The Buffalo Sabres revealed their plans today to build an Alumni Plaza outside of the First Niagara Center. The plaza will be designed as a tribute to every former Sabres player, with the crown jewel being a statue of the famed French Connection line.
The statue itself is cast in bronze, and will be finished very soon. It will be unveiled in a ceremony on Oct 12, which will be the 40th anniversary of the first time the trio of Martin, Perreault, and Robert ever played together on the same line. As per Terry Pegula’s orders, the statue is posed off of a real photo from a playoff game in 1975, as opposed to a fictional image.
Here’s what Ted Black had to say, courtesy of Sabres.com:
“Celebrating the contributions of every player who ever wore a Sabres sweater Sabres History is an important facet of our organization’s philosophy,” said Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black. “We hope this statue and the dedication of ‘Alumni Plaza’ will serve as a proper tribute not only to the French Connection, but also to the players who have made this franchise what it is today. The project will also afford Sabres fans from around the globe with the opportunity to have their names etched alongside their heroes.”
That last line hints at the second part of the Alumni Plaza – there will be bricks around the plaza etched with the names of all 401 Sabres alumni, and Sabres fans can purchase custom plaques that will be put on the remaining bricks.