Houser - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Matt Ellis debuts against Lindy Ruff, coach he knows best

BUFFALO – Of all the coaches the Sabres’ Matt Ellis could’ve faced in his first game filling in for Don Granato, it turned out to be the one he knows best, Lindy Ruff.

These days, Ruff, 61, coaches the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres’ opponent Wednesday at KeyBank Center.

Ellis, 40, played under Ruff for parts of five seasons, growing from a forward the Sabres plucked off waivers into an NHL regular. ... Read the full article

Sabres waive Aaron Dell, likely have goaltending set for opening night

The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon waived struggling goalie Aaron Dell, meaning they could begin the season with veterans Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski in net.

Dell, 32, compiled a 0-0-1 record with a 5.57 goals-against average and an .838 save percentage in 65 minutes played over two preseason games.

In Tuesday’s 5-4 road loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dell relieved Tokarski, allowing three goals in 35 minutes of game action and four goals in ... Read the full article

Sabres release 12 players from training camp tryouts

BUFFALO – Goalie Michael Houser and winger Michael Mersch were among 12 players the Sabres released from their training camp tryouts this morning. They will report to the Rochester Americans.

The Sabres also released forwards Dominic Franco, Mason Jobst, Ryan Scarfo and Brendan Warren; defensemen Nick Boka, Matthew Cairns, Mitch Eliot, Josh Teves and Peter Tischke; and goalie Mat Robson.

Houser and Mersch have NHL experience. Mersch played in Tuesday’s exhibition opener.... Read the full article

Cincinnati’s Jason Payne becomes pro hockey’s only Black head coach

The Cincinnati Cyclones on Tuesday became North America’s only pro hockey team with a Black head coach after promoting Jason Payne to the position.

Payne, 45, has spent two seasons as an assistant with the Cyclones, the Buffalo Sabres’ ECHL affiliate. He replaces Matt Thomas, who recently left to become an assistant with the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate. Payne will also be the Cyclones’ director of hockey operations.

The Sabres started sending prospects to ... Read the full article

Goalie Michael Houser returns to Sabres organization on AHL contract

Goalie Michael Houser, who made his NHL debut late last season and started the Buffalo Sabres’ final four games, will be back in the organization next year.

The Rochester Americans on Thursday announced they’ve agreed to terms with Houser, 28, on a one-year AHL contract.

Houser, who has spent most of his career in the ECHL, became one of the hockey’s feel-good stories last spring, cracking the NHL for the first time in his ... Read the full article

After wild run, Michael Houser’s time in Sabres organization could be over

ROCHESTER – Coach Seth Appert felt his goalie, Michael Houser, deserved to take over the Americans’ net in the final days of the season.

For years, Houser, who played four late-season games for the Buffalo Sabres, toiled in the ECHL. While he just completed his third season in the organization, he hadn’t played a game for the Amerks until a week ago.

Before earning his first NHL action earlier this month, Houser, 28, spent ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Mattias Samuelsson close to cracking NHL for good

When Mattias Samuelsson returned to Rochester last week following a three-week stint with the Buffalo Sabres, the Americans’ coaching staff challenged the rookie defenseman.

The coaches wanted Samuelsson, fresh off first NHL recall, to use the remaining games on the Amerks’ truncated schedule as a springboard back to Buffalo next season.

“OK, you did a good job in those 12 games, you got a taste,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said the coaches told Samuelsson. “Now ... Read the full article

Sabres make moves, send five players to Amerks

Goalie Michael Houser, who started four games for the Buffalo Sabres last week, was among five players the team sent to the Rochester Americans this morning.

The Sabres also assigned defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and forwards Steven Fogarty, Brett Murray and C.J. Smith to their AHL affiliate.

The Amerks have four games left this season, starting with Wednesday’s road contest against the Utica Comets.... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has offseason filled with critical decisions

Kevyn Adams experienced a brutal rookie season as Buffalo Sabres general manager, overseeing a team that suffered through an 18-game winless skid and finished dead last in the NHL.

Trying to fix the Sabres, who have missed the playoffs a record-tying 10 consecutive seasons, could be an arduous task.

Adams’ short list for this offseason includes hiring a coach, trying to re-sign his No. 1 goalie and top scorer and making sure his captain and ... Read the full article

Many Sabres thrived with Don Granato: ‘I owe Donnie a huge thank you’

When Don Granato took over the Buffalo Sabres, Casey Mittelstadt had mustered one goal while mostly being utilized as a third- or fourth-line winger in his limited action.

Mittelstadt, 22, ended the season as the Sabres’ No. 2 center. After stints in the minors and on the taxi squad over the last year and a half, he developed into a consistent scoring threat, compiling nine goals and 17 points in the final 22 games.

The ... Read the full article