WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Jack Eichel celebrates one of his two goals Thursday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Relax, Sabres fans. Center Jack Eichel, who tweaked his left ankle in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss in Washington, will play tonight against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
“Going through an injury like this, you know it’s going to come back,” Eichel told a crowd of reporters this morning inside KeyBank Center.
High ankle sprains are notoriously tough injuries to overcome. Eichel dazzled early in his return, scoring three goals and ... Read the full article
Josh Gorges (4) battles with Pittsburgh’s Scott Wilson on Feb. 21. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – About 20 times tonight, Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges will jump over the boards to take on arguably the toughest task in hockey, trying to stop Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby.
Gorges will probably spend around 20 minutes defending Crosby and his linemates, a stiff challenge the 12-year veteran embraces.
To Gorges, the dynamic Crosby is the NHL’s best player, someone to measure yourself against.
“He just does things no one else can do,” ... Read the full article
Auston Matthews speaks at the NHL Combine last year in Buffalo. ©2016, Margaret Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Auston Matthews first experienced the heated rivalry between the Sabres and Maple Leafs here at the NHL Draft, when the Toronto contingency wildly cheered the first overall pick and the hometown fans mercilessly booed their enemy.
“It’s a lot of booing,” Matthews told reporters Wednesday in Toronto after the Leafs prepared for tonight’s game inside KeyBank Center, the rookie’s first appearance here since getting selected June 24.
Expect another loud, bipartisan atmosphere throughout ... Read the full article
Rasmus Ristolainen (55) tries to keep the puck away from Montreal’s Phillip Danault on Thursday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Technically, the Sabres’ defense pairs are numbered.
Rasmus Ristolainen and his partner, Josh Gorges or Dmitry Kulikov, form the top tandem. Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe are No. 2. Cody Franson and Casey Nelson skated as the third opening night.
On paper, the defense (average age: 27) has the makings of a solid group. Still, the Sabres don’t have an elite pair. Sure, Ristolainen is the undisputed No. 1. But on a ... Read the full article
Tim Murray smiles Thursday after signing a contract extension. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In Ottawa, top pick Auston Matthews compiled the greatest debut in modern NHL history, scoring an eye-popping four goals for Toronto. In Edmonton, the slick Connor McDavid enjoyed a dynamic season opener, scoring two goals and three points.
Hours before Jack Eichel’s contemporaries began the 2016-17 season in grand fashion Wednesday, the young Sabres star sustained a high left ankle sprain late in practice.
Eichel, 19, watched Thursday’s 4-1 season-opening loss to the ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel played 81 games last season. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Jack Eichel had a front-row seat for the commotion surrounding Jimmy Vesey, the college free agent whose negotiating rights the Sabres owned for 57 days.
As the summer wore on, crowds swelled inside the Foxborough, Mass., rink where the two skated as teammates in a recreational league. Media members and TV crews started showing up to interview and film Vesey. Some high-ranking personnel from NHL teams also attended.
“It was starting to ... Read the full article
Olli Juolevi will be picked early Friday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Ask Olli Juolevi a question about his talents, and the London Knights defenseman’s response might surprise you.
In an age in which elite athletes are often taught to give vague, vanilla answers, Juolevi has no problem saying what he really feels.
For example, Juolevi, even though he has some stiff competition from Jakob Chychrun and Mikhail Sergachev, recently said he expects to be the first defenseman chosen in Friday’s NHL Draft the ... Read the full article
Auston Matthews should visit Buffalo with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 3. ©2016, Margaret Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – After the Sabres open their season Oct. 13 at home against the Montreal Canadiens, they start a four-game road trip – longer than any swing they had last season – three days later against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
That’s just one notable stretch of the 82-game 2016-17 schedule the NHL released Tuesday.
The Sabres, who went 19-17-5 on the road last season, better get comfortable playing away from the First Niagara ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel and the Sabres open the season Oct. 13. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – After the Sabres open their season Oct. 13 at home against the Montreal Canadiens, they start a four-game road trip – longer than any swing they had last season – three days later against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
That’s just one notable stretch of the 82-game 2016-17 schedule the NHL released this afternoon.
The Sabres, who went 19-17-5 on the road last season, better get comfortable playing away from the First ... Read the full article
Alex DeBrincat has scored 51 goals twice. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Just two games into the Erie Otters’ season, with star centers Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome beginning their NHL careers, the junior hockey world learned Alex DeBrincat’s 51-goal rookie campaign wasn’t simply a creation of their dynamic playmaking abilities.
After scoring in the season opener, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound DeBrincat, the only established threat left in the Otters’ arsenal, scored a franchise-record five goals Oct. 1.
“I think that was definitely a time for ... Read the full article
