BUFFALO – Goalie Eric Comrie has a plan to get home if his wife, Haley, goes into labor during the Sabres’ three-game road swing.
Haley is due to deliver the couple’s first child Saturday and the trip, which starts tonight in Winnipeg, lasts until Wednesday. So there’s a strong chance Comrie, 28, will have to hurry back to Buffalo.
“It’s nerve-wracking, yeah,” Comrie said following Thursday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “But … we’re both really super, super excited. And she understands the life of being a hockey player, understands that, hey, I have to go on the road, I have to do my job.”
Comrie, who has missed the last eight games, will likely play at least one more time before becoming a father. He had his own net during Thursday’s practice, a strong sign he will start tonight against the Jets, his first NHL team.
He suffered what he said was a groin injury Oct. 27. Sabres coach Don Granato was waiting on final approval from the medical staff before pronouncing him ready.
The Sabres must make a roster to move to activate him from injured reserve.
Comrie, one of three goalies the Sabres have utilized this season, has looked sharp while sharing action with rookie Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, compiling a 1-1-0 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in three games.
“I was playing really good hockey,” he said. “It was unfortunate the timing for the injury, but I feel really good going forward.”
The Sabres have tried to find playing time for each of their three goalies over the past 10 months. Last season, Comrie played Jan. 26 in Winnipeg, his first start in 16 days.
Clearly, the coaching staff understands how much Comrie, who was drafted by the Jets in 2013 and played 24 games for them, enjoys facing his old team.
“It means a lot to me,” he said of returning to Winnipeg. “I have a lot of close friends there, a lot of good memories. It was a great place to spend a long portion of my career off and on, but I still spent a lot of time there, have a lot of good memories, a lot of friends. I mean, it’s going to be fun to go back and play against them.”
