WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
November Edition
Mike Grier played for San Jose in between his stints in Buffalo. ©2022, Dan Hickling
Popular former Sabres winger Mike Grier made history today, becoming the first Black general manager in NHL history when the San Jose Sharks hired him to replace Doug Wilson, who resigned in April.
Grier, 47, spent three full seasons and the end of another with the Sabres, becoming one of their most respected veterans. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs 2010-11, his last season.
The American played three seasons with the Sharks in between his ... Read the full article
Kevyn Adams is excited for his third NHL Draft as general manager. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A year ago, the Sabres saw value in Russian prospects, so they drafted four of them, including three straight in the second and third rounds.
Taking a single Russian would’ve been notable; the Sabres hadn’t selected one in five years. Grabbing so many, especially early, indicated general manager Kevyn Adams would operate differently than his predecessors.
The world, of course, has changed a lot over the past year. Russia’s invasion of the ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson could be Buffalo’s No. 1 goalie again. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When veteran goalie Craig Anderson finished his first season with the Sabres, he wanted to take some time to decompress and evaluate his future.
The Sabres felt Anderson’s impact – in addition to stabilizing their net, he established himself as a leader and mentor on the rebuilding club – and sorely wanted him back for another season.
But Anderson, 41, needed to talk to his family and see how his body felt before ... Read the full article
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could receive plenty of preseason action. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres will play six preseason games, including three at KeyBank Center, prior to the 2022-23 regular season, the team announced Thursday.
For the second straight season, the Sabres will play every game in an NHL arena. Broadcast and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
For the second straight year, the Sabres don’t play the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rivals usually play a home-and-home series.
The schedule:
Sept. 25: Buffalo ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson entered the NHL in 2002-03. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres this morning re-signed 41-year-old goalie Craig Anderson to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
The 2022-23 season will be Anderson’s 20th in the NHL.
During his end-of-season chat with the media, Anderson said he was undecided on whether he would retire.
Sean Malone enjoyed a terrific offensive season in Rochester. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday rewarded Sean Malone for his breakout year with the Rochester Americans, re-signing the center to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Malone, 27, seized an opportunity to play an offensive role, setting new career highs last season by registering 20 goals, eight power-play tallies and 37 points in just 39 games for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate. He added two goals and seven points during the Amerks’ 10-game playoff run.
Early in ... Read the full article
Sabres goalie prospect Erik Portillo could be back in Buffalo next month. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres will hold a summer development camp for prospects from July 13 to 16 at LECOM Harborcenter, the team announced Tuesday.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Sabres to cancel the camp the last two years.
The on-ice sessions for the first three days of camp are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The camp will conclude with the French Connection Tournament, an intrasquad three-on-three challenge.
Carter Hutton played 94 games for Buffalo over three seasons. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Ex-Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton planned to become a machinist or millwright. Cracking the NHL, or even earning a college scholarship, was a far-fetched dream.
Hutton, who last week retired from the NHL after nine seasons, wasn’t any sort of prospect.
In his late teens, he was taking a mechanical engineering technician course, working at the local phone company and allowing more than five goals per game in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
Filip Cederqvist was a fifth-round pick in 2019. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres on Monday signed forward Filip Cederqvist, a fifth-round pick in 2019, 143rd overall, to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Cederqvist, 21, spent all of the 2021-22 season with Djurgardens IF, scoring 14 goals and 32 points in 49 games. His career-high offensive totals ranked second on the Swedish Hockey League team.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound Cederqvist has compiled 19 goals and 42 points in 115 career SHL games.
Goalie Ben Bishop, shown here facing Buffalo’s Cody Hodgson with Tampa Bay during the 2013-14 season, can no longer play. ©2022, Dan Hickling
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday acquired injured goalie Ben Bishop from the Dallas Stars, a move that will help them reach the salary floor next season.
The Sabres also received a seventh-round pick in 2022 in exchange for future considerations.
A degenerative right knee injury ended Bishop’s playing days last season and the Stars placed him on long-term injured reserve. He has one year remaining on his contract with a salary cap hit of $4,916,667, ... Read the full article