1970–71 Buffalo Sabres season
Player GP G A Pts PIM
Gilbert Perreault 78 38 34 72 19
Phil Goyette 60 15 46 61 6
Gerry Meehan 77 24 31 55 8
Don Marshall 62 20 29 49 6
Eddie Shack 56 25 17 42 93
Steve Atkinson 57 20 18 38 12
Paul Andrea 47 11 21 32 4
Al Hamilton 69 2 28 30 71
Larry Keenan 51 7 20 27 6
Doug Barrie 75 4 23 27 168
Ron Anderson 74 14 12 26 44
Dick Duff 53 7 13 20 12
Floyd Smith 77 6 11 17 46
Reg Fleming 78 6 10 16 159
Jim Watson 78 2 9 11 147
Skip Krake 74 4 5 9 68
Tracy Pratt 76 1 7 8 179
Player statistics -- Forwards
The 1970-71 Buffalo Sabres season was the Sabres' first season in the National Hockey League. The Sabres had the first pick in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, which they used to select Gilbert Perreault. Led by Perreault's NHL rookie record of 38 goals, the Sabres would 24-39-15, ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings in the Eastern Division. However, they finished 19 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs in the division, and finished 19 points short of a playoff berth. The Sabres played their home games in the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. The Aud was previously home of the Buffalo Bisons AHL team. To make way for the Sabres the Bisons folded following the 1969-70 AHL season, which saw the Bisons win their fifth and final Calder Cup. For the Sabres first season played the Aud had an ice hockey seating capacity of only 12,280 for hockey. The arena would be renovated following the season to expand capacity.