SabreSpace

'"This is a gamble for me, and I'm very nervous about it. It's very tough."' … [Read more...] about Lever joins Blues after 17 years with Sabres

'"I've had a long friendship with Mike and I played with Joel in New Jersey and Colorado," Lever said Tuesday from Buffalo. "I've been here a long time and one of my long-term goals is to become a head coach. It was perceived that I wouldn't go anywhere, so I couldn't ask for a better situation. I decided to pursue it and it fell into … [Read more...] about Blues hire Don Lever to work with forwards

'Lever, 50, began his coaching career as a Sabres assistant in 1987-88, served as head coach of the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans from 1990-92, and returned to Buffalo in 1992-93. Lever was a Sabres associate coach the past five seasons.' … [Read more...] about Blues name Lever assistant coach

'DuRoss, 51, has made previous attempts to buy NHL teams. He inquired about the Sabres before John Rigas bought the team from the Knox family in 1998. He also wanted to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning several years ago.' … [Read more...] about Sabres interest DuRoss

'It may not sit well with the good people of Buffalo where Hasek spent the bulk of his career, but it's not like Hasek ran out on them. He gave them the best nine years of his career, a near-decade of goaltending excellence the likes of which the city has never seen and likely will never see again. He did have his chances to win there, but the franchise is one that is … [Read more...] about Hasek retires as one of the true greats

'It's being led by prominent Central New York businessman Frank DuRoss. DuRoss is the owner of the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins and the Rochester Rhino's. His group would only be interested in keeping the team in Buffalo and operating it at the HSBC Arena.' … [Read more...] about Another Ownership Group Emerges

But great goaltenders can, and have, helped lead good (not great) teams to the Stanley Cup. Hasek's Buffalo teams weren't even close to being great, but it wouldn't have been the biggest miracle of all time if he had led the Sabres to a Cup –- either against Dallas in 1999 ("HULL'S SKATE WAS IN THE CREASE!"), or otherwise. … [Read more...] about With title, Hasek has it all

'Which raises another intriguing question -- why does Regier still have a job? As the team's top executive, if he didn't know about the financial chicanery going on between Adelphia, the Rigas family and the Sabres, then he's an idiot. If he did, then he's either an accomplice or completely bereft of a moral compass.' … [Read more...] about Sabres to stay for at least one season

'And, had Sabres GM Darcy Regier had his way, Buffalo would have broken into the top three spots of the draft in an attempt to draft left winger, Rick Nash. "Our scouts just really felt strong about him (Nash)," remarked Regier. "But even going into (Saturday) morning we thought we were in a position to take another run at him."' … [Read more...] about Sabres post-draft report

'While Paille is considered a safe pick to one day play in the NHL, he does need to continue to improve in a couple of areas. "I like his game, but he needs to be more physical," one general manager said in the Hockey News' draft preview. "He is a guy who is supposed to be a power forward, but he did not get involved a lot for a guy who will be a power … [Read more...] about Welland native selected by Sabres 20th overall in first round of draft

'And so it was that Slava Kozlov was the biggest name traded at this year's NHL draft - not just for the Buffalo Sabres, mind you, but for the entire league. Yippee.' … [Read more...] about Draft fails to generate even a small breeze

'"We hope they're all going to develop, but I don't think there's any kid we feel is going to jump out of the pack right away. "If they show us they can do some things in training camp, they'll get the opportunity. But it's very, very hard to do."' … [Read more...] about Draft won't keep players in stitches

'While Paille grew up cheering for the Montreal Canadiens and not the nearby Sabres, he attended many games at the Memorial Auditorium and the HSBC Arena. Growing up he remembers being fans of snipers Pat Lafontaine and Alexander Mogilny. "I was a Habs fans, but I went to a lot of Sabres' games," he said. "My dad is probably really happy right now. … [Read more...] about Paille stays close to home

'Wideman decided not to attend this year's draft. He will play another season with the Knights.' … [Read more...] about Sabres crown Knights' pair

'Paille, one of the most solid hitters available in the draft, was rated 17th in the mid-season rankings by Central Scouting but was inconsistent at times this season, notably in the early going when he started to hear talk of his draft ranking and let it affect his play.' … [Read more...] about Paille anxious for draft