Archives for May 2006

'"It matters," Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said Wednesday in HSBC Arena. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff "talks about everybody being important. Everybody can't feel important if there isn't some sort of justice in the room when the players look around."' … [Read more...] about Payroll balance goes a long way in quest for the Cup

'"We're working on it right now," Tom Haywood, head of Adelphia's Buffalo area service, said early Thursday morning of the conflict.' … [Read more...] about Adelphia working to rectify Sabres' TV dilemma

'Prices for the Sabres first home game average on StubHub for $224 per ticket. The tickets range from $224-$400, for Game 3, with an overall high price of $900 for a ticket to Game 4.' … [Read more...] about Online Sabres Tickets Available One Day Later

'Added Briere: "Even going back to minor hockey I don't think I've ever been part of a team that relied on everybody like we do, where the seventh defenseman and the extra forwards are as valuable as your top-line guys. It's just more fun for everybody. There's not too many guys who are being left out right now. Everyone is putting their hand on what we're doing."' … [Read more...] about Sabres win without superstars

'The problem with an anonymous team is the fact that the players can be, well, anonymous.' … [Read more...] about Know your Sabres

'Two years ago, at the conclusion of the last NHL regular season that preceded the historic lockout, none of those four clubs were even part of the post-season. The Sabres had only recently emerged from bankruptcy, the Ducks were for sale, the Carolina franchise seemed doomed to mediocrity as a commercial concern and the Oilers were fighting the good fight to stay alive, … [Read more...] about NHL’s paupers become princes

'"The other issue is, what network do you go on in Canada?" Quinn said. Meaning that the NHL has laid out broadcast territory, called the Area of Dominant Influence (ADI), for every team. The club has exclusivity to that area, which extends in a 50-mile radius from the team's arena. Toronto's and Buffalo's ADIs slightly overlap, near Hamilton. It was the ADI which buried a … [Read more...] about Sabres want Canuck fans

'But Mackasey admits even he was skeptical the first time he met the scrawny-looking Briere as a 17-year-old rookie at the Voltigeurs' training camp. "If you can believe it, he weighed 147 pounds," Mackasey recalled. "He was our No. 1 pick that year. I remember looking at him and I said: 'Oh God.' "' … [Read more...] about Tiny Briere looms large for Sabres

'Thomas Golisano, who aspires to be the next governor of New York, rescued the franchise, but the real heros of this story are general manager Darcy Regier and head coach Lindy Ruff, who has championed the team concept and built a winner on a paltry budget of about $27 million.' … [Read more...] about Sabres are NHL’s No. 1 success story

'Game One Saturday afternoon will be on NBC ... and the CBC will cover Games Three and Four and, if necessary, Game Five. That means no broadcast ("over the air") networks will carry Games Two, Six or Seven -- and leaves only cable channel OLN as the only outlet.' … [Read more...] about Some Sabres Games Will Not Be On TV

'We found about a dozen people lined up at 8:45 Wednesday morning at the Tops market on Elmwood Avenue, but only the first four fans made the cut for tickets by the time they went on sale at nine.' … [Read more...] about Fans Not as Lucky Trying to Buy Tickets at Tops

'The 2000 tickets that were available were sold out by 9:17. But everyone who waited in line at the arena left happy. Even the person who showed up just a few minutes before 9:00, got one ticket.' … [Read more...] about Sabres Third Round Tickets Sold Out

'Chris Vastola owns Bodine Unlimited Tours. He has been sending sports fans to all the big games for years. "We still have tickets and we will take people to every game right through the Stanley Cup," said Vastola. In case the Sabres do make it to the Stanley Cup, Vastola already has the tickets.' … [Read more...] about Sabres mania hits western NY

'I am sick and tired of hearing people refer to Buffalo as a surprise team. They've been playing at this level ever since Day One of the regular season. They played 82 games and ended up right near the top and came very close to having the best record, not only of the conference, but in the entire NHL itself.' … [Read more...] about Sabres no longer surprise team of the NHL

'Buffalo won just one of its four meetings with Carolina during the regular season, but that doesn't mean a thing. The Sabres had some horrific outings against the Senators earlier this season, but toward the end of the year they played much better against them. Then, looked what happened in the playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Sabres have eyes on big prize