Buffalo Sabres fans across the country all set their sights on the atrium of HSBC Arena on Tuesday morning, prepared to witness history. Nobody could have expected how well things would go.
The fourth owner in Buffalo Sabres history, Terry Pegula, made his first appearance to the fans and media to announce his intentions.
Pegula's first statement of the day was to thank the previous ownership team of Tom Golisano, Larry Quinn, and Dan DiPofi. From his first statements, Sabres fans everywhere were comforted by Pegula's excitement in ownership, as he already referred to the Sabres as "my hockey team."
In the press conference, Pegula showed transparency from the jokes between himself and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to self-deprecating humor. Pegula displayed how he's a genuine Sabres fan. Most people present and viewing the press conference on the Buffalo Sabres website were struck with the new owner's love for the team.
"I've been a Sabres fan since 1975," Pegula said. "I'm going to try not to look over here, where all the old faces are. Where's [Gilbert] Perreault? You're my hero."
The honesty was a nice change for many fans as they watched Pegula make several promises to the fanbase. He is determined to bring the Stanley Cup to Buffalo, and he is not afraid to spend money to do it.
Sabres fans at UB are equally excited about the future of the team and really enjoyed the new message that Pegula is giving.
"When Terry [Pegula] got teary eyed, you couldn't help but immediately like the guy," said T.J. Luckman, a junior communication major. "You can tell that he really cares about the team, and it's only day one."
Pegula made it clear that money will not be of any concern, and that has fans giddy for the future.
"His attitude during the press conference has people here in Buffalo pumped," said Steve Cotrone, a senior physics major. "From the outside looking in, I see two possible outcomes: either Buffalo becomes a relevant sports town again, or the teams of Buffalo begin to start winning."
Pegula announced that current general manager Darcy Regier will remain in charge of the team, as will the current coaching staff led by head coach Lindy Ruff. Upon repeating it several times, Pegula made the message clear that he's a fan of Ruff and that he won't be going anywhere.
With the slow start in the 2010-11 season, Ruff and Regier had been under fire as the main cause of the Sabres' woes. The fanbase has never totally forgiven Regier for the departure of Chris Drury and Danny Briere in the 2007 offseason.
Despite the downfalls of the past, fans consider the Pegula era of Sabres hockey a new lease on life and a hopeful time for the city of Buffalo. The town has been waiting for a championship, and it looks like Buffalo's time as a losing franchise may be coming to an end.
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Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
