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Buffalo Sabres team dog Rick has his own merch in team store

By Wesley Coburn

ELMONT, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 30: Kyle Okposo #21 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on December 30, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 30: Kyle Okposo #21 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on December 30, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Sabres team dog Rick the Newfoundland has his own merch in the team store, which is pretty pawesome.

This news (which may be an NHL team dog first) was discovered by Dog O’Day through a mention on Uni Watch, which primarily covers sports uniform news, though also features a variety of sports-adjacent tidbits as well.

According to Buffalo TV station WGRZ, Rick was named after Rick Jeanneret, who has been the play-by-play voice of the Sabres for half a century, and will be retiring after the 2021-22 NHL season.

About half, more or less, of the National Hockey League franchises have had official or unofficial team dogs over the past three to five years, and all hockey dogs are very good dogs.

The puppy was rescued by the Niagara County SPCA and will hopefully become a service dog for a local veteran when he grows up, with the team partnering with WHY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes program.

Buffalo Sabres team dog Rick has his own merch in the team store.

Buffalo Sabres team dog Rick jerseys are available for dogs and humans, and there are also T-shirts as well.

“We had talked for a long time about getting a team dog, but we wanted to make sure the dog served a greater purpose that could have a meaningful impact on our community,” Rich Jureller, Buffalo Sabres vice president of community relations, told WGRZ. “In partnering with the Pawsitive for Heroes program, we’ve found the perfect match for the team, the dog and the veteran.”

Rick has been attending various home games at the KeyBank Center in addition to community events around the area.  It seems likely that he might also attend some Buffalo Bandits lacrosse games as well, since they are also owned by the Sabres’ ownership.

According to the Sabres website, Rick’s favorite hobbies are long walks by the lakeshore on the Lake Erie beach and getting all the belly rubs, which sound like great hobbies.

The Buffalo Sabres are currently sixth in the eight-team Eastern Conference Atlantic Division, with 25 points in 32 games and a record of 10 wins, 17 losses and five overtime losses.

Next. Caps superfan Ovie the Bulldog goes OTRB at 12 years old. dark

For more Sabres news, analysis, opinions and more, see our FanSided Network sister site Sabre Noise for all the latest.

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