Archive for August, 2010

Its coming, and I know it.  Turning 30.  Reaching that mid life portion where many people reevaluate how to go about things.  Jobs, cars, family, leisure time.  I stopped this morning to think about why I love hockey so much.  It’s pretty much in my genes.  If there is a hockey game on, I’ll watch it.  AHL, College, International, NHL - men’s or women’s hockey.  We talked last night about womens hockey and a possible WNHL – I’d buy into that – just for the fact it would give me another outlet to satisfy my obsession with the game.  But thats [...]

Ok, quick Sabres fans, check your pulse……ok good were all still with it. It what seems to be the most boring and dull off season in hockey history (or at least what I can remember) what has there been news worthy to talk about? Ilya Kovalchuck?  Honestly though, unless you follow the Devils (they might not admit to it, but some people actually do) or your name is Ilya Kovalchuck that got old before he signed that ridiculous contract and got the hockey world and the media roped into that circus.  Reports are now that his agent has given the [...]

The national television schedule for the NHL was released yesterday and the Sabres potentially have twelve nationally aired hockey games. As of right now nine are confirmed on the Versus network, but the other three will be announced 13 days prior to the game on NBC. The exposure for the Buffalo Sabres is great thing for the team itself. Not only will the Sabres grace the national airwaves with their presence, but it will also help market the Sabres to other areas of the country. There is no doubt that the Sabres marketability has skyrocket since their amazing playoff runs [...]

The short lived Sabre was signed by the Vancouver Canucks today according to NHL.com. Torres was brought to the Sabres organization for grit and scoring, but Torres never found his stride. The 28 year old winger only was able to produce a measly 5 points in 12 games- none of them goals. I actually like the style Torres plays despite his lackluster showing with the Sabres. Unfortunately he never clicked with his line mates and was eventually squeezed out of the lineup. I do wish him well though and I’ll still be a fan of his play style. The move [...]

Fantasy hockey may not be the most popular fantasy game out there, but it is my personal favorite. I’ve been playing fantasy hockey since junior high. To be completely honest I don’t have any inside scoops or tips for your fantasy hockey team; however, I will give you some insight into who you should grab and when to grab them from the Buffalo Sabres. If you’re like me it is nearly inevitable that you’re going to draft at least one Sabres player for your team- it is a blessing and a curse and I understand it. We love our Buffalo [...]

With the 40th Anniversary Season celebration set to begin on September 18th, the team has a few jersey swaps going on. The “slug” or current logo is disappearing as the primary logo of the Buffalo Sabres (yay!).  In its place will be the modernized original logo.  The home sweaters will be the alternate jersey from the last two seasons, and the yet to be released away whites will probably be the same thing as the midnight blues, but it white. The third jersey is a new concept.  When the Sabres made the announcement last week, this is what they had [...]

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and I think bringing in a minor league hockey team could be beneficial to the city of Buffalo. Now I’m not specifically talking about an AHL hockey team- that would be too big- but what about a team from the ECHL? The ECHL is still a respectable hockey league that produces NHL caliber players, but the league is small enough so the expenses wouldn’t be too high. We all know Buffalo loves their hockey, so more professional hockey would potentially be a financial benefit right? The hitch in this giddyup’ is finding [...]

So last night on Rink Side Rants, the topic of the RDO camp came up, and what the NHL needs to do to make the league better and more interesting. One thing that popped up, that has been talked about a lot on our weekly live podcast, is making the playoffs – or at least division titles more meaningful. Take the NFL for example.  Of the sixteen regular season games, six are divisional games.  Thats 37.5 percent of your regular season.  The NHL plays 24 divisional games, or 29.26 percent of their games.  So do division titles mean less?  With [...]

Often times we take a break for the real world of hockey around here, for a hard look at the lighter side of hockey, the one we can play with our thumbs. There are all types of people who game.  Some are more serious about it than others, some are better at it than others, and some just cheat really well. How many of us can remember that kid growing up – who would laugh at you because you couldn’t get passed a level that they beat, only to figure out after you beat the real way that they hit [...]

Yesterday EA sports released a playable demo for the Playstation Network and XBOX live. EA Sports’ NHL series is highly regarded as the best sports game out in the market and this year’s installment will not disappoint. Fortunately I got to test the demo first hand on my Playstation and I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately the demo is pretty short; it only allows the user to play the third period in a repeat match-up between the Flyers and the Blackhawks, but it didn’t stop me from replaying it several times. At first glance it seems as if the game hasn’t changed [...]