WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Training Camp Edition
Steve Ott, shown here wearing a gold practice jersey, helped the Sabres reveal their new third game jersey. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres will wear their gold third jersey for the first of 10 home games Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings.
That’s 10 of the 29 remaining games inside the First Niagara Center, Sabres fans. Ten!
Fans immediately panned the two-tone jersey, which features gold as the primary for the first time in team history, after Sabres captain Steve Ott unveiled it via Twitter on Sept. 4.
Reaction has been so harsh ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko hasn’t played for interim coach Ted Nolan yet. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Mikhail Grigorenko figured he’d be starting a two-week AHL conditioning assignment Wednesday. The 19-year-old Sabres prospect had already dropped his equipment off at the rink and checked into a Rochester hotel when a team front office member contacted him at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The NHL had rejected the assignment.
Grigorenko drove back to Buffalo and practiced with the Sabres hours later.
What happened?
“You read the rules and see how they work,” interim ... Read the full article
Luke Adam has been dominating the AHL. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Luke Adam figured he had fallen out of the Sabres’ plans. The 23-year-old winger, a strong Calder Trophy candidate two years ago at this time, barely received a look during the exhibition season.
The struggling, goal-starved team then refused to summon Adam from Rochester as he began piling up scores and recapturing his old form.
“I think they kind of had their mind made up,” Adam said Wednesday inside the First Niagara Center ... Read the full article
Zemgus Girgensons (28) battles St. Louis’ T.J. Oshie on Tuesday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Long-term, interim coach Ted Nolan said, the Sabres project rookie Zemgus Girgensons as a winger. So despite three impressive games at center, the 19-year-old Latvian switched back to the side today.
“If we’re going to ask him to be a winger, we better play him in that position,” Nolan said this afternoon following practice inside the First Niagara Center. “If he’s going to be a center ice man, we better put him ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko practiced with the Sabres today. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Mikhail Grigorenko figured he’d be starting a two-week AHL conditioning assignment today. The 19-year-old Sabres prospect had already dropped his equipment off at the rink and checked into a Rochester hotel when a team front office member contacted him at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The NHL had rejected the assignment.
Grigorenko drove back to Buffalo and practiced with the Sabres today.
What happened?
“You read the rules and see how they work,” interim Sabres ... Read the full article
Brayden McNabb has enjoyed a strong season in Rochester. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The NHL has rejected Mikhail Grigorenko’s AHL conditioning assignment, so the 19-year-old center’s back practicing with the Sabres this morning inside the First Niagara Center.
The Sabres sent the Russian, a healthy scratch recently, to Rochester on Tuesday. Stay tuned for more details. The Sabres said they respect the decision.
Meanwhile, winger Luke Adam and defenseman Brayden McNabb have been recalled from the Americans and are on the ice.
Tyler Ennis isn’t practicing. ... Read the full article
Rasmus Ristolainen played 19 games with the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Development time used to be mandatory. Before Mikhail Grigorenko cracked the lineup last season, the Sabres hadn’t played an 18-year-old regularly since Pierre Turgeon in 1987-88. Most of their top prospects spent at least one full season in the minors.
But former general manager Darcy Regier, who was fired with coach Ron Rolston last week, dramatically switched philosophies earlier this year as the Sabres started rebuilding.
The struggling Sabres recently became the first ... Read the full article
The Sabres traded Derek Roy in July 2012. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Derek Roy had some hard feelings against the Sabres after they traded him to Dallas in July 2012. The sometimes-slick center had just told former general manager Darcy Regier he wanted to stay in town.
The 30-year-old felt he had some unfinished business here.
“I thought we had a great team,” Roy said Tuesday prior to the St. Louis Blues’ 4-1 win against the Sabres, his first game back at the First ... Read the full article
Ryan Miller tries to stop St. Louis’ Vladimir Taresenko on Tuesday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – This was going to be a fun one, right? Tyler Ennis scored 10 seconds into Tuesday’s tilt against the St. Louis Blues. The Sabres, so vile most of the season, have finally started competing and generating some excitement under interim coach Ted Nolan.
Ennis’ goal wound up being the Sabres’ lone highlight in a boring 4-1 loss before 17,710 fans inside the First Niagara Center.
“It’s kind of another learning curve, right?” ... Read the full article
Jim Benning used to work for the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have received permission from the Boston Bruins to interview assistant general manager Jim Benning, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
Pat LaFontaine, the Sabres’ new president of hockey operations, said Friday he would start interviewing GM candidates this week.
The Sabres fired Darcy Regier last week.
Benning worked 12 years with the Sabres, eight as the director of amateur scouting. The 50-year-old played 610 NHL games as a defenseman with Toronto ... Read the full article