WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
September Edition
Steve Ott hasn’t played a game in Buffalo yet with St. Louis. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Look out, Patrick Kaleta. Former Sabres captain Steve Ott said he wants a little revenge for the time you guys fought almost five years ago.
“He doesn’t really know, but I still owe him one for raising the roof when we got in a fight here,” Ott joked today after his St. Louis Blues prepared for tonight’s game. “I’ll be playing him a little harder than the others. But Patty’s one of my ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart has been the Sabres’ best forward recently. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Ted Nolan’s response raised some eyebrows. Coaches, after all, rarely acknowledge they have players who are ready to leave town.
But Tuesday in Montreal, hours before the Sabres’ 3-2 win ended their 14-game losing streak, Nolan, whose rebuilding club will likely be selling off assets soon, went a step further.
“We got some guys who could be very beneficial to some playoff teams,” Nolan replied when asked if coaching could be tougher because ... Read the full article
Steve Ott joined the Blues in February. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Part of Steve Ott will always remain with the Sabres. The gritty 32-year-old quickly became one of the city’s most popular athletes during his two-year tenure, his blue-collar style resonating in a hardworking fan base.
“I like to think that I was a part of that organization for the right reasons,” Ott, whose St. Louis Blues host the Sabres tonight, said by phone Monday morning. “When you wear a sweater of a team, ... Read the full article
Brian Gionta talks about being named captain Tuesday. ©2014, Margaret Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – For five years, Josh Gorges watched Brian Gionta closely. Gionta’s Stanley Cup ring offered him instant credibility in the Montreal dressing room. But Gorges quickly learned why Gionta won a championship.
Gorges noticed the professionalism Gionta exhibited, the strong habits that made him a leader and respected captain.
“I’ve said this all along, when you’re a young guy coming into a team … who do you look to in the room and say, ... Read the full article
Brian Gionta signed with the Sabres on July 1. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres coach Ted Nolan today named 35-year-old winger Brian Gionta the 19th full-season captain in franchise history.
Defenseman Josh Gorges and winger Matt Moulson have been named alternates.
The Sabres haven’t had a captain since Steve Ott left in February.
Check back for details and quotes later!... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart skates last week at the NHL Prospects Tournament. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – If you love roster battles, the next three weeks of Sabres training camp should be fun.
About 34 players have a legitimate chance to crack the opening-night lineup. They have a prized prospect, slick center Sam Reinhart, vying for a spot. The starting goalie job is up for grabs. Defense spots are open. Nine or 10 guys will be competing for three fourth-line spots.
Players report for physicals today. The first on-ice session ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart has played only five games with the Sabres. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – When Chris Stewart’s disappointing 15-goal season ended in April, the Sabres winger decided to stay put for the summer. Instead of returning home to Toronto, Stewart settled in a suburb and began preparing for what he called “another biggest season of my career.”
“I’ve been saying (that) for the last three, four years now,” Stewart, who hasn’t cracked the 20-goal mark since 2010-11, said last week after skating inside the Riverside Ice Rink.... Read the full article
Brian Gionta was Montreal’s captain four seasons. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – To most observers, it’s a formality. At some point before the season begins Oct. 9, the Sabres will name Brian Gionta their new captain.
Awarding Gionta the prestigious ‘C’ makes sense. The 35-year-old, the rebuilding club’s oldest and most experienced player, just served four seasons as Montreal’s captain. He won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2003.
By any measure, the winger’s the Sabres’ most qualified candidate.
Still, Gionta, who signed a ... Read the full article
Zemgus Girgensons spent all last season with the Sabres. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Some experts are already predicting the Sabres, a team three months removed from the worst NHL season in recent memory, will be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in a few years.
Why? Their prospect pool might be the deepest in hockey.
Seven first-round picks are participating in the team’s development camp this week. Seven of the 41 prospects played in the NHL last season, including center Zemgus Girgensons, who spent the entire campaign ... Read the full article
Tim Murray (left) wants to sign veterans to support youngsters like Sam Reinhart. ©2014, Margaret Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have a pretty simple free agency plan. The rebuilding club wants to add some respected veterans, preferably skilled ones who can mentor the team’s youngsters and are willing to take a short term, perhaps just a year or two.
Yes, the Sabres need to add salary badly when the market opens at noon today. After all, they’re a stunning $20,580,834 under the floor. But reaching that mark, a touchy subject for ... Read the full article