One Stat Proves The Sabres Should Permanently Switch Back To A Beloved Retro Jersey

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This season, the Buffalo Sabres did what they could to snap a Stanley Cup Playoff drought that stretches back to 2012, which is longer than any other team in the NHL to the tune of five seasons.

Unfortunately, the team that remained in the wild card hunt until the final week of the season once again came up short despite finishing close to 10 games above .500 on the year.

Fans of the fairly embattled franchise can take solace in knowing it looks like the Sabres are headed in the right direction, as the team that headed into this year’s campaign with the youngest NHL roster by average age seems poised to punch its ticket to the postseason at some point in the near future—and may also have an unlikely secret weapon up its sleeve.

In 2021, Adidas became the latest company to shamelessly attempt to cash in on some good, old-fashioned nostalgia with the line of throwback sweaters it rolled out for every team in the league.

Those were a big enough hit to warrant a second collection of throwbacks, and the Sabres invited some goats into the locker room last year to drum up some hype for the release of an iconic jersey that’s familiar to anyone who was lucky enough to watch Dominik Hasek do his thing in his prime.

The Sabres wore those black and red jerseys (popularly referred to as the “Goathead” alternate thanks to the logo emblazoned on the front) in a dozen home games they played over the course of the 2022-23 season.

It’s hard to imagine the jerseys players wear have a significant impact on the outcome of any hockey game, but WIVB contributor Jonah Bronstein highlighted one stat that suggests Buffalo may want to make the Goathead a more permanent fixture when you look at how they fared while rocking them compared to the record they post in home games where they donned their standard sweater.

Alll hail the Goathead.