The Buffalo Sabres’ second-round playoff run brought a familiar face back to KeyBank Center on Friday night. Rob Gronkowski, the four-time Super Bowl champion and Amherst native, attended Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens and chose his jersey carefully.
He showed up in a Rob Ray sweater. He paid tribute to one of Buffalo’s most recognizable hockey figures and reminded the city that NFL stardom never erased his Western New York roots.
Tom Brady, NFL
Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrate after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Gronkowski grew up in Amherst, attended Williamsville North High School, and was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent the majority of his NFL career with the New England Patriots and later won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For all those years in Boston and Tampa, his hometown team sat in the NHL’s bottom tier. The Sabres missed the playoffs for 14 straight seasons before finally breaking through this spring.
TNT analyst Jackie Redmond pulled Gronkowski aside for a live interview during the second period. SportsCenter posted the clip showing Gronkowski in full Sabres mode. He wore a Rob Ray jersey and spoke about his connection to the former enforcer. Redmond asked whether Ray had paid Gronkowski to wear that number. Gronkowski brushed the suggestion aside immediately.
“I’ve been a Rob Ray fan my whole life,” Gronkowski said. “I just loved the way that he played the game. He would get on the ice, and he would be the goon. He would just start fighting everyone, and I respected that, and that’s how I played the game of hockey as well, all the way to ninth grade.”
Rob Ray played 15 seasons in Buffalo between 1989 and 2004, building a reputation as one of the most feared fighters in NHL history. His combination of physicality and team-first mentality made him a crowd favorite at KeyBank Center.
Gronk reppin’ the Sabres in Buffalo 🙌😆 pic.twitter.com/PfOyTDXLO7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 9, 2026
Gronkowski’s admiration for that style connected directly to how he described his own childhood game. “I was all about just absolutely decking people, leveling them on the ice, and scoring goals every game,” Gronkowski added. The comparison was not subtle. Gronkowski, who dominated the NFL as a physical tight end, said Ray was his template on skates.
Gronkowski also described how he used to celebrate goals as a kid, dropping to one knee for a fist bump with teammates.
Rob Gronkowski admits he secretly stayed a Buffalo fan while playing elsewhere
Gronkowski’s loyalty to the Buffalo Sabres never fully disappeared, even while winning championships with the Patriots and Buccaneers. He acknowledged rooting for the Bruins and Lightning because of the relationships he built in New England and Tampa Bay. But he was direct about where his deepest allegiance sat.
After formally retiring as a New England Patriots Hall of Fame inductee last November, Gronkowski has made more appearances, connecting him to his Buffalo background. Friday’s game was the clearest expression yet. “In the back of my mind, the whole time, and truly deep down in my heart, I’ve always been a Sabres fan,” he said in the same interview.
Gronkowski summed up his return to the Sabres bandwagon with the same directness he brought to every football field he played on. “It’s great to see them back, and it’s perfect timing to cheer for them again,” he said about the Sabres.His hometown Sabres now need two wins in the next three games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Buffalo entered Game 2 leading the series 1-0 after a 4-2 win in Game 1. The Sabres lost Game 2 by a score of 5-1, with Montreal’s Alex Newhook scoring twice. The series is now tied at one game apiece, heading to Montreal for Game 3 on Sunday.