Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Jack Eichel misses first practice

Buffalo Sabres coach Ralph Krueger prefaced his update on the statuses of captain Jack Eichel and goalie Linus Ullmark with four words to alleviate any concern.

“All is under control,” Krueger said on a Zoom call Friday after both players missed the first session of training camp inside KeyBank Center.

Shortly before the Sabres’ first practice in almost 10 months, they announced Eichel, their MVP, would be sidelined Friday. The center suffered an upper-body injury ... Read the full article

AHL approves structural framework for season to begin Feb. 5

The American Hockey League offered little information, only saying the structural framework for a season that will begin Feb. 5 has been approved.

Details, the league said in a statement Wednesday, are still being worked out as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps ravaging North America.

The schedule will likely be significantly shorter. The four Canadian teams will almost certainly be grouped into their own division. Some teams could opt out for the year.

Count on it ... Read the full article

Sabres could have time to evaluate Dylan Cozens during training camp

In Team Canada’s opener at the World Junior Championship, Buffalo Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens helped the powerhouse demolish a short-handed German squad, scoring three goals and six points in a 16-2 victory.

“It’s a great start for him in the World Juniors, and I love the fact that’s he’s a go-to guy there,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said on a Zoom call Tuesday to discuss training camp, which opens Thursday.

But a night later, ... Read the full article

Sabres release training camp roster, schedule; 37 players to participate

On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres will touch the KeyBank Center ice for the first time in 296 days and begin preparing for the most unusual of seasons.

The NHL will be attempting to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will likely experience problems – positive tests, postponements or even cancellations – as the schedule unfolds.

But those potential roadblocks can be examined another day. The Sabres’ 10-month break is nearly over. Training camp officially ... Read the full article

Reports: Sabres place Jean-Sebastien Dea on waivers

The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Jean-Sebastien Dea on waivers today, according to reports.

Dea, 26, is entering the second season of a two-year, one-way contract worth $1.4 million.

The Sabres, of course, would probably like to shed Dea’s $700,000 salary. Teams have until noon Tuesday to claim him.

If Dea stays in the organization, he is expected to provide depth, perhaps on the new taxi squad the NHL has implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres’ Casey Nelson opts out of NHL season

Defenseman Casey Nelson, who has played 93 games for the Buffalo Sabres and spent last season with the Rochester Americans, has opted out of the 2020-21 season, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

As part of the NHL’s return to play, the league and NHL Players’ Association agreed to allow players to opt out if they’re concerned about the coronavirus.

The Sabres have the option to slide the one-year, two-way contract Nelson signed Oct. 22 ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Casey Mittelstadt to one-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres locked up their last restricted free agent today, signing center Casey Mittelstadt to a one-year, $874,125 contract.

Mittelstadt, 22, struggled last season, compiling four goals, nine points and minus-5 rating in 31 NHL games before the Sabres demoted him.

In the AHL, Mittelstadt scored nine goals and 25 points in 36 outings but also generated a wretched minus-15 rating during his first stint with the Rochester Americans.

It’s unclear where ... Read the full article

After 14 years, Nathan Paetsch finally revisited Sabres’ Game 7 loss in 2006

In April, when MSG replayed the Buffalo Sabres’ gut-wrenching Game 7 loss from 2006, Nathan Paetsch decided it was time to relive the craziest night of his NHL career.

For almost 14 years, the defeat stung so badly that Paetsch, who retired Friday, avoided watching the final game of the classic Eastern Conference final series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I never looked back on it,” Paetsch said of the memorable 4-2 loss during a Zoom ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres, Amerks defenseman Nathan Paetsch retires after 17 seasons

Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Nathan Paetsch, who also spent parts of seven seasons with the Rochester Americans over three stints, has retired, the AHL club announced today.

The popular Paetsch, 37, played 870 games over 17 pro seasons, including 157 contests with the Sabres. He compiled 23 goals and 100 points in 258 career games with the Amerks.

Paetsch, who would sometimes moonlight as a forward, embraced a new role when he returned to ... Read the full article

Former Sabres star Rick Vaive describes battle with alcohol in new book

In his new book, “Catch 22: My Battles, in Hockey and Life,” three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive, who played four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, offers a thoughtful account of his struggles with alcohol.

For much of his life, Vaive, a Toronto Maple Leafs legend and former captain, combated his undiagnosed anxiety by drinking. But after a doctor prescribed him medication to treat the anxiety, he kept drinking.

As his 35th birthday approached, ... Read the full article