Erik Brady: Ralph Mellanby spent his life bringing hockey into living rooms, including the first Sabres season By Erik Brady Special to The News Feb 1, 2022 Feb 1, 2022 Updated Mar 12, 2026 Sabres owner Seymour H. Knox III drops the ceremonial first puck for the first NHL game at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium in 1970. Buffalo News file photo Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save By Erik Brady Special to The News Ralph Mellanby dearly loved a good story, and one of his best was about the October day in 1970 when the Buffalo Sabres played their first home game.kAmw:D DE@CJ DE2CD 2 C2E H9@ 92F?E65 E96 pF5[ 3FE E9:D :D 2 9@4<6J DE@CJ] |6==2?3J H2D 2 9@4<6J 8FJ[ E9C@F89 2?5 E9C@F89]k^AmkAmw6 5:65 @? $2EFC52J[ 2E gf[ E@ 2 9@DE @7 9@D2??2D 24C@DD r2?252] tG6? :7 J@F 5@?’E <?@H 9:D ?2>6[ J@F <?@H 9:D DEJ=6i |6==2?3J AC24E:42==J :?G6?E65 E96 H2J H6 H2E49 9@4<6J 2D 6I64FE:G6 AC@5F46C @7 Qw@4<6J }:89E :? r2?252Q 7C@> `hee E@ `hgd] w6 56G6=@A65 :??@G2E:G6 42>6C2 2?8=6D 2?5 82G6 w@H:6 |66<6C 9:D E6=6DEC2E@C – 2?5 s@? r96CCJ 9:D D@2A3@I]k^Am kAm“#2=A9 :D E@ E6=6G:D:@? H92E E96 ~CCD[ w@H6D 2?5 vC6EK<JD 2C6 E@ 9@4<6J[” HC@E6 |:<6 qC@A9J :? E96 :?EC@5F4E:@? 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