The Buffalo Sabres have introduced their newest team dog—and he carries the name of a local hero.
“Mac,” a 52-pound Newfoundland puppy, is named in honor of Sgt. Heath A. McMillin, a Midlakes graduate who was killed in Iraq in 2003. Mac will train as a service dog through the “Pawsitive for Heroes” program, which pairs specially trained dogs with veterans in need of support.
The Sabres announced Mac’s arrival as the official team dog for the 2025–26 season. He’ll be the fifth pup to join the team through the WNYHeroes program and go on to assist a veteran after completing training.
Sgt. McMillin, a member of the Midlakes Class of 1993, grew up in Clifton Springs. After high school, he joined the military and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. He served as a machine gun squad leader with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He died during a patrol outside Baghdad in July 2003 while serving with the 105th Military Police Company of the Army National Guard in Buffalo.
His memory lives on at Midlakes, where the Heath McMillin Memorial Scholarship on Americanism is awarded each year. The most recent recipient was Alexa Davies.
Mac will now represent both the Sabres and Sgt. McMillin’s legacy as he trains to support a veteran—continuing a mission of service in a new way.
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