Housley - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Coyotes hire former Sabres coach Phil Housley as assistant

Former Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley has found a new job.

The Arizona Coyotes have hired Housley, 55, as an assistant coach on Rick Tocchet’s staff, the Western Conference club announced today. Housley, who signed a multi-year contract, will run the Coyotes’ blue line.

The Sabres fired Housley on April 7 after a season in which they dropped from first overall in late November to sixth in the Atlantic Division.

From Jan. 1 until ... Read the full article

Rasmus Dahlin enjoyed one of Sabres’ greatest rookie seasons ever

BUFFALO – Rookie seasons like the one Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin just enjoyed don’t come along very often.

At 18, the Swede quickly morphed into one of the Sabres’ most valuable players, taking over games with his dynamic puck-moving skills and producing offense at a historic rate.

Only one defenseman in NHL history – former Sabres star Phil Housley, who recorded 57 points as an 18-year-old in 1982-83 – compiled more points before his ... Read the full article

Sabres hire Don Granato, Mike Bales as assistant coaches

BUFFALO – The Sabres have hired Don Granato and Mike Bales as assistant coaches on new head coach Ralph Krueger’s staff, the team announced this morning.

The Sabres also officially announced Krueger will retain assistant Steve Smith, a former NHL defenseman he had on his staff with the Edmonton Oilers.

Granato, 51, has coached at all levels – junior, college, pro and NHL – over his 26-year career. He spent the last two seasons ... Read the full article

Reports: Sabres to hire Mike Bales as goalie coach, retain Steve Smith

The Buffalo Sabres will hire Mike Bales as their new goalie coach and retain assistant coach Steve Smith, according to multiple reports.

Bales, 47, resigned as goalie coach of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. The Buffalo News, The Athletic and Sportsnet all reported Bales is bound for Buffalo.

Former Sabres coach Phil Housley hired Smith, a three-time Stanley Cup winner as a player, to run his defense last year. Ralph Krueger, Housley’s replacement, ... Read the full article

Comfort helped convince Jeff Skinner to sign long-term contract with Sabres

BUFFALO – For eight seasons, Sabres winger Jeff Skinner only knew one organization. He grew up with the Carolina Hurricanes, joining them as a teenager and quickly becoming the face of the franchise. He felt a certain comfort there.

So his transition here could’ve been tough. Everything was new. Even the best players often need time to acclimate.

“It was a lot of change and there was a lot of adjustments, I think,” Skinner said ... Read the full article

Sabres coach Ralph Krueger arrives in Buffalo ready for new challenge

BUFFALO – Ralph Krueger spent the last five years running a soccer team in England, so on Wednesday, his first full day in his new city as Sabres coach, he was having NHL games loaded on a laptop.

“To look a little bit deeper,” Krueger, who was hired May 15, said during a news conference in the KeyBank Center atrium.

In addition to getting up to speed on the Sabres, Krueger, 59, must examine how ... Read the full article

World Cup coaching gig helped lead Ralph Krueger to Sabres

BUFFALO – Three years ago, in the midst of his tenure as chairman of Southampton F.C., an English Premier League team, new Sabres coach Ralph Krueger briefly returned to his roots.

Krueger, who hadn’t been behind a bench since the Edmonton Oilers fired him in 2013, took a job coaching Team Europe’s entry at the World Cup of Hockey.

While Krueger wanted to remain in his role in Southampton, the short hockey gig reignited his ... Read the full article

Sabres to introduce Ralph Krueger as head coach today

The Buffalo Sabres will introduce Ralph Krueger as the 19th head coach in franchise history today.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill will address the media at 11 a.m. at KeyBank Center. Krueger, who’s in Europe, will speak on a conference call at 12:30 p.m.

“Throughout his career, Ralph has shown the ability to adapt to a variety of high-pressure environments while leading some of the world’s elite players,” Botterill said in a statement. “His strong ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres to name Ralph Krueger next coach

When Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill fired Phil Housley five weeks ago, he started pursuing experienced coaching candidates.

The Sabres struggled for two seasons under Housley, a first-time head coach, so not surprisingly, Botterill wanted a veteran to lead his team.

As expected, plenty of familiar names – Jacques Martin and Dave Tippett, for example – materialized as candidates.

Then in the last week, an intriguing name began popping up: Ralph Krueger, who coached ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres interview former NHL coach Dave Tippett

The Buffalo Sabres have interviewed Dave Tippett for their head coaching vacancy, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

In his weekly “31 Thoughts” column, Friedman said the talk with Tippett, who has coached the Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes, “went very well.”

After firing Phil Housley, a first-time head coach, the Sabres reportedly want to hire someone more experienced. Tippett, 57, has spent 14 seasons as an NHL head coach. He finished an eight-year run ... Read the full article