Sabres Launched Pegula Era in Epic Style 15 Years Ago

Fifteen years ago today, Terry Pegula stormed into HSBC Arena as the Sabres' new owner, dropping the mic with his famous line that the team's sole reason for existence is to win Stanley Cups. The gas tycoon shelled out $189 million for the franchise, the Bandits, and arena ops, then promised to rip off the financial handcuffs from GM Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff while beefing up scouting and player development like nobody's business.