After years of minor league hockey, Buffalo finally lands an NHL team as the Sabres are one of two expansion teams added in the second wave of expansion bring the league to 14 teams. With legendary from Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Punch Imlach running the team, the Sabres won a wheel spin for the right to the number one overall pick, which they used on the top Junior player Gilbert Perreault.

On October 10th Perreault would score a goal in the Sabres very first game a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road. Eight days later, the Sabres would face the Penguins again skating to a 1-1 tie in the first game ever at the Aud.

Gilbert Perreault would go on to lead the Sabres in scoring with 38 goals and 34 assists while winning the Calder Trophy. However, the Sabres would finish in fifth place in the Eastern Division with a typical expansion like 24-39-15 record.