Leino - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Not long ago, Sabres wanted to sign Richards

BUFFALO – Incredibly, tonight in the New York, with the Rangers down 3-0 to Boston, coach John Tortorella will make alleged star Brad Richards and his $60 million contract a healthy scratch.

Richards, a former Conn Smythe winner with Tampa Bay in 2004, had already been relegated to the fourth line in the Eastern Conference semifinal, a series he has scored zero points.

Believe it or not, less than two years ago, the center was ... Read the full article

Sabres president Black grilled at season-ending news conference

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ season-ending news conference Monday started innocently enough.

Sabres president Ted Black said Darcy Regier would be returning as general manager. Regier talked about interim coach Ron Rolston’s future, which will be determined later.

But that tranquility only lasted briefly. The atmosphere inside the cramped First Niagara Center press room quickly became contentious.

Within minutes, reporters started hammering Black on the Sabres’ decision to announce their 4 percent season-ticket increase on Friday, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rolston hasn’t spoken to management about future

BUFFALO – If you’re wondering, Ron Rolston hasn’t spoken to Sabres general manager Darcy Regier or other higher-ups about his future, the interim coach said Thursday.

“No conversations,” Rolston said after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s season finale against the New York Islanders inside the First Niagara Center.

Rolston’s 14-11-5 since the Sabres promoted him from Rochester on Feb. 20.

While the 46-year-old couldn’t get the Sabres into the playoffs, he believes the team ... Read the full article

Ryan Miller excited to reach milestone, not angry at Sabres fans

BUFFALO – On the eve of what could be his 500^th and final appearance with the Sabres, goalie Ryan Miller wanted to make something clear.

“I’m not mad at the fans,” Miller said this morning after preparing for Friday’s season finale inside the First Niagara Center. “It’s what I don’t understand. It’s the heat of the moment. You get emotional.”

Miller was referring to Friday’s 8-4 home loss to the New York Rangers, ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Chad Ruhwedel back in Pittsburgh amid dizzying stretch

PITTSBURGH – Buffalo Sabres rookie Chad Ruhwedel hasn’t truly left college yet. Six games into his new life, the 22-year-old defenseman is still enrolled at UMass Lowell, where he’s a senior pursuing degrees in business and marketing and management.

Even in the NHL, Ruhwedel, who had junior playing status, has some school work to do. When the season ends, he’ll go back and finish the semester.

“A little tough, but my teachers have been pretty ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ehrhoff excited to respresent reeling German national team

BUFFALO – Watching Germany’s national team fall into disarray and off the world stage hasn’t been easy for Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff.

The country recently failed to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Consider that other than three world war bans, the country’s ice hockey team had qualified for every other Olympics, all of them since 1948.

“Obviously, the non-qualification for the Olympics is very frightening, very sad,” Ehrhoff said Monday prior to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Leino out indefinitely, season in jeopardy; Vanek out again Sunday

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Ville Leino, out the last three games with what interim coach Ron Rolston called an upper body injury, is out indefinitely.

Rolston said Leino’s injury doesn’t require surgery.

While Rolston wouldn’t speculate, with only 10 games left, if the Finn’s season could be over.

A hip injury sidelined Leino the first 27 games this season.

Meanwhile, winger Thomas Vanek practiced again today but will likely miss Sunday’s game against New ... Read the full article

Sabres thinking long-term after trading captain Pominville to Wild

BUFFALO – Instead of trading captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild before the deadline Wednesday, the 13^th-place Sabres could’ve tried staying in the playoff chase and acquiring another player to make a run at eighth place, general manager Darcy Regier said.

But the Sabres, whose owner, Terry Pegula, has spent tens of millions of dollars pursuing his championship dream, no longer embrace that kind of philosophy.

They’ve started thinking long-term.

“The preference ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Adam thrilled to be back in NHL after long wait

PITTSBURGH – One day this winter, Luke Adam finally had enough. The 22-year-old cleared his head and stopped wondering about his future with the Buffalo Sabres.

In just a few months last season, Adam suffered a stunning decline, morphing from a first-line NHL scoring threat into a forgotten AHL player repeatedly bypassed for recalls.

But fretting wasn’t helping Adam’s career.

“That’s what got me in trouble,” Adam said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 4-1 win ... Read the full article

Pominville mum on whether he submitted no-trade list to Sabres

PITTSBURGH – Following the Buffalo Sabres’ morning skate, captain Jason Pominville politely declined to say whether he has given general manager Darcy Regier a list of eight teams he wouldn’t like to be traded.

Pominville sure sounded like he has submitted a list, though.

“I don’t want to answer by yes or no, but what I can say is Darcy has a job to do, and for him to be able to that in my ... Read the full article