Vanek - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Yet another European Sabres update

BUFFALO – Will more Sabres go overseas? Could some go back?

You bet.

If the NHL lockout drags on, expect to see more players bolt for Europe. They desperately want to stay sharp. Some haven’t played games now in eight or nine months.

Of course, going overseas has its drawbacks. Most of the good leagues are filled up, leaving only second-tier (or lower) jobs available. Some leagues pay paltry salaries. Many teams are isolated. Some ... Read the full article

Sabres players mum on union’s possible dissolution

AMHERST – So, what about that vote the NHL Players’ Association is holding this week, the one that would give the union’s executive board the power to file a disclaimer of interest, which would dissolve the NHLPA and allow players to sue the NHL?

“I’m not going to comment on that,” defenseman Jordan Leopold, the Buffalo Sabres’ union representative, said Monday after skating inside the Northtown Center. “That’s all legal matters.”

Yup, legal matters. The ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Steve Ott hopes charity game wows fans

BUFFALO – In Steve Ott’s mind, the special “Rockout The Lockout” charity hockey game he’s helping present Saturday could become more than a mere exhibition contest.

Eighty-three days into the NHL lockout, players are starving for some game action, the Sabres winger said.

So don’t expect the event “to be just an all-star game,” he said. Players are becoming increasingly competitive as they wait for the season to start. Some haven’t played a game in ... Read the full article

Sabres players hoping meeting with owners will get labor talks rolling

AMHERST – Perhaps today’s meeting between players and owners in New York can facilitate some meaningful dialogue, even generate a breakthrough in the contentious negotiations between the NHL and the Players’ Association.

Eighty days into the NHL lockout, adding a fresh dynamic to the stale labor talks could be beneficial, some Buffalo Sabres players said.

“I don’t know if it will (facilitate dialogue), but it’s worth a shot,” Sabres winger Thomas Vanek said Monday after ... Read the full article

Sabres players not interested in meeting owners

AMHERST – Mediation, as expected, failed to ignite talks between the NHL and the Players’ Association.

Seventy-seven days into the lockout, nothing has gotten the sides on the same page. The clock’s already ticking on the 2012-13 season.

So what about that meeting limited only to players and owners NHL commissioner Gary Bettman proposed Thursday after the two days of supervised talks broke down? Could that work?

Bettman and NHLPA executive director Don Fehr would ... Read the full article

Another European Sabres update

BUFFALO – So far, eight Sabres – about one-third of the roster – have taken temporary (or maybe not-so-temporary) European gigs during the NHL lockout. If the stoppage drags on, expect more to bolt overseas. Some Sabres have said they’ll look for work if there’s no agreement reached by Christmas or the beginning of 2013.

Remember, players aren’t going to Europe for the money. Most are receiving a pittance of what they should be getting ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Weber signs with Norwegian club

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Mike Weber has signed a contract to play with a Norwegian team in Lorenskog during the NHL lockout, according to a report.

Weber’s the eighth Sabre to sign overseas since the work stoppage began 62 days ago.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, center Tyler Ennis, goalie Jhonas Enroth, defensemen Tyler Myers, Andrej Sekera and Alexander Sulzer and winger Thomas Vanek all signed European deals earlier. Vanek recently returned home.

The 24-year-old Weber... Read the full article

Sabres’ Thomas Vanek happy with short Austrian stint

AMHERST – Having grown up in Austria, Thomas Vanek knew a lot about European hockey. Then the locked-out Buffalo Sabres winger, who left for the United States 14 years ago, signed a short contract with his hometown Graz 99ers, a team in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga.

“Playing it and seeing it is definitely an experience,” Vanek said Wednesday after skating inside the Northtown Center.

Fans in the antiquated and small buildings throughout the EBEL ... Read the full article

Austrian adventure almost over for Sabres’ Thomas Vanek

BUFFALO – Nine games later, the novelty hasn’t worn off. Wherever Thomas Vanek plays in his native Austria, arenas are still packed. The locked-out Sabres star, after all, is a national hero, having just finished fifth in a poll of the country’s top athletes.

Vanek’s first professional appearances at home have been special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for Austrian hockey fans. That’s why a “melancholic atmosphere” will accompany Vanek’s final two games this weekend with the Erste ... Read the full article

Your European Sabres update

BUFFALO – Here are some quick updates on the Sabres currently biding their time playing in various European leagues during the NHL lockout. Expect more to trickle overseas as the work stoppage drags on and more games get canceled.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, Krefeld Penguins, DEL, Germany

The German, who played for Krefeld prior to his North American career, has six goals, 10 points, 16 penalty minutes and a plus-5 rating in 11 games.

Center ... Read the full article