The2012–13 Buffalo Sabres season was the43rd season for theNational Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on May 22, 1970.[2] The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to alockout. The season was the 15th and final season coached byLindy Ruff, who was fired after a 6–10–1 start. The Sabres failed to qualify for theStanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season.
On June 8, 2012, the Sabres announced thatRick Jeanneret, the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in NHL history,[3] would be inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame; Jeanneret will also receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.Rob Ray will replaceHarry Neale as the full-time color commentator for all Sabres game broadcasts. Neale will joinMike Robitaille, whose role will remain unchanged, and Brian Duff, who will take over as full-time studio host, in the studio.[4]Kevin Sylvester andDanny Gare, who served as the alternate broadcast team in 2011–12, were not originally going to reprise their roles in 2012–13; Sylvester instead revived theHockey Hotline, a long-discontinued Sabres call-in talk show, forWGR.[5] However, due to Jeanneret suffering an illness, Sylvester was pressed into service to call play-by-play for the first four games of the regular season.[6]
On July 12, 2012, the Sabres announced that the plaza adjacent toFirst Niagara Center would be re-branded Alumni Plaza. On October 12, 2012, a bronzeFrench Connection statue was added to the plaza.[7] Other plans included plaques with the name of every player to play a game for the team and fans having to opportunity to buy engraved bricks.
During the abbreviated training camp the team released the first episodes in a new web-series calledBeyond Blue and Gold. The series will run through the season with the goal to give fans an "all-access pass to the entire Sabres organization throughout the entire 2012–13 NHL season."[19][20]
After the lockout, the Sabres had an abbreviated one-week training camp. During the camp, the Sabres' first pick in the2012 NHL entry draft,Mikhail Grigorenko, played well on a line with off-season trade acquisitionsSteve Ott andVille Leino. At the end of the camp, Grigorenko was put on the opening day roster.[21] The Sabres were given five games to decide whether to keep him on the roster (and thus pay him a full season's salary) or send him back to his junior team, theQuebec Remparts; in the end, Grigorenko was kept on the roster after Leino suffered an injury. After several weeks of mediocre play and Leino's return to the active roster, Grigorenko returned to the Remparts. He remained with the Remparts until their elimination from the QMJHL playoffs, whereupon he returned to the Sabres.
After an unsuccessful 6–10–1 start, general managerDarcy Regier announced the firing of head coachLindy Ruff[22] Ruff coached the team since1997 and was the team's most successful coach. It was further announced thatRon Rolston, who was the current coach of theRochester Americans, would replace Ruff on an interim basis. The Sabres performed better under Rolston but were nonetheless eliminated from playoff contention following an 8–4 home loss to theNew York Rangers.[23]
The Sabres allowed the most shorthanded goals in the NHL, with seven.[24]
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Sabres. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only. ‡Traded mid-season Bold/italics denotes franchise record
a TheCalgary Flames's first-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as a result of a June 22, 2012, trade that sent a 2012 first-round pick and a 2012 second-round pick to the Flames in exchange for this pick.
The Buffalo Sabres' second-round pick went to the Calgary Flames as a result of a June 22, 2012, trade that sent a 2012 first-round pick to the Sabres in exchange for a 2012 first-round pick this pick.
b The Calgary Flames' second-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as a result of a June 25, 2011, trade that sentChris Butler andPaul Byron to the Flames in exchange forRobyn Regehr,Ales Kotalik and this pick.
The Buffalo Sabres' fourth-round pick went to theNew York Islanders as the result of a June 29, 2011, trade that sentChristian Ehrhoff to the Sabres in exchange for this pick.
c TheChicago Blackhawks' seventh-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as a result of a June 29, 2011, trade that sentSteve Montador to the Blackhawks in exchange for this pick.
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