WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Jack Eichel has heard great things about Matt Moulson. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
TORONTO – Shortly after the Buffalo Sabres drafted Jack Eichel second overall June 26, veteran winger Matt Moulson, his future teammate, congratulated the 18-year-old and then asked the center a surprising question.
The 31-year-old Moulson, one of the most experienced and accomplished Sabres, asked Eichel if he wanted to live with his family during his rookie season.
Eichel hadn’t made any living arrangements yet, so he decided moving in with the Moulson clan – his ... Read the full article
David Leggio began his AHL career in Portland in 2010-11. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
David Leggio insists his terrible season hasn’t shaken his confidence. The Williamsville native, once one of the AHL’s best goalies, morphed into perhaps its worst last year, compiling a ghastly .861 save percentage and a bloated 3.93 goals-against average in 23 appearances with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Three seasons ago, Leggio garnered MVP talk as the Rochester Americans’ workhorse starter. His four-year run from 2010-14 was arguably as good as any AHL goalie.
Still, Leggio, ... Read the full article
David Leggio spent two seasons in Rochester. ©2015, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Williamsville native David Leggio will attend Winnipeg Jets training camp next month on a professional tryout, the goalie’s agent, Brian Bartlett, told the Times Herald.
Despite a strong body of work in the AHL, Leggio, 31, is still unsigned for the 2015-16 season. He spent last season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Portland Pirates.
He struggled with Bridgeport, the New York Islanders’ top affiliate, posting a 3.93 goals-against average and a .861 save percentage ... Read the full article
Ryan O’Reilly was arrested July 9. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly’s court date today in London, Ont., to face an impaired driving charge has been pushed back until Sept. 10, according to CFPL-AM.
O’Reilly’s lawyer appeared on his behalf, according to the radio station.
The 24-year-old O’Reilly was arrested July 9 and charged with impaired driving and leaving the scene of an accident after his pickup truck allegedly hit a Tim Hortons in Lucan, Ont.
O’Reilly signed the biggest contract ... Read the full article
Daniel Briere co-captained the Sabres. ©2015, Janet Schultz, Olean Times Herald
Former Sabres co-captain Daniel Briere, who stills holds a special place in the hearts of many Buffalo sports fans, held his retirement news conference today in Philadelphia, where he played six seasons for the Flyers. As expected, the former high-scoring center was classy and thoughtful. Courtesy of the Flyers, here are some highlights from the 37-year-old Briere, who played with the Sabres from late 2002-03 through 2006-07.
On what the future holds:
“There’s many things ... Read the full article
Daniel Briere had a short but dynamic run with the Sabres. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Daniel Briere, the popular high-scoring center and clutch co-captain of two powerhouse Buffalo Sabres teams, has retired from the NHL.
The 37-year-old announced the end of his 17-year career in a column in Le Droit, a French-Canadian newspaper. Read the article here and the translation here.
Briere knew the end was coming. During a Dec. 20 visit to Buffalo with the Colorado Avalanche, his third team in three seasons, he said he wanted to ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel has already drawn one big crowd in Buffalo. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Jack Eichel’s first game action in a Buffalo uniform is just a month away. The Sabres will host a three-team “Prospects Challenge” tournament from Sept. 12-14 at the First Niagara Center and HarborCenter, the team announced today.
Eichel, the slick 18-year-old center the Sabres drafted second overall in June, will almost certainly participate in the round-robin challenge against prospects from the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. Each team plays two games.
Tickets are $10 ... Read the full article
Joe Battista joined the Sabres in November 2013. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Joe Battista, the Sabres’ vice president for hockey-related business, will be leaving the organization in the coming weeks.
The move had been in the works “for a long period of time,” a team spokesman said. Battista will be returning to his family in State College, Pa.
Battista is the second high-profile front office member to leave the team in the last week. The Sabres hired Buffalo Bills president Russ Brandon last Monday when ... Read the full article
Chris Drury (right) played three seasons with the Sabres. ©2015, Janet Schultz, Olean Times Herald
Former Buffalo Sabres co-captain Chris Drury has been elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, USA Hockey announced today.
Drury, 38, played three seasons in Buffalo, scoring 85 goals and 189 points in 244 games. The Sabres reached the Eastern Conference final in 2006 and 2007 before the center signed with the New York Rangers. He retired in 2011.
The Connecticut native represented Team USA at eight major international events, and won silver ... Read the full article
Cal Petersen made 87 saves in the NCAA’s longest game. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – As the game ticked toward a record length and the shot count grew higher and higher, Cal Petersen’s Notre Dame teammates joked they wanted the goalie to shatter the NCAA single-game saves mark.
“They wanted me to hit the century mark,” the Sabres prospect recalled earlier this month about his record-setting 87-save performance in the Fighting Irish’s 4-3, five-overtime loss March 6. “But they didn’t know if the scoreboard went that high.”
Petersen, ... Read the full article
