Back on Sept. 1, the Sabres announced that they’d be reviving their 1990s “goathead” design this season as a throwback — but they didn’t actually show the new throwback. They finally tied up that loose end today when they unveiled the new design, which will be worn 12 times this season, beginning on Nov. 23 against the Blues.
The throwback gives the Sabres two different goathead uni designs in this season’s wardrobe, because a recolored version of the crest also appears on the team’s Reverse Retro uniform:
The throwback appears to be a fairly faithful reproduction of the original design, which the Sabres wore from 1996-97 through 2005-06. Personally, I’ve never much cared for it, although I understand that Sabres fans like it because the team took it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998-99 (when they had that controversial 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.)
You can see additional photos of the new design here.
The thing that won me over with this jersey, as a late-teen/early 20something playing NHL 98 & 99, was the player Miroslav Satan wearing it, a BLACK and red and silver jersey with a demonic red eyed buffalo of the front and SATAN on the back was METAL AF!!!!
That and Dominik Hasek was the best goalie in the game
Didn’t like the “goat head” then. Don’t like it now.
This is everything that was wrong with 1990s sports aesthetics.
1. Dropping underrated team colors (royal/athletic gold) in favor of aggressive colors like red and black. This is textbook BFBS.
2. Unnecessary dark shadows on the logo. The original white buffalo had no definition at all and it was fine.
3. More aggressive logos. Red eyes glaring at you instead of in profile in this case as the buffalo went to a head shot.
4. The team name at the waist hem. Does not look like something a team at the highest level in the sport would wear.
5. An overdone bespoke name/number font, italicized and outlined to death. Why not throw in a drop shadow just because?
There is a reason it was a bad idea then and it is still a bad idea. At least the Sabres’ RR this time around melded this phase in Sabres history with their traditional color palette.
MJ, you nailed it. One of the worst uniforms in sports, It rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys from 1994-1999.
I still remember going to the unveiling at the Aud as a kid. I was perplexed and disappointed. That feeling hasn’t changed in 2022. The goat head might have some on-ice success under its belt, but the uniform was the product of new corporate ownership that ended when said owner was led out of the building in handcuffs for massive fraud. I really don’t want to relive those days.
They announced this with a 40 minute video of goats in the locker room. The goats belonged to the GM of the Buffalo Bills, Brandon Beane and his wife. Honestly it was amazing.
Now get the NYR to bring back the John Ferguson 1976-1978 full uniforms
I don’t know if you’re serious but I’d be for that! I dug seeing them again during 2003-04 as part of the Vintage uniform program.
I didn’t like the Winnipeg Jets’ 1979-90 uniforms (that was based on them) nearly as much. Their version was less bold and had inferior number and letter fonts, reversed striping on the pants that no longer matched the arms on the blue uniform, thinner arm stripes and thicker hem stripes.
I don’t think the Buffaslug uniforms were that bad, but they were dragged down quite a bit by that awful logo design. Put the original crest on that sweater and it probably would have survived.
I agree. The Buffaslug sucked, and while the panels on the arms and sides of the uniform were a bit busy, I could have lived with it. The number and letter fonts were fine.
For a quick fix they could have just slapped the (B with a sabre through it) shoulder logo on the front and called it a day. They could have even used the variant with an S with a sabre through it instead, either on the front or shoulders.
I think that would have fit better with the overall design than the original logo. I’ve never been a big fan of that one anyway. Lol
These comments are amusing. Everyone around the team and fan base is going wild for this throwback. It looks amazing.
The white one’s should be a one and done, but mostly because of the pants. The jersey itself is nice.
Everyone? I’m a local fan, and I am not enthused.
But sure. “Everyone.”
Context is important for this uniform, because it’s as much what was happening with the team as it is the uniform itself.
The team had made the move from the Aud into the new building (then Marine Midland), and was chock full of characters, from Hasek and his Slinky of a spine, to the aforementioned Miro Satan, to guys like Rob Ray and Matthew Barnaby. That, and they were good.
I was among those who were disappointed at first when they ditched the blue and gold. I remember still as a kid being excited to see it anywhere, but especially on the lid of a container of Sabres Sundae ice cream from Perry’s. But all that change, and being a good team, quickly won me over.
Last memory, I swear: Nothing beat the old Empire Sports Network days. There’s was just something to how the team was presented on TV that made this all work. It walked a line between cable access and legitimate broadcast quality that’s hard to describe. Go find old episodes of Off the Top Rope to really understand it.
Perry’s ice cream rules.
Right up there with “The Aud” from Lake Effect.
I never really understood how the “goat head” moniker became so popular. To my eye, it looks much more like a bison than a goat. (I’ll spare everyone the lecture about how bison are technically not buffaloes.) But regardless of which large grazing animal you see in it, it’s still a terrible and badly dated logo. I’m a bit surprised to see how well it’s been received this time around. I guess time heals all wounds.
It’s an optical illusion similar to how people used to see the Atlanta Hawks’ logo looking like Pac-Man. That little back of the Buffalo’s head is the goat’s mouth.
Not my favorite Sabres uniform to put it mildly but I am not a local. They seem to like it?
Sabres fans have been waiting for years, if not decades, for the team to go back to the original royal blue unis. They finally do it and then one season later they’re going to subject them to this dreadful set again, and not only once or twice but 12 times! A terrible decision.
Sabres fan, but far from local (geographically I guess North Stars/Wild and Jets/Jets2.0 would be closest NHL teams). Pre-goat uniforms are my favourite. Even if they won the cup in the ‘goat’ or ‘slug’ it wouldn’t effect my opinion.
I was likely in my own little bubble back, in an area with few at best Sabres fans, when they wore them the first time, but was a downgrade from the original uniforms for me. Buffaslug logo was more of a joke – in fact I received some Buffaslug items as gifts; wore the toque – less as a proud item and more to my own amusement.
The goat as a one-off is fine with me; as a third certainly wouldn’t be my choice. My general opinion on thirds (or ‘fourths’) is often they aren’t needed but if you’re going to do them go for either a ‘classic’ understated look or go all out on the wild and craziness. I’m talking minor league level craziness in design.
The beauty of the current (and original) Sabres’ insignia is that it is a rebus. The only thing that made Buffalo mess with their uniforms was a lack of sucess.