Seymour H. Knox III
Founding owner of the Buffalo Sabres and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.
Seymour Horace Knox III (March 9, 1926 – May 22, 1996) was an American philanthropist and sports entrepreneur. He owned the Buffalo Sabres from the team’s founding in 1970 until his death, and served as its chairman.
Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1926, Knox was the son of Seymour H. Knox II and Helen Northrup. His paternal grandfather, Seymour H. Knox I, was a co-founder of the F.W. Woolworth Company, having merged his five-and-dime stores with those of his cousins Frank and Charles Woolworth. Knox attended St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, graduated from Yale and Columbia University, and served as a decorated corporal in the U.S. Army Field Artillery during World War II.
Professionally, Knox worked as a vice president at Dominick & Dominick Inc., a financial services firm founded in 1870.
In hockey, Knox, his brother Northrup R. Knox, and attorney Robert O. Swados applied for an NHL expansion team in October 1965, but were not among the six franchises selected for 1967. A year later, the NHL Board of Governors rejected their proposal to move the struggling Oakland Seals to Buffalo. On December 2, 1969, the league approved two new teams for the 1970–71 season: the Vancouver Canucks and the Knox-Swados entry in Buffalo. Knox suggested the name “Sabres,” explaining that a sabre is strong on both offense and defense and is a weapon carried by a leader. By 1975, the Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals, and Knox was named The Hockey News executive of the year. He served on the NHL’s Board of Governors for 25 years and was a director of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Knox was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993 and posthumously received the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1997.
Beyond hockey, the Knox brothers helped establish the Buffalo Bandits of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League in 1991 and the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League in 1992. They also brought to life a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex, originally called Marine Midland Arena and now known as KeyBank Center. The 18,690-seat arena, completed in 1996, sits at 1 Seymour H. Knox III Plaza on Buffalo’s waterfront and is home to the Sabres and Bandits, as well as former home to the Blizzard and the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League.
On May 16, 1954, Knox married Jean Read, daughter of William Augustus Read, in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1926-03-09
- Birth Place
- Buffalo, New York
- Death Date
- 1996-05-22
- Death Place
- East Aurora, New York
- Occupation
- Philanthropist and owner of the Buffalo Sabres
- Education
- St. Paul's School
- Alma Mater
- Yale University / Columbia University
- Parents
- Seymour Horace Knox II / Helen Northrup
- Relatives
- Northrup R. Knox (brother) / Seymour H. Knox I (grandfather)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Knox, along with his brother Northrup R. Knox and attorney Robert O. Swados, first applied for an NHL expansion team in 1965 but was not among the six chosen for 1967. A subsequent proposal to move the Oakland Seals to Buffalo was rejected by the NHL Board of Governors. Finally, on December 2, 1969, the league announced two new teams for the 1970–71 season: the Vancouver Canucks and a Knox-Swados entry in Buffalo. It was Seymour's idea to name the team the Sabres, explaining that a sabre is strong on both defense and offense and is a weapon carried by a leader.
By 1975, the Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals, and Knox was named The Hockey News executive of the year. He served on the NHL's Board of Governors for 25 years and was a director of the US Hockey Hall of Fame. The Knox brothers also spearheaded the establishment of the Buffalo Bandits (Major Indoor Lacrosse League, 1991) and the Buffalo Blizzard (National Professional Soccer League, 1992), and brought to life the Marine Midland Arena (now KeyBank Center), completed in 1996.
Reader's Guide
Seymour H. Knox III's significance lies in his role as the founding owner of the Buffalo Sabres, a franchise he owned from its inception in 1970 until his death in 1996. His persistence in securing an NHL team for Buffalo—after two earlier failed bids—established the city as a major hockey market. The Sabres' rapid success, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals by 1975, reflected his leadership, earning him The Hockey News executive of the year award. His 25-year tenure on the NHL's Board of Governors and directorship of the US Hockey Hall of Fame underscore his influence on the sport. Knox's legacy extends beyond hockey: he and his brother were instrumental in creating the Buffalo Bandits and Buffalo Blizzard, and in building the arena now called KeyBank Center, which remains the home of the Sabres and Bandits. His 1993 Hockey Hall of Fame induction and posthumous Lester Patrick Trophy recognize his contributions to hockey in the United States.
Did You Know?
- Knox was a decorated Corporal in World War II, serving in the United States Army Field Artillery.
- The arena he helped build, originally Marine Midland Arena, is located at 1 Seymour H. Knox III Plaza in Buffalo.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Players, Part 2 1-24
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