WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Joseph Cecconi spent three years in Texas before joining Rochester. ©2023, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – Right away, Joseph Cecconi called his grandfather, Joe, to share the special news.
Throughout his grandson’s junior and college career, the elder Cecconi traveled to nearly every one of his home games. He estimates he racked up about 30,000 miles a year driving from his Youngstown home to Muskegon and Ann Arbor.
Then Joseph Cecconi turned pro in 2019 and reported to the Texas Stars, Dallas’ AHL affiliate, and the trips ended. ... Read the full article
Joseph Cecconi (34) turned pro in 2019. ©2022, Mollie Kendall, Texas Stars
The Buffalo Sabres on Thursday swapped AHL defense prospects with the Dallas Stars, trading Oskari Laaksonen in exchange for Youngstown native Joseph Cecconi.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Cecconi, 25, played four seasons at Michigan and captained the Wolverines as a senior. He has compiled four goals, 33 points and 106 penalty minutes in 176 games over four seasons with the Texas Stars.
Cecconi, a right-shot defenseman like Laaksonen, has registered two assists and 10 penalty ... Read the full article
Jacob Bryson (pictured) has been playing beside Rasmus Dahlin. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Just nine games in, the Sabres have already dipped deep into their defense reserves. Hours before Monday’s 8-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, they recalled Jeremy Davies from the Rochester Americans.
Davies, 25, is the ninth defenseman who has been on the roster this season.
“We’re banged up on the back end and that’s the need, pressing need right now,” Sabres coach Don Granato said Monday prior to Davies’ recall.
They summoned ... Read the full article
Henri Jokiharju has missed the last three games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Just two weeks into the season, having lost Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju and two more defensemen in the minors to injuries, the Sabres are considering adding depth to their blue line, Kevyn Adams said.
The general manager said prior to Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center that Samuelsson, who suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, will be sidelined “a few weeks.”
“But much ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie played three preseason games for Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Saturday assigned center Matt Savoie to his junior team and loaned 21 players to the Rochester Americans, their AHL affiliate.
They have 31 healthy players left in training camp. They must finalize their 23-man regular-season roster by 5 p.m. on Oct. 10.
The Sabres gave Savoie, the ninth overall pick this year, a long look during camp, awarding him three preseason games before sending to the Winnipeg Ice. Savoie, 18, was ... Read the full article
Eric Comrie signed with Buffalo during the summer. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After watching the first two preseason games, Sabres goalie Eric Comrie will likely be making his debut in tonight’s road contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Sabres, of course, expect Comrie, 27, to play a significant number of games this season or earn the starting job. He signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract during the offseason.
The rest of tonight’s game roster features mostly prospects and players ticketed for the Rochester Americans.... Read the full article
Jiri Kulich skates in Saturday’s Prospects Challenge game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Forget that Jiri Kulich possesses a shot so lethal his coach described it as “scary.” Forget that the Sabres prospect has recently dominated his peers, scoring 17 goals over a torrid 16-game stretch. Forget that he already has a full season of pro hockey experience.
In a few weeks, following his first NHL training camp, the Sabres will likely assign Kulich to Rochester, where he will begin his North American career with the ... Read the full article
Oskari Laaksonen is an offensive defenseman. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres defense prospect Oskari Laaksonen learned last month his offensive abilities will only take him so far.
When the Calder Cup Playoffs began, Laaksonen, a regular for the Americans all season, sat out the first eight games as a healthy scratch, watching until Game 2 of the North Division final.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Laaksonen, 22, compiled 34 points in 71 regular-season games during his second AHL campaign, numbers that ranked second among ... Read the full article
Rochester’s Brett Murray stands in front of Laval goalie Cayden Primeau on Wednesday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – The Americans battled adversity and beat long odds for weeks, eking into the Calder Cup Playoffs on the last day of the regular season before beginning their deepest and most memorable postseason run in 18 years.
They rallied to win games, earned four overtime victories and triumphed in a do-or-die Game 5 against a top seed.
So when the Amerks dropped the first two games on the road against the Laval Rocket in ... Read the full article
Utica’s Nolan Foote scores a first-period goal on Rochester goalie Aaron Dell on Tuesday.
ROCHESTER – In opening up a series lead and putting the Utica Comets on the brink of elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Americans hadn’t seen the best out of the AHL powerhouse.
The top-seeded Comets only showcased flashes of their slick regular-season form throughout the first three games of best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal. In a do-or-die scenario Tuesday, you figured they would come out roaring.
Well, in Game 4, the Comets gave ... Read the full article
