Murray - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Josh Chapman unlikely standout at Sabres development camp

BUFFALO – The nifty winning goal in today’s three-on-three development camp tournament wasn’t scored by Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart or one of the Sabres’ other high-end forward prospects.

Try 6-foot-3, 210-pound Josh Chapman, an undrafted defenseman the Sabres invited.

“Someone asked him how many goals he scored this year,” said winger Evan Rodrigues, Chapman’s teammate in the eight-team tournament. “He said none.”

That’s right, Chapman scored zero goals in 44 games last season with ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Tim Murray wants to find defenseman, hire coach for Amerks

BUFFALO – One way or another, Sabres general manager Tim Murray plans to get another left-handed defenseman before the season starts.

“We’ve looked at everybody we feel is going to need waivers,” Murray said this afternoon following development camp inside the First Niagara Center. “We’re still talking trades with teams. We’re still talking about a couple of guys who are out there. But there’s no hurry.”

Murray’s willing to wait until right before the season, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Dan Bylsma impressed by goalie coach Andrew Allen

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Dan Bylsma had no previous connection to Andrew Allen before hiring the 38-year-old as goalie coach this week.

“Really word of mouth and had some great recommendations from people in Chicago,” Bylsma said Friday inside the First Niagara Center. “So I got to know him in the last week or 10 days and got him in here a little bit earlier this week.”

Allen, a former pro goalie, spent the last ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jack Eichel chooses No. 15; Andrew Allen hired as goalie coach

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel’s not thinking too far ahead. But “if the opportunity presented itself to make the team” next season, he plans to wear No. 15.

Of course, minutes after he mentioned his first NHL number Friday morning, the Sabres tweeted they would be a selling a limited number of Eichel jerseys hours later at the First Niagara Center prior to the development camp scrimmage.

Before the gates even opened, the line stretched from ... Read the full article

Sabres hire Andrew Allen as goalie coach

BUFFALO – The Sabres completed their NHL coaching staff this morning, announcing they have hired Andrew Allen as goalie coach.

The 38-year-old Allen spent the last four seasons as the Chicago Blackhawks’ developmental goaltending coach, overseeing the netminders with the AHL Rockford IceHogs. Allen spent three seasons as St. Lawrence University’s goalie coach and also coached in Japan before joining the Blackhawks.

He played pro hockey for five seasons, spending time in the AHL and ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Team expects record crowd for Jack Eichel’s first scrimmage

BUFFALO – Since arriving in Buffalo last week, Sabres prospect Jack Eichel has been “doing the media tour and doing a million things.” The 18-year-old center just wants to play a hockey game, something he hasn’t done in months.

Eichel will get his wish tonight, when the Sabres host what is quickly becoming a huge summer event, the annual development camp scrimmage at 7 p.m. inside the First Niagara Center.

The Sabres have already sold ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel ‘super excited’ for Sabres ‘debut’

Eichel will get his wish Friday, when the Sabres host what is quickly becoming a huge summer event, the annual development camp scrimmage at the First Niagara Center.

More than 15,000 fans could attend, the Sabres ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart seeing results from new approach

BUFFALO – The hardest part of returning to junior, Sam Reinhart said, was convincing himself to get in the gym and work on his body. The 19-year-old center likes to go all out on the ice. Spending two days before a game lifting weights can make that difficult.

But to succeed in the NHL, Reinhart had to start adding muscle to his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame when the Sabres sent him back following a forgettable ... Read the full article

Sabres hire Dan Lambert as assistant coach

BUFFALO – When development camp began Monday, there was an unfamiliar face on the ice putting the Sabres prospects through drills inside the First Niagara Center.

Who was it?

During the first session, the Sabres officially announced Dan Lambert’s hire as the third assistant on coach Dan Bylsma’s staff.

The 45-year-old Lambert coached the Kelowna Rockets last year, leading the junior club to a Western Hockey League championship and a Memorial Cup appearance in his ... Read the full article

Carlo Colaiacovo excited for opportunity with Sabres

BUFFALO – Two days after signing a one-year contract with the Sabres, Carlo Colaiacovo hadn’t stopped smiling yet, the defenseman said Sunday.

A year ago, Colaiacovo couldn’t find work. As the summer dragged on, the free agent became uneasy. The stress wore on him.

Colaiacovo eventually decided to bolt to a Russian club in the KHL. But the contract took so long to consummate a one-year-deal with Philadelphia materialized in October before he could leave.... Read the full article