BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Common Council honored the late Rick Jeanneret through the dedication of a trailblazing sign on Perry Street outside of KeyBank Center on Thursday ahead of the season opener.
Fans heading to the KeyBank center will now pass by "RJ Way" a renamed stretch of Perry Street. The team said the sign honors RJ's lifelong dedication to the Sabres organization.
The legendary play-by-play announcer passed away in August at the age of 81. Days later, the Sabres honored Jeanneret with a special tribute event "Remembering RJ: The Man Behind the Mic," at KeyBank Center which included former coaches and players reflecting on his legendary life and career.
READ MORE: Former Sabres coaches and players reflect on the legendary life and career of Rick Jeanneret
Jeanneret, a St. Catherines, Ontario native, started his broadcasting career in Buffalo in 1969 for the Bisons. The Sabres called him to discuss a job, and he began his 51-year career with the team in 1971. Jeanneret began calling games on the radio and joined the team's TV broadcasts in 1995. He retired at the end of the 2021-22 season as the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in NHL history.
He was a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, as a recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. The award is selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Association in recognition of those in the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career. In addition, he was a member of the Sabres Hall of Fame, Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the Township of Terrace Bay, Ontario's Sports Wall of Fame. He is also one of only 11 members of the Sabres organization to have a banner raised to the rafters.
