By John Vogl - The Buffalo News

For three months, Terry Pegula was merely the mysterious guy attempting to purchase the Buffalo Sabres. Confidentiality agreements prohibited him from talking, so he was forced to remain in the background. With the sale finally complete Tuesday, he wanted everyone in Sabreland to know all about him.

He's the guy who parked on overpasses in Pittsburgh so he could hear bits and pieces of Sabres games as they faded in and out on his radio. He's the fan stuck in Texas who had a buddy in Olean put a phone to the television so he could listen to a playoff game. He's the die-hard who whisked his new wife to Montreal for their honeymoon so they could catch a postseason contest.

He's the man with an unwavering plan to bring a family atmosphere, unbridled hope and a gleaming silver chalice to Buffalo.

"Starting today," Pegula said, "the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup."

The introduction of the Sabres' new owner was an unquestioned success in HSBC Arena. He laughed, cried and proved himself to be a Buffalo guy, albeit one with deep pockets.

"I can tell you one thing: I'm a fan," the 59-year-old said. "You won't find a bigger fan than me because I just bought a hockey team. That's a pretty big commitment as a fan. There's only 29 other fans in the country that can pull that off."

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It was clear soon after the news conference started how much the day meant to Pegula. He looked to his right, saw Perreault and broke down. With his face flush and tears filling his eyes, Pegula said, "You're my hero."