WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Linus Ullmark has missed the last 13 games. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Having been sidelined the last 13 games, Linus Ullmark must keep testing his lower-body injury in practice. So as badly as the Buffalo Sabres need their No. 1 goalie back, he needs more than one session before he can play again.
“For now, there’s no set timetable for me; it’s more of a day-to-day basis,” Ullmark said on a Zoom call Tuesday after practicing for the first time since getting injured Feb. 23.
So on ... Read the full article
Dustin Tokarski played his first NHL game in more than four years on Monday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
After playing his first NHL game in more than four years, Buffalo Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski allowed himself a moment to reflect on his journey back to the big leagues.
Tokarski, who played five playoff games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014, hadn’t experienced any NHL action since Oct. 26, 2016.
Over the past few seasons, Tokarski, 31, quietly rebuilt his career, morphing into one of the AHL’s premier netminders.
So Tokarski’s strong 33-save effort ... Read the full article
The Sabres drafted Jonas Johansson in 2014. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon traded goalie Jonas Johansson to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2021.
The Sabres held Johansson, 25, out of Friday’s practice as they attempted to deal him.
With Johansson gone, Carter Hutton and Dustin Tokarski are the Sabres’ top two goalies. Hutton, 35, has a 1-10-1 record this season. Meanwhile, Tokarski, 31, hasn’t played in the NHL since a 10-minute stint in 2016-17.
A lower-body injury ... Read the full article
Jonas Johansson played three straight games last week. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When the Sabres signed minor league goalie Michael Houser to a one-year, $700,000 contract Friday, it ignited speculation they had another move in the works.
Sure enough, when the Sabres convened for Friday’s practice inside KeyBank Center, goalie Jonas Johansson was absent.
The Sabres are close to trading Johansson, according to The Buffalo News. The Swede would likely be dealt to the Colorado Avalanche, NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes reported.
But the ... Read the full article
Michael Houser hasn’t played any games this season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – The Sabres have signed goalie Michael Houser to a one-year, $700,000 contract, the team announced today.
The Sabres placed Houser, 28, on waivers this afternoon, a standard procedure when a player who had an AHL contract inks an NHL deal. Houser has served as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s backup this season, playing zero games.
Houser spent the previous three seasons with the Cincinnati Cyclones, the Sabres’ ECHL affiliate.
Why did the Sabres suddenly signed Houser? ... Read the full article
Arttu Ruotsalainen made his AHL debut Friday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – Having played 19 times earlier this season, Buffalo Sabres prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen has a strong advantage over most AHL players, many of whom haven’t experienced any game action for nearly a year.
Ruotsalainen, 23, enjoyed regular duty in his native Finland, morphing into perhaps Liiga’s biggest star. He left his team, Ilves, in December having scored a league-high 16 goals.
Not surprisingly, Ruotsalainen stood out in his North American debut Friday, scoring a ... Read the full article
The Sabres elevated Jonas Johansson from the taxi squad earlier this week. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After allowing five goals on opening night, Sabres goalie Carter Hutton settled down, letting in just two over the next 100 minutes.
Fresh off a 10-month break, Hutton looked sharp and appeared poised to keep earning playing time. But Hutton left Tuesday’s 3-0 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers early after getting hit in the head.
Hutton, 35, is day to day, coach Ralph Krueger said, and did not accompany the Sabres to ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen spent part of last season in Rochester. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Top Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be joining the Rochester Americans, his Finnish team announced today.
The Sabres loaned Luukkonen, 21, to HC TPS, a Liiga team, in August and had extended the loan agreement throughout the season.
The Amerks, the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, opened training camp Friday. The AHL season is scheduled to start Feb. 5.
In 13 games with HC TPS, Luukkonen compiled a 6-3-4 record with a 2.52 ... Read the full article
Arttu Ruotsalainen got off to a torrid start in Finland this season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres will touch the KeyBank Center ice for the first time in 296 days and begin preparing for the most unusual of seasons.
The NHL will be attempting to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will likely experience problems – positive tests, postponements or even cancellations – as the schedule unfolds.
But those potential roadblocks can be examined another day. The Sabres’ 10-month break is nearly over. Training camp officially ... Read the full article
The Sabres began sending prospects to Cincinnati in 2017-18.
The Cincinnati Cyclones, the Buffalo Sabres’ ECHL affiliate, will not play in the 2020-21 season, according to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski.
The Kalamazoo Wings and Idaho Steelheads will also sit out the season, according to Marek.
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated minor league teams, which rely on gate revenue to operate.
On Nov. 18, the ECHL’s six-team North Division – the Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers and ... Read the full article