Gionta - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Marcus Johansson, Jake McCabe named Sabres’ alternate captains

BUFFALO – New Sabres coach Ralph Krueger announced today he has named center Marcus Johansson and defenseman Jake McCabe alternate captains for the 2019-20 season.

“We feel that that’s a strong group for the ice,” Krueger said following today’s practice inside KeyBank Center.

Johansson and McCabe replace defenseman Zach Bogosian and winger Kyle Okposo.... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain Brian Gionta elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Former Buffalo Sabres captain Brian Gionta has been elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, USA Hockey announced today.

Gionta, 40, is one of the most decorated American players ever, having won a Stanley Cup, a national championship, captained two NHL teams, an Olympic team and played 1,026 big league games.

The Greece native represented the U.S. in nine international tournaments, including two Olympics. He captained Team USA at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.... Read the full article

Maturity helped earn Jack Eichel Sabres’ captaincy

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel was at home cooking dinner Tuesday night when his coach, Phil Housley, called and said the Sabres’ brass wanted to meet with him.

So Eichel left and drove to KeyBank Center. When he arrived, Housley, general manager Jason Botterill and owner Terry Pegula told the talented center he would be the 19th full-time captain in Sabres history.

“Really humbling moment,” Eichel said Wednesday inside KeyBank Center, where the Sabres open the ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel humbled to be Sabres’ new captain: ‘I feel honored’

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel was at home cooking dinner Tuesday night when his coach, Phil Housley, called and said the Sabres’ brass wanted to meet with him.

So Eichel, 21, left his dinner and drove to KeyBank Center. When he arrived, Housley, general manager Jason Botterill and owner Terry Pegula told the talented center he would be the 19th full-time captain in Sabres history.

“Really humbling moment,” Eichel said this afternoon following practice. “I feel ... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain Brian Gionta helped change hockey

BUFFALO – Twenty years ago, diminutive players like Brian Gionta – the ones teams list at, say, 5-foot-9 but are clearly much smaller – rarely received a chance in the NHL.

Sure, once in a while an undersized talent would break through. But for the most part, the league coveted size.

Then in the early 2000s, a few small forwards – Gionta, Daniel Briere and Martin St. Louis – started seizing their chances and morphing ... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain Brian Gionta helped change NHL with size

BUFFALO – Twenty years ago, diminutive players like Brian Gionta – the ones teams list at, say, 5-foot-9 but are clearly much smaller – rarely received a chance in the NHL.

Sure, once in a while an undersized talent would break through. But for the most part, the league coveted size.

Then in the early 2000s, a few small forwards – Gionta, Daniel Briere and Martin St. Louis – started seizing their chances and morphing ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Rasmus Dahlin brushes off mistakes

BUFFALO – In his second NHL preseason game, rookie Rasmus Dahlin endured a few rocky moments, committing some notable turnovers in the Sabres’ 3-2 loss.

If the gaffes rattled Dahlin, 18, you couldn’t tell. That of, course, is hardly surprising.

Amid all the hype surrounding him, the Swedish defenseman keeps showcasing a maturity that belies his young age.... Read the full article

First practice memorable for Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres

BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Victor Olofsson had never heard of hockey’s biggest defense prospect until two seasons ago, when Rasmus Dahlin joined Frölunda HC as a 16-year-old.

During their first practice together in the Swedish Hockey League, Dahlin made Olofsson look silly.

“He got the puck on the blue line and I was going out toward him, and he just put it between my legs and scores,” Olofsson said Wednesday after the Sabres opened development ... Read the full article

Youngster Jack Eichel could be Sabres’ captain next season

BUFFALO – When the Sabres chose to rotate four alternates this season instead of awarding the prestigious ‘C’ to a single player, they likely started center Jack Eichel’s ascension to the captaincy.

The Sabres, of course, couldn’t name Eichel their captain last October. He was entering just his third NHL season and still prone to bouts of immaturity. He had never worn a letter, either.

So they let him sport an ‘A’ with veterans Zach ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Bruins land Rick Nash, Brian Gionta before trade deadline

BUFFALO – Shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday, Rick Nash walked into KeyBank Center to meet his new teammates. Several minutes later, the veteran winger emerged from the dressing room clad in Boston Bruins apparel to chat with the media.

“I’ve only been here for five minutes and I can kind of sense that buzz, sense that excitement, the energy that a winning team has,” an excited Nash said prior to Sunday afternoon’s 4-1 loss to ... Read the full article