Rob Ray to be inducted into Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame

Rob Ray has dedicated more than three decades of his life to the Buffalo Sabres as a player, broadcaster, and president of the team’s Alumni Association. This season, he will add yet another title to that resume: Hall of Famer.

Ray will be inducted this season as the 44th member of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame, the team announced. The date for Ray’s induction ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Sabres revealed news of Ray’s induction with a video message from former goaltenders Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek, the two most recent inductees into the Sabres Hall of Fame, which played during the first period of the team’s game against Florida on Saturday.

“It’s a complete honor," Ray told Brian Duff and Marty Biron during the first intermission on MSG. "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.”

Ray ranks fourth in franchise history with 889 games played spanning 14 seasons in a Sabres uniform, during which he became one of the most iconic enforcers in NHL history. He holds the team record for penalty minutes with 3,189 while his 3,207 career penalty minutes (including two seasons with Ottawa) rank sixth on the league’s all-time list.

Ray’s fights – often set to the backdrop of his future broadcast partner and fellow Sabres Hall of Famer Rick Jeanneret’s energetic narrations – made him a fan favorite during his playing career. But his impact on the Sabres extended beyond the ice.

Ray served as an alternate captain for the latter part of his playing career and in 1998-99 became the first Sabres player to receive the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” He was a dedicated supporter of Make-A-Wish and Roswell Park, and his charitable efforts have continued beyond his playing days.

Ray has remained with the Sabres as a color analyst on the team’s MSG broadcast, a role he’s held since the 2003-04 season.