Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt added to COVID-related absences list

Forward Casey Mittelstadt on Sunday became the eighth Buffalo Sabres player the NHL has added to its COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

In addition, the Sabres announced Thursday that coach Ralph Krueger, 61, had tested positive for COVID-19 and would enter the NHL’s protocol.

On Saturday, Sabres forwards Dylan Cozens and Curtis Lazar joined the COVID-19 list. Wingers Taylor Hall and Tobias Rieder and defensemen Jake McCabe, Brandon Montour and Rasmus Ristolainen were added earlier ... Read the full article

Two more Sabres added to COVID-related absences list

The NHL on Saturday added Buffalo Sabres forwards Dylan Cozens and Curtis Lazar to its COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

Seven Sabres players are now on the COVID-19 list. Wingers Taylor Hall and Tobias Rieder and defensemen Jake McCabe, Brandon Montour and Rasmus Ristolainen were added earlier in the week.

In addition, the Sabres announced Thursday that coach Ralph Krueger, 61, had tested positive for COVID-19 and would enter the NHL’s protocol.... Read the full article

NHL reschedules 12 Sabres games; Thursday’s contest still on

Thursday’s home game against the Washington Capitals wasn’t among 12 changes the NHL announced to the Buffalo Sabres’ schedule this morning.

On Tuesday, the NHL postponed four Sabres games through Monday. Sabres coach Ralph Krueger tested positive for COVID-19 this week and five players have been added to the league’s COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

The Sabres’ training facilities are closed until further notice.

Here are the rescheduled games and dates:... Read the full article

Amerks’ Arttu Ruotsalainen scores, looks like special prospect for Sabres

ROCHESTER – Having played 19 times earlier this season, Buffalo Sabres prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen has a strong advantage over most AHL players, many of whom haven’t experienced any game action for nearly a year.

Ruotsalainen, 23, enjoyed regular duty in his native Finland, morphing into perhaps Liiga’s biggest star. He left his team, Ilves, in December having scored a league-high 16 goals.

Not surprisingly, Ruotsalainen stood out in his North American debut Friday, scoring a ... Read the full article

Making of a coach: How Amerks’ Seth Appert went from college goalie to AHL

Seth Appert remembers feeling scared walking up the stairs that day almost 26 years ago inside Ferris State’s hotel.

A night earlier, as Miami was annihilating his school in a CCHA playoff game in Oxford, Ohio, Appert had approached his coach, Bob Daniels, during the second intermission.

Appert, a junior backup goalie, suggested to Daniels that Jeff Blashill, who had been pulled early from the blowout, should replace him. If Blashill re-entered the game, Appert ... Read the full article

Sabres coach Ralph Krueger tests positive for COVID-19

Buffalo Sabres coach Ralph Krueger has tested positive for COVID-19 and will enter the NHL’s COVID protocol, the team announced Thursday morning.

Krueger, 61, is the first staff member the Sabres have announced as testing positive.

Later Thursday, defenseman Jake McCabe became the fifth Sabres player added to the league’s COVID-19 protocol-related absences list in the last three days, joining winger Taylor Hall, defenseman Brandon Montour, winger Tobias Rieder and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

The NHL ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jake McCabe added to COVID-related absences list

The NHL on Thursday added Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe to its COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

Earlier in the day, the Sabres announced coach Ralph Krueger, 61, had tested positive for COVID-19 and will enter the NHL’s protocol.

Five Sabres players are now on the COVID-19 list. In addition to McCabe, winger Taylor Hall, defenseman Brandon Montour, winger Tobias Rieder and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen were added earlier this week.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder added to COVID-related absences list

The NHL on Wednesday added two more Sabres – defenseman Brandon Montour and winger Tobias Rieder – to its COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

They join winger Taylor Hall and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who first appeared on the list Tuesday, when the NHL postponed all of Buffalo’s games through Monday.

The Sabres had road games scheduled for Thursday against the New York Islanders and Saturday and Monday versus the Boston Bruins.

Buffalo’s training facilities are closed ... Read the full article

Why did Ralph Krueger hide Sabres’ lines from Lindy Ruff, Devils?

BUFFALO – In Sunday afternoon’s pregame warm-up, Sabres coach Ralph Krueger showcased the same lines he had utilized the previous day against the New Jersey Devils, with one exception.

Casey Mittelstadt, who was replacing Tage Thompson, skated at left wing beside top center Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson.

Then when Sunday’s contest started, Krueger changed three of four Sabres’ lines. Only one trio from warm-ups – center Cody Eakin, left wing ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn must quarantine, will miss Amerks’ opener

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn will miss the Rochester Americans’ season opener Friday because he must quarantine following his arrival from Buffalo, coach Seth Appert said.

The Sabres assigned Quinn, 19, to the AHL club Monday after he spent two and a half weeks on their taxi squad.

The NHL added two Sabres – winger Taylor Hall and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen – to its COVID-19 protocol-related absences list Tuesday and postponed four of their games. ... Read the full article