René Robert was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Colorado Rockies from 1970 to 1982. He made two All-Star appearances and was selected as the second NHL All-Star team right wing in 1974–75. He also played in the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals with the Sabres, in which he scored the game-winning goal in Game 3.

Robert made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in 1970–71. He played five games during his first season and did not record any points. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 8, 1971, in the NHL Intra-League Draft. He played most of the 1971–72 season with that franchise until he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Eddie Shack on March 4, 1972. He was subsequently placed in the same forward line as center Gilbert Perreault and left winger Rick Martin, and the trio became known as The French Connection.  A statue of the famous forward line, unveiled in 2012, is located in front the Sabres arena, KeyBank Center.

In his first season with the Sabres, Robert led the franchise in goals with 40, and he was named to his first NHL All-Star Game. The team then unexpectedly advanced to the 1973 Stanley Cup playoffs, with Robert scoring the franchise's first overtime goal on April 10, 1973, in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens, who went on to win the series. Robert's best offensive season came during the 1974–75 season, when he recorded 40 goals and 60 assists for 100 points. It was the Sabres' first 100-point season by an individual, and he was also named to the second NHL All-Star team that year. In Game 3 of the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals, dubbed the "Fog Game", Robert scored after 18:29 of overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers to help the Sabres win their first game of the series. The Flyers ultimately clinched the Cup in six games. Robert led the league in games played (80) and hat-tricks (3) the following season. He was traded to the Colorado Rockies on October 5, 1979, in exchange for defenceman John Van Boxmeer. Robert was named captain of the Rockies, before being traded on January 30, 1981, to the Maple Leafs, with whom he played his final season in 1981–82. He finished his NHL career with 744 games, recording 284 goals and 418 assists for 702 points.