WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Josh Dunne played 34 games for Buffalo last season. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
In his sixth pro season, forward Josh Dunne finally stuck in the NHL. Other than a one-game stint with the Rochester Americans in October, he spent all year in Buffalo, playing a career-high 34 games as he established himself as a versatile and rugged presence on the Sabres’ fourth line.
On another team, the affable Dunne, 27, might’ve enjoyed more regular duty. But the Sabres possessed depth up front, so he moved in and out ... Read the full article
Ryan Schmelzer has played six seasons in the AHL. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
At first, Ryan Schmelzer thought he misheard Dan MacKinnon. Two weeks earlier, when he had asked the New Jersey Devils for an NHL contract, the team seemed intent on offering him another two-year AHL deal to captain the Utica Comets.
So in April, when Schmelzer, 30, sat down for his end-of-season chat with MacKinnon, Utica’s general manager, and Kevin Dineen, his coach, he hardly expected to hear the Devils would award him his first two-way ... Read the full article