Archives for 2002

'"I've got a contract for a year," Ruff said. "There are players that have that, that are in the last year of their deal. They expect to have a good year. I expect to have a good year. I don't look at that. I just concentrate on one thing, and that's making up for what we did last year."' … [Read more...] about All signs point to uncertain future for Ruff

'"There are much higher expectations from within the team than there are externally," said Patrick. "Most rankings have us quite low. Scott Arniel is our new assistant coach and the other day, he was saying, 'we can be the Minnesota Twins of the NHL.' That's gotta be what we're pushing for."' (Submitted by: Nova Scotian Fan) … [Read more...] about Sabres' drama hurts rebuilding

'Once the Thrashers found out that Kozlov was available, general manager Don Waddell said it took him only a couple of minutes to decide to pull off a draft-day trade with the Sabres, who needed to cut salary.' … [Read more...] about Kozlov reborn

'As of late Tuesday night, the Sabres had sold the equivalent of 7,699 season tickets, or 64 percent of the 12,000-seat goal. The team had sold 10,118 seats for tonight's game, well below the arena capacity of 18,690.' … [Read more...] about A season of uncertainty starts tonight for Sabres

'But if the Sabres hope to win back their disaffected fans and strengthen the franchise, they need to change their identity on the ice. It wasn't so much that they missed the playoffs a year ago, but the way they did it. They were physically soft, an unforgivable offense in Buffalo. Even worse, they were dull as the dictionary on most nights.' … [Read more...] about Sabres must swing for the fences

'The optimistic forecast for a 33-year-old team that has an all-time record of 1,193-951-392-6 (with only seven losing seasons and seven non-playoff seasons) is to somehow finish around .500 and squeeze into the playoffs. Will that best-case scenario be enough to satisfy Buffalo hockey fans and attract enough of them to assure the long-term future of the franchise? … [Read more...] about Sabres open, but who will watch?

'"It's sad because they were the hope in Buffalo to build up that city," Peca said of the Rigas ownership. "But who's to say someone doesn't come in and want to do something special, like what happened here."' … [Read more...] about Once a Contender, Now Buffalo Is Cold as Ice

'A crowd of only 12,000 is expected for Thursday's season opener against the New York Islanders.' … [Read more...] about Aggressive Sabres believe wins will bring back fans

'"We kept Gratton off the ice to see if he can try to skate tomorrow," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We'll make our decision come game time."' … [Read more...] about Gratton questionable for Sabres' opener

'The unstated threat is that if tickets aren't sold, the team could potentially move. But this is a team without an owner, with no real marketable star, no player you "have" to go see. They play a defensive-minded style, and goals are few and far between. Plus, let's be honest - they're not very good. It's easy to see why fans are reluctant … [Read more...] about A season of uncertainty for Sabres

'Gratton, who appeared in all 82 of the team's regular season games in 2001-2002. has been nursing the sore foot since he was hit by a shot in a game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Sept. 25.' … [Read more...] about Gratton misses practice

'He said that nobody interested in acquiring the Sabres is making an all-cash offer because of debt associated with the franchise. Existing debt would continue to be paid off under his plans, he added.' … [Read more...] about Split-level candidacy

'"Vaclav has been a tremendous contributor to the success of our hockey team over the past five seasons," Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said in a press release. "His checking ability and grit add to the toughness of our team."' … [Read more...] about NHL's Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign Right Wing Vaclav Varada

'Chris Gratton, scheduled to center the Buffalo Sabres' top line, missed Tuesday night's practice because of a cracked bone in his left foot. Coach Lindy Ruff said Gratton might still be able to play in Buffalo's regular-season opener against the New York Islanders on Thursday.' … [Read more...] about Gratton misses practice with foot injury

'Golisano said the issues revolve around concession services at HSBC Arena, where Buffalo plays home games, and what he referred to as "TV stuff." If resolved, Golisano said he could present a formal bid within the next three weeks.' … [Read more...] about Golisano awaiting answers from NHL before submitting Sabres bid