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Rick Jeanneret: 1942–2023

PromoTheRobot

By PromoTheRobot
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stuuuuuuuuu Top Prospect

stuuuuuuuuu

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Dec 31 2022:  I'm driving from Sarasota FL to Chicago IL currently somewhere between Nashville and Louisville.  I tune in as the Sabre's roll into Boston to take on a juggernaut Bruins team.  I will never forgive them for what Milan Lucic did and want this one bad. 

The Sabre's blow a third period lead before Cozens ties it up and Tuch puts it away in OT.  Electric.  First thing out of my mouth - well the second thing after 30-90 seconds of inaudible joyous yelling was "Man I wish RJ called that game"

Another flashback:

My old man has his feet resting on the coffee table, we're watching the Sabres on the old wooden box TV in my parents first house.  I'm laying on my belly beneath the table playing with a plastic jet ski Elmo.  Rick is going bananas on the broadcast. 

There's nothing all that notable about this moment other than how vividly i remember it.  I can see it.  I can hear it.  It's the earliest thing that I remember, and Rick was there.

My first sip of beer came soon after this first memory (roughly 4 years old my dad got sick of my insistence that I liked beer too and let me try i sip of his: I ended up sick)  RJ was there.  

Over the years RJ has been such a presence.  He grabbed my attention early with the Stuuuuuuuuu Barnes goal calls and I've never looked away.  Having never met the man he sure was there for so many milestones and memories. 

He's gone now -- but not really, we all have those special moments he shared with us.  His memory will always bring a smile to my face and countless others.

Here's to you RJ, and all that you gave to us, and here's to the team we love giving us many more "I wonder how RJ would've called it" moments

P.S.

(I've added a bunch of U's to my name on here in your honor, your calls are the reason I was such a fan of #41 it only seems right that I read his name in your voice from here on out)

 

 

 

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JohnC First Liner

JohnC

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When there was a Rick J night in his last season calling games the place was sold out. That was at a time when the building was usually noticeably less than filled. They weren't there for the game so much as they were there to show their respect and pay tribute to the man behind the mike. That display of gratitude and affection says it all. 

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nfreeman Hall of Famer

nfreeman

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18 minutes ago, X. Benedict said:


 

This remarkable man, whose voice painted vivid pictures of triumphs and defeats, became more than just a commentator to me, he probably had an outsized influence on my life . He became the companion of our autumns, winters, and springs, narrating the stories of personal  journeys with passion and fervor. His crackle and rasp, were my second interior monologue in my head. When I say he has inspired me. I really mean I could hear his voice daily in my head. 

 

 I remember nights spent with my transistor under the blanket, and the white single earpiece cord. It was usually Ted Darling in the first and the third. RJ in the second. Then over time, it just became RJ. 

 

First Period. For as long as I can remember. I win the Stanley Cup every morning. This may sound silly, but its what I do. I lift the Stanley Cup. Sometimes I even press the imaginary weigh of it over my head as I make my coffee. The voice was always the same. It was Rick - but always a little different. RJ would announce the captain handing me the cup for me to lift.  - “And look at this, he’s one of US……there won’t be a dry eye in Western New York now…….X. Benedict is lifting the cup!!!” I am crying as I write this. For me RJ has always been the soundtrack of what is possible in my life. He has called every degree graduation, he has called every promotion, he has called my wedding. But it started much earlier, he called every goal of mine on the pond, every goal in the driveway, and every goal in life. He was my adopted inspiration voice. Perhaps he was yours too. 

 

Second Period. One thing that made RJ unique, is that he always called the game in front of him. He wasn’t telling long stories. He wasn’t telling history. He always focused on the game and the detials in front of him. He always knew who was on the ice. He always let you know who was in the face-off circle, who had the puck, how much time was left. There were great calls, but for me that was never the lesson. RJ was a Hall of Famer because he called the game he was at. He was in the moment. Calling the detials of a 6-1 blowout were just as important to him as the details of a the 6-5 overtime thriller. He knew the history, but he avoided the temptation to narrate the what belonged to the players. Any locker room disfunction, any heartwarming stories, any gossip. He avoided this. Everything he called was in service of the world the game in front of him created. - I guess this has always inspired me. His discipline was to keep the players lives private, and to focus on the 20 minutes in front of him. Everyone can get distracted. RJ always focused on the call. The call was colorful enough. He let others add color. In the weirdest way - he was always the most colorful straight man. The emotion came from the game. I always thought I would be a better person by focusing on what was in front of me.

 

Third Period. I write this to you, friends. Because even though I left this forum and social media a few years back -  RJ was some of the glue that made us a better community. I write this to you, simply because I know you will understand, and I have no one better in the world to communicate it to. I know you guys love the team, and I stopped by when I heard the news. There will be a disconnect with me. The voice I have stolen for my interior soundtrack, will now belong to a star in heaven, a voice in history, and not a living man. At least as long as I live, his voice will live in me. Perhaps you too. Be well friends. And my condolences. I’m sorry for OUR loss, and will miss him. We were blessed to have him. 


Rest in peace, old friend. Rest in peace. 

Good to see you sir although I'm sorry for the circumstances.

Thanks for the beautiful post.

As others have said, I hope you pop in from time to time.  You've been missed.

Be well.

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ExWNYer Third Liner

ExWNYer

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Posted (edited)
16 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I wish I had the full list of all the guests they've had on today. Doc Emrick is on right now. 

Doc was poignant and erudite. Got Marty & Duffer choked up before he finished. A great segment.

Edited by ExWNYer
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Quint Fourth Liner

Quint

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Thinking back, there were so many memories, so many great calls that RJ made that it's hard to put into context my most favorite. The fights especially were called with an electricity that was unmatched by other NHL announcers, which is why RJ is also in the Bare Knuckles Hall of Fame, unlike any other NHL announcer.

But maybe my favorite was the Dave Hannan goal in the 4th OT against the Devils at 1:15AM on April 27, 1994. The game kept grinding and grinding and finally, we had the moment of explosive celebration, made even more dramatic by the fact that RJ had to take a pee at the time!

 

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That Aud Smell Hall of Famer

That Aud Smell

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3 hours ago, X. Benedict said:


 

I write this to you, simply because I know you will understand, and I have no one better in the world to communicate it to. I know you guys love the team, and I stopped by when I heard the news. There will be a disconnect with me. The voice I have stolen for my interior soundtrack, will now belong to a star in heaven, a voice in history, and not a living man. At least as long as I live, his voice will live in me. Perhaps you too. Be well friends. And my condolences. I’m sorry for OUR loss, and will miss him. We were blessed to have him. 

I hadn’t cried in connection with this sad news until I read this. Thanks for stopping in @X. Benedict. 👊 

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Broken Ankles Third Liner

Broken Ankles

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I had the privilege of talking Sabres hockey with RJ and Jim Lorenz in 1997.  They were  at a hotel bar after playing Anaheim.  Can’t recall if I declared my overwhelming love for the guy but probably was conveyed in some way by words or hanging on every word he spoke. He was quite simply the voice of our youth.  Rest in Peace.

 

Thank you to everyone for adding your memories and thoughts in this thread.  It’s cathartic for us all to post and share with each other. 

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SabreFan78 Prospect

SabreFan78

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What a loss for the hockey community. The greatest there ever was and probably the greatest there will ever be. A master of his craft. So glad I got the opportunity to meet him at his signing at Dave & Adams last year and to get the chance to thank him for all the memories. Rest in paradise RJ

Edited by SabreFan78
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