Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Former Sabres defenseman McKee out as assistant coach in Rochester

BUFFALO – Popular former Sabres defenseman Jay McKee won’t return for a second season as an assistant coach with the club’s AHL affiliate in Rochester.

The Sabres didn’t renew the 34-year-old’s contract, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported. Coach Ron Rolston wouldn’t elaborate to the paper, only saying it related to McKee’s “fit.”

Prior joining Rochester last season, Rolston had worked with his other top assistant, Chadd Cassidy, for years with USA Hockey.

McKee, a ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Phil Varone impressing in Rochester

ROCHESTER – It was a life-changing decision. In September, Phil Varone impressed the Buffalo Sabres, so the club offered an AHL contract following his training camp tryout. But Varone was also strongly considering attending the University of New Brunswick.

“It was 50-50,” Varone said Friday inside the Blue Cross War Memorial following the Rochester Amercans’ 5-1 win over the Syracuse Crunch.

Varone, a scoring star with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, went home and ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Luke Adam struggling to find scoring touch in Rochester

ROCHESTER – Luke Adam, the same Buffalo Sabres prospect whose NHL exploits early this season – three goals in his first four games and 10 tallies before Christmas – made him a Calder Trophy candidate, can’t even score much in the AHL, a league he dominated last year.

Since being demoted to the Rochester Americans on Feb. 11 in the midst of an epic slump, Adam, the AHL’s top rookie a year ago, has only ... Read the full article

Much went wrong during Sabres’ lost season

“The main thing is start talking about it and just put it out there that we want to win a championship. We want to do it the right way, and we just have to hit a few checkpoints along the way and set ourselves up for it.” – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, September 16, 2011

BUFFALO – Nearly seven months after his upbeat chat as training camp opened, Miller and the Sabres will clean out ... Read the full article

Sabres assign Foligno, Tropp to Rochester

BUFFALO – The Rochester Americans’ playoff push got a big boost Friday, as the Sabres assigned rookie wingers Marcus Foligno and Corey Tropp to their 11th-place AHL affiliate.

Foligno and Tropp had secured regular NHL roles recently, impressing during the Sabres’ run at the postseason, which ended with Thursday’s 2-1 loss in Philadelphia.

The Amerks, two points behind eighth-place Houston for the final Western Conference playoff spot, have five games remaining. They play tonight in ... Read the full article

Sabres mum on Myers’ injured foot

BUFFALO – Star Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers, who hurt his foot blocking a shot Friday, is wearing a walking boot and out at least the last two regular-season games.

Is the foot broken?

“He’s got a bad foot, yeah,” was all Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday after practice inside the First Niagara Center.

Myers didn’t make the trip to Philadelphia for tonight’s contest against the Flyers.

When asked if Myers could return if the ... Read the full article

Sabres sign Catenacci, Knapp to entry-level deals

BUFFALO – The Sabres have signed forward Daniel Catenacci and goalie Connor Knapp to entry-level contracts beginning next season. Both will report to Rochester on amateur tryouts.

The 19-year-old Catenacci, the 77^th overall pick in 2011, tallied 33 goals and 72 points in 67 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack this season.

Catenacci, 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, has 69 goals, 173 points and 299 penalty minutes in 199 career OHL contests.... Read the full article

Loss to hapless Leafs hurts Sabres’ postseason hopes

TORONTO – This embarrassing Buffalo Sabres’ loss feels like a killer, one that could ultimately extinguish the playoffs hopes that seemed so promising less than two days ago.

Against the reeling, 14^th-place Maple Leafs – a team that had dropped 11 consecutive games inside the Air Canada Centre and began Saturday on an awful 5-17-3 run – the Sabres fell 4-3 in their arch rival’s first home win since Feb. 6.

Ouch. If ... Read the full article

Sabres’ critical late-season tilt against Pens could be wildly entertaining

BUFFALO – Give it a shot. Try drawing up a better late-season NHL matchup. The Sabres’ tilt against the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins tonight could make for a wildly entertaining three hours inside the First Niagara Center.

This one promises to be action-packed and fun, folks.

The scorching Sabres, having climbed into eighth place Tuesday, are roaring toward another unlikely playoff appearance. They’ve won five straight games and seven of the last nine, piling up goals ... Read the full article

Sabres send Travis Turnbull back to Rochester

BUFFALO – With winger Patrick Kaleta back from his three-absence – he’s wearing a cast on his right hand and reportedly has a broken thumb – the Sabres have returned Travis Turnbull to Rochester.

The rookie center scored his first NHL goal and fought once subbing for the agitator.

Kaleta, meanwhile, played only his 58^th game this season Tuesday in Washington.

“It’s exciting,” Kaleta told reporters in Washington. “I honestly don’t really like sitting ... Read the full article