Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Casey Mittelstadt’s odd trip to Buffalo to rejoin Sabres: ‘Planes, trains and automobiles’

BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt said he panicked a little bit. Having returned home to Minnesota to celebrate Christmas as a blizzard began walloping Buffalo last week, the Sabres winger needed to find a way back.

The ferocious storm forced the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport to close, and the Sabres had a game scheduled for Tuesday in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

Of course, Mittelstadt, 24, wasn’t alone. The inclement weather had a few Sabres scrambling to ... Read the full article

After blizzard ravages Buffalo, Sabres return to work with heavy hearts

BUFFALO – Kevyn Adams’ mother-in-law lives about a half mile from him in Clarence, so on Christmas Eve, as a devastating blizzard ravaged the region, he decided to brave the elements and check on her.

“Wrapped up and got out there,” the general manager said prior to Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at KeyBank Center, the Sabres’ first game since Dec.

The short walk ended up taking Adams two hours there and ... Read the full article

Sabres prospects Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen turning heads at World Juniors

Before Buffalo Sabres prospects Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen left Rochester to join their respective countries at the World Junior Championship, Americans coach Seth Appert challenged the youngsters to rely on more than their skill during the tournament.

He said the AHL rookies have evolved over the past three months, displaying a willingness to play on the inside and attack the net. Without the puck, they’ve learned how to forecheck and about the physicality needed ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Kyle Okposo trying to find groove in ‘up and down’ season

BUFFALO – Twenty-five games into his season, Kyle Okposo has beaten a goalie just once. While the Sabres captain has scored three goals, two have gone into empty nets.

The veteran winger started slowly after getting injured at the end of training camp. He has also left the lineup twice because of injuries, missing seven total games.

A year after scoring 21 times, his highest output since 2015-16, Okposo said his 16th NHL season has ... Read the full article

After weekend blizzard, NHL postpones Tuesday’s Sabres game in Columbus

Severe winter weather that has closed the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport forced the NHL to postpone Tuesday’s Sabres road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

No makeup date has been announced.

The devastating blizzard that battered Western New York over the weekend, dumping more than three feet of snow in some areas, has made many roads impassable. Driving bans remain in effect in Buffalo and other communities.

... Read the full article

At 30, resurgent Jeff Skinner enjoying one of Sabres’ greatest seasons ever

BUFFALO – It’s one thing to recapture your old form as Sabres winger Jeff Skinner did last year, scoring 33 goals during a remarkable comeback season.

But players Skinner’s age, 30, rarely showcase much growth. At that stage, they’re often nearing the end of their prime or past it.

Well, in Skinner’s case, maybe he’s just entering it.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen maturing, making case to stick in NHL

BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen needed time to adjust. In his first outings after the Sabres recalled him, the goalie occasionally looked a little wonky.

The Finn wasn’t much of a difference-maker.

Luukkonen, 23, had played just 13 NHL games, the last coming more than 10 months earlier, before Eric Comrie’s lower-body injury thrust into the starting role in late November. Having been labeled as the Sabres’ goalie of the future, when he’s summoned to Buffalo, ... Read the full article

Winter storm forces NHL to postpone Friday’s Sabres game against Lightning

BUFFALO – A winter storm forecasters say could bring 65 mph wind gusts, lake effect snow, whiteout conditions and flash freezing to the region this weekend forced the NHL to postpone Friday’s Sabres game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center.

The game will be made up at 12:30 p.m. on March 4. The Sabres’ home game against the Philadelphia Flyers originally slated for that date has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Eric Comrie feels healthy, unsure of return from injury

BUFFALO – When Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin checked Senators forward Mathieu Joseph into Eric Comrie five weeks ago, the goalie said he felt “a little bit of a pop in my knee.”

“It didn’t feel very good,” Comrie said following Wednesday’s practice, his second full session since getting injured midway through the Sabres’ 4-1 loss Nov. 16 in Ottawa.

Right away, Comrie, 27, knew something wasn’t right. Still, he tried to gut out the ... Read the full article

Sabres reassign three prospects for World Junior Championship

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday reassigned three of their top forward prospects – Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund and Isak Rosen – to their respective national teams for the upcoming World Junior Championship.

Kulich (Czech Republic) and Rosen (Sweden) have spent their first season in North America with the Rochester Americans, while Ostlund (Sweden) has played for Djurgardens, a pro team in HockeyAllsvenskan.

Kulich, 18, has scored six goals and 16 points in 24 games ... Read the full article