WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition
The Sabres sent Casey Mittelstadt to Rochester in December. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
In the not-so-distant past, Buffalo Sabres prospect Casey Mittelstadt would’ve likely played two or three years of college hockey before turning pro. After leaving school, instead of being rushed to the NHL, he would’ve started an apprenticeship with the Rochester Americans.
But the NHL has changed dramatically in the last 10 years or so, morphing into a game dominated by young men. At the same time, the salary cap has whittled down teams’ depth.
Prized ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville scored an emotional goal on Feb. 13, 2009. ©2020, Janet Schultz
Five more “Sabres Classics” – this time an array of regular-season and exhibition games from the franchise’s 50-year history – will be rebroadcast on MSG next week.
The games are being aired because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to suspend its season indefinitely March 12.... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Asplund leave the ice after a game in 2019-20. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
In what would be the final days of the American Hockey League season, coach Chris Taylor drew confidence from the maturity his Rochester Americans began showcasing.
To Taylor, the Amerks’ response to some rare adversity – they endured losing streaks of seven and four games in the winter – illustrated his players had become equipped to handle the highs and lows of a long, grinding season.
“They weren’t getting as frustrated as you think that ... Read the full article
Rochester’s Rasmus Asplund faces off against Belleville’s Jordan Szwarz last season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the American Hockey League to cancel the remainder of its 2019-20 season.
“After a lengthy review process, the American Hockey League has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions,” AHL president Dave Andrews said in a statement released this morning. “The League’s operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season. We are very grateful to the ... Read the full article
Brad May scored one of the most famous goals in Sabres history. ©2020, Hickling Images
Five more “Sabres Classics” – this time games featuring Buffalo’s fiercest rivals, including the wild “May Day” playoff win over the Boston Bruins – will be rebroadcast on MSG next week.
The games are being aired because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to suspend its season indefinitely March 12.... Read the full article
Zach Redmond helped Rochester become a winner again. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Zach Redmond and his wife, Maggie, wrestled with their decision. Rochester, after all, became their second home.
On the ice, Redmond, 31, thrived for three seasons, morphing into the Americans’ biggest star and perhaps the AHL’s most dynamic defensemen. The Redmonds felt so comfortable they purchased a house a five-minute drive from Blue Cross Arena.
“If I’m not (in the NHL), I really could not have imagined a better setup (than Rochester),” said Redmond, whose ... Read the full article
Dominic Franco (11) enjoyed a stellar college career. ©2020, Vegas Golden Knights
The Rochester Americans have agreed to terms with forward Dominic Franco, Army’s leading scorer in each of the last three seasons, to a one-year AHL contract, the team announced today.
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound Franco scored 10 goals and 23 points in 33 games as a senior in 2019-20.
A memo Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed in November allows athletes like Franco at military academies to immediately play professional sports following their graduation if they receive ... Read the full article
Zach Redmond piled up points in Rochester. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Zach Redmond, the popular Rochester Americans veteran who was named the AHL’s best defenseman last year, has signed a contract to play next season in Germany.
Redmond, 31, will be joining Red Bull Munich, the same team in Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany’s top pro league, that produced Buffalo Sabres winger Dominik Kahun.
Replacing Redmond could be difficult. The Michigan native was often a dynamic presence over his three seasons with the Amerks, ... Read the full article
Erik Portillo enjoyed a terrific season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Erik Portillo has been named a First Team All-Star in the junior United States Hockey League after posting a league-best 2.11 goals-against average with the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
Portillo also compiled a 19-5-1 record and a .915 save percentage in 27 games as a rookie in 2019-20. The Swede ranked fourth in wins and third in save percentage.
The Sabres drafted Portillo in the third round in 2019, 67th overall.... Read the full article
Dominik Hasek performed dynamically during the Sabres’ run to the 1999 Stanley Cup final. ©2020, Janet Schultz
Ten more “Sabres Classics” – this time playoff games from 1999, including three Stanley Cup final contests – will be rebroadcast on MSG over the next two weeks.
Before falling to the Dallas Stars in the final, the Dominik Hasek-led Sabres roared through the Eastern Conference, needing only 15 games to reach the final.
The games are being aired because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to suspend its season indefinitely March 12.... Read the full article