Ehrhoff - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Your Sabres pregame update

BUFFALO – All seems forgiven. The hockey-deprived Sabres fans look amped for this afternoon’s season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. Thanks to the NHL 113-day lockout, it’s been 288 days since the Sabres last played a game.

Right now, however, it feels like the NHL never left. The First Niagara Center will be packed and jumping today. Fans spent the week gobbling up discounted merchandise and wondering if 18-year-old Mikhail Grigorenko could crack the lineup ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Sulzer hoping to parlay late-season play into regular duty

BUFFALO – When was the last time Alexander Sulzer started an NHL season confident he could be a regular?

“Never, first time,” the Sabres defenseman said Wednesday inside the First Niagara Center.

Having a roster spot isn’t new for Sulzer. He’s spent parts of the past four seasons in the NHL, including the last two from beginning to end. It’s just that he rarely played prior to his Feb. 27 arrival from Vancouver.

From the ... Read the full article

Roster battles promise to make Sabres camp interesting

BUFFALO – Thanks to the agonizingly long NHL lockout, 281 days have passed since the Sabres last played a game. Thankfully, the team will finally start an abbreviated training camp today. The season opens in just a week.

So what’s changed in the last nine months? How’s this group different from the high-priced, ninth-place team that was built to win the Stanley Cup in 2011-12?

The Sabres got tougher, acquiring Steve Ott to be the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Miller believes ‘hockey will be OK’ after long lockout

AMHERST – As Ryan Miller leaned against a wall inside the Northtown Center, waiting for the first question, the Buffalo Sabres goalie finally had enough.

“We’re going to get right into it, no pleasantries?” Miller asked Friday afternoon.

So Miller, one of the more vocal players during the 113-day NHL lockout, went around to each cameraman and reporter, shaking his hand or patting his arm.

In his first meeting with local reporters since September, ... Read the full article

Teammates thrilled Hecht rejoining Sabres

AMHERST – Not surprisingly, Jochen Hecht’s Buffalo Sabres teammates are excited the popular 35-year-old veteran, who battled concussions last season, is rejoining the Buffalo Sabres for a 10^th campaign.

“Bring him back, pick him up,” Sabres goalie Ryan Miller said this afternoon after practicing with teammates inside the Northtown Center, his first skate here since September. “I’m just glad he’s healthy, No. 1. Watching what he went through last year was hard to watch ... Read the full article

Yet another European Sabres update

BUFFALO – Will more Sabres go overseas? Could some go back?

You bet.

If the NHL lockout drags on, expect to see more players bolt for Europe. They desperately want to stay sharp. Some haven’t played games now in eight or nine months.

Of course, going overseas has its drawbacks. Most of the good leagues are filled up, leaving only second-tier (or lower) jobs available. Some leagues pay paltry salaries. Many teams are isolated. Some ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Jason Pominville to join Mannheim of German league

AMHERST – Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville’s heading to the Mannheim Eagles of the DEL in Germany to play during the NHL lockout, he told the Times Herald today.

“If it does get settled quick, then I’ll be able to skate for a few weeks, a month – whatever it is,” Pominville said after skating inside the Northtown Center. “It’ll be a mini training camp. And if not, I’ll have a team for the rest ... Read the full article

Another European Sabres update

BUFFALO – So far, eight Sabres – about one-third of the roster – have taken temporary (or maybe not-so-temporary) European gigs during the NHL lockout. If the stoppage drags on, expect more to bolt overseas. Some Sabres have said they’ll look for work if there’s no agreement reached by Christmas or the beginning of 2013.

Remember, players aren’t going to Europe for the money. Most are receiving a pittance of what they should be getting ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Weber signs with Norwegian club

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Mike Weber has signed a contract to play with a Norwegian team in Lorenskog during the NHL lockout, according to a report.

Weber’s the eighth Sabre to sign overseas since the work stoppage began 62 days ago.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, center Tyler Ennis, goalie Jhonas Enroth, defensemen Tyler Myers, Andrej Sekera and Alexander Sulzer and winger Thomas Vanek all signed European deals earlier. Vanek recently returned home.

The 24-year-old Weber... Read the full article

Your European Sabres update

BUFFALO – Here are some quick updates on the Sabres currently biding their time playing in various European leagues during the NHL lockout. Expect more to trickle overseas as the work stoppage drags on and more games get canceled.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, Krefeld Penguins, DEL, Germany

The German, who played for Krefeld prior to his North American career, has six goals, 10 points, 16 penalty minutes and a plus-5 rating in 11 games.

Center ... Read the full article