Sabres legend Rene Robert dies at 72

Buffalo Sabres legend Rene Robert has died at the age of 72, the team announced Tuesday.

Robert had been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack late last week.

The Sabres acquired Robert in 1972 in exchange for Eddie Shack. He went on to play alongside Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin, and the trio quickly became known as the "French Connection" line, since all three were French Canadians hailing from Quebec.

They combined for 1,681 points between 1972 and 1979, helping to lead the Sabres to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1975. The line was broken up when Robert was traded to the Colorado Rockies in 1979.

Robert played eight of his 12 NHL seasons with the Sabres, and he also logged stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Rockies. He finished his career with 702 points over 744 career games, and the Sabres retired his number in 1995.