Archives for September 18, 2007

'"I don't know if anybody anticipated that," Sabres spokesman Michael Gilbert said, referring to the speed of ticket sales. "It's another indication of how special this market is toward hockey."' … [Read more...] about Sabres-Penguins outdoor game is a hot item with 42,000 tickets sold

'With the departure of centers Chris Drury and Daniel Briere via free agentcy, the four combinations that Ruff sends into combat will look drastically different in comparison to a year ago. The faces haven't changed but pieces will be rearranged as the team looks to generate the kind of chemistry that has become a staple of Sabres hockey.' … [Read more...] about Hashing out the lines

'There are some good players out there. In this organization, they can skate and handle the puck. That’s great for the organization and will add more depth that way. That’s going to help us. We are going to need those guys at some point during the season.' … [Read more...] about Q and A with Brian Campbell

'"I think the weather could just be a part of the game," he said. "Both teams are going to have to play with it. The only thing that could go wrong is if [the weather] pulls what it did last year. Sometimes in January around here it sneaks up to like 60 degrees on some fluke."' … [Read more...] about Miller's ready for Round Two

'Approximately 41,000 seats were sold in less than 30 minutes. The remaining seats are being held for Sabres Season Ticket Holders, Bills Club seat holders and the NHL, as well as Buffalo and Pittsburgh players. Nearly 7,000 seats at the lowest possible levels are obstructed due to television cameras for NBC's broadcast.' … [Read more...] about Winter classic tickets sold out

'Just 40 minutes after the 10 a.m. start time, the Sabres confirmed that all tickets in the TicketMaster system have been sold.' … [Read more...] about Winter Classic SOLD OUT

'Each network will provide technological extras. "We're going to have an airplane in the air for aerial shots, much the way we do at a Sunday night football game," Flood said. "We'll be taking high and wide shots to show the 70-plus thousand people surrounding this sheet of ice. And we'll be going down low with hand-held cameras along the … [Read more...] about Networks hot to cover outdoor hockey

'Miller described what it was like as the goaltender for the Spartans in front of 75,500 fans at his alma mater's football stadium. "There wasn't that echo effect like you get in some of the rinks, but overall the crowd noise was pretty impressive," Miller said. "You start to get the sense of why the football players react after making a big play. That whole day is going to be … [Read more...] about Miller: Sabres ”Still in great shape”

'“Teppo has an issue,” Golisano said Monday at The Ralph, where the Jan. 1 game was announced. “He’s been a great player for this team. We’re going to do everything we can to help him through this. If he’s able to play, we’ll welcome him with open arms.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres put a big chill into the air

'“We don’t need quite so much sun,” Bettman said. “We prefer there be no lake effect snow or any other precipitation. Over 55 degrees, we begin to have a problem. In the 20s would be perfect. Too cold, and the ice starts to crack.”' … [Read more...] about NHL lured by our eclassic&#8217 winter

'The weather makes the event unique. Bettman said the average temperature in Buffalo around New Year's Day is 25 degrees "and that's exactly what we're hoping for." If it's over 45 or 50, the ice won't hold up. If it's too cold, the ice will crack and chip. And if it's unusually warm or there is a foot of lake-effect snow, "I will be pulling out what little hair I have left," … [Read more...] about Buffalo to host hockey history

'"I worry about weather conditions not allowing for the game to be played, but I don't worry about the weather conditions as far as [how they might affect play]," he said. "I'll play in rain, snow, 90-degree heat. I don't care. I'll be excited to play in that one, no matter what it's like."' … [Read more...] about Sabres, Penguins test roots of hockey

'"I had a sore throat for about three weeks later, and I was wearing a couple of turtlenecks," Sykora said. "It was really cold -- minus-7 or something crazy. It was a manufactured rink. It had a roof, but there were no walls, and it started snowing. The wind was blowing, so you were skating into the wind.' … [Read more...] about Penguins excited about playing outdoors

'By playing in front of that many fans, Miller said he began to "understand why football players play to play, how pumped up they get (by) the roar of the crowd."' … [Read more...] about Outdoor hockey old hat for Sabres goalie Ryan Miller