WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
2026-27 Season Edition
Riley Sheahan (left) battles Brian Flynn while with Detroit in the 2014-15 season. ©2020, Dan Hickling, Hickling Images
Veteran center Riley Sheahan will be joining the Buffalo Sabres for training camp on a professional tryout contract, the team announced today.
Sheahan, 29, spent last season with the Edmonton Oilers, compiling eight goals, 15 points and a minus-14 rating in 66 games.
The Notre Dame product offers the Sabres depth down the middle and another penalty killer. The Sabres’ penalty killing ranked 30th last season.
“He’s a veteran … he has very good faceoff ... Read the full article
Arttu Ruotsalainen got off to a torrid start in Finland this season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres will touch the KeyBank Center ice for the first time in 296 days and begin preparing for the most unusual of seasons.
The NHL will be attempting to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will likely experience problems – positive tests, postponements or even cancellations – as the schedule unfolds.
But those potential roadblocks can be examined another day. The Sabres’ 10-month break is nearly over. Training camp officially ... Read the full article
Jean-Sebastien Dea led Rochester in scoring last season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Jean-Sebastien Dea on waivers today, according to reports.
Dea, 26, is entering the second season of a two-year, one-way contract worth $1.4 million.
The Sabres, of course, would probably like to shed Dea’s $700,000 salary. Teams have until noon Tuesday to claim him.
If Dea stays in the organization, he is expected to provide depth, perhaps on the new taxi squad the NHL has implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic ... Read the full article
Casey Nelson spent all of last season in Rochester. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Defenseman Casey Nelson, who has played 93 games for the Buffalo Sabres and spent last season with the Rochester Americans, has opted out of the 2020-21 season, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
As part of the NHL’s return to play, the league and NHL Players’ Association agreed to allow players to opt out if they’re concerned about the coronavirus.
The Sabres have the option to slide the one-year, two-way contract Nelson signed Oct. 22 ... Read the full article
Dylan Cozens won a gold medal with Team Canada last year. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Buffalo Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens will be taking turns with Bowen Byram filling in as Team Canada’s captain during the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.
Canada captain Kirby Dach fractured his wrist during an exhibition game Wednesday. Dach, a regular with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, will miss the entire tournament.
The Canadians open their schedule tonight against Team Germany, which boasts another Sabres prospect, forward J-J Peterka.
Cozens, a center the Sabres drafted ... Read the full article
Henri Jokiharju and Sidney Crosby could become familiar this season during the eight meeting between Buffalo and Pittsburgh. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
When the Buffalo Sabres open their 2020-21 schedule on Jan. 14 at home against the Washington Capitals, it will start a trend for the abbreviated 56-game season.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the NHL to limit travel, meaning teams will be staying in cities for multiple days and playing series against one opponent.
The Sabres’ opener kicks off a two-game set at KeyBank Center. They also host Washington the next night.
Their schedule, which the ... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt spent the second half of last season in Rochester. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres locked up their last restricted free agent today, signing center Casey Mittelstadt to a one-year, $874,125 contract.
Mittelstadt, 22, struggled last season, compiling four goals, nine points and minus-5 rating in 31 NHL games before the Sabres demoted him.
In the AHL, Mittelstadt scored nine goals and 25 points in 36 outings but also generated a wretched minus-15 rating during his first stint with the Rochester Americans.
It’s unclear where ... Read the full article
Trevor Kuntar has already scored four goals in six games for Boston College. ©2020, John Quackenbos
Les and Faye Kuntar wanted to support their oldest son, Trevor, and hopefully celebrate his selection by an NHL team.
A year earlier, Trevor Kuntar had gone undrafted. The snubs fueled him, and the extra year helped the Williamsville native to develop into a stronger prospect. So when the second day of the NHL Draft started Oct. 7, the Boston College freshman was expected to be a mid- or late-round pick.
His parents drove seven ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner, seen here facing off against Riley Nash last season, hasn’t played a game since March 9. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
Four new NHL divisions, including one comprised entirely of Canadian teams. A 56-game schedule. The Stanley Cup awarded in July.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still ravaging the United States and Canada, forced the NHL and NHL Players’ Association to make some major changes for the 2020-21 season.
The Buffalo Sabres, for example, have temporarily been shifted to the new East Division, a group of eight teams that normally play in the Atlantic and Metropolitan.... Read the full article
Nathan Paetsch spent most of 2005-06 in Rochester before going up to Buffalo. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
In April, when MSG replayed the Buffalo Sabres’ gut-wrenching Game 7 loss from 2006, Nathan Paetsch decided it was time to relive the craziest night of his NHL career.
For almost 14 years, the defeat stung so badly that Paetsch, who retired Friday, avoided watching the final game of the classic Eastern Conference final series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I never looked back on it,” Paetsch said of the memorable 4-2 loss during a Zoom ... Read the full article