WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
2026-27 Season Edition
Rasmus Asplund split last season between Buffalo and Rochester. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres have loaned center prospect Rasmus Asplund to Västerås IK, a second-tier team in his native Sweden, according to HockeyNews.se.
The move gives Asplund, 22, an opportunity to play while he waits for the 2020-21 North American season to begin. He can return to the Sabres whenever training camp opens.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the NHL and AHL to target early December as a possible start date instead of October.... Read the full article
The Sabres hired Kevyn Adams on June 16. ©2020, Dan Hickling, Hickling Images
Since the Buffalo Sabres drafted Jack Eichel in 2015, they’ve employed three general managers and three coaches. The startling numbers illustrate the franchise’s dysfunction.
After the Sabres fired GM Jason Botterill on June 16, Kevyn Adams, his replacement, called Eichel later that day. Adams and owners Terry and Kim Pegula also had a conversation with their captain and biggest star.
“From there, (we) exchanged some notes back and forth,” Adams said on a Zoom call ... Read the full article
Dale Hawerchuk is one of the NHL’s all-time greats. ©2020, Dan Hickling, Hickling Images
Earlier this week, word began spreading among Dale Hawerchuk’s friends that the Hockey Hall of Famer, whose stomach cancer returned in July, wasn’t doing well.
So around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Pat LaFontaine said he texted his former Buffalo Sabres teammate to say he was thinking about him and praying for him. About a minute later, Hawerchuk messaged LaFontaine, thanking him.
LaFontaine took Hawerchuk’s quick reply as positive news.
But later in the day, as LaFontaine ... Read the full article
Seth Appert joined Rochester from Team USA’s National Team Development Program. ©2020, Rena Laverty, USA Hockey NTDP
After 11 years at RPI, Seth Appert said he started to slip. The coach of a small college is responsible for the entire program, meaning he is essentially a CEO.
“There’s so much you do that isn’t coaching that can grind you down that you don’t even realize,” Appert said on a Zoom call Tuesday, shortly after the Rochester Americans announced him as their new head coach.
Appert recruited more kids than the premier NCAA ... Read the full article
Dale Hawerchuk starred for the Sabres during his Hall of Fame career. ©2020, Janet Schultz
Former Buffalo Sabres star Dale Hawerchuk, one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 57 after battling stomach cancer for a year.
Hawerchuk’s son, Eric, announced his father had passed away in a tweet this afternoon.
On July 26, Eric Hawerchuk revealed his father’s cancer had returned. Dale Hawerchuk completed his chemotherapy treatments in April.
Hawerchuk amassed 518 goals ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played 10 games with Rochester last season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres have loaned top goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to HC TPS, a Finnish Elite League team.
The move gives Luukkonen, 21, an opportunity to practice and play while he waits for the 2020-21 North American season to begin. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the AHL to target Dec. 5 as a possible start date instead of October.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Luukkonen shuttled between the AHL and ECHL as a rookie in 2019-20, playing ... Read the full article
Seth Appert has never coached in professional hockey. ©2020, Dan Hickling, Hickling Images
The Buffalo Sabres have hired Seth Appert, who coached the last three seasons in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, as the Rochester Americans’ new head coach, according to The Buffalo News.
Appert, 46, spent 11 years as R.P.I.’s coach before joining the NTDP in 2017.
Kevyn Adams fired former Amerks coach Chris Taylor and his staff hours after taking over as Sabres general manager June 16. Taylor, who was hired by former Sabres ... Read the full article
The Sabres first wore royal blue from 1970 until 1996. ©2020, Buffalo Sabres
For the nostalgic Buffalo Sabres fan who has been longing for the team to return to its royal blue roots, the day has finally arrived.
The new uniforms the Sabres unveiled this morning strongly resemble the classic blue and gold motif but also boast several new design elements.
Designers removed silver from the crest, the charging buffalo with the crossed swords, “to create a slick modern appeal,” according to the team. The stitching pattern utilized ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel generated Hart Trophy buzz in 2019-20. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
A dynamic season in which Jack Eichel scored a career-high 36 goals in 68 games while generating Hart Trophy buzz has earned the captain the Buffalo Sabres’ MVP award for 2019-20.
Eichel was also named Sabres Foundation Man of the Year for his work in the community. Meanwhile, 20-goal winger Victor Olofsson was named the Sabres’ rookie of the year and veteran winger Kyle Okposo, who enjoyed a terrific bounce-back season, was named the ... Read the full article
Brett Murray spent last season in Rochester. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Forward Brett Murray has parlayed his strong rookie season with the Rochester Americans into a contract from the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres today announced the 6-foot-5, 236-pound Murray has signed a two-year, entry-level deal. Murray, 22, played on an AHL contract with the Amerks last season, scoring nine goals and 24 points in 55 games.
“Brett acclimated very well to the AHL and showed continued improvement throughout the season,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said ... Read the full article