WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Draft Week Edition
Mikhail Grigorenko recently returned from a knee injury. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – For once, center Mikhail Grigorenko can relax a little bit. Eighteen games are left in the Sabres’ trying season. The NHL’s weakest lineup needs reinforcements.
Grigorenko, the 12th pick in 2012, should get a long look after getting recalled from Rochester again this morning.
The Russian was excited when he saw a white practice jersey hanging in his locker today. That meant he would be centering the second line beside Marcus Foligno ... Read the full article
Phil Varone skates Wednesday inside HarborCenter. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Prior to Phil Varone’s 19th NHL game Tuesday, the Sabres center couldn’t find his No. 84 written on the board with the team’s new line combinations.
The 24-year-old looked again and found it an unexpected spot.
“I didn’t see it at the top,” Varone said Wednesday following practice inside HarborCenter. “It was pretty surreal, obviously. I was in the AHL three weeks ago. It’s just pretty special.”
Yes, Varone, who has three ... Read the full article
Tim Schaller has played six NHL games this season. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres recalled forwards Jerry D’Amigo, Mikhail Grigorenko and Tim Schaller from the Rochester Americans this morning to fill out a roster decimated by trades.
The Sabres only need two forwards for tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, so one could sit.
D’Amigo, 24, could make his Sabres debut. The Binghamton native played 22 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, compiling one goal and three points. He has six ... Read the full article
Brian Flynn (65) battles for the puck with Philadelphia’s Ryan White earlier this season. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Less than three years ago, Brian Flynn was an undrafted and mostly unknown youngster at the University of Maine. The versatile forward’s signing with the Sabres barely registered with the fan base.
But Flynn quickly and quietly worked himself into a strong NHL prospect.
After less than a season in Rochester, Flynn debuted with the Sabres in 2012-13. The 26-year-old played regularly until they dealt him to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday for ... Read the full article
Brian Flynn (65) skates around Dallas’ Alex Goligoski last month. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Less than three years ago, Brian Flynn was an undrafted and mostly unknown prospect at the University of Maine. The versatile forward’s signing with the Sabres barely registered with the fan base.
But Flynn quickly and quietly worked himself into a strong NHL prospect.
After less than a season in Rochester, Flynn debuted with the Sabres in 2012-13. The 26-year-old played regularly until they dealt him to the Montreal Canadiens for a fifth-round ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart skates between Vancouver’s Eddie Lack (31) and Luca Sbisa (5) on Thursday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Chris Stewart will leave town with no regrets, he said. Despite some tough times in Buffalo, he enjoyed playing here.
The Sabres will likely deal the honest veteran today before the 3 p.m. trade deadline, ending his one-year run with the rebuilding club. He’s excited about the fresh opportunity a trade could bring him.
A year ago at the deadline, St. Louis, a team built to win the Stanley Cup, dealt ... Read the full article
Mark Pysyk played three games with the Sabres last week. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk was released from the hospital on Saturday after collapsing during a pickup basketball game earlier in the day.
In a short statement, the Rochester Americans said Pysyk “is doing well.” Pysyk has had no known medical issues since the Sabres drafted him 23rd overall in 2010.
The 23-year-old defenseman dropped to his knees and collapsed Saturday morning, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. A person with ... Read the full article
Mark Pysyk played in Rochester on Friday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk collapsed this morning during a pickup basketball game with his Rochester teammates and was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital, according the Democrat and Chronicle’s Kevin Oklobzija.
Update: Pysyk has been released for the hospital and is doing “well,” according to the team.
The paper quoted a person with knowledge of the situation as saying Pysyk “was fairly alert” and “his vital signs were close to normal” on the ... Read the full article
Mark Pysyk played three games this week. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres sent defenseman Mark Pysyk to Rochester on Friday before leaving for this afternoon’s road game against the Florida Panthers, a move that raised a few eyebrows.
The 2010 first-round pick played three games during his recall, skating more than 18 minutes in the last two outings, both wins. He scored the winning goal in Tuesday’s 4-2 win in Columbus.
Sabres coach Ted Nolan has repeatedly said while the decision is out ... Read the full article
Jaromir Jagr (68) nearly scores on Sabres goalie Nathan Lieuwen last season. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Count Ted Nolan as a fan of Jaromir Jagr, the legendary 43-year-old winger the Florida Panthers acquired from the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
The ageless Jagr, who has 716 goals and 1,784 points in 1,530 games, should make his Panthers debut Saturday in Florida against the Sabres.
Nolan believes Jagr’s arrival could boost the Panthers’ playoff hopes.
“You see a guy like Jagr, growing up and watching him in his early days, ... Read the full article