Here's one to make all you Buffalo fans over 35 squirm a little: The greatest Sabre of them all is less than a year away from 60 and you can call him Grandpa Gil.

Here's one that will make you smile: Gilbert Perreault likes what he sees from this year's

Sabres. A lot. Whereas Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is voicing all that needs fixing

with the dysfunctional Bills, Perreault is able to sit back, relax and dream about what could

be for his former team.

"They have a good chance to go all the way. I really think so," Perreault told The Buffalo

News over the weekend following an autograph signing in HSBC Arena. "I don't want to put a lot

of pressure on them but they have a very good team. There's a lot of excitement to watching

them.

"I just hope they keep going like that. I know it's a long season. So far they're having a

great year. They have to stay away from the injuries. The goaltending is great, very hot so

far."

Buffalo's Ryan Miller is the league leader in both goals-against average (1.85) and save

percentage (.936) entering tonight's Arena visit by New Jersey. Goaltending sometimes ailed

the Sabres during their glory years in the 1970s until Don Edwards and Bob Sauve came aboard.

It's carried the Sabres in their later years, first with Dominik Hasek and now with Miller.

"Ryan is playing very, very well. I just hope he doesn't get too tired. They have to watch

that," Perreault said. "It's a long season, the 82 games, traveling, practice. With the

Olympics, there's a lot of games coming up.

"As long as they keep winning and building their confidence and having a lot of fun on the

ice, they'll have a good chance."

Perreault makes several appearances for the Sabres and was in town as part of a brick

signing for demolished Memorial Auditorium. He said it's very strange to see the hole downtown

where the Aud once stood.

"I saw it a couple times as they were taking it down and then in October I came down and

everything was done," he said. "Great memories but time passes. It's been 23 years already

since I retired. I'm 59 and time goes fast but it's always nice to come back and see people

who tell you they saw you play there.

"I hear the stories of the things they remember and it's great to get to talk to them. It's

always fun. I played here 17 years (1970-86) and the fans were great."

One of Perreault's teammates, of course, was a boyish Alberta native named Lindy Ruff, who

came to Buffalo as a 19-year-old in 1979. Thirty years later, Ruff stands as the elder

statesman of NHL coaches and the most successful in franchise history.

"He's doing a great job for so many years," Perreault said. "I always liked Lindy. He was a

hard worker as a player and I know he's doing the same thing as a coach. He has a lot of

experience now and learned from the best. He was with Roger Neilson and Scotty [Bowman] and

learned from the best.

"And now he'll have a great chance in the Olympics this year to go be an assistant coach

[for Team Canada]. That's going to help him and he'll learn even more."

As he signed autographs, parents and grandparents greeted Perreault and told stories of his

greatness to their kids. The younger set, remember, only knows Perreault from old video

footage — or from his Elvis impersonation, singing "The Wonder of You" on the HSBC HD

board.

Filmed here during a 2004 Elvis Night, it's now a staple after every Sabres home victory.

"Still playing that one I know. I'm waiting for a recall for a new song," he said,

laughing. "I've been singing since I was about 17 years old. The Elvis night, they asked me if

I wanted to sing a song. They had a great band that night, four girls singing great and four

guys. Plus the echo was just unbelievable. Lot of fun."

Perreault and wife Carmen still live in his native Victoriaville, about midway between

Montreal and Quebec City, and have two sons. Marc-Andre is 31 and working in the dental

industry, and 24-year-old Sean, who famously fidgeted on the ice as a 6-year-old during his

father's jersey retirement ceremony at the Aud in 1990, is an aspiring English teacher and

musician. The Perreaults also have a 5-year-old granddaughter.

Perreault continues to make appearances on behalf of the Sabres and the Hockey Hall of

Fame. Since his playing days, he's also done real estate work in the Montreal area and had a

stint as a coach and part owner of the junior Victoriaville Tigres.

He said he intently watched Friday night's 100th anniversary celebration in Montreal, where

Canadiens greats of the past were introduced and then photographed in uniform in a for-

the-ages picture with the current Montreal team.

Next year will be the Sabres' 40th anniversary and is expected to feature a year-long

celebration of the franchise's past. But the Sabres' first draft choice and most famous player

knows how it can be best celebrated.

"The celebration will come with the Stanley Cup. That's how we will really celebrate. We

need one Stanley Cup," he said. "It's been 40 years. It's been a long time. They can do it

here. I look at the team and they have as good a chance as anybody in the league. I wish them

good luck and I hope they can go all the way. Everybody does."