Rick Jeanneret Richard " Rick " Jeanneret ( born 1942 in St . Catharines , Ontario , Canada ) is the television and radio play - by - play announcer for the National Hockey League ' s Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network , the Sabres Hockey Network . Having started with the team on radio during the 1971 – 72 season , he is the longest - tenured announcer in the NHL . He began doubling both television and radio play - by - play duties during the 1995 – 96 season . He is known as " RJ " within the Sabers organization and by close associates . Jeanneret is a Canadian of Swiss descent . It is misunderstood that Jeanneret was born in Switzerland . He is actually a native of Canada from St . Catharines . He is known for his energetic delivery ( especially during big plays and fights ) , colorful player nicknames , passionate goal calls , and his trademark suspenders worn on air and uncanny appearance to late comedian Rodney Dangerfield . Jeanneret has announced every season of the Sabres ' history except one ; the inaugural season was announced by a then unknown 25 - year - old Canadian broadcaster named Dave Hodge , who the next year left to become the host of " Hockey Night in Canada " . For the bulk of his 38 - year career with the Sabres , Jeanneret has only missed two games due to illness , with longtime color commentary partner and former Sabre Jim Lorentz taking over play - by - play duty during those 2 games . Occasionally he has taken nights off for other reasons . Notability in recent seasons where he has taken vacation time wile the Sabres go on west coast road trips . He worked alongside Lorentz for over 20 years before Lorentz retired . Harry Neale , former color commentator for the Toronto Maple Leafs regional broadcasts and was a commentator on " Hockey Night in Canada " until the end of the 2008 - 2009 season , is Jeanneret ' s partner for the " MSG Network " and " WGR " . Career . In 1963 , Jeanneret took over the play - by - play of a Niagara Falls Flyers Junior A hockey game for the regular announcer , Edd Felstead , who had become sick . Jeanneret became the color analyst the following season before assuming full - time play by play radio duties in 1965 . During the 1960s and early 1970s , Rick did several radio advertisements for local Niagara Falls hardware store Buildall . In 1971 , Jeanneret had a trial run doing the call for the Cincinnati Swords , the Sabres ' top minor league affiliate . When the Sabres took the ice for their second season , for a game with the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Aud on October 10 , 1971 , Jeanneret was in the radio booth high above the ice surface . From 1984 until 1992 , he did the Sabres ' play - by - play in addition to being a popular early - morning disc jockey at CJRN - AM in Niagara Falls , Ontario . In 1992 , he chose to retire from CJRN and concentrate solely on the Sabres . " I had enough of two jobs . I finished the game , came home and had to be up by 4 a . m . , " he said . Jeanneret helped close the Aud on the final night of the regular season in 1996 with an emotional tribute to his colleague Ted Darling , who was the voice of the Sabres from 1970 until worsening of his Pick ' s Disease forced him to retire in the midst of the 1991 – 92 season . " I wish that standing next to me right now would be Ted Darling , " said Jeanneret from the ice surface in a postgame ceremony . " See you in September , one block in that direction , " said Jeanneret , pointing toward the new arena , then dubbed the Crossroads Arena and now called HSBC Arena after a stint as Marine Midland Arena . In 2005 , Jeanneret and the Sabres released a CD that collected some of his most memorable calls . Proceeds from the CD , which was titled " Roll the Highlight Film " , went to charity . It was followed up in 2006 with " Top Shelf " ( named after his signature call , " Top Shelf , where momma hides the cookies ! " ) , a similarly themed DVD . Due to increasing age and health concerns , Jeanneret ' s retirement has been long rumored . Each year since the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , however , Jeanneret has effectively agreed to " one more year . " Jeanneret ' s contract was extended in 2007 through the 2008 – 09 NHL season ; it was further extended in 2008 through the 2009 - 10 season . He will be back for the 2010 - 11 season along with Neale , except for when he goes on vacation wile the Sabers have a pair of west coast road trips and a home game against Boston from December 27 , 2010 trough January 8 , 2011 . He will also be off when the Sabers play the Senators in Ottawa on January 25 , 2011 . During Jeanneret ' s vacation , his son Mark and Kevin Sylvester will fill in . Rick also has two sons , Mark and Chris . His son Mark Jeanneret is the play - by - play announcer for the Portland Pirates , and Chris is a Radio Broadcasting teacher at Niagara College in Welland , Ontario The Sabres Showdown . On April 9 , 2001 , as part of a promotion on radio station WNSA ( at the time the Sabres ' flagship station ) , Jeanneret called a fictional game known as the " Sabres Showdown . " The fictional matchup was simulated on the NHL 2001 video game , and was said to be a matchup between the 1974 – 75 Buffalo Sabres and the 1998 – 99 Sabres , both of whom had been to the Stanley Cup finals . The game was said to have taken place at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium , classic Sabres audio clips were played during intermission , and WNSA purposely held out any regular game staff from the commentary who had actually played on the 1974 – 75 team so as to make it seem as if they were actually playing the game . ( For instance , color commentator Jim Lorentz was replaced by Mike Robitaille , who played for the Sabres in 1974 – 75 but had been traded before the playoffs , and WNSA hosts filled in other positions . ) The 1975 team won the game thanks to Gilbert Perreault ' s game winning shootout goal . In all actuality , many of the members of the 1974 – 75 squad are still together , working for the Sabres organization and playing occasionally for the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team .