WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Post-Deadline Edition
Colin Miller has won a lot as a pro. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Just weeks after the Vegas Golden Knights’ unlikely run to the Stanley Cup final in 2018, new Sabres defenseman Colin Miller inked a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the expansion team.
Having agreed to a team-friendly deal – fresh off a 10-goal, 41-point season, he signed for just $3.875 million a year – Miller, 26, probably figured he was in Vegas’ long-term plans.
But the Golden Knights’ early success has started to wreak ... Read the full article
Chris Taylor plans to soak up knowledge from the Sabres’ new coaching staff. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – To many observers, Rochester Americans coach Chris Taylor possesses the talent to run an NHL bench someday.
Not only have the Amerks enjoyed two successful seasons under the affable Taylor, players seem to love playing for him.
Not surprisingly, Taylor’s name came up during the Sabres’ search for Phil Housley’s replacement. Taylor, of course, has close ties to general manager Jason Botterill, his friend and former teammate.... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart welcomed Dylan Cozens to the Sabres. ©2019, Hickling Images
VANCOUVER – Shortly before the Sabres’ higher-ups traveled to the NHL Draft, Sam Reinhart told Jason Botterill he wanted to join them during their stay in his hometown.
So one night, Reinhart met the general manager, coach Ralph Krueger and Terry and Kim Pegula for dinner.
Then on Friday, Reinhart, a winger the Sabres selected second overall in 2014, warmly greeted center Dylan Cozens after the team’s top pick left the draft floor inside Rogers ... Read the full article
Jason Botterill thinks Rasmus Ristolainen can keep developing. ©2019, Hickling Images
VANCOUVER – Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill knows plenty of teams would like to pry away a 6-foot-4 defenseman capable of gobbling up minutes and producing points like Rasmus Ristolainen.
“We understand there’s going to be inquiries about him,” Botterill said Friday morning, hours before the NHL Draft inside Rogers Arena. “We’re open as an organization to continuing to try to find ways to improve our team. But we realize and we’re very ... Read the full article
Los Angeles’ Jeff Carter pursues Rasmus Ristolainen last season. ©2019, Hickling Images
VANCOUVER – Rasmus Ristolainen has certainly showcased flashes of brilliance as the Buffalo Sabres’ workhorse defenseman.
Remember when he torched superstar Brent Burns in November to extend the Sabres’ winning streak to 10 games? What about the time he took over a game in 2015-16 against the Calgary Flames, scoring a hat trick in just a 12-minute span?
Three years ago, the Finn appeared to be taking his first steps into stardom. The Sabres, ... Read the full article
Don Granato has an extensive coaching resume. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – The Sabres have hired Don Granato and Mike Bales as assistant coaches on new head coach Ralph Krueger’s staff, the team announced this morning.
The Sabres also officially announced Krueger will retain assistant Steve Smith, a former NHL defenseman he had on his staff with the Edmonton Oilers.
Granato, 51, has coached at all levels – junior, college, pro and NHL – over his 26-year career. He spent the last two seasons ... Read the full article
Mike Bales won two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh. ©2019, Hickling Images
The Buffalo Sabres will hire Mike Bales as their new goalie coach and retain assistant coach Steve Smith, according to multiple reports.
Bales, 47, resigned as goalie coach of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. The Buffalo News, The Athletic and Sportsnet all reported Bales is bound for Buffalo.
Former Sabres coach Phil Housley hired Smith, a three-time Stanley Cup winner as a player, to run his defense last year. Ralph Krueger, Housley’s replacement, ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner was all smiles Tuesday. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – For eight seasons, Sabres winger Jeff Skinner only knew one organization. He grew up with the Carolina Hurricanes, joining them as a teenager and quickly becoming the face of the franchise. He felt a certain comfort there.
So his transition here could’ve been tough. Everything was new. Even the best players often need time to acclimate.
“It was a lot of change and there was a lot of adjustments, I think,” Skinner said ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner will be 34 when his contract ends. ©2019, Hickling Images
Jason Botterill sensed he would be asked a question about 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner’s new long-term contract, so the Buffalo Sabres general manager decided to answer it himself.
“Probably one of the next questions is going to be about giving an eight-year contract to a 27-year-old,” Botterill said of Skinner’s $72 million deal on a conference call Saturday, a day after awarding the hefty contract. “But there’s always going to be risk sometimes in doing ... Read the full article
Ralph Krueger talks Wednesday. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Ralph Krueger spent the last five years running a soccer team in England, so on Wednesday, his first full day in his new city as Sabres coach, he was having NHL games loaded on a laptop.
“To look a little bit deeper,” Krueger, who was hired May 15, said during a news conference in the KeyBank Center atrium.
In addition to getting up to speed on the Sabres, Krueger, 59, must examine how ... Read the full article