4/14/96 Never Forget

[Eleven]

I'm sure this vid has been posted before, but I'm betting it's been a while.

 

 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I loved that building.  Still do.

I really miss seeing the Sabres in The Aud.  Went to many games there.  Never been to a game since they moved to whatever it's called now.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Thanks for the cry...

[R_Dudley]

Thanks for that blast from the past.

I moved away in 92 so most of my games attended where there.   It was definitely a great place to watch hockey. As a young lad nothing beat playoff standing room only in the oranges for less than $10 bucks.  Good days indeed.   

[sabills]

To be honest, the only thing I remember about the Aud is my mom holding on to me for dear life when we were walking down the stairs in the oranges to get to our seats. Only ever went there for the circus. I really wish I could have seen hockey there.

[mphs mike]

Hockey at the Aud was special - so many memories:

Once upon a time it had grey seats

[That Aud Smell]

speaking of the old barn --  this was just posted by Boutet (sp?) as proof of how horrendous the Sabres' goalie situation was after Crozier left and before Edwards arrived.

 

 

[Brawndo]

4 hours ago, R_Dudley said:

Thanks for that blast from the past.

I moved away in 92 so most of my games attended where there.   It was definitely a great place to watch hockey. As a young lad nothing beat playoff standing room only in the oranges for less than $10 bucks.  Good days indeed.   

I was in SRO for the May Day Game, I missed the goal when the entire section stood up as May crossed the blue line 

[Sabre Dance]

4 hours ago, sabills said:

To be honest, the only thing I remember about the Aud is my mom holding on to me for dear life when we were walking down the stairs in the oranges to get to our seats. Only ever went there for the circus. I really wish I could have seen hockey there.

My dad was able (on a few occasions) to buy orange seats from a co-worker who had season tickets.  We arrived very early for a game and most of the orange seats were still empty.  A fellow in the next section slipped while getting to his seat and actually slid down 6 or 7 rows on the tops of the seat backs.  That's how steep the oranges were!  (In fact, until the guy got a firm hold on one of the seats, he had a look of terror on his face; he probably thought he would slide down all the way and over the railing down into the blue seats).  A great place to see hockey, though!  Man, those were really the days! 

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, Sabre Dance said:

My dad was able (on a few occasions) to buy orange seats from a co-worker who had season tickets.  We arrived very early for a game and most of the orange seats were still empty.  A fellow in the next section slipped while getting to his seat and actually slid down 6 or 7 rows on the tops of the seat backs.  That's how steep the oranges were!  (In fact, until the guy got a firm hold on one of the seats, he had a look of terror on his face; he probably thought he would slide down all the way and over the railing down into the blue seats).  A great place to see hockey, though!  Man, those were really the days! 

That resonates with me, for sure. The angle of the balcony was severe. When we sat in the oranges, we descended the stairs as though we were climbing down a ladder.

[Sabre Dance]

Just now, That Aud Smell said:

That resonates with me, for sure. The angle of the balcony was severe. When we sat in the oranges, we descended the stairs as though we were climbing down a ladder.

You bet - there were three stairs for every row of seats.  That is pretty dang steep! 

[pi2000]

A few memories from the Aud...

• Getting a root beer at The Aud Club with my Dad and his work buddies
• Walking a half-mile or so under the skyway during blizzard conditions
• Running the hallway ramps up to the blues
• The feeling of sitting in the cushioned reds after moving down from the blues/oranges
• Catching/picking up pucks behind the net during warmups
• The Earl of Bud
• The dangling cylinders from the ceiling
• Hearing the goal horn going off repeatedly while exiting the arena during a 13 or 15 goal blowout against the Leafs I think
• Watching Perrault score his 500th (still have the 500g banner they were handing out)
• The rectangle shapped red and white popcorn boxes, trying to dig the last few kernels out of the bottom of the box
• LaFontaine  saluting the crowd during the Aud's farwell game
  
  ...and so many others.     

[Sabel79]

I only ever sat in the oranges once, and that was for a St. Bonaventure - Notre Dame basketball game.  Every Sabres game I saw there i was in the blues/reds.  Still, what a magnificent dump... it was our building... 

[Weave]

Had seasons with my dad in the 1st row of the oranges in the corner for several years.  We were right in front of that cylindrical wall.  I think they were 6 bucks a ticket. Rested my beer and fries on the scoreboard in front of me.  

 

Loved that place.  Gave up my seasons when they moved into the new building.  Equivalent seats were $24 each.  Too rich for my blood.

[Eleven]

4 hours ago, pi2000 said:

A few memories from the Aud...

• Getting a root beer at The Aud Club with my Dad and his work buddies
• Walking a half-mile or so under the skyway during blizzard conditions
• Running the hallway ramps up to the blues
• The feeling of sitting in the cushioned reds after moving down from the blues/oranges
• Catching/picking up pucks behind the net during warmups
• The Earl of Bud
• The dangling cylinders from the ceiling
• Hearing the goal horn going off repeatedly while exiting the arena during a 13 or 15 goal blowout against the Leafs I think
• Watching Perrault score his 500th (still have the 500g banner they were handing out)
• The rectangle shapped red and white popcorn boxes, trying to dig the last few kernels out of the bottom of the box
• LaFontaine  saluting the crowd during the Aud's farwell game
  
  ...and so many others.     

Playing mini-sticks on those ramps!

[Weave]

Since we’re going there...

Before we had seasons dad would show up at the Aud 5-10 minutes after puck drop to get reduced priced tickets from the scalpers out front.  If the tickets were gone we’d watch the first period or two from a bowling alley on the way home.

We always “upgraded” our seats about halfway through the 1st period.  Always embarrassed me when a late arriver sent us back to the oranges.

Was scared stiff when Hajt (think it was Hajt) put Eddie Beers into the zamboni doors head first and Beers went into convulsions on the ice.

The first time I could legally buy a Molson at the poor mans Aud Club on the blue level.

Witnessed Malarchuck damned near lose his life from 6 rows up from the glass one section over from the zamboni doors.  My best friends mom gave us the tickets.  They were corporate tickets.  She worked for BCBS.

Had seats behind the Hartford goal with my now wife in the lower blues on the night they closed her down.  Still have the poster they gave away framed on office wall at home.

[matter2003]

13 hours ago, N S said:

I loved that building.  Still do.

I really miss seeing the Sabres in The Aud.  Went to many games there.  Never been to a game since they moved to whatever it's called now.

I remember as a kid walking up to the oranges and being scared to death because the stairs were so steep...

Had some good memories...played soccer at halftime of a Stallions game and scored the winning goal...friend of the family worked in sales and would get us rickets a lot of times...was in his office after the game one day talking with him and in walked Scottie Bowman...I was star struck.  He said hello and then kept going to wherever he was headed...

[mphs mike]

The first time I recall being in the Aud was for a Bisons game.

I remember the Oranges being added. If you were never in the oranges you can't imagine how steep they were. I have enough acrophobia that I was uncomfortable jumping up for a big play - Sabres goal, big bucket for the Braves, etc.

Schoeny takes on Orr, Cashman, and Vadnais. I learned three fighting penalties result in a game misconduct.

I could go on. . .

[Sabre Dance]

The floors in the Aud were polished concrete - at the end of every game, kids would flip discarded paper beverage cups so they were open end down on the concrete floor.  They would then step on them making a popping sound.  The pops could be heard from all the different areas and levels of the building.  To this day when I am walking out of the current arena, I expect to hear that popping.  It's almost like the game isn't really over until the beverage cups pop....

Edited October 5, 2018 by Sabre Dance