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Sabres to Add ‘Goathead’ Throwback Uni for 2022-23

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The Goathead may not be the GOAT, but it’s coming back all the same.

That’s the news out of Buffalo, where the Sabres have announced that they’re reviving their black “Goathead” uni design as a throwback for the upcoming 2022-23 season. It will be worn for 12 games, as shown in this tweet:

The Sabres originally wore this uniform from 1996-97 through 2005-06. Personally, I’ve never much cared for it, although I understand that Sabres fans like it because it’s what the team wore during what was arguably their most successful season (1998-99, when they had that controversial Stanley Cup loss to the Stars). Also, it’s better than the uni design that replaced it — the infamous Buffaslug. (You can see the team’s full uniform history here.)

Oddly, the Sabres didn’t actually show the new throwback uniform, or even the jersey, as part of their announcement, so we can’t yet assess its historical accuracy or see what kind of Adidas-ized collar the jersey will have. They said it’ll be released in early November.

 

 

 
  
 
Comments (13)

    Of note, former Sabres goalie and current broadcaster Martin Biron changed his Twitter profile to coincide with the goathead reveal, since almost his entire playing career with Buffalo was in the red and black (save for being called up for 3 games in 1995-96 – when he became the last player in the NHL to wear 00 – and playing in 19 games at the start of the 2006-07 season before being traded to the Flyers). As of the posting of this comment, his banner image does use the original version of the goathead, though. Biron’s tweet showing off his new userpic: link

    This was the Sabres logo when I was a kid and always saw it as a goat/devil head at first glance. I was shocked when I realized it was an optical illusion. It’s a side profile facing to the left and back a little. The recessed part on the left (buffalo’s neck) is the mouth with a little tongue. The black shadows by the horns are solid black creepy eyes.

    It might be easier to see if you look at a really tiny version of the logo.

    “Introduced for the opening of then-Marine Midland Arena in 1996, the jerseys were a massive transformation for a franchise that had been in blue and gold since its birth in 1970. The iconic, circular crossed swords logo was ditched for the charging Buffalo, which was openly derided in some quarters. Longtime late Buffalo News hockey columnist Jim Kelley was one of the first to mock the logo as a “goathead,” and the name has stuck through the years.”

    From link

    For the life of me, I have no idea why they redesigned this logo to the Buffaslug/hairpiece when they returned to the yellow and gold. If they had just swapped the colors everyone in Buffalo would have been very happy. I am glad that the team returned to the classic crest logo eventually, but the late 90s/early 00s logo rendered in the original colors would have been a really solid look.

    I can’t understand why the right-facing buffalo has a white triangle to its right and a B-shaped drop-out above its beard. It’s the same confused mess the Pitt Panthers had in 1997 with their “Ironmark” panther head.

    Render that logo in blue & yellow, call it the secondary logo and move on.

    Black & red for the Buffalo Sabres? Nahhh…

    Lee

    Of note, the logo has some minor alterations from the original.

    Can’t speak for Sabres fans but I would have preferred this uniform stay in the past. The Sabres just are not a black and red team. Seemed like an odd colour change to me at the time this was introduced in 1996. This is an example of how too many alternate uniforms exist nowadays. Don’t bring it back just because you can.

    Then again, this is a better 3rd uniform than the famous Turdburger from about a decade ago.

    link

    Sabres goathead is awful and is a product of Doug Moss, who was a total outsider to the organization when hired and wanted to “reinvent the wheel” here in Buffalo. It was a blatant cash grab at the time when black and red was trendy and all the rage.

    That guy started and is the total reason behind the disjointed, mismatched history of logos and colors.

    Ah yes they return.. as a 90s kid I love these. Bring back the red alt while you’re at it guys.. ;)

    Sabres were in the Cup Finals in 1975 against the Flyers. Played in the Fog game at the Aud. They wore their original Blue & Gold unis then with the French Connection Line.

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