Buffalo Sabres play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret exited KeyBank Center on a stretcher during the third period of Buffalo’s 3-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.
Jeanneret, 76, all of a sudden went silent on the broadcast with just over 17 minutes remaining in the third period, and color commentator Rob Ray took over the play-by-play duties before being replaced by intermission host Brian Duff.
According to The Buffalo News, Jeanneret was “feeling light-headed on the air and stopped talking during the broadcast of the game.”
The Buffalo News adds that Jeanneret was taken away from the press box on a stretcher, and then taken to an area hospital.
Jeanneret seemed fine during Saturday night’s MSG pregame show, when he was dressed as Santa Claus.
Jeanneret began doing play-by-play for the Sabres on the radio during the 1971-72 season, before moving to the television broadcast in 1995-96. He’s the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer with a team in NHL history. He also received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2012 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.