November Edition
When the Buffalo Sabres named ex-Americans coach Chris Taylor an interim NHL assistant a year ago, Adam Mair moved from his role as a development coach to Rochester’s bench.
Mair, 41, said he had always aspired to become a bench coach, and the seven weeks he spent assisting interim coach Gord Dineen “confirmed the passion that I sought out to achieve right when I stopped playing.”
“Being on the bench was the best way for ... Read the full article
The Rochester Americans have hired former Buffalo Sabres forward Adam Mair and defenseman Mike Weber as assistant coaches on Seth Appert’s staff, the AHL affiliate announced today.
“Adam and Mike are perfect fits to help establish a winning culture and develop our players in the American Hockey League,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said in a statement. “They share the same philosophies as Seth in their approach to the game and will be valuable resources ... Read the full article
Prior to Mike Weber’s short stint overseas, the former Buffalo Sabres defenseman watched some highlights of a 17-year-old phenom he would be joining with Frolunda HC, a Swedish Hockey League team.
The whiz kid’s name? Rasmus Dahlin, the ultra-gifted defenseman the Sabres will select first overall after winning Saturday’s NHL Draft Lottery.... Read the full article
BUFFALO – At the 5:31 mark of the third period in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, Taylor Hall knocked Sabres winger Kyle Okposo into the boards from behind.
While Okposo bounced right back up, the hit, which only earned Hall a two-minute boarding minor, was scary.
“That’s the play you’re trying to eliminate, right?” Okposo said Wednesday after the NHL fined Hall $5,000, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. “There’s ... Read the full article
Mike Weber delayed the inevitable. The gritty former Buffalo Sabres defenseman opted for injections over surgery, endured more pain and couldn’t walk after games because he was wrapped up in so much ice.
In the end, Weber exhausted 10 more contests out of his wonky left knee before retiring, his second comeback after a serious injury last season.
Weber returned from that injury in five weeks – by then, the knee was almost bone on ... Read the full article
ROCHESTER – Barely a year ago, after 14 seasons with the Americans as an AHL player and assistant coach, Chris Taylor was let go, the victim of new head coach Dan Lambert’s desire to field his own staff.
On Thursday, the Amerks, the Buffalo Sabres’ top affiliate, introduced Taylor as the 32nd head coach in franchise history.
A fired coach, of course, rarely returns to his old team, let alone in a larger role so ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – In his first three NHL games, defenseman Brendan Guhle showcased consistency and poise, performing like a veteran, not a 19-year-old rookie the Sabres recalled from junior hockey on an emergency basis.
Guhle, less than a week into his big league career, quickly became one of the team’s top defensemen, helping solidify the injury-ravaged blue line.
But defensemen Josh Gorges and Dmitry Kulikov returned from injuries for Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Cody Franson had never experienced anything like the unusual vision ailment that sidelined him the final 23 games last season.
“It was very weird,” Franson said Friday following the first sessions of training camp inside HarborCenter.
Franson was originally diagnosed with a concussion after Columbus’ Scott Hartnell boarded him Feb. 19. But the loquacious veteran quickly passed his testing and briefly resumed practicing before his season ended.
So what was wrong?... Read the full article
Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner, who’s still recovering from season-ending ankle surgery in late March, has pulled out of next month’s World Cup of Hockey, Team Sweden announced today.
Former Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, will replace Lehner.
The Sabres expect Lehner, 25, to be their starting goalie in 2016-17 following a season in which he suffered a high right ankle sprain opening night and battled ... Read the full article
How remarkably healthy did the Buffalo blue line stay in 2015-16? The Sabres recalled a defenseman as an injury replacement just once.
Think about that. Over the course of the grueling six-month, 82-game season, the Sabres only dipped into the AHL on March 18, when they summoned Chad Ruhwedel to sub for Carlo Colaiacovo prior to their 72nd contest. Ruhwedel played that night and was quickly returned to the Rochester Americans.
The Sabres almost ... Read the full article
