WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
January Edition
Andre Benoit has been scratched throughout this season. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In his first two NHL seasons, Sabres defenseman Andre Benoit enjoyed a regular role on strong playoff teams.
Benoit, 31, first earned notice two years ago as a late-bloomer in Ottawa. Last season in Colorado, he played more than 20 minutes a night, compiling 28 points.
This season, well, hasn’t been easy for Benoit, who made only his 39th appearance in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers inside the First ... Read the full article
The Sabres recalled Matt Ellis last month. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Matt Ellis considers himself a realist. At 33 years old, the center understands the Sabres have younger and more talented players they need to examine.
That’s why the veteran of 330 NHL games spent four months this season mentoring the organization’s AHL prospects in Rochester.
“To be perfectly honest, I enjoyed the role that I played in Rochester,” Ellis said Monday inside the First Niagara Center.
The role was fulfilling. Ellis felt proud ... Read the full article
The Sabres made the playoffs in both of Steve Montador’s seasons. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The memories brought a warm smile to Mike Weber’s face. As a youngster trying to crack the NHL four years ago, Steve Montador mentored Weber. The Sabres defensemen often spent plane rides and meals together talking about hockey and life.
Montador, who played with the Sabres from 2009-11, was found dead Sunday morning in his Mississauga, Ontario, home, according to multiple reports. He was 35. Police do not suspect foul play.
“Monty will ... Read the full article
Zach Bogosian grew up in Massena. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The mood on the ice inside HarborCenter belied the Sabres’ sorry state. Players laughed and had fun throughout Saturday’s up-tempo practice, the end of another trying week for the rebuilding club.
For some, the session, the first with new Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian, was therapeutic.
“We got a good group of guys,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. “They give us what they have every day. They’re trying to keep their spirits up as ... Read the full article
Evander Kane battles the Sabres’ Zemgus Girgensons with Winnipeg. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – What will happen now? The Sabres were the NHL’s worst team before they traded Tyler Myers, Jhonas Enroth and Drew Stafford. The final 27 games could be brutal without their best defenseman, starting goalie and No. 3 scorer.
Myers skated a team-high 25 minutes a game, zooming all over the ice. Despite the Sabres’ porous defense, Enroth tended some strong goal all season. Stafford had nine of the club’s 97 goals and 24 ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart (80) balances the puck on his blade in front of Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson on Tuesday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have played 165 periods this trying season. Most, given their 15-36-3 record and 30th overall standing, have been poor or even awful.
In the opening period of Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Sabres, fresh of a pathetic 10-shot outing, performed terribly again, getting outscored 1-0 and outshot 14-8.
Early on, some fans in the announced sellout crowd of 19,070 inside the First Niagara Center responded to ... Read the full article
Steve Ott played two seasons in Buffalo. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – They’re still all over town. Go to a Sabres game, walk around the mall or do some grocery shopping, and you’ll inevitably see someone wearing a No. 9 Steve Ott Sabres jersey.
“Must’ve been on sale when I got traded or something,” Ott joked Thursday prior to the St. Louis Blues’ 3-0 win, his first game in Buffalo since the Sabres dealt him Feb. 28. “I don’t know. Maybe they were just giving ... Read the full article
Nikita Zadorov (51) will join the Sabres in Calgary. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – When the Sabres began their first post-NHL All-Star break practice Monday afternoon, Nikita Zadorov was absent.
Where was the 19-year-old defenseman? Apparently, stuck in the Dominican Republic.
The Sabres announced at 2:41 p.m. Monday they had suspended Zadorov after he failed to report back to the team on time following the break.
“What can you do?” coach Ted Nolan said after the Sabres practiced without Zadorov inside HarborCenter. “The travel conditions sometimes get ... Read the full article
Nikita Zadorov sat much of October. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres suspended Nikita Zadorov today after the 19-year-old defenseman failed to report back to the team on time following the NHL All-Star break.
“What can you do?” coach Ted Nolan said this afternoon after the Sabres practiced without Zadorov inside HarborCenter. “The travel conditions sometimes get in the way. That’s how it is.”
In a statement, general manager Tim Murray said Zadorov would join the team on its trip out west. Nolan ... Read the full article
Phil Varone only played sparingly Saturday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In a deep rebuild, with losses and injuries piling up, plenty of jobs on the Sabres are still available.
Heck, the Sabres have had openings throughout the lineup for two years. Sooner or later, someone – a top prospect, an unknown youngster, a waiver acquisition or a depth veteran – has to step up and grab one, right?
Sabres coach Ted Nolan wants the newcomers do something different, stand out and make a ... Read the full article