Despite what you’ll read around the net via mainstream media, BuffaloWins blogger Joe Pinzone is actually first to report that the Buffalo Sabres have signed unrestricted free agent defensemen Christian Ehrhoff to a multi-year contract.
Although specific numbers have yet to be confirmed, indications are his annual average salary is at least between $5 to $5.5 million.
An offensive powerhouse defensemen, the 28-year old (he’ll be 29 next week)scored 14 goals and had 50 points for Vancouver last season and also scored 12 points in 23 games in the playoffs as the Canucks came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup.
The Sabres traded a fourth rounder to the New York Islanders last night for the right to essentially have a 24-hour negotiating window with Ehrhoff to get a deal done before free agency starts Friday afternoon. The Islanders attempted the on Tuesday when they dealt a fourth rounder to Vancouver for the rights to try and land a long-term deal. When they realized it wasn’t going to happen, Buffalo came calling.
We’ll soon find out what additions the Buffalo Sabres will be making to their 2011-12 roster when free agency begins on Friday, and knowing how the team’s been operating lately, perhaps sooner.
While who’s to come (and go) remains a mystery for the moment, we can safely assume that defensemen Steve Montador won’t be suiting up in the Buffalo blue and gold anymore. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent come Friday afternoon, the Sabres traded his negotiating rights to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The following is a statement from the team:
“The Buffalo Sabres have traded the negotiating rights of defenseman Steve Montador to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a seventh-round draft selection in the 2012 or 2013 Entry Draft. The Chicago draft pick was previously acquired from Florida in the Tomas Kopecky trade on Monday. The pick is presently conditional to the Nashville Predators. If that pick is not available, Florida will transfer their own seventh-round selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.”
Andy Boron of Die By the Blade provides a recap of the Terry Pegula press conference from Wednesday morning, where the Sabres officially announced their affiliation again with the Rochester Amerks and called the two combined “The University of Hockey.”
If Sabres’ general manager Darcy Regier needs any help, Buffalo News columnist Bucky Gleason is more than willing to play GM for a day.
On February 25, 2011 City of Buffalo Police Officer Gary Sengbusch was struck by a drunk driver who ran a red light. This very serious accident has left this young officer with both traumatic and potentially life changing injuries. Officer Sengbusch is prepared for the challenges he faces in trying to recover and we are preparing to assist him in that long journey.
The City of Buffalo Police has joined forces with the Buffalo Bisons and Buffalo Charities to hold the “TEAM GARY BISONS BENEFIT BASH” tonight at Coca-Cola Field. The Buffalo Bisons will take on the Leigh Valley IronPigs at 7:05pm. The Pre-game festivities start at 5:00 p.m. at the stadium and include a concert by Buffalo’s own Strictly Hip AND a post-game fireworks display. Discounted food and beverages will also be available. Raffles as well as a split-club will be run throughout the game.
Tickets start at $8.50 and can be purchased online at www.teamgary.org or at these select ticket locations:
When Terry Pegula officially took over the Buffalo Sabres on February 22, he said the sole purpose of the organization’s existence was to win Stanley Cups. How the team fares in his first full season as owner remains to be seen, but it’s quickly becoming obvious he wasn’t blowing smoke up the behinds of fans.
The team made a major move last weekend by trading Chris Butler and Paul Byron for solid veteran two-way defensemen Robyn Regehr. Thursday the team is attempting to take things even further— surrendering a 2012 fourth-round pick for essentially a 24 hour window to negotiate with prized unrestricted free agent defensemen Christian Ehrhoff.
With his soon-to-be former Vancouver Canucks realizing they’d be unable to re-sign him, this is actually the second time Ehrhoff has been dealt since the start of this week. He was traded to the New York Islanders on Tuesday in exchange for a fourth rounder. After the Islanders couldn’t ink him to a long-term contract, Pegula is gambling that the Sabres can and gave New York Buffalo’s fourth rounder for the opportunity.
Former Nichols high school basketball standout Conner Vandegriff has decided to leave Hobart College after one season and will transfer to Niagara County Community College, according to a source close to the situation.
Vandegriff was a key player on the Viking’s New York State Federation championship winning team in 2009-10. He becomes the second player from that Nichols team to transfer schools in less than two months. Star forward and two-time Buffalo News Player of the Year Will Regan recently transferred from the University of Virginia back to Buffalo and will play at UB in 2012 after sitting out next season.
As a high school forward Vandegriff was a force, but things didn’t pan out well for him in his first year at Hobart. He appeared in 17 games but averaged just 4.1 minutes and only pulled in 0.6 rebounds and 0.9 points per game.
Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract with forward Nathan Gerbe.
Gerbe (5’5”, 178 lbs., 7/24/1987) scored 31 points (16+15) in 64 games for the Sabres last season, including 15 goals in Buffalo’s final 40 games. The 23-year-old native of Oxford, Michigan, set a new Sabres franchise record for fastest two goals by one player when he scored two goals just five seconds apart on January 21 against the New York Islanders.
Gerbe, the 2008 AHL Rookie of the Year, was Buffalo’s fifth-round selection (142nd overall) in the 2005 Entry Draft.
**Update** Gerbe’s three-year deal is for a total of $4.3 million; an average of $1.433 million per season. That’s an incredibly friendly deal for the organization.
Paul Zanette, Niagara men’s hockey’s first-ever All-American, has signed a one-year contract with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rockford IceHogs announced on Tuesday by the club.
“We are thrilled to be able to sign a player of Paul’s ability and character as he displayed both of these traits during his entire collegiate career,” said Chicago Blackhawks General Manager of Minor League Affiliations Mark Bernard. “Paul will add scoring depth to our roster and brings an unparalleled work ethic. He’s another great young prospect that will fit into our locker room very well.”
Zanette had a career senior season for the Purple Eagles. The Nobleton, Ont. native scored a career-high 29 goals, 26 assists and 55 points; the 55-point total ties Joe Tallari (’04) for most points in a single-season by a Niagara player. Zanette became the second Purple Eagle (Tallari) in program history to be a top-10 Hobey Baker finalist and was named Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) Player of the Year to become the fifth Purple Eagle to earn a conference player of the year award. Zanette was also named to the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO.com) Third Team.
Now that the dust of the 2011 Draft has settled, it’s time to analyze the current state of Buffalo’s roster. We’ll be taking a look at one position at a time. Today: Cornerback
Buffalo’s outlook at cornerback depends greatly one decision the Bills front office will have to make – how much is the team willing to spend to make sure Drayton Florence returns to the Bills? Florence had a very strong year in 2010 and will command decent money on the free agent market. Complicating the issue is that two other “big name” Bills defensive starters – linebacker Paul Posluszny and safety Donte Whitner – are also free agents. Who will be Buffalo’s biggest re-signing priority? If the Bills can’t bring back Florence (or even if they can), is there enough depth at corner to handle the talented wide receivers of the AFC East?
With or without Florence, the battle at training camp for the starting cornerback positions should be very intriguing. Can Terrence McGee bounce back from injury? Will former first-round pick Leodis McKelvin – armed with a new uniform number – finally reach his potential? Does rookie Aaron Williams have a chance to beat out the veterans for a starting spot?
John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports that Christmas has come early for Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier. Translation— the Sabres have $15 million to spend in free agency.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well aware by now the Buffalo Sabres orchestrated quite the score over the weekend when general manager Darcy Regier acquired Robyn Regehr (and Ales Kotalik) along with a second-round draft pick in exchange for Chris Butler and Paul Byron.
Without question, the deal has been met with rave reviews from Sabre fans everywhere. Regehr is a strong, physical veteran presence the Sabres badly lacked in their seven-game playoff loss to Philadelphia this past April.
However, there are two sides to every trade and it’s quite safe to conclude the Calgary contingent of fans aren’t nearly as praise-happy. Following the trade I’ve spent the past few days closely monitoring reaction from s fans north of the border via the popular HF Boards website.
Let’s put it this way—- unruly Vancouver fans think the Flames faithful need to calm down.
Bills.com lead journalist Chris Brown reveals that the Buffalo Bills players had some input into the new uniforms that were unveiled last Friday.
Buffalo Rumblings writer Brian Galliford takes the film room to break down how Bills left tackle fared against star defensive end Jared Allen last season.
Buffalo Wins has an article examining five reasons why you can’t blame Ralph Wilson for the Toronto experiment.
WGR-550 has a recap from Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier appearing on the air Monday morning.
While his return to the Buffalo Sabres is anything but imminent, reports and signs indicate the organization is at least considering the possibility of re-signing embattled forward Tim Connolly.
A report in this morning’s Buffalo News cited a source of John Vogl telling the reporter general manager Darcy Regier has spoken with Connolly’s agent about re-signing him. This was later confirmed by Regier himself. While on the air with WGR-550 early Monday morning, Regier said he has spoken to the agent for Connolly as well as pending unrestricted free agent Cody McCormick.
Connolly is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday after finishing up the second of his two-year, $9 million extension he signed on March 4, 2009.
Niagara women’s basketball head coach Kendra Faustin has unveiled the 2011-12 recruiting class. Gabby Baldasare, Meghan McGuiness, Val McQuade and Kelly Van Leeuwen are the newest additions the women’s basketball program.
“This group really fits our needs in terms of skill sets and will complement our returning group really well,” Faustin said. “Off the court, this class is full of quality character and people not to mention excellent students that I am proud to have represent our program and Niagara University.”
Niagara Falls native Jonny Flynn was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Houston Rockets last week. The sixth pick of the 2009 NBA draft, Flynn got off to a promising start as a rookie before a hip injury and inconsistent play set him back last season.
Flynn met with reporters in Houston this weekend to discuss the trade and his future. Flynn said that he “has a chip on his shoulder the size of a golden nugget.”
First, I must begin with an apology to all our readers. Friday afternoon saw the server that allows us post stories to the website take a nose dive and crash. To say it’s been a frustrating 48 or so hours since would be an understatement. You can safely assume the only thing I’m happy about is there’s no documented video of my less than calm demeanor while having to wait for our site maintenance guy to (finally) fix the problem. I’m downright embarrassed for being news-less over the past few days when there’s so many significant things going on.
As you know by now, the Buffalo Bills held a uniform unveiling party at Ralph Wilson Stadium Friday evening. There’s nothing I can tell you about it that you don’t already know by now. I was invited by the team’s media relations department to attend but unfortunately couldn’t. The Bills opened the event to select bloggers and if you haven’t already checked out reports from Buffalo Rumblings and Buffalo Wins, I’d definitely suggest doing so.
BSD contributing photographer Michael Thomas was on hand for the festivities. After the jump, check out a few of the photos he got. What do you think of the new digs?
The Buffalo Sabres today announced they have signed a purchase agreement with the Rochester Americans hockey club. The AHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the transaction earlier today. The Sabres also announced their affiliation agreement with the Portland Pirates has ended.
The Buffalo Sabres will have no further comment at this time. The Sabres expect to hold a press conference in Rochester next week to set forth their plans for the franchise.
NFL.com and former Buffalo Bills draft pick Bucky Brooks has a pretty firm opinion about where Vince Young could end up once the NFL lockout ends and he becomes available, most likely via free agency. Brooks list three other teams as possibilities but signals out the Bills as being the ideal landing spot for his services.
“Young would be a great fit for a team that features a strong running game and a vertical aerial attack,” Brooks noted. “From a schematic standpoint, he would certainly fit in Miami, Oakland, Buffalo and possibly Washington. If I had to choose the ideal place, I would lean towards Buffalo due to the success Chan Gailey has enjoyed with athletic quarterbacks.”
Brooks also goes on to recall how Gailey had success with a quarterback in Pittsburgh many feel is cut from the same cloth as Young in Kordell Stewart.
NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan released his list of the best safeties in the NFL and Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd comes in at No. 16. Interestingly, Donte Whitner didn’t make the list of the top 32 and was merely on the “Keep An Eye On” portion. Say, didn’t ESPN have Whitner is a top ten safety?
Buffalo Rumblings author Brian Galliford thinks the Bills’ offensive line should prioritize physicality and not necessarily size.
It seems like an eternity ago, but there was once an era when the Buffalo Bills were among the best teams in league history. Buffalo captured four consecutive AFC titles from 1990-93 and though they’d fall in each Super Bowl appearance, no Bills fan will overlook the memories this cast of characters created.
While everyone remembers that nucleus of core players and what they accomplished in their prime years in Buffalo, many won’t recall what happened once their time ended and were either forced to move on or decided on their own to head for greener pastures. Nearly every key veteran from this era saw their career end with another team.
We’re running a series of articles, recalling where several former Bills’ stars would go on to finish their careers. We’ve already covered James Lofton, Shane Conlan, Cornelius Bennett, Howard Ballard and Nate Odomes.
Today we’re focusing on former offensive tackle Will Wolford.
Niagara Falls native Jonny Flynn has a new home. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Flynn along with DonatasMotiejunas to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Brad Miller, rights to the 23rd pick of the NBA draft (Nikola Mirotic) and a future first rounder.
Sources tell me Flynn knew several days ago that he was going to be traded on draft night. There were three teams interested in acquiring him according to the source: Phoenix, Houston and Toronto.
Flynn, the two-time Western New York Player of the Year at Niagara Falls in 2006-07, was the sixth overall pick of the 2009 draft by Minnesota and averaged 13.5 points and 4.4 assists as a rookie.
Flynn had hip surgery last July following his rookie campaign and it majorly affected his play over this past season. Flynn was out of the lineup rehabbing over the first 29 games and upon his return, the role he held was clearly diminished. Playing an average of more than 10 minutes less than his rookie season, Flynn averaged just 5.3 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting just 36.5% from the field.
Despite a strong showing, University at Buffalo forward Javon McCrea was released from the USA Basketball Under 19 World Championship Team on Thursday.
“The selection was harder than I expected,” U19 head coach Paul Hewitt said. “The young man we decided not to keep, Javon McCrea, it was really just a numbers situation, he played more than well enough to make the team. We just didn’t feel comfortable going over there without three point guards.”
McCrea had made the original cut from 21 players to 13 players. The Newark, NY native was the last player cut from the team.
“This experience will benefit Javon in three ways; exposure, competition and instruction, Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “When you add up these three things, it will result in great experience moving forward.”
The Buffalo Sabres and the National Hockey League today announced the team’s 2011-2012 regular season schedule. The variable pricing designations, as well as box office pricing for individual games will be released at a later date. All Friday night home games will start at 7:30 p.m. All other home games will begin at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Times are still subject to change.
Buffalo will play their 82-game schedule with the same breakdown of opponents as last season. Each team will play their divisional opponents six times (24 games), four games against each non-divisional conference opponents (40 games), one game against each of the 15 non-conference opponents (15), and three additional “at large” games (Detroit, Anaheim and Columbus).
More than half of Buffalo’s home schedule will take place on weekends, with 12 Friday home games and eight on Saturdays. The Sabres will also play once on a Sunday – a 12:30 p.m. home date with the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 19.
Last week the Buffalo Sabres held their first-ever Sabres Blogger Summit; an event that featured team president Ted Black and a panel of team-invited bloggers asking him questions, including myself. The give-and-take with Black lasted well over two hours and by all accounts was highly praised by everyone in attendance.
Now the Buffalo Bills appear to be following suit when it comes to bloggers—- at least in part.
The Bills will be unveiling their brand new uniforms Friday evening at Ralph Wilson Stadium and for the first time ever, they’ve invited representatives of select blogs media access to cover the event. I’m not sure of all the blogs on the invite list, but can confirm Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings will be in attendance as well as a representative for the Buffalo Wins blog run by Joe Pinzone.
Despite what you’ll read around the net via mainstream media, BuffaloWins blogger Joe Pinzone is actually first to report that the Buffalo Sabres have signed unrestricted free agent defensemen Christian Ehrhoff to a multi-year contract.
We’ll soon find out what additions the Buffalo Sabres will be making to their 2011-12 roster when free agency begins on Friday, and knowing how the team’s been operating lately, perhaps sooner.
Here’s some more information on the Buffalo Sabres 
On February 25, 2011 City of Buffalo Police Officer Gary Sengbusch was struck by a drunk driver who ran a red light. This very serious accident has left this young officer with both traumatic and potentially life changing injuries. Officer Sengbusch is prepared for the challenges he faces in trying to recover and we are preparing to assist him in that long journey.
When Terry Pegula officially took over the Buffalo Sabres on February 22, he said the sole purpose of the organization’s existence was to win Stanley Cups. How the team fares in his first full season as owner remains to be seen, but it’s quickly becoming obvious he wasn’t blowing smoke up the behinds of fans.
Former Nichols high school basketball standout Conner Vandegriff has decided to leave Hobart College after one season and will transfer to Niagara County Community College, according to a source close to the situation.
Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract with forward Nathan Gerbe.
Paul Zanette, Niagara men’s hockey’s first-ever All-American, has signed a one-year contract with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rockford IceHogs announced on Tuesday by the club.
Now that the dust of the 2011 Draft has settled, it’s time to analyze the current state of Buffalo’s roster. We’ll be taking a look at one position at a time. Today: Cornerback
John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports that 
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well aware by now the Buffalo Sabres orchestrated quite the score over the weekend when general manager Darcy Regier acquired Robyn Regehr (and Ales Kotalik) along with a second-round draft pick in exchange for Chris Butler and Paul Byron.
Bills.com lead journalist Chris Brown reveals that the Buffalo Bills 
While his return to the Buffalo Sabres is anything but imminent, reports and signs indicate the organization is at least considering the possibility of re-signing embattled forward Tim Connolly.
Niagara women’s basketball head coach Kendra Faustin has unveiled the 2011-12 recruiting class. Gabby Baldasare, Meghan McGuiness, Val McQuade and Kelly Van Leeuwen are the newest additions the women’s basketball program.
Buffalo News columnist Larry Felser writes that the Buffalo Bills’ coaches and young players are
First, I must begin with an apology to all our readers. Friday afternoon saw the server that allows us post stories to the website take a nose dive and crash. To say it’s been a frustrating 48 or so hours since would be an understatement. You can safely assume the only thing I’m happy about is there’s no documented video of my less than calm demeanor while having to wait for our site maintenance guy to (finally) fix the problem. I’m downright embarrassed for being news-less over the past few days when there’s so many significant things going on.
NFL.com and former Buffalo Bills draft pick Bucky Brooks has a pretty firm opinion about where Vince Young could end up once the NFL lockout ends and he becomes available, most likely via free agency. Brooks list three other teams as possibilities but signals out the 
NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan released his list of the 
It seems like an eternity ago, but there was once an era when the Buffalo Bills were among the best teams in league history. Buffalo captured four consecutive AFC titles from 1990-93 and though they’d fall in each Super Bowl appearance, no Bills fan will overlook the memories this cast of characters created.
Niagara Falls native Jonny Flynn has a new home. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Flynn along with Donatas Motiejunas to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Brad Miller, rights to the 23rd pick of the NBA draft (Nikola Mirotic) and a future first rounder.
Despite a strong showing, University at Buffalo forward Javon McCrea was released from the USA Basketball Under 19 World Championship Team on Thursday.
The Buffalo Sabres and the National Hockey League today announced the team’s 2011-2012 regular season schedule. The variable pricing designations, as well as box office pricing for individual games will be released at a later date. All Friday night home games will start at 7:30 p.m. All other home games will begin at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Times are still subject to change.
Last week the Buffalo Sabres held their first-ever Sabres Blogger Summit; an event that featured team president Ted Black and a panel of team-invited bloggers asking him questions, including myself. The give-and-take with Black lasted well over two hours and by all accounts was highly praised by everyone in attendance.
