Die-hard Sabres fans may laugh out loud when they see this jersey.  The more casual fan might just assume there's a player we don't see much of on the ice.  There's a reason we didn't see much of number three, Taro Tsujimoto.  

The reason is, he doesn't exist.

In the 1974 NHL draft, Sabres General Manager George "Punch" Imlach was bored with how long the draft was taking.  So in the 11th round, he invented a player named Taro Tsujimoto as a protest.

The Sabres then drafted – 183rd overall – this fictitious Japanese man in the 11th round of the draft.

The kicker? The NHL didn't realize it was fake until the next year.

Since then, the rules have changed a bit.  Back then, only 18 franchises were in the League, and the draft could to past nine rounds.  It's since been reduced to seven rounds in 2005.

The 2016 draft IS being held in Buffalo (June 24-25) with the first overall pick going to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

 

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