1975–76 Buffalo Sabres season

1975–76 Buffalo Sabres
Division	2nd Adams
Conference	3rd Wales
1975–76 record	46–21–13
Home record	28–7–5
Road record	21–16–3
Goals for	240
Goals against	105
Team information
General manager	Punch Imlach
Coach	Floyd Smith
Captain	Jim Schoenfeld
Alternate captains	None
Arena	Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Average attendance	16,433
Team leaders
Goals	Danny Gare (50)
Assists	Gilbert Perreault (69)
Points	Gilbert Perreault (113)
Penalty minutes	Danny Gare (129)
Wins	Gerry Desjardins (29)
Goals against average	Roger Crozier (2.61)

The 1975–76 Buffalo Sabres season was the Sabres' sixth season in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Offseason

Regular season

Final standings

Adams Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts
Boston Bruins	80	48	15	17	313	237	113
Buffalo Sabres	80	46	21	13	339	240	105
Toronto Maple Leafs	80	34	31	15	294	276	83
California Golden Seals	80	27	42	11	250	278	65

^[1]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents

Adams Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Wales Conference Vs. Campbell Conference Vs. Adams Division 1975–76 NHL records[2] Team BOS BUF CAL TOR Total Boston — 3–2–1 5–1 4–1–1 12–4–2 Buffalo 2–3–1 — 5–0–1 4–2 11–5–2 California 1–5 0–5–1 — 1–3–2 2–13–3 Toronto 1–4–1 2–4 3–1–2 — 6–9–3 Vs. Norris Division 1975–76 NHL records Team DET LAK MTL PIT WSH Total Boston 3–0–2 4–1 0–3–2 3–0–2 4–0–1 14–4–7 Buffalo 4–1 3–2 2–3 4–1 4–0–1 17–7–1 California 3–1–1 2–3 0–5 2–2–1 3–1–1 10–12–3 Toronto 2–1–2 3–1–1 1–3–1 1–4 4–0–1 11–9–5 Vs. Patrick Division 1975–76 NHL records Team ATL NYI NYR PHI Total Boston 3–2 2–0–2 3–1 2–1–1 10–4–3 Buffalo 2–1–1 2–2 2–0–3 0–3–1 6–6–5 California 1–3 1–3 3–1 0–4–1 5–11–1 Toronto 2–2 1–3–1 4–0 0–3–1 7–8–2 Vs. Smythe Division 1975–76 NHL records Team CHI KCS MIN STL VAN Total Boston 3–0–1 2–1–1 3–0–1 2–1–1 2–1–1 12–3–5 Buffalo 2–0–2 3–0–1 4–0 2–1–1 1–2–1 12–3–5 California 2–1–1 1–2–1 3–1 2–1–1 2–1–1 10–6–4 Toronto 1–2–1 3–0–1 3–1 2–0–2 1–2–1 10–5–5

Schedule and results

1975–76 regular season[3]
October Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 1 W October 9, 1975 4–0 Detroit Red Wings (1975–76) 1–0–0 2 W October 12, 1975 8–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (1975–76) 2–0–0 3 W October 16, 1975 7–1 Chicago Black Hawks (1975–76) 3–0–0 4 W October 18, 1975 5–3 @ St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 4–0–0 5 W October 19, 1975 5–4 Washington Capitals (1975–76) 5–0–0 6 W October 22, 1975 9–1 New York Rangers (1975–76) 6–0–0 7 W October 25, 1975 5–3 @ Detroit Red Wings (1975–76) 7–0–0 8 W October 26, 1975 3–2 California Golden Seals (1975–76) 8–0–0 9 L October 29, 1975 2–3 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1975–76) 8–1–0 10 T October 30, 1975 4–4 Vancouver Canucks (1975–76) 8–1–1
November Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 11 W November 2, 1975 7–2 Pittsburgh Penguins (1975–76) 9–1–1 12 L November 3, 1975 2–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1975–76) 9–2–1 13 W November 5, 1975 4–0 Boston Bruins (1975–76) 10–2–1 14 W November 9, 1975 5–1 Montreal Canadiens (1975–76) 11–2–1 15 L November 12, 1975 1–3 Philadelphia Flyers (1975–76) 11–3–1 16 W November 15, 1975 5–2 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1975–76) 12–3–1 17 W November 16, 1975 4–1 California Golden Seals (1975–76) 13–3–1 18 W November 18, 1975 3–1 @ New York Islanders (1975–76) 14–3–1 19 W November 20, 1975 7–2 Detroit Red Wings (1975–76) 15–3–1 20 W November 23, 1975 6–2 Kansas City Scouts (1975–76) 16–3–1 21 L November 25, 1975 0–4 @ Vancouver Canucks (1975–76) 16–4–1 22 W November 28, 1975 4–2 @ California Golden Seals (1975–76) 17–4–1 23 L November 29, 1975 3–8 @ Los Angeles Kings (1975–76) 17–5–1
December Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 24 T December 3, 1975 4–4 @ Washington Capitals (1975–76) 17–5–2 25 T December 4, 1975 6–6 New York Rangers (1975–76) 17–5–3 26 W December 6, 1975 4–2 @ New York Islanders (1975–76) 18–5–3 27 L December 7, 1975 0–3 New York Islanders (1975–76) 18–6–3 28 T December 10, 1975 2–2 @ New York Rangers (1975–76) 18–6–4 29 L December 14, 1975 4–7 Atlanta Flames (1975–76) 18–7–4 30 L December 17, 1975 1–3 @ Detroit Red Wings (1975–76) 18–8–4 31 W December 18, 1975 5–2 Minnesota North Stars (1975–76) 19–8–4 32 L December 20, 1975 3–5 @ Boston Bruins (1975–76) 19–9–4 33 W December 21, 1975 14–2 Washington Capitals (1975–76) 20–9–4 34 W December 23, 1975 5–1 @ Kansas City Scouts (1975–76) 21–9–4 35 L December 26, 1975 3–6 Boston Bruins (1975–76) 21–10–4 36 T December 28, 1975 2–2 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1975–76) 21–10–5
January Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 37 L January 1, 1976 6–9 Los Angeles Kings (1975–76) 21–11–5 38 W January 5, 1976 4–2 @ Montreal Canadiens (1975–76) 22–11–5 39 W January 8, 1976 8–5 Vancouver Canucks (1975–76) 23–11–5 40 W January 11, 1976 6–0 Pittsburgh Penguins (1975–76) 24–11–5 41 L January 13, 1976 3–7 @ St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 24–12–5 42 W January 15, 1976 5–3 Washington Capitals (1975–76) 25–12–5 43 L January 17, 1976 2–3 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1975–76) 25–13–5 44 W January 18, 1976 4–1 Minnesota North Stars (1975–76) 26–13–5 45 L January 22, 1976 3–5 @ Boston Bruins (1975–76) 26–14–5 46 T January 23, 1976 3–3 @ Atlanta Flames (1975–76) 26–14–6 47 W January 25, 1976 4–2 St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 27–14–6 48 T January 28, 1976 3–3 @ New York Rangers (1975–76) 27–14–7 49 T January 29, 1976 1–1 Philadelphia Flyers (1975–76) 27–14–8
February Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 50 W February 1, 1976 9–5 @ California Golden Seals (1975–76) 28–14–8 51 L February 3, 1976 1–2 @ Vancouver Canucks (1975–76) 28–15–8 52 W February 4, 1976 4–3 @ Los Angeles Kings (1975–76) 29–15–8 53 W February 7, 1976 4–3 @ Minnesota North Stars (1975–76) 30–15–8 54 T February 8, 1976 5–5 California Golden Seals (1975–76) 30–15–9 55 W February 11, 1976 4–2 Detroit Red Wings (1975–76) 31–15–9 56 W February 13, 1976 3–2 @ Atlanta Flames (1975–76) 32–15–9 57 L February 15, 1976 1–3 New York Islanders (1975–76) 32–16–9 58 T February 18, 1976 4–4 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1975–76) 32–16–10 59 W February 19, 1976 3–1 Atlanta Flames (1975–76) 33–16–10 60 L February 21, 1976 4–6 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1975–76) 33–17–10 61 L February 22, 1976 2–4 Montreal Canadiens (1975–76) 33–18–10 62 W February 26, 1976 5–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (1975–76) 34–18–10 63 T February 28, 1976 4–4 @ Kansas City Scouts (1975–76) 34–18–11 64 W February 29, 1976 5–1 Los Angeles Kings (1975–76) 35–18–11
March Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 65 W March 4, 1976 6–3 Chicago Black Hawks (1975–76) 36–18–11 66 L March 6, 1976 2–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1975–76) 36–19–11 67 T March 7, 1976 4–4 St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 36–19–12 68 W March 10, 1976 7–6 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1975–76) 37–19–12 69 L March 11, 1976 1–6 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1975–76) 37–20–12 70 W March 14, 1976 8–2 @ Minnesota North Stars (1975–76) 38–20–12 71 W March 16, 1976 4–2 @ Los Angeles Kings (1975–76) 39–20–12 72 W March 17, 1976 5–3 @ California Golden Seals (1975–76) 40–20–12 73 W March 21, 1976 3–1 Kansas City Scouts (1975–76) 41–20–12 74 W March 24, 1976 7–3 New York Rangers (1975–76) 42–20–12 75 W March 26, 1976 4–1 @ Washington Capitals (1975–76) 43–20–12 76 W March 27, 1976 4–2 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1975–76) 44–20–12 77 T March 30, 1976 4–4 @ Boston Bruins (1975–76) 44–20–13
April Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 78 W April 1, 1976 7–2 Boston Bruins (1975–76) 45–20–13 79 L April 3, 1976 2–5 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1975–76) 45–21–13 80 W April 4, 1976 5–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (1975–76) 46–21–13
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1976 Stanley Cup playoffs[3]
Preliminary round vs. (8) St. Louis Blues – Sabres win 2–1 Game Result Date Score Opponent Series 1 L April 6, 1976 2–5 @ St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 0–1 2 W April 8, 1976 3–2 St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 1–1 3 W April 9, 1976 2–1 St. Louis Blues (1975–76) 2–1
Quarterfinals vs. (5) New York Islanders – Islanders win 4–2 Game Result Date Score Opponent Series 1 W April 11, 1976 5–3 New York Islanders (1975–76) 1–0 2 W April 13, 1976 3–2 (OT) New York Islanders (1975–76) 2–0 3 L April 15, 1976 3–5 @ New York Islanders (1975–76) 2–1 4 L April 17, 1976 2–4 @ New York Islanders (1975–76) 2–2 5 L April 20, 1976 3–4 New York Islanders (1975–76) 2–3 6 L April 22, 1976 2–3 @ New York Islanders (1975–76) 2–4
Legend:   Win   Loss

Player statistics

Awards and records

Transactions

Draft picks

Buffalo's draft picks at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft held in Montreal.

Round	#	Player	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
1	17	Bob Sauve (G)	Canada	Laval National (QMJHL)
2	35	Ken Breitenbach (D)	Canada	St. Catharines Black Hawks (OMJHL)
3	44	Terry Martin (LW)	Canada	London Knights (OMJHL)
3	53	Gary McAdam (RW)	Canada	St. Catharines Black Hawks (OMJHL)
4	71	Greg Neeld (RW)	Canada	Calgary Centennials (WCHL)
5	89	Don Edwards (G)	Canada	Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)
6	107	Jim Minor (LW)	Canada	Regina Pats (WCHL)
7	125	Grant Rowe (D)	Canada	Ottawa 67's (OMJHL)
8	143	Alec Tidey (RW)	Canada	Lethbridge Broncos (WCHL)
9	159	Andy Whitby (RW)	Canada	Oshawa Generals (OMJHL)
10	174	Len Moher (G)	United States	University of Notre Dame (WCHA)

See also

• 1975–76 NHL season

References

1. Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 151. ISBN 9781894801225.
2. "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
3. "1975-76 Buffalo Sabres Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.