WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Thanksgiving Edition
Sam Bennett enjoyed a dynamic junior season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Center Sam Bennett, the No. 1 North American draft prospect, couldn’t do a pull-up during today’s rigorous testing at the NHL Scouting Combine.
“My upper body isn’t really my strong suit,” the 178-pound Bennett said inside the Toronto International Centre. “But I guess that’s something that I’ll be working on in the gym this year.”
Of course, the 17-year-old’s stock for next month’s NHL Entry Draft isn’t exactly plummeting. For all of ... Read the full article
The Sabres selected Brady Austin 193rd overall in 2012. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have signed defenseman Brady Austin to a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced today.
The 20-year-old, the 193rd overall pick in 2012, split 2013-14 between the Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville Bulls and London Knights, setting career highs with nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points and a plus-51 rating in 67 games.
Austin, 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, had 29 goals, 110 points and 194 penalty minutes in 322 career OHL games. ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark enjoyed a terrific season in Sweden. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have signed goalie Linus Ullmark to a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced today.
Ullmark, the 163rd overall pick in 2012, will play one more season in his native Sweden, according to hockeysverige.se. The contract will begin whenever Ullmark starts his North American career.
The 20-year-old is coming off a season in which he posted a 2.08 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in 35 games for MODO in ... Read the full article
Jim Corsi was fired last month. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Jim Corsi didn’t last long on the open market.
The St. Louis Blues have hired the respected former Buffalo Sabres goalie coach, the team announced today. Ironically, the Blues recently parted ways with goalie Ryan Miller, who spent 12 years under Corsi in Buffalo. The two enjoyed a strong relationship.
The Sabres fired Corsi in April after 16 years. The Blues let goalie coach Corey Hirsch go earlier this month.
The Blues will use ... Read the full article
Nick Deslauriers played 17 games with the Sabres in 2013-14. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have re-signed winger Nick Deslauriers to a one-way, two-year contract.
The deal is worth $1.25 million, according to capgeek.com. The 23-year-old would’ve become a restricted free agent this summer.
Deslauriers, acquired from Los Angeles in the March 5 Brayden McNabb trade, compiled one goal and 18 penalty minutes in his first 17 NHL games. He played 10 total games in Rochester following the season.
“Nick was able to step ... Read the full article
Thomas Vanek played 47 games with the New York Islanders before getting traded to Montreal. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
The New York Islanders will be keeping the No. 5 pick in June’s NHL Entry Draft and giving the Buffalo Sabres their first-round selection next year to complete the Thomas Vanek trade, the club announced today.
The Isles had until June 1 to decide.
There had been some speculation the Isles would want to have their 2015 pick for a chance at Connor McDavid, arguably the biggest prospect since Sidney Crosby.
The Sabres now ... Read the full article
Ryan Miller played 25 total games with St. Louis. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
The conditional draft pick the Buffalo Sabres received from the St. Louis Blues in the blockbuster Ryan Miller-Steve Ott trade won’t become this year’s first-rounder.
The Blues signed backup goalie Brian Elliott to a three-year extension today, effectively ending Miller’s short run with the club.
The Sabres will likely receive a 2016 third-round selection now.
Clearly, the Blues, a team built to win the Stanley Cup this season, weren’t going to re-sign Miller after their ... Read the full article
Zemgus Girgensons had only 14 penalty minutes as a rookie. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Zemgus Girgensons, dirty player?
Not really. The Buffalo Sabres center showcased a clean game during his rookie season in 2013-14, accumulating only 14 penalty minutes in 70 contests. But the IIHF has suspended Girgensons one world championship game for spearing Alexander Burmistrov in Latvia’s 4-1 loss to Russia on Friday.
Check out the video below. Girgensons, umm, got Burmistrov pretty good.
The 20-year-old must sit out Latvia’s tilt against host Belarus on Monday. Latvia’s ... Read the full article
Zenon Konopka played 23 games with the Sabres. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres center Zenon Konopka has been suspended 20 games for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program, becoming just the second player in NHL history suspended for PEDs.
Konopka, an unrestricted free agent this summer, will serve his ban at the beginning of any new contract. Under terms of the CBA, mandatory referral to the NHL/NHLPA Program for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health for evaluation and possible treatment accompanies the suspension.
The substance ... Read the full article
Ted Black said the price increase will help the Sabres qualify for revenue sharing. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Fresh off a tumultuous year in which they finished dead last in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres will raise season-ticket prices 4 percent for next season, the club announced today.
The increase, the same as last year, is about $1 to $4 a game, depending on seat location.
In a statement, president Ted Black thanked fans for their patience “through a challenging season” and said the Sabres need to balance affordability “against the opportunity to ... Read the full article