Legendary Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret to return for 2016-17 season

Legendary Buffalo Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret is coming back for another season.

The team announced Jeanneret, who is set to call 41 games this season in what was supposed to be the final year of his contract, will return for 2016-17, though his schedule is unclear at this time.

Jeanneret has called Sabres games for 43 years. He is 73 years old and in 2012 received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, which is presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame, for excellence in broadcasting.

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Said the Buffalo News:

The Sabres announced the plans for Jeanneret’s future before the regular season, partly because it didn’t want teams around the league to honor him for retiring when there were no plans to do so.

Here are some of Jeanneret’s more enjoyable calls. The top choice should be quite obvious, but watch the whole video because it’s worth your time.

Jeanneret sounded pretty pumped to continue his duties, again from the Buffalo News.

“Most if it was predicated on how I felt,” said Jeanneret, a cancer survivor who worked all 47 games he was contacted to do last season after being treated for months for throat cancer. “I feel great. This never would have happened if I didn’t feel so good. When they offered me an opportunity to come back, I said, ‘well, sure. Why not? What else am I going to do?’” 

Jeanneret said Buffalo’s rise back to prominence with 2015 No. 2 overall draft pick Jack Eichel leading the way also helped.

 I’m very, very optimistic about this hockey club. I am even optimistic about this year. I know a lot of people figure it is going to take quite a bit of a time. I firmly believe they are a playoff contender this year. That adds to it. Of course it does. Why wouldn’t it?

Here’s to hoping Jeanneret gets to call Eichel’s first goal. Would love to hear his creativity on that score.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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