The Buffalo Sabres have announced that top star will be the 2024-2025 inductee into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. The announcement was made on Saturday night at KeyBank Center during the game between the Sabres and the Florida Panthers. Ray, a significant figure in the Sabres organization, played 14 seasons with Buffalo, appearing in 889 games. Since retiring, he has served as a broadcaster for the Sabres since the 2003-2004 season and has been actively involved with the Sabres alumni and various charities in the Buffalo community.
Playing Career
Rob Ray, known as one of the NHL’s all-time great enforcers, racked up 3,207 penalty minutes during his career with the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. Standing six feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, Ray was known for his powerful punches and fearless approach.
One of his signature fighting tactics was to shed his jersey—and sometimes even his shoulder pads—making it difficult for opponents to get a grip on him. This maneuver gave him an edge in fights and ultimately led to a new rule requiring players to keep their jerseys tied down during games. The rule became known as the “Rob Ray” rule, named after Ray’s frequent use of the tactic.
Sabres Broadcast
Rob Ray continues his legacy with the Sabres as their color commentator, a role he has held since 2012 after taking over solely from Harry Neale. He provides in-game commentary from between the benches at home games and also appears on the Sabres Hockey Network for pregame, intermission, and postgame broadcasts on both cable and radio.
Community
Rob Ray remains deeply connected to the Buffalo community, which he now calls home. He serves as the president of the Sabres Alumni Association, playing a key role in linking alumni with the new generation of the organization.
Additionally, he was an assistant coach for the Buffalo Junior Sabres and is actively involved in charitable work with organizations like Roswell Park and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. His induction into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame is widely regarded as well-deserved and probably overdue, although the exact date for the induction has yet to be announced.
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