The Buffalo Sabres Have a New Team Dog and He’s Adorable

Let's face it, the Buffalo Sabres have been struggling for a while with fan morale. That's exactly what missing the playoffs for a decade will do to a fan base. I've been following the Sabres for 23 years and have never seen a low point like this; it even beats the lowest point of the Buffalo Bills 17 year playoff drought.

It's smart for the Sabres to help bring back fans to KeyBank Center and just make it fun to root and support the team. The Sabres just did something that goes a long way into helping with that.

The Sabres are introducing a brand new mascot; actually, it's a team dog named Rick.

Rick is absolutely adorable. Check him out below.

Rick is part of the Pawsitive for Heroes with WNY Heroes. He's an 8-month-old Newfoundland who was rescued by the Niagara SPCA.

If you haven't guessed already, Rick is named after legendary play-by-play man, Rick Jeanneret.

Rick is being trained to be a service dog for a local veteran in Western New York.

If you're going to games this season, be on the lookout, because Rick will be attending select home games and community events to great fans and I'm sure many will be thrilled to meet someone as adorable as Rick the Sabres team dog.

I cannot wait to see Rick at the arena this season. It's all for a great cause too, as he will be soon paired with a veteran once his training is complete.