There was a special resonance yesterday as the Sabres announced a new addition to the HarborCenter complex coming to the Waterfront.
Tim Hortons coffee shops are a familiar part of the roadside scene, with 4500 of them around the world.
For the Sabres, Tim Horton was an iconic player until his 1974 death in a car crash.
HarborCenter President John Koelmel announced Tuesday that a Tim Hortons will be located in the HarborCenter.
The restaurant will feature the brick and stone of the Waterfront's Erie Canal history, a portrait of Horton as a member of the Buffalo Sabres and a special logo linking the hockey team and the coffee empire.
"As the Buffalo skyline changes, with development projects like HarborCenter, we at Tim Hortons are thrilled to be part of this new era of growth for this fantastic city," said Hortons President and CEO Marc Caira.
"Thank you for sharing it with us and thank you for allowing us to be part of you."
Caira says as a young man he saw Horton play several times in Maple Leaf Gardens when the skater was a Toronto Maple Leaf.
Two of Tim Horton's daughters were at the announcement. Also in the arena lobby were a group of Sabres alumni, including Larry Carriere who roomed with Horton on the road.
When the HarborCenter opens in the fall, the new coffee shop will be at Main and Scott looking across to the former site of the old Memorial Auditorium.
