Zemgus Girgensons has caused quite the ripple, nay canonball, in this otherwise tranquil July prospect pool party. Granted, Foligno, Hodgson, Tropp, Adam, and McNabb were the notable quotables at Sabres prospects cam However, Girgensons, Grigorenko, McCabe, Kea, Knapp and Wise were exceptional prospects.
The "Big G-Z" has lived up to all of the expectations that accompany a 14th overall pick in the NHL draft. He's big, skates with power, he's strong like Latvian bull, and has silky hands, to boot. Girgensons is tready for the pro game. Not Buffalo, but Rochester. Lindy Ruff even said so after the Blue squad drubbed the Gold squad on Thursday night.
thanks, sabres.com
Ruff had high praise for Girgensons and his other fellow first rounder Mikhail Grigorenko.
Girgensons and Joel Armia each scored a goal and added an assist in the Blue Team win.
Credit to Kevin Devine and the Sabres scouting team for identifying and solidifying the team's most glaring area of need: big centre ice men.
Say goodbye to Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, and Brad Boyes. Say hello to the Gangsta G's.
Zemgus has a HUGE decision to make in the next couple of days. He must choose to honor his commitment to play for the University of Vermont. Or, he can skip the NCAA route and begin his professional career with the Rochester Americans.
Tick, tick, tick, tock....
thanks, sabres.com
I think he'll opt out of U Vermont and sign his pro contract. I think he'll do it this weekend.
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Darcy Regier says that contract talks with Mikhail Grigorenko are progressing nicely. I think Grigorenko will be signing his entry level deal in the next 3-5 days.
thanks, sabres.com
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Good on Jamie Wise for popping in three goals for the Blue squad in the prospects scrimmage.
thanks, sabres.com
Wise is a camp invitee and has acquitted himself well in his first pro hockey camp.
He'll compete for a roster spot in Rochester.
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Cody Hodgson accumulated a ton of valuable intel in his first Sabres prospects camp.
thanks, sabres.com
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Big Marcus invested every ounce of his energy to the process of making a leadership statement in development camp. He scored straight As with his effort, his compete level and his positive attitude. Now its time to keep grinding in the gym and on the ice in July and August so that he will earn a job with the big squad in September.
thanks, sabres.com
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Let the buyer beware.
Derek Roy's dinged Buffalo Wing was a "suicidal hot" (inside Buffalo reference) topic of conversation on Thursday night. During the second period intermission of the Blue vs. Gold prospects scrimmage, Sabres GM Darcy Regier, fielded question about a a variety of topics. The one topic that was immediately broached by the media was the Derek Roy injury. Roy underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday to repair an injury that had plagued him throughout the 2011-12 season in Buffalo.
Regier was asked about the Roy matter, and quickly responded:
"He (Roy) could have played. He did play with it (injured shoulder). It was decision made by that organization (Dallas Stars)."
thanks, sabres.com
In other words, Stars GM, Joe Nieuwendyk ok'd the trade. There was full disclosure of the part of the Sabres.
Here's Nieuwy's take on the day of the trade:
thanks, stars.com
Here's Roy's first interview in Dallas. Listen carefully as Roy gives the thumbs up to his quad injury. He alludes to his injury from last Summer. Shoulder? Also, "nagging things".
thanks, sabres.com
Roy passed the initial team physical and the deal was approved by the league. Upon further investigation by the Dallas medical team, it was recommended that Roy have the surgical procedure done immediately, rather than let him try to play through the discomfort, like he had last season in Buffalo.
The Stars are saying that Roy will not play until November.
Roy was traded to Dallas last week for winger Steve Ott and D Adam Pardy.
Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware.
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Regier also acknowledged that he and Lindy Ruff had indeed met with future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek about a possible NHL come back.
Said Regier : "he (The Dominator) has no doubt in his mind that he can play."
Hasek is 47 years of age and has seen better days. He should shut it down and wait for the Hall of Fame phone call to come.
Regier quipped:
"I would love to see him back in the lague and hopefully he would play well -- in the Western Conference."
The Sabres meeting was more out of respect for Hasek than it was about exploring a Hasek return to the Sabres organization. Who knows, maybe they were setting the table for a retirement and commensurate raising to the rafters of Hasek's #39 sweater.
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5,073 Sabres fanatics escaped the 91 degree heat of downtown Buffalo to watch the prospects scrimmage.
The Blue squad won the scrimmage, 7-3.
Here are highlights, courtesy of sabres.com
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Different strokes for different folks. Or, is that, different chokes from different folks?
The Buffalo Sabres invited the Navy SEALs to train their rookies and prospects this week.
The Dallas stars invited the MMA into their rookie camp.
Former Stars badass, Brent Severyn, ran the Development Camp for Stars prospects this week. Severyn is a huge fan of Mixed Martial Arts fanatic.
Severyn incorporated MMA culture into the seven-day training camp just for a little extra flavor.
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We all know by now how deeply Mr. Mr. Pegula's love was, is, and always will be for the famed "French Connection" line of Robert, Perreault, and Martin.
Were it not for the French Connection having such a profound effect on Mr. Pegula in the mid 70s, perhaps he never would have developed the passion and the love of the game that would eventually inspire him and his family to become the owner of the Buffalo Sabres.
Great news!
The Buffalo Sabres today announced plans to honor the team’s renowned French Connection, one of hockey’s all-time greatest forward lines, with a statue outside of First Niagara Center. The statue will be part of a larger ‘Alumni Plaza,’ which is in the planning stages and will be set in the plaza directly outside of the arena. A special unveiling of the statue will take place on Oct. 12 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the French Connection first playing together in 1972.
thanks, sabres.com
Sabres President Ted Black said it best when he said:
“History has always been an extremely important facet of our organization’s philosophy,” said Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black. “We hope this statue and the surrounding ‘Alumni Plaza’ will serve as a proper tribute to all the great players who have made this franchise what it is today, while also serving as an inspiration to future Sabres fans and players that will keep us a strong and successful team for years to come.”
thanks, sabres.com
The combination of Hall-of-Fame center Gilbert Perreault, left wing Rick Martin and right wing Rene Robert is widely considered to be one of the greatest forward lines in NHL history and remains as the Sabres’ most celebrated offensive unit in team history. The trio, all of whom were French-Canadian, was dubbed ‘The French Connection’ – after the 1971 film of the same name – and played together in the Blue and Gold from 1972-1979. During that span, the Sabres went to the playoffs six times, including the 1974-75 Stanley Cup Finals, and the three were honored with a combined 18 NHL All-Star game appearances. All three are members of the Sabres Hall of Fame and have had their numbers officially retired from use. Perreault, winner of the 1971 Calder Trophy and the 1973 Lady Byng Trophy, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.
- To design and construct the statue, the Sabres commissioned American sculptor Jerry McKenna. McKenna, who is based out of Boerne, Texas, is a distinguished sculptor who is well known for his sports statues
- The statue will be the centerpiece of a planned ‘Alumni Plaza’ that will honor all former members of the team. Every Sabres player in team history will be immortalized on plaques that will be placed on brick columns throughout the plaza.
To read more about the "Alumni Plaza" project, follow this link:
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