Housley - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres want to spread leadership around

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Jason Botterill wasn’t kidding when he said he believes leadership is a collaborative effort.

Thursday morning, hours before their season opener, the Sabres named four alternate captains: defenseman Zach Bogosian and forwards Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo.

Botterill said Wednesday the Sabres wouldn’t begin the season with a captain.... Read the full article

Scratching Josh Gorges difficult for Sabres coach Phil Housley

BUFFALO – Scratching defenseman Josh Gorges, Sabres coach Phil Housley said, is “very difficult.” The veteran is a heart-and-soul player.

Gorges, 33, isn’t a slick puck-mover. He has carved out a strong 13-year career as a stay-at-home defender by showcasing grit and tenacity.

Housley, of course, wants his defense to drive possession and aggressively move up the ice. So Gorges will sit out tonight’s opener against the Montreal Canadiens, his old team. Gorges was ... Read the full article

Strong preseason helps Sabres’ Matt Tennyson earn gig

BUFFALO – When the Sabres signed Matt Tennyson to a two-year contract as free agency opened, it was assumed the defenseman would see NHL action this season.

After all, Tennyson, 27, spent most of the last two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks, playing 74 NHL games and only 14 AHL contests. Still, few figured Tennyson would crack the Sabres’ opening-night lineup.... Read the full article

Sabres plan to rotate alternate captains

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Jason Botterill wasn’t kidding when he said he believes leadership is a collaborative effort.

This morning, hours before their season opener, the Sabres named four alternate captains: defenseman Zach Bogosian and forwards Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo.

Botterill said Wednesday the Sabres wouldn’t begin the season with a captain.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel ready for duties that accompany contract

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel wouldn’t go on his own. So when the Sabres convened for their post-practice stretch at center ice, veteran Jason Pominville nudged the young star into the circle.

The scene inside HarborCenter was fitting. Eichel, in his first skate since signing an eight-year, $80 million contract extension Tuesday, surrounded by his teammates, leading them in the stretch.... Read the full article

With contract done, Sabres happy Jack Eichel can focus on hockey

BUFFALO – Throughout training camp, as Jack Eichel’s contract hung over his head, the third-year Sabres star tried to focus hockey, blocking out any distractions the situation created for him.

But Housley, a 21-year NHL veteran, knows it wasn’t easy for Eichel, who signed an eight-year, $80 million contract Tuesday night.

“Is there some weight off his shoulders? I think so.” Housley said this afternoon after the Sabres prepared for Thursday’s season opener. “I think ... Read the full article

Moving Sam Reinhart to center inevitable for Sabres

BUFFALO – Sam Reinhart’s gig at right wing never felt permanent. Sure, the youngster often thrived during his two seasons playing the position, scoring 40 goals and 90 points while developing into one of the Sabres’ top threats.

But the Sabres drafted Reinhart, 21, second overall in 2014 as a center, a glamour position. Centers are a precious commodity.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jake McCabe ready to play

BUFFALO – After Jake McCabe practiced for the first time in 11 days this morning, the Sabres defenseman pronounced himself ready to play in Thursday’s season opener.

While Phil Housley had said McCabe was week-to-week with an upper-body injury, the coach sounded optimistic in recent days he would be ready for the regular season. McCabe was hurt late in an exhibition loss Sept. 22 in Toronto.... Read the full article

Sabres’ decision-makers still discussing vacant captaincy

BUFFALO – It’s starting to look like the Sabres will begin the season without a captain.

Sabres coach Phil Housley said this morning, three days before the season opener, no announcement is set for “the immediate future.”

“We’re still evaluating that part of who’s going to wear a letter,” Housley said inside KeyBank Center. “We have a good leadership group in there. That’s something that the coaches will be talking (about) today and tomorrow.”... Read the full article

Sabres hope to have healthy defense corps for opener

BUFFALO – Right now, the revamped Sabres blue line that has received so much attention for its puck-moving abilities is missing some key pieces.

Just three days before the season opener, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe are sidelined. The Sabres still have nine defensemen in training camp, a number that might shrink in the coming days.

So, could the Sabres potentially have the defense corps they envisioned all summer together for Thursday’s tilt against the ... Read the full article