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Sabres’ Jeanneret diagnosed with throat cancer

Rick Jeanneret, Dale Hawerchuk

Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame Class of 2012 inductees Rick Jeanneret, left, and Dale Hawerchuk, right, salute the crowd before an NHL hockey game between the Sabres and the Winnipeg Jets in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

AP

Longtime voice of the Sabres Rick Jeanneret has been diagnosed with throat cancer.

Here’s more, from the 71-year-old’s Tuesday telephone interview with the Buffalo News:

Jeanneret, who has been broadcasting Sabres games either on radio or television for 43 years, expects to have radiation treatment for six or seven weeks and possibly chemotherapy. His doctors in Hamilton, Ont., have told him that it is stage III cancer and that he has an 85 percent chance of recovery. He is meeting with them again Thursday.

“I would like to stress I have every intention of coming back,” said Jeanneret. “I have probably three months ahead of me that aren’t going to be fun. I know they aren’t going to be.”

He said his return to do play-by-play is “open-ended.”

“I consider this to be a bump in the road and am fully intending to come back and fulfill my obligations to the Sabres,” he said. “I know there is going to be a lot of concern. All I can do is ask everybody to please allow me and my family to keep this as private as possible. We will provide updates through the team.”

On Wednesday, the Sabres organization released the following statement:

The Buffalo Sabres are deeply saddened to learn of Rick Jeanneret’s cancer diagnosis. RJ has been a vital part of the Sabres family and the Buffalo community for 43 years and this news undoubtedly weighs heavily on everyone who has had the privilege of listening to his broadcasts through the years.

As he begins treatment in the coming weeks, we will continue to keep RJ, his wife, Sandra, his mother, Kay, his sister, Marcia, his children, Mark and Chris, his stepdaughter, Shelly, and his grandchildren in our thoughts. We wish RJ a full and speedy recovery and know his tenacity will serve him well in his fight. On behalf of the Jeanneret family, the Sabres are asking for respect of the family’s privacy as RJ undergoes treatment— any inquiries should be directed to Michael Gilbert (michael.gilbert@sabres.com).

The team has also set up a dedicated email address, GetWellRJ@sabres.com, for fans to send well-wishes and notes of encouragement.

One of the most recognizable voices in the NHL, Jeanneret’s calls are the stuff of legend. Here’s a sampling: