WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Tim Kennedy spent all of 2009-10 with the Sabres. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
ROCHESTER – After a difficult few months in Sweden, South Buffalo’s Tim Kennedy was excited to return home and resume his career in his hometown organization.
Just days after Kennedy and Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League mutually parted ways last week, the Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres’ top affiliate, quickly signed the forward to an AHL contract.
Kennedy, 30, was waiting at a hotel Saturday before the Amerks’ game against the St. John’s ... Read the full article
Tim Kennedy played in Sweden earlier this season. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
South Buffalo’s Tim Kennedy is back with the Sabres organization.
Kennedy’s AHL rights have been transferred to the Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s top affiliate, from the Charlotte Checkers, Sabres general manager Tim Murray announced today.
After leaving Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League, the Amerks signed Kennedy to an AHL contract over the weekend. The contract, Murray said, triggered the AHL waiver process, and Kennedy was claimed by the Checkers, the Carolina Hurricanes’ affiliate.
“Charlotte ... Read the full article
Taylor Fedun played eight games with the Sabres. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres sent defenseman Taylor Fedun back to the Rochester Americans today.
Fedun, 28, played eight games, recording four assists, all in his first three appearances. The Princeton product hasn’t played since hurting his shoulder Dec. 3. He started practicing again earlier this week.
The Amerks host the St. John’s IceCaps tonight. Fedun has two goals and 12 points in 14 games for the AHL club this season.
Update: Defenseman Zach Bogosian will ... Read the full article
Johan Larsson (left) celebrates his second-period goal with Rasmus Ristolainen on Friday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – As Kyle Okposo started zooming up the ice on a long two-on-one in overtime Friday, the Sabres winger initially had one thought: shoot the puck.
But when Okposo hit the center red line, he spotted defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen racing into the play from behind.
“I knew I was giving it to him at that point,” Okposo said following the Sabres’ 3-2 comeback win against the New York Islanders, his former team he faced ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo played nine seasons with the Islanders. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Months ago, coach Dan Bylsma and Kyle Okposo talked about different scenarios for the Sabres’ big offseason acquisition in the upcoming season.
Bylsma said he wanted Okposo, 28, to understand he didn’t have to carry the load after signing a seven-year, $42 million contract.
During that conversation, Bylsma said Okposo only talked about one game on the 2016-17 schedule – Friday’s tilt against the New York Islanders, the winger’s first meeting against ... Read the full article
Ryan O’Reilly tries to score on Washington goalie Philipp Grubauer last Friday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly averages more ice time than any NHL forward – 21 minutes, 50 seconds a game – but the workhorse skated a season-low 17:08 in Tuesday’s 6-3 win against Los Angeles.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, meanwhile, averages a team-high 26:39 a game, yet only skated 22:04 on Tuesday, his second-lowest total this season.
What happened? A few things.
For starters, the Sabres didn’t kill any penalties and has only one ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo (21) skates away from Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty on Tuesday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – A reflective Kyle Okposo couldn’t stop smiling this morning talking about the New York Islanders, a team he said he “grew up” with for nine years.
Okposo, who signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Sabres on July 1, will face his old team for the first time tonight.
“I left there and I was a veteran guy, I was one of the guys that had been there the longest,” an excited ... Read the full article
Brian Gionta is on a 21-goal pace. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres coach Dan Bylsma can’t tell you how old Brian Gionta is, which illustrates how much he cares about his captain’s age.
“I don’t even know,” Bylsma said Thursday after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s tilt against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.
Gionta, for the record, is 37 years old, an advanced age when most NHL players are long retired, or, at best, reduced to a bit role.
Occasionally, winger Marcus ... Read the full article
Zach Bogosian could play soon. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – A couple of quick updates from HarborCenter, where the Sabres practiced almost an hour today following a day off:
– Zach Bogosian (knee) and Taylor Fedun (shoulder) practiced today, giving the Sabres eight defensemen for the session.
When they return, the Sabres likely won’t keep eight defenders. They might, however, keep seven.
“We haven’t been at that situation the whole year long,” said coach Dan Bylsma, whose Sabres host the New York Islanders ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel (15) stickhandles past Los Angeles’ Kyle Clifford on Tuesday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – For almost 30 minutes Tuesday, KeyBank Center felt like, well, just about every other Sabres home game this season.
The 18,375 fans barely made a peep as the home team, as it often does, generated little offense and fell behind 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings.
Those goals irked Ryan O’Reilly, especially the first one, a nifty score in which Kings star Anze Kopitar blew by the Sabres center.
“I was just getting ... Read the full article
