The Buffalo Sabres have a new teammate, and he's already winning over hearts.
Mac, a six-month-old Newfoundland, was introduced Monday as the team's official dog for the 2025-26 season. Named after Sgt. Heath McMillin, a Clifton Springs native killed in the line of duty in July 2003, Mac is training to become a service dog for a local veteran through the WNYHeroes Pawsitive for Heroes program.
He's the fifth Sabres team dog to graduate from the program, following in the paw prints of predecessors like last year's Great Dane, Audie, who was paired with Marine Corps veteran Chad DuFrane.
Like the dogs before him, Mac will complete his training at a local correctional facility, a unique aspect of the program that gives inmates, including incarcerated veterans, a marketable skill they can use after release. The training prepares these dogs to serve veterans dealing with PTSD, anxiety and other challenges stemming from their service.
DuFrane, a 24-year-old Lancaster native who served in Afghanistan during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal, shared how Audie transformed his daily life after receiving her in August 2024, just days before the anniversary of the Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 American servicemembers.
"It's really life changing," DuFrane said. "There's a feeling you get when you go to the store with people that you were in the military with. Your panic and anxiety and stuff is not really there because you know someone's got your back. And when she's with me, it's like that same feeling, because I have an extra set of eyes and ears that is looking out for me."
The Pawsitive for Heroes program launched in 2014 and covers the costs of service dog training with support from sponsors like the Sabres. The Buffalo Sabres Foundation has been backing the initiative for four consecutive years now.
Previous team dogs include Rick, named after legendary play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret (2021-22), and Nikki, named after fallen soldier Nick Warden (2022-23).
Fans can catch Mac at upcoming Sabres games at KeyBank Center throughout the season. Fair warning: he's a drooler.
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