To the residents of Buffalo, Memorial Auditorium was much more than a just building.

To many Western New Yorkers, it was more of an old friend.

Originally constructed in the latter half of the 1930s as part of a government relief effort, 'The Aud' was intended to stave off the economic downturn of the Great Depression; and began as more of a community project than an entertainment venue.

The federal government wanted to employ workers and revive the market in cities like Buffalo, and with the aging Broadway Auditorium - previously the city's only convention center - beginning to deteriorate; it seemed like the perfect venture.

The original structure formally opened on October 14, 1940. Standing at 422 feet by 262 feet it could hold a capacity crowd of 12,280 seats and had the ability to house up to 3,000 extra floor seats. A parade was held in Buffalo to commence the launch of the new site and it was there that Memorial Auditorium officially received its name - and was dedicated to the fallen soldiers who died in World War combat.

Success was immediate as The Aud hosted dozens of special events; including concerts, political rallies and even dog shows. It was also home to a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League's Buffalo Bisons.

Affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers over time, Memorial Auditorium saw some elite hockey talent. Future NHL superstars like Hector "Toe" Blake and Jacques Plante once called The Aud home, as did Don Marshall, Roger Crozier, Dave Dryden, and Mike Robitaille - who would all one day wear the Blue and Gold of the Buffalo Sabres.

It even hosted rock and roll hall of famers with the likes of Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead all performing in the arena throughout the years.

The acts came and went but the building, for the most part, remained unchanged until 1955 when its first major renovation was implemented - and nearly $600,000 went into improvements. At that time the AHL Bisons were also transitioning, under the new ownership of Reuben Pastor - who was responsible for implementing three major upgrades in his time with the Bisons.

First, Pastor created a youth hockey program to instill the love of the game in children throughout the Queen City. Second, he changed the team's logo to the iconic Bottle Cap look, as he also owned the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Buffalo.

His final, and perhaps largest contribution to both Memorial Auditorium and the local hockey culture however, was acting as a liaison to Seymour H. Knox III in bringing the National Hockey League to town.

Plans were drawn up, proposals were set and on December 2, 1969, Buffalo was officially awarded an expansion team.

However, in order for Knox and his team of investors to be granted an NHL franchise, they needed a venue that coincided with the League's minimum seating capacity of 15,000 seats.

That meant an extensive renovation for The Aud. The roof of the building had to be raised 24 feet so that 2,200 extra seats could be added and more improvements had to be made to house the necessary features for a full game production.

Although the actual construction would not begin until 1971 - after the conclusion of the Sabres' inaugural season - Buffalo saw its first NHL home game on October 15, 1970. Appropriately it was the Canadiens who served as its first opponent, bringing ties of the AHL Bisons full-circle.

And while the first game at The Aud was a momentous victory for local hockey fans, over the next 26 years they would be treated to many more:

The Fog Game in 1975, the May Day goal in 1993 and Dave Hannan's quadruple overtime score in 1994 are just a few moments that will live on forever.

It was a formidable home for the blue-collar team, known for its steep stairwells, winding hallways and raucous acoustics. Yet, soon it was time to say goodbye.

As a new arena was being built down the street, Memorial Auditorium was preparing for one last performance.

On April 14, 1996 the Buffalo Sabres played their final home game in the building, defeating the Hartford Whalers in a 4-1 contest. Michael Peca scored the final goal in the victory, and captain Pat LaFontaine supplied an emotional ceremonial score.

However, it was tearful Knox who provided the sentiment that reflected the thoughts of many fans in Buffalo. As he approached the podium it was clear that his words would be as lasting as the building's legacy itself:

"Farewell old friend…Farewell."