Housley - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Flashback: Gerry Meehan explains why (and how) the Sabres traded for goalie Dominik Hasek

In 2022, as the 30th anniversary of the Dominik Hasek trade approached, I sat down with former Sabres general manager Gerry Meehan at a local golf course to discuss one of the most lopsided deals in NHL history.

How did it go down? When did the Czech first land on his radar? Could he have ever imagined Hasek would become perhaps the greatest goalie ever?

The trade, of course, was hardly a blockbuster at the ... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain and GM Gerry Meehan dies at 79

Gerry Meehan, a member of the inaugural 1970-71 Buffalo Sabres who later served as the team’s general manager and orchestrated Alexander Mogilny’s defection from the Soviet Union in 1989 and traded for Dominik Hasek, died Friday. He was 79.

As a player, Meehan, a center, spent parts of five seasons in Buffalo and assisted on the first goal in franchise history. After taking over as captain in 1971-72, he led the Sabres to their first ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin on tear, quietly becoming one of NHL’s top offensive threats

BUFFALO – At his current pace, captain Rasmus Dahlin would register 72 points over a full season, one less than his career high and the second-highest total by a Sabres defenseman in the last 35 years.

Pretty good, right? Well, consider Dahlin has scored nine goals and 46 points despite battling injuries from the get-go this season and missing eight games with back spasms in December.

What kind of gaudy numbers would the ultra-talented Swede ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin scoring goals, piling up points during streaks

Right now, Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is on an offensive tear, having scored five goals and 14 points in the last 10 games.

In Saturday’s 5-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the slick defenseman scored Buffalo’s first goal, a power-play tally that extended his goal streak to four games and his point streak to six contests.

Both streaks are the second-longest of the Swede’s eight-year career.... Read the full article

Sabres raise standard, defeat Senators; Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson scratched

BUFFALO – Hours before the Sabres ended their three-game losing streak Tuesday by shellacking the Ottawa Senators 5-1, coach Lindy Ruff demanded more of his goalies, saying his team needed bigger saves at critical times.

Ruff wasn’t pinning the Sabres’ recent struggles on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. In the same breath, said he needed his scorers to finish. He has been asking more of everyone as he tries to raise the Sabres’ standard.

But ... Read the full article

Tage Thompson playing like superstar, helps Sabres beat Red Wings

BUFFALO – A strong argument can be made the past week or two ranks as the most significant stretch of Tage Thompson’s four-year run as the Sabres’ top center.

His gaudy statistics are just part of it, mind you. After scoring two goals and three points in Saturday afternoon’s 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, he has recorded six goals and 10 points during his six-game point streak.

Right now, Thompson, who has a ... Read the full article

By end of difficult season, Sabres’ Tage Thompson became elite scorer again

BUFFALO – By the end of a trying season, Sabres center Tage Thompson recaptured the slick form that made him one of the NHL’s elite scorers last year.

To wit: in his final 28 games, he recorded 14 goals and 27 points. He often performed dynamically over his last 18 outings, scoring 11 goals and 21 points.

That’s a torrid 50-goal, 95-point pace over 82 games, very close his 47-goal, 94-point campaign in 2022-23.

But ... Read the full article

UPL, Jack Quinn and rare timeout help Sabres beat Flyers, stay in playoff chase

BUFFALO – Three goals on the first 10 shots, a robust shooting percentage of 30, will cover up some problems. So will terrific goaltending.

The Sabres illustrated that Friday in defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2, a critical win that moved them to within four points of the second wild card spot.

While the Flyers opened up a huge shot advantage early, the Sabres made their limited chances count on goalie Ivan Fedotov, who made his ... Read the full article

In locking up Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres put two ‘pillars in place’

BUFFALO – Scan through each NHL roster and try to pick out every so-called franchise defenseman. Most teams don’t have one.

In Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres possess two.

This week, Power and Dahlin each signed long-term contract extensions, ensuring two foundational pieces can remain teammates through the 2030-31 season.... Read the full article

Rick Jeanneret, legendary voice of Sabres, dies at 81

Legendary play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret, one of the most iconic figures in Buffalo Sabres history, died Thursday evening, the team announced. He was 81.

Jeanneret died following a two-year battle with multi-organ failures, according to his family.

He retired following the 2021-22 season, his record 51st year on the job. He spent last season as a broadcaster emeritus making appearances on behalf of the team and was often seen around KeyBank Center.

The Sabres gave ... Read the full article