#FlattenTheCurve
Former Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville has landed a new job.
Pominville, 37, has joined Pionniers de Lanaudière in his hometown of Repentigny, Quebec, as an associate coach at the peewee and midget espoir levels. He will also serve as an adviser and specialist with the hockey organization’s skills academy.
After playing 14 years in the NHL, including 10 seasons with the Sabres, Pominville spent last season coaching with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and playing ... Read the full article
In the not-so-distant past, Buffalo Sabres prospect Casey Mittelstadt would’ve likely played two or three years of college hockey before turning pro. After leaving school, instead of being rushed to the NHL, he would’ve started an apprenticeship with the Rochester Americans.
But the NHL has changed dramatically in the last 10 years or so, morphing into a game dominated by young men. At the same time, the salary cap has whittled down teams’ depth.
Prized ... Read the full article
Five more “Sabres Classics” – this time an array of regular-season and exhibition games from the franchise’s 50-year history – will be rebroadcast on MSG next week.
The games are being aired because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to suspend its season indefinitely March 12.... Read the full article
In what would be the final days of the American Hockey League season, coach Chris Taylor drew confidence from the maturity his Rochester Americans began showcasing.
To Taylor, the Amerks’ response to some rare adversity – they endured losing streaks of seven and four games in the winter – illustrated his players had become equipped to handle the highs and lows of a long, grinding season.
“They weren’t getting as frustrated as you think that ... Read the full article
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the American Hockey League to cancel the remainder of its 2019-20 season.
“After a lengthy review process, the American Hockey League has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions,” AHL president Dave Andrews said in a statement released this morning. “The League’s operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season. We are very grateful to the ... Read the full article
Five more “Sabres Classics” – this time games featuring Buffalo’s fiercest rivals, including the wild “May Day” playoff win over the Boston Bruins – will be rebroadcast on MSG next week.
The games are being aired because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to suspend its season indefinitely March 12.... Read the full article
Zach Redmond and his wife, Maggie, wrestled with their decision. Rochester, after all, became their second home.
On the ice, Redmond, 31, thrived for three seasons, morphing into the Americans’ biggest star and perhaps the AHL’s most dynamic defensemen. The Redmonds felt so comfortable they purchased a house a five-minute drive from Blue Cross Arena.
“If I’m not (in the NHL), I really could not have imagined a better setup (than Rochester),” said Redmond, whose ... Read the full article
The Rochester Americans have agreed to terms with forward Dominic Franco, Army’s leading scorer in each of the last three seasons, to a one-year AHL contract, the team announced today.
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound Franco scored 10 goals and 23 points in 33 games as a senior in 2019-20.
A memo Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed in November allows athletes like Franco at military academies to immediately play professional sports following their graduation if they receive ... Read the full article
Zach Redmond, the popular Rochester Americans veteran who was named the AHL’s best defenseman last year, has signed a contract to play next season in Germany.
Redmond, 31, will be joining Red Bull Munich, the same team in Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany’s top pro league, that produced Buffalo Sabres winger Dominik Kahun.
Replacing Redmond could be difficult. The Michigan native was often a dynamic presence over his three seasons with the Amerks, ... Read the full article
Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Erik Portillo has been named a First Team All-Star in the junior United States Hockey League after posting a league-best 2.11 goals-against average with the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
Portillo also compiled a 19-5-1 record and a .915 save percentage in 27 games as a rookie in 2019-20. The Swede ranked fourth in wins and third in save percentage.
The Sabres drafted Portillo in the third round in 2019, 67th overall.... Read the full article
