Senior Josh Heidinger became the Canisius College hockey team’s all-time leading scorer as the Griffs celebrated Senior Day with a 5-3 victory against AIC on Sunday.
Heidinger registered four assists in his last regular-season home game to raise his career total to 123 points. He surpasses the program’s Division I record of 119, previously held by David Deeves. Heidinger’s four assists on the afternoon also ties the school’s single-game record.
“It was a good way to say good bye to our fans, families and friends,” Heidinger said. “It was really nice to go out with a win. We came in here four years ago and we are leaving with the program in a different place. We knew that we had to lay the ground work for the years to come. Our job was to point Canisius in the right direction and I think we did a great job. We have some great leaders and great players in this class.”
BSD Briefs: February 22 – continue reading…
If you’re a fan of high school sports, it doesn’t get any better than tonight as the top two teams in Western New York face off when Canisius travels to Nichols in a boy’s high school basketball contest that will determine the regular season Monsignor Martin Association champion.
The situation is complicated. If Canisius wins they get the top seed when the Manhattan Cup postseason tournament commences on Sunday. If Nichols is victorious, there’ll be a coin flip following the game as the teams would have identical head to head, divisional and common opponent records.
BSD Briefs: February 17 – continue reading…
We ran a poll recently on Buffalo Sports Daily asking fans if they would be happy if the Buffalo Bills traded for Michael Vick. After 356 cans casted their ballot the results were a little closer than anticipated. By a small margin the answer was no.
56% of fans voted no as compared to 44% yes. Ultimately I don’t think it will matter. I do feel Vick will get traded when deals can commence on March 5, but I don’t think it will be to Buffalo.
Although former great Jim Kelly is hardly a decision maker at One Bills Drive, you have to figure he’s at least “friendly” with Ralph Wilson, and with his very public statements saying he doesn’t Vick here I find it hard to believe the team would make a move for him.
BSD Briefs: February 16 – continue reading…
The Buffalo Sabres fought hard last night, literally, but still couldn’t come away with a victory against the Boston Bruins. The 2-1 shootout loss was the team’s third straight against an opponent currently on the outside of the playoff race.
But unlike the previous four losses, this was a much grittier Sabres team. Adam Mair and Craig Rivet dropped the gloves in a pair of brutal fights, while Paul Gaustad unsuccessfully tried to get the gloves off Boston big man Zdeno Chara. At least the Sabres get a passing grade for effort, which is contrast to last weekend when you’d be hard pressed to believe they cared with their performances.
BSD Briefs: February 10 – continue reading…
Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone. It was a very busy Saturday for sports at all levels in Buffalo yesterday. A quick review:
Hockey:
The Buffalo Sabres lost for the third time in four nights and fourth straight game overall, getting shut out by the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0.
Lacrosse:
The Buffalo Bandits are in huge trouble, falling to 1-5 after a 14-10 home loss to the Toronto Rock. The Bandits are at least two games out of a playoff spot with 10 games remaining.
BSD Briefs: February 7 – continue reading…
It’s one of the biggest games of the season tonight for the Buffalo Sabres as they take the home ice against the scorching Ottawa Senators. Ottawa has been on fire of late, winning nine straight games to get within five points of the Northeast Division leading Sabres. There defense has been impregnable in allowing just eight goals over the last eight games.
Derek Roy broke out of a slump Monday night with a goal and an assist against Pittsburgh. His offense is badly needed as the Sabres try to put more distance between the teams. Patrick Lalime may get the start in net over a tired Ryan Miller, though nothing is official as of the publishing.
BSD Briefs: February 3 – continue reading…
Say what you want about Dick Jauron, but going by the way the rest of the league is grabbing his former coaching staff you can’t charge him with hiring incompetents.
Alex Van Pelt was fired the day after the season ended along with the entire staff by Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix. But like most of that crew he didn’t stay unemployed for long. Van Pelt signed Monday to become Tampa Bay’s new quarterback coach and will work with 2009 first rounder Josh Freeman specifically.
He joins a full list of former Jauron hires that’ve had no problem finding employment elsewhere. Bobby April is now the special teams coordinator in Philadelphia. Sean Kuglar is coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line while his assistant in Buffalo, Ray Brown took a lateral position with San Francisco. Tyke Tolbert will tutor wide receivers in Carolina while Eric Studesville is now running backs coach in Denver.
BSD Briefs: February 2 – continue reading…
For the first time since his gruesome injury months ago, the Buffalo Bills have finally released some information about Eric Wood, and the news seems mostly good.
Bills.com lead journalist wrote about Wood on the website this morning and says that while Wood still has a long recovery ahead of him, he’s targeting training camp for his return.
“I’m walking finally, which was a long time coming,” Wood told Brown. “It feels pretty good. I’m not pushing it real hard, but at the same time I’m kind of in a rush to get back and try to help this team. We’ve got a new coaching staff and I have to re-earn my job and I’m looking forward to the challenges that are ahead.”
BSD Briefs: February 1 – continue reading…
So after a CIA-style top secret approach to a head coach, it seems the Buffalo Bills are it again in finding a defensive coordinator. The organization has remained extremely secretive in its search, leaving fans and media alike in the dark with their procedure.
I’ve heard so many different things over the past week it’s hard to believe anything anymore. Last week I heard that Bill Bates remained their top choice. Then Monday I was told that “something was in the works for a D.C.”. Later Monday the same person told me the team plans to switch to a 3-4. Then Clancy Pendergast is let go by the Chiefs Thursday paving the way to come to Buffalo. Finally much to my astonishment, I was told that as of last night the Bills never contacted Pendergast about the job.
BSD Briefs: January 29 – continue reading…
Yesterday I touched on being told that Jim Bates, a 4-3 based defensive coordinator remained the leading candidate for the Buffalo defensive coordinator job. The way the Bills have operated this offseason, I’d be hard pressed to believe Buddy Nix himself if he got on the podium and declared he wanted Bates.
Buffalo hasn’t mastered winning on the field but they’ve taken the art of false leaks and media fooling to a whole new level. So we’ll have to see.
But Baltimore’s hiring of Dean Pees as linebackers coach Monday could give insight to the Bills defensive plans in regards to scheme. Pees was reported by Pro Football Talk to be in the Bills mix for defensive coordinator and as poor the perception is league-wide in Buffalo, I find it hard to believe a guy with area connections would take a demotion to go to Baltimore if the gig in Buffalo was really his for the taking.
BSD Briefs: January 26 – continue reading…
I’m told that Jim Bates is still the leading candidate for the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator job. Despite Chan Gailey’s statement at his introductory press conference saying he’s open to running a 3-4, I don’t expect them to convert to that scheme.
The reality is the Bills would need more than one year to get the personnel necessary to effectively run the defense. A more realistic scenario would be installing a more bulked up 4-3 defense. Regardless if it’s Bates or someone else, I’d be surprised if the Bills switched this year.
We’ll be taking a long look this week at the type of transformation and personnel the Bills would need to effectively install the 3-4.
BSD Briefs: January 25 – continue reading…
