BUFFALO, N.Y. — After 51 years behind the microphone, Rick Jeanneret has seen it all.
He’s a full witness to the history of the Buffalo Sabres.
You would think with all that experience he would have an idea of what to expect Friday night when the Sabres raise a banner to the rafters of KeyBank Center in his honor.
“RJ” says think again.
“That’s something you can ask me on April the 2nd, because I really don’t know," he said. "I know it’s happening the night of the first. I know there will be a lot of people in this building, which will be nice to see, for one thing. I honestly, I can’t envision what I would feel like at all. I will after I experience it.”
It’s sure to be quite an experience, not only for Jeanneret but for the sellout crowd that’s expected to attend. As for the anticipation, he says he’s done a 180 on that.
“At one point I was fearing, and now I’m looking forward to, so I’ve changed my mindset on that,” Jeanneret said.
“As I went along and realized the number of people that are, A, asking me not to retire, and B, almost threatening me if I do retire," he added. "I’ve had such a great association with the fans over the years that I almost feel like I’m bailing out of them, like I’ve done something bad.”
He, of course, has been anything but. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster with one team in NHL history. He has been with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, the highest honor a member of the media can receive from the Hockey Hall of Fame. His calls are identified with many of the great moments in the history of the franchise as much as the players involved.
“I don’t think it will ever happen again," he said. "In any sport, really, that you go half a century with a team. Same team. Not just the same sport, but the same team for all those years. Now you wonder why I get asked if I’m a homer or not. Yeah, so? What is it to you anyway? I’ve always admitted I was a homer. Of course I am, and proud of it.”
Jeanneret admits the fact the Sabres haven’t won the Stanley Cup does leave a void, but he relates to the many great players that haven’t won a Cup on that point.
As for calling it a career, he says he’s happy to have done it his way.
“Anything that came out of these lips has been pretty natural. I very seldom think ahead of time in terms of the number of calls that I’ve had that they call famous or infamous. Whatever, that’s me. You take me as what I am.”
The ceremony to raise the banner in Jeanneret’s honor is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. The Sabres ask fans to arrive at their seats early, if possible.