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup Knox , scions of a family long prominent in Western New York and grandsons of the co-founders of the Woolworth's variety store chain; along with Robert O. Swados , a Buffalo attorney. On the team's inaugural board of directors were Robert E. Rich Jr. , later the owner of the Buffalo Bisons minor league baseball team; and George W. Strawbridge Jr. , an heir to
7155-424: The NHL. On March 26, 2015, during a 4–3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes, spectators at the game, ostensibly fans of the Sabres, cheered after a game-winning goal by Coyotes center Sam Gagner . Said fans were more eager to see the team lose (the Sabres and Coyotes were 29th and 30th in the standings at the time) in the hopes that it would ensure the team would deliberately lose to finish in last place and guarantee
7290-430: The Nassau leg was a boxing match between Rowdy Roddy Piper and tough-guy actor Mr. T . Indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre , musical performances , and/or sporting events . It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof. The key feature of an arena
7425-417: The New York Rangers to reach their second consecutive conference finals. However, on May 19, they were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators after five games. In the April 9, 2007, issue of ESPN the Magazine , the team ranked first of 122 major professional sports franchises in North America. The Sabres were cited for their player accessibility, low ticket prices and exciting brand of hockey. On July 1, 2007,
7560-428: The Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2006 playoffs in six games and top-seeded Ottawa in five games. The Sabres advanced to play Carolina in their first conference finals since 1999 . However, injuries began to mount. They were forced to play without four of their top defensemen ( Teppo Numminen , Dmitri Kalinin , Jay McKee and Henrik Tallinder ) and their top powerplay scorer (Tim Connolly) for much of
7695-440: The Raiders to play in Madison Square Garden , in the shadow of the New York Rangers . On October 7, 1972, the first Islanders game in Nassau Coliseum was played as the Atlanta Flames visited the Islanders. Flames forward Morris Stefaniw scored the first NHL goal in the building at 6:56 of the first period, while Ed Westfall scored the first goal for the Islanders, as the Flames won the game 3–2. The first Islanders' home win at
7830-427: The Sabres clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 in overtime. The Sabres clinched the seventh seed and faced Philadelphia in the first round. The Sabres had a three games to two lead but lost the series in seven games. The Sabres began the 2011–12 season as part of the 2011 NHL Premiere series for the first time, playing games in Finland and Germany. The team
7965-419: The Sabres debuted as an expansion team, they took the ice to Aram Khachaturian 's Armenian war dance, " Sabre Dance ". The music has been associated with the team as an unofficial anthem ever since. It is often played between periods and after goals. The consensus was that the first pick in the 1970 NHL amateur draft would be junior phenomenon Gilbert Perreault . Either the Sabres or the Canucks would get
8100-429: The Sabres down by three games to none, Hasek told the Sabres' coaching staff he felt a twinge in his knee and left the ice after the pre-game skate. Shields turned in another season-saving performance as Buffalo staved off elimination with a win in overtime. Again before Game 5, Hasek declared himself unfit to play and Buffalo lost 6–3 and the series. Team president Larry Quinn fired general manager John Muckler, who had
8235-406: The Sabres lost both co-captains, with Daniel Briere going to the Philadelphia Flyers and Chris Drury going to the New York Rangers as free agents. The team also nearly lost Thomas Vanek to the Edmonton Oilers , which offered him a seven-year, $ 50 million offer sheet, but the Sabres matched the offer on July 6. After these events, the team changed its policy of not negotiating contracts during
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#17327725705428370-486: The Sabres still defeated Philadelphia in six games in the first round of the playoffs (with a resounding 8–0 victory in the series-winning game). In the second round, they faced the underdog Pittsburgh Penguins, led by rejuvenated superstar Mario Lemieux and captain Jaromir Jagr , who had won his fifth Art Ross Trophy that season, losing on a seventh-game overtime goal scored by defenseman Darius Kasparaitis . After lengthy and failed negotiations with their star goaltender,
8505-421: The Sabres tied for the best record in the NHL in the 1974–75 regular season. Buffalo advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in team history to play against the rough Philadelphia Flyers (who had been recently nicknamed the " Broad Street Bullies "), a series which included the legendary Fog Game (Game 3 of the series). Due to unusual heat in Buffalo in May 1975 and the lack of air conditioning in
8640-444: The Sabres to return to his previous position with the NHL on March 1, 2014. Among highlights in the otherwise bad 2013–14 season included the "butt goal" in which a severely short-staffed Sabres won their December 23 contest against the Phoenix Coyotes when Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith backed into his own goal with the puck lodged in his pants, and the lone NHL appearance of former Lancaster High School goaltender Ryan Vinz , who
8775-461: The Sabres traded Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2001, bringing a five-year era of playoff success to a close. Without Hasek and Peca, the Sabres missed the 2002 playoffs . In May 2002, John Rigas and his sons were indicted for bank, wire and securities fraud for embezzling more than $ 2 billion from Adelphia. Rigas was later convicted and served eight years of a 15-year sentence before his release in 2016. The NHL took control of
8910-413: The Sabres' debut, the Buffalo Bills officially joined the National Football League , and the National Basketball Association 's Buffalo Braves also began to play, sharing Memorial Auditorium with the Sabres. The city of Buffalo went from having no teams in the established major professional sports leagues to three in one off-season, a situation that proved to be unsustainable. Between the Braves and
9045-429: The Sabres, the Sabres would prove to be by far the more successful of the two; Paul Snyder , the nouveau riche Braves owner, publicly feuded with the old money Knoxes and the local college basketball scene, eventually losing those feuds and being forced to sell his team in 1976. Subsequent owners of the Braves, in a series of convoluted transactions tied to the ABA–NBA merger , moved the team out of Buffalo. When
9180-435: The Seals west of St. Louis at the time) from the rest of the NHL entirely. At the time of their creation, the Sabres exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team , the Cincinnati Swords . Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager and head coach Punch Imlach was hired in the same capacity with the Sabres. The year the Sabres debuted (1970) was an important year for major league sports in Buffalo. In addition to
9315-415: The Stanley Cup in six games, winning the series 4–2. The French Connection, joined by 50–goal scorer Danny Gare , continued to score prolifically for the Sabres in 1975–76 , but the team lost in the quarterfinals to the New York Islanders . The Sabres had success through the late 1970s behind Gare and the French Connection (Perreault, Martin and Robert), but they were unable to return to the Finals despite
9450-416: The WTT championships in 1976. The team changed its name to the New York Apples for the 1977 season, and played 12 of its 22 home matches at Madison Square Garden and the Felt Forum , repeating as champions. Prior to the 1978 season, the Apples announced that they would leave the Coliseum and play all their home matches in the Madison Square Garden complex. The Coliseum was home to the New York Saints of
9585-430: The arena was closed for a major renovation which was completed in April 2017. The New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) played at the Coliseum from 1972 to 2015 before moving to Barclays Center in Brooklyn . After the move was commercially unsuccessful, the team split its home schedule between Barclays and the renovated Coliseum from 2018 to 2020 and played the home portion of their 2020–21 season at
9720-532: The arena was on October 12, 1972, where they defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3–2. The Islanders' first playoff win at the arena came on April 20, 1975, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–2. On April 22, 1976, the Islanders earned their first playoff series victory at the arena by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3–2, and winning the series 4–2. On February 8, 1983, the arena hosted
9855-438: The award. The Sabres started the 2006–07 season 10–0, setting a new franchise record for consecutive wins to start a season, and becoming just the second team in NHL history (after the 1993–94 Toronto Maple Leafs) to open a season with a ten-game winning streak. They also set a new NHL record for consecutive road wins to start a season (eight), which was extended to ten games (tying the team record for consecutive road wins) with
9990-525: The band was opening a show for Ozzy Osbourne ). The Spice Girls performed 2 sold-out shows on February 6 and 7, 2008 as part of their Return of the Spice Girls Tour . Both The Grateful Dead and Phish frequently played the Coliseum, concerts yielding live albums in both cases: Go to Nassau , Wake Up to Find Out , Dick's Picks Volume 13 , Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It , Spring 1990 (album) , Spring 1990 (The Other One) by
10125-405: The band's Abacab Tour) was recorded and filmed for the band's Three Sides Live album and concert video plus radio broadcast. Frank Zappa played his final U.S. show on March 25, 1988 at the Coliseum. He was joined onstage by his son, Dweezil Zappa , for the concert's encores. Pink Floyd performed between August 19 and 23, 1988, on their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour . The majority of
10260-605: The best season of his career, and the team finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals , this time against the Presidents' Trophy winner, the Dallas Stars . In Game 6, Stars winger Brett Hull 's triple-overtime goal ended the series, and the Stars were awarded the Cup. In 1999, it was illegal to score a goal if an offensive player's skate entered the crease before the puck did. However, NHL officials maintained that Hull's two shots in
10395-429: The bid contingent upon moving the team. The description is consistent with that of Jim Balsillie , who has made public his efforts to move a team to Hamilton, Ontario , a move the Sabres have actively opposed. Terry Pegula named former Pittsburgh Penguins executive Ted Black to be team president. Pegula was introduced as the Sabres' owner in a public ceremony at HSBC Arena on February 23, accompanied by what would be
10530-474: The conference finals. Aside from first-round victories over Montreal in 1982–83 and Boston in 1992–93, the era saw the Sabres lose to division rivals Boston, the Quebec Nordiques and Montreal in the Adams Division semifinals (first round) a combined eight times, and miss the playoffs altogether in 1985–86 and 1986–87—only third and fourth times out of the playoffs in franchise history. Perrault reached
10665-502: The development of prominent young players. Although the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a labor dispute, the league and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) were able to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement in the summer of 2005, thus enabling NHL hockey to return for the 2005–06 season . On January 19, 2005, the Sabres lost their main cable television broadcaster, as
10800-646: The division final, with the Sabres losing all four games by a 4–3 score (the last three games in overtime). With the NHL adopting a conference playoff format for the 1993–94 season , the Sabres faced the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference playoffs' first round. Despite Hasek winning a 1–0 (quadruple overtime) goaltending duel with the Devils' Martin Brodeur in Game 6—the Sabres' longest game ever, which went into quadruple overtime—Buffalo would lose
10935-543: The drafting of Eichel and 2014 second overall pick Sam Reinhart , the acquisition of star centerman Ryan O'Reilly in the off-season, and the rising performance of youngsters Zemgus Girgensons , Jake McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen resulted in an improved season in 2015–16 . Even though the Sabres again missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, the team managed to finish just under .500 in points percentage while fans and critics have praised these rebuilding efforts by Sabres general manager Tim Murray. In mid-2016,
11070-538: The end of the tour (they also played on the Main Event/Pieces of Eight Tour, Grand Decathlon/Cornerstone Tour and Paradise Theatre tours as well prior to it). The 1986 live album Finyl Vinyl by Rainbow features a rendition of the song "Can't Happen Here" which was recorded at Nassau Coliseum in 1981. The 1987 home video Cliff 'Em All features a rendition of the song " Master of Puppets " by Metallica , filmed at Nassau Coliseum on April 28, 1986 (while
11205-558: The fact Hasek issued an apology, things went downhill after the incident. Shields starred as the Sabres rallied to win the series against Ottawa. But before the next series against the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL announced Hasek had been suspended for three games, with the Sabres informing the NHL Hasek was healthy (Hasek most likely would not have been suspended had he not been cleared to play). Set to return in Game 4 with
11340-464: The final appearance of all three members of The French Connection before Rick Martin's death three weeks later. Around the 2010–11 trade deadline, the team attempted to trade Craig Rivet, but was unsuccessful. After initially clearing waivers, Rivet entered re-entry waivers and was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Late on February 27, the team acquired Brad Boyes from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for
11475-596: The finals. Nassau Coliseum hosted minor league hockey prior to the awarding of the Islanders franchise, an event that was brought back in 2005, when the Islanders-affiliated Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL) played two "home" games at the Coliseum in the absence of NHL hockey due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout . On April 17–18, 2009, the Sound Tigers played two of their home playoff games against
11610-417: The first part of the 2012–13 season , which ultimately began with a scheduled 48 games. After a 6–10–1 start to the season, the contract of long-time head coach Lindy Ruff was terminated by general manager Darcy Regier on February 20, 2013, ending 16 seasons as head coach. Ruff was replaced by Ron Rolston first on an interim basis, then permanently after the season ended. Due to the lockout-shortened season,
11745-473: The first pick, to be determined with the spin of a wheel of fortune . Perreault was available to the Sabres and Canucks as this was the first year the Montreal Canadiens did not have a priority right to draft Quebec -born junior players. The Canucks were allocated numbers 1–10 on the wheel, while the Sabres had 11–20. When league president Clarence Campbell spun the wheel, he initially thought
11880-693: The fledgling World Hockey Association to be their flagship franchise, were slated to play in the new Nassau Coliseum in 1972–73. However, the Nassau County government did not consider the WHA a fully professional league and wanted nothing to do with the Raiders. Nassau County retained William Shea to get an NHL team to play in the new building. The NHL responded by hastily awarding a franchise to Long Island —the New York Islanders —which forced
12015-464: The game, forcing backup Steve Shields to step in. Hasek claimed he felt his knee pop, and the team doctor pronounced him day-to-day. The Buffalo News columnist Jim Kelley wrote a column that night for the next day's newspaper that detailed the day's events, which irked Hasek. After the Senators won Game 5, Hasek came out of the Sabres' training room and attacked Kelley, tearing his shirt. Despite
12150-424: The goal mouth constituted a single possession of the puck since the puck deflected off Hasek. The rule was changed for the following season, allowing players to be inside the goaltender's crease as long as they do not interfere with the goaltender. The next year was a disappointing season. The team struggled in the regular season, due to injuries to Hasek as well as other tired and discouraged players. Doug Gilmour
12285-553: The help of Sabres officials became the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL, and cleared the way for all other Russian players to follow. In the 1989–90 season, the Sabres would improve to finish with 98 points—third-best in the NHL—but the playoff futility continued with a first-round loss to Montreal. The Sabres traded Turgeon to the New York Islanders in 1991 as part of a blockbuster seven-player trade that brought Pat LaFontaine to Buffalo. In 1992–93, goaltender Dominik Hasek joined
12420-567: The last NHL goal ever in this arena, and his team achieved a rare feat as a consolation prize: they became the third team (after the 1982–83 Calgary Flames and 1994–95 Québec Nordiques ) to end their arena's history with a playoff victory. The Coliseum was home to the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association , and later the National Basketball Association , from 1972 to 1977. The first event at
12555-585: The league awarded the Islanders to split their home games during the 2018–19 season between the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders played their first regular season game back at the Coliseum on December 1, 2018, against the Columbus Blue Jackets , where the Islanders won 3–2. During the 2019 playoffs , the First Round was held at the Coliseum. The Islanders again split the 2019–20 season between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center and it
12690-474: The most notable was the team's decision to waive center Tim Kennedy , a Buffalo native, to avoid paying the award he won in arbitration. Defensemen Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman were allowed to leave as free agents, while the team signed veterans Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrisonn to replace them. Additionally, center Rob Niedermayer was added as a Stanley Cup-winning, veteran presence. On November 30, 2010, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News reported
12825-429: The movie of the same name and in homage to their French-Canadian roots. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in 1972–73 , just the team's third year in the league, but lost in the quarterfinals in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. After a subpar year in 1974 that saw them miss the playoffs (as well as aging defenseman Tim Horton 's death in a DUI -induced car accident),
12960-528: The net through a hole in the mesh. While replays appeared to show the puck entering through the "side" of the net, the goal was allowed to stand. The Flyers would win the game 2–1 and go on to win the series four games to one. Captain Michael Peca sat out 2000–01 due to a contract dispute, and was later traded to the New York Islanders in June 2001 in exchange for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt . Even so,
13095-446: The playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, leading to the firings of both head coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Tim Murray on April 20, 2017. During the 2017 off-season, the Sabres hired two of their former players as head coach and general manager: Jason Botterill as general manager and Phil Housley as head coach. Among the more notable roster changes for this season was the return of former scoring leader Jason Pominville to
13230-649: The playoffs the following year. On June 10, the Sabres officially announced their new AHL affiliate, beginning in the 2008–09 season , would be the Portland Pirates from Portland, Maine . This ended their 29-year affiliation with the Rochester Americans . They signed with the Pirates for two seasons, with a parent club option for a third. The Sabres entered the 2008 free agency period quietly, but on July 1, signed goaltender Patrick Lalime to
13365-531: The pointer landed on one. While Campbell was congratulating the Vancouver delegation, Imlach asked Campbell to check again. As it turned out, the pointer was on 11, effectively handing Perreault to the Sabres. Perreault scored 38 goals in his rookie season of 1970–71 , at the time a record for most goals scored by a NHL rookie, and he received the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of
13500-656: The promotion's first all-women's pay-per-view event. The Coliseum hosted the opening leg of WrestleMania 2 on April 7, 1986. As part of an ambitious plan to host WrestleMania from three separate venues (also used were the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena ), 16,585 fans saw 4 live matches at the Coliseum with the rest of the event shown to the audience by closed-circuit television. The main event at
13635-423: The recently released Holland album and featured a set list of recent songs as well as several of their early '60s hits. They were joined onstage by Elton John and Paul Simon for the encore performance. David Bowie performed a radio broadcast from there during his Isolar Tour , in support of the album Station to Station . A heavily circulated bootleg of the concert saw official release in 2010 as part of
13770-570: The regular season. Long-time Sabres broadcast color commentator Jim Lorentz announced his retirement during the preseason. Hockey Night in Canada ' s Harry Neale took over the position in October 2007. During the 2007–08 season , the Sabres hosted a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 1, 2008, which was played outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium , home of the Buffalo Bills of
13905-451: The reigning NHL Executive of the Year (Muckler) and Coach of the Year (Nolan). During the 1997–98 season , the Sabres, which had lost $ 32 million over the previous three seasons and nearly missed payroll in December 1997, were sold by Northrop Knox to John Rigas , owner of Adelphia Communications . Shortly thereafter, Quinn was dismissed and replaced by John Rigas' son, Timothy Rigas. Behind Hasek, left-winger Miroslav Satan (who led
14040-426: The rights to broadcast Sabres games to television viewers in western New York , with the Sabres controlling all aspects of the broadcast. The agreement was later extended through 2017, then again through 2027. In 2005–06 , the Sabres took off, finishing with their best record in over 20 years and clinching their first playoff berth since the 2000–01 season. The team finished the regular season with 52 wins, surpassing
14175-484: The second night, February 13, Ronnie Wood of the Faces and The Rolling Stones joined the band for a rousing rendition of " Communication Breakdown ." High quality soundboard recordings of the band's performances on February 13 and 14 have surfaced on bootlegs. The Jacksons played a night at the coliseum as part of The Jacksons Spring Tour on April 10 and 11, 1977, Destiny World Tour on November 8, 1979, and played
14310-472: The series in seven games. Another first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season was followed by a fifth-place finish in the Northeast Division in 1995–96, as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. It was the first season under head coach Ted Nolan and the last for the Sabres at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Nolan brought an exciting brand of hockey to Buffalo. During his coaching tenure, Buffalo
14445-480: The series. Despite this, the Sabres forced the series to seven games before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Carolina. The Sabres' impressive season was recognized on June 22, 2006, at the NHL Awards Ceremony when Lindy Ruff edged Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette to win the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in the closest vote in the award's history. Ruff was the second Sabres coach to win
14580-541: The stadiums of smaller colleges or high schools. There are exceptions. The home of the Duke University men's and women's basketball teams would qualify as an arena, but the facility is called Cameron Indoor Stadium . Domed stadiums, which, like arenas, are enclosed but have the larger playing surfaces and seating capacities found in stadiums, are generally not referred to as arenas in North America. There
14715-418: The subsequent live double album Delicate Sound of Thunder was recorded during these shows. In March 1990, the country supergroup The Highwaymen performed at the Coliseum. Their performance was recorded and was released on VHS in 1991. On June 11–13, 1990, Madonna performed three sold-out shows at Nassau Coliseum on her Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 which totaled an attendance of 51,000 patrons with
14850-637: The team announced that its television broadcasts would be spun off to their own regional sports network , MSG Western New York . The new network continues to operate under the MSG banner but under Pegula Sports and Entertainment control and features additional programs centered around the Sabres and the Buffalo Bills, which the Pegulas purchased separately in 2014. The team failed to make significant progress, and in fact slightly regressed, in 2016–17, missing
14985-583: The team in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks . In the 1993 playoffs , the Sabres upset the Bruins in a four-game sweep in the Adams Division semifinals, their first playoff series victory in ten years. Brad May 's series-winning goal in overtime of Game 4 in Buffalo was made famous by Rick Jeanneret's "May Day!" call. However, the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens swept the Sabres in
15120-474: The team in scoring), right-winger Donald Audette , center Michael Peca and several role-playing journeymen including Matthew Barnaby , the Sabres reached the conference finals that season, but lost to the Washington Capitals in six games. In 1998–99 , Miroslav Satan scored 40 goals. The Sabres would add centers Stu Barnes from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Joe Juneau from the Capitals. Michal Grosek had
15255-407: The team on January 29, 2011, with Pegula purchasing the team for $ 189 million ($ 175 million with $ 14 million in debt included) with the Sabres and Golisano officially making an announcement in a press conference on February 3, 2011. NHL owners approved the sale on February 18. In the conference, it was stated that an unnamed bidder submitted a much higher bid than Pegula's, but made
15390-505: The team, though the Rigas family remained owners on paper. For a while, there were no interested buyers. After the two-year period of uncertainty, including rumors of relocating to another city or even straight out folding, the team was sold to a consortium led by Rochester, New York , billionaire and former New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano and former Sabres president Larry Quinn , whose bid included no government funding. Golisano
15525-437: The time, and the recording features the songs "It Takes Time" and "Cattle Drive" from that release as well as classics such as " Heard It in a Love Song ", " Searchin' for a Rainbow " and " Can't You See ". Billy Joel has a "retired number" banner hanging from the rafters, along with those of Islander greats, to commemorate his many sold-out Coliseum shows. His "retired number" is 69. One of Joel's concerts from his 1982 tour at
15660-522: The trade deadline was moved to April 3, 2013. In the days leading up to it, the Sabres were active in trades. On March 15, the Sabres' first trade sent T. J. Brennan to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fifth-round pick (originally owned by the Los Angeles Kings ) in the 2013 draft . On March 30, the Sabres traded Jordan Leopold to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a second-round pick and
15795-651: The venue became the new home of the Brooklyn Nets' NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets . Currently, the Nets serve as the building's main tenant. The Coliseum originally had a capacity of 13,000 to 15,000 depending on the event, and in the early 1980s the maximum capacity was increased to around 18,000. Before closing for renovations in 2015 the Coliseum seated 16,170 for hockey, up to 18,511 for concerts and 17,686 for boxing . Those renovations resulted in drastically reduced capacities: 13,917 for hockey and 14,500 for basketball. The New York Raiders , intended by
15930-480: The year. Despite Perreault's play, the Sabres finished well out of playoff contention. In the team's second season, 1971–72 , rookie Rick Martin , drafted fifth overall by Buffalo in 1971 , and Rene Robert , acquired in a late-season trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins , joined Perreault and would become one of the league's top forward lines in the 1970s. Martin broke Perreault's record at once with 44 rookie goals. They were nicknamed " The French Connection " after
16065-474: Was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline and sparked the Sabres to a playoff berth. However, Gilmour was stricken by stomach flu during the postseason, and even Hasek's return could not prevent a first-round playoff series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Like the previous season, there would be an officiating controversy. In Game 2, Flyers left wing John LeClair put the puck in
16200-461: Was announced by then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that the Islanders would play the remainder of their games at the Coliseum, while the Islanders new home UBS Arena was being built and the 2020–21 season being the final at the Coliseum. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Islanders played at Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Place during the 2020 playoffs , and then opened up the 2020–21 season at
16335-582: Was introduced as team owner on March 19, 2003. With the 2002–03 season having started under NHL control, general manager Darcy Regier could make only minimal moves. However, with the consultations of impending new ownership, the team began their rebuilding process around the March 2003 trade deadline by clearing out veteran players. The first to go was winger Rob Ray , who was sent to the Ottawa Senators. The team then sent center and team captain Stu Barnes to
16470-552: Was just the third time the annual event has been held on Long Island. Selling 17,755 tickets over three sessions, it broke (and still holds) the NYSPHSAA wrestling tournament attendance record. On July 19–20, 2014, the Global RallyCross Championship raced at the Nassau Coliseum parking lot. On July 22, 2017, the Coliseum hosted UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum . In February 2018, the Coliseum hosted
16605-420: Was later determined to be an undervalued amount, as Forbes magazine had valued the team at just under $ 170 million in 2010. In December, Pegula officially expressed interest in buying the Sabres for $ 170 million and submitted a letter of intent to the NHL. In January, Golisano reportedly issued a counteroffer with an asking price of US$ 175 million. Pegula and Golisano reached an agreement to sell
16740-635: Was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season (he later signed a three-year contract extension) and Pat LaFontaine was named president of hockey operations. On January 9, 2014, Tim Murray was named general manager. On February 28, 2014, Murray made his first major trade, sending star goaltender Ryan Miller and Captain Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for goaltender Jaroslav Halak , forwards Chris Stewart and William Carrier and two draft picks. After just over three months as president of hockey operations, Pat LaFontaine resigned from
16875-549: Was not clear if there were other parts of the deal as the trade was still pending NHL approval. It was later revealed that draft picks were also involved in the deal: the Wild would receive a fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft, and the Sabres would receive a first-round pick in the 2013 draft and a second-round pick in the 2014 draft. The following season , on November 13, 2013, the team dismissed general manager Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston. Former Sabres head coach Ted Nolan
17010-457: Was offered several jobs from the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders, which he turned down, and was out of the NHL until June 2006 when he was named coach of the Islanders. Former Sabres captain Lindy Ruff was hired as head coach on July 21, 1997, agreeing to a three-year contract. The Sabres organization, after having their most successful season in nearly two decades, had fired both
17145-431: Was on July 19, 1975. In 1977, Elvis had been scheduled for an August 22 concert as part of his second tour of the year, but he died on August 16, the day before the tour was to start. Tickets for the show have become collectors' items. Several of the songs included on The Beach Boys In Concert album were recorded at The Nassau Coliseum. The Beach Boys performed to a sold-out audience on June 14, 1974. Their tour promoted
17280-568: Was one of only two venues in the United States where Pink Floyd mounted their limited run of shows for The Wall Tour . The group performed five concerts from February 24 through 28, 1980 one of which was filmed and only appeared as an underground tape. In August 1988, they recorded and filmed the Delicate Sound of Thunder over four nights at the Coliseum. They first played the venue in June 1975 on their Wish You Were Here Tour . Live on Long Island 04–18–80 by The Marshall Tucker Band
17415-560: Was particularly well-received during a game against Adler Mannheim in Mannheim , the hometown of Sabres forward Jochen Hecht ; a contingent of 65 Adler fans traveled from Germany to Buffalo in February 2012 to witness a Sabres game against the Boston Bruins. Prior to the first game, Lindy Ruff named Jason Pominville the Sabres' 13th full-time captain in team history. The Sabres began the season relatively strong but collapsed after
17550-696: Was played on April 14, 1996, a 4–1 victory over the Hartford Whalers . Sabres principal owner Seymour Knox died a month later, on May 22, 1996. Ted Nolan and the Sabres rebounded in 1996–97 , their first at Marine Midland Arena , by winning their first division title in 16 years, with Nolan winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, Dominik Hasek winning both the Hart and Vezina Trophies (the first goaltender to do so since Montreal's Jacques Plante in 1962), Michael Peca taking home
17685-586: Was referred to as the "hardest-working team in hockey". This season also featured the debut of "walk-on" veteran Randy Burridge , who earned a spot on the roster after he attended training camp on a try-out basis. He scored 25 goals that season and was second in team scoring to Pat LaFontaine. Burridge also earned the Tim Horton Award for being the unsung hero and was voted team Most Valuable Player . The final game in Memorial Auditorium
17820-467: Was set to become a restricted free agent. On October 8, the Sabres named defenseman Craig Rivet team captain, the first single full-time captain since Stu Barnes ' term from 2001 to 2003. The team was also active at the trade deadline. First, they signed Tim Connolly to a two-year, $ 4.2 million extension, then acquired Mikael Tellqvist from the Phoenix Coyotes for a fourth-round pick in
17955-419: Was the original lineup's final concert and the final recording of bassist and founding member Tommy Caldwell , who died just ten days later in an automobile accident. Tommy Caldwell is pictured on the album cover. The Coliseum album was the first to feature a complete concert from the original band. However, the album wasn't released until 26 years later. The band was touring in support of their album Tenth at
18090-510: Was traded to the Boston Bruins on October 20, 2009, in exchange for a third-round and a conditional fourth-round draft selection. Paille's move to Boston marked the first ever trade of a player under contract between the two division rivals in their common 39 years in the NHL. On January 1, the Sabres became the first team to win consecutive games when trailing by three or more goals since the Dallas Stars did it in 2005–06; Buffalo defeated
18225-483: Was working as a videographer in the Sabres organization, to suit up as a backup goaltender in the wake of the Ryan Miller trade. The Sabres finished the 2013–14 season last in the NHL and again missed the playoffs. Despite winning two more games than the previous season, the 2014–15 season was much like the previous one, with the team sitting near the bottom of the standings the entire season, and finishing last in
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