Actor Makes Good on Promise to Jump Into Lake Erie After Buffalo Playoff Return

A Promise Made, a Promise Kept

It started like one of those offhand sports bets people make when they’re feeling bold in November. Actor Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell, said he’d jump into Lake Erie if the Buffalo Sabres finally broke their long playoff drought.

Most people probably laughed it off. After all, the Sabres hadn’t made the playoffs since 2011. That’s a long time to keep a promise hanging in the cold air over Western New York.

Fifteen Seconds, Fifteen Years

Fast forward to this spring—Buffalo does it. The drought ends. And Russell's father made sure he kept his word.

Wyatt showed up at Woodlawn Beach State Park in Blasdell, New York, on Saturday, April 18, ready to deliver.

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He didn’t just dip a toe in either. Russell went in the frigid waters of Lake Erie for 15 seconds —one second for every year of the Sabres’ playoff drought, plus an extra second for luck.

It wasn’t a long swim, but it definitely wasn’t a warm one either. At least he had a few crazy Sabres fans who joined in the fun.

READ MORE: Wild Police Chase Ends With Dump Truck in Onondaga Lake

More than just a stunt

Russell actually has ties to the region through his business ventures, co-founding Lake Hour beer with Richard Peete, a New York producer, who has a home on Conesus Lake.

And for Sabres fans, the timing couldn’t have been better. Not only did the playoff dream finally become reality, but Buffalo also grabbed a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins in their first game.

Not a bad way to start a new chapter—both on the ice and in a very cold lake.

Let's Go Buffalo!