BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Rob Ray's force of personality in Buffalo hockey culture over the past 35 years will be recognized this season with induction into the Sabres Hall of Fame.
The team's 44th inductee, "Rayzor" was a popular enforcing forward for 14 seasons, and is now in his 21st year on the Sabres broadcast crew. Ray's community involvement and media presence have allowed him to remain a fan favorite.
Ray received an extended ovation from the crowd at KeyBank Center on Saturday night when his induction was revealed on the video board by revered goaltenders Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller, the two most recent inductees into the Sabres Hall of Fame.
“It’s a complete honor," Ray said during the first intermission of Saturday's game broadcast. "This has been my life for the last 35 years and I know nothing else. I’ve never had another job. This is me. I don’t know, I’m just so excited. I know I don’t show it sometimes, but I’m trying not to cry in front of everybody because I’ve got to kind of act tough. It’s the greatest thing that could happen. For me, it’s an honor and it’s a privilege to even be named with a lot of those guys on the wall.”
Skating in 889 games for the Sabres, fourth most in franchise history, Ray holds the club record with 3,189 penalty minutes, most of which attributed to his often shirtless fighting spirit.
An alternate captain late in his career, Ray received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1999 as the NHL player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” His charitable work includes longstanding support for Make-A-Wish and Roswell Park.
Ray's Hall of Fame induction date will be announced in the coming weeks.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
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