Perhaps former Sabres enforcer and longtime broadcast partner Rob Ray put it best when he said, "You deserve to be in the rafters as much as anyone who ever wore the uniform."

In his brief remarks, Jeanneret recalled his induction into the Sabres' Hall of Fame in 2011 and used some of the same words he did that night.

"This is the only job I ever wanted," Jeanneret said. "This is the only place I ever wanted to be. And boy do I mean it now!"

As for the fans, Jeanneret invoked the 1976 Neil Diamond song "Beautiful Noise." Said Jeanneret, "He reminisces about everyday sounds from the streets. ... My beautiful noise is a little different. Mine is the roar of the crowd."

A couple dozen alumni and former broadcast partners were stationed on the ice with Jeanneret. So were Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula, General Manager Kevyn Adams and family members representing Jeanneret's Memorial Auditorium broadcast partner Ted Darling.

The Pegulas, who wear the bulk of the Sabres' 11-year playoff drought in the eyes of fans, got booed when they were introduced, but Terry Pegula knew what to do as the crowd roared while Jeanneret made his entrance. Going to the microphone to try to speak, Pegula had no chance. So then he decided to exhort the crowd and it roared even more.

"I'm supposed to say something about Rick, but I think the crowd just said it all," said Pegula.

Sabres players entered the arena wearing suspenders and turtlenecks in honor of Jeanneret, who has become well-known over the years for wearing suspenders on the air. In uniform, the players watched the ceremony from their bench area and then came to center ice to raise their sticks in salute of Jeanneret when it ended.

Jeanneret, 79, has been on the air with the Sabres since October of 1971, at the start of their second season. He started as an analyst alongside Darling and did the play-by-play when Darling was on television. As most of the schedule became televised in the late 70s and early 80s, Darling became the full-time TV broadcaster and Jeanneret became the club's regular radio voice, a role he held until 1995.

Jeanneret became the full-time television announcer in '95 and the Sabres transitioned to a simulcast broadcast with Jeanneret making the calls for both TV and radio in 1997.

Jeanneret has five games left to call on his schedule this year, starting with Sunday afternoon's matinee against the Florida Panthers. He will make the final call of his legendary career during the Sabres' season finale April 29 against Chicago.