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Credit to Jon Bon Jovi. He wasted zero time responding to Jay McKee's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Bon Jovi is doing all that he can to flip the script and to win the hearts and minds of devoted Bills fans who do not trust the rocker's intentions. Bon Jovi met with the Wilson Family Trust earlier this week. He and his group want to buy the Buffalo Bills and move the team to Toronto. Bon Jovi and his partners are getting pummeled right now in the court of public opinion. On Saturday night, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reported that Bon Jovi has reached out to Bills legend Jim Kelly in an attempt to swing fans to his side as the Wilson Trust is reviewing the offers that were submitted by Sabres owner Terry Pegula, Donald Trump and Bon Jovi.
In an act of mutual desperation, the Jon Bon Jovi and Jim Kelly groups have had conversations about joining forces in pursuit of the Buffalo Bills.
Multiple sources on both sides of the border have told The Buffalo News that Bon Jovi and his Toronto-based partners reached out to Kelly within the past five days for a Hail Mary attempt to help salvage their beleaguered bid.
Kelly, unable to hook on with anybody else, has at least considered the possibility.
The News was unable to confirm where discussions between the groups stood Saturday night. But sources in Western New York, Toronto and Manhattan said talks have occurred.
Graham reported earlier this week that there is discord and dysfunction in the Bon Jovi group right now. Sensing that he's going to get eliminated by Pegula's proposal, Bon Jovi has pulled his proverbial goalie in an attempt to cut Pegula's resounding lead.
The next round of bidding will take place later this month.
Bon Jovi's livin' on a prayer if he thinks that he can out bid Pegula. Money is no object to Terry and Kim Pegula. Pegula is going to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Bon Jovi and his group have been doing feasibility studies on three new stadium sites in and around the Greater Toronto area. Bon Jovi speaks out of both sides of his mouth in that he may plan to keep the Bills In Buffalo until 2010 when he can opt out of the leases and take the Bills to Toronto.
Sabres and Bills fans don't trust Bon Jovi because he has ulterior motives.
Pegula is the people's champion.
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Will the Pegulas be hosting the 2016 NHL Draft?
According to a report , the NHL Draft will be held at First Niagara Center and HARBORCenter in Buffalo. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman may be traveling to Buffalo this week to make a formal announcement.
I remember being on the draft floor at The Aud at the Eric Lindros draft in 1991. The Sabres also hosted the draft in 1998 at the new arena.
The Sabres organization have also made a proposal to the NHL to become the permanent host site of the NHL Scouting Combine.
Source: allsportswny.com
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Those that know me, know that I have a lot of time for former Sabres D-man Jay McKee.
I've know him since he was a 20-year old pup in Buffalo. He's matured into one helluva great man and a passionate ambassador for the Sabres and the entire Buffalo community.
To know McKee is to know that he loves to pull practical jokes while chirping his teammates and friends.
Its all in good fun.
"Cheese" is never one to back down from a challenge. He's participated in the "Tough Mudder" event. He plays competitive poker. He's skated in the Red Bull Crushed Ice event at the brink of The Falls. He's blocked Zdeno Chara's 120 mph clapper a couple million times in his NHL career. He's fearless. That's why it doesn't surprise me that he has called out the three men who are dead-locked in a heated war for the ownership of the Buffalo Bills.
On Saturday, McKee took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, then immediately called out Sabres owner Terry Pegula, Donald Trump, and public enemy #1 in Buffalo, Jon Bon Jovi.
I can see Pegula accepting and performing the challenge from high atop the HARBORCenter in downtown Buffalo.
Trump's hideous comb-over will look spiffy if and when he accepts McKee's challenge.
Bon Jovi will likely duck McKee's challenge and force his guitarist Richie Sambora to take the ice bath for him. Pretty boy doesn't want to mess up his sassy coiff. Lets hold Bon Jovi to this challenge. If he stiffs and doesn't deliver, he will have top scratch a check to the ALS Foundation.
Look for McKee behind the bench of the Erie Otters this season. He was recently named to the Otters' coaching staff. Cheese will no doubt be selling Connor McDavid on the many benefits of playing for the Buffalo Sabres.
Well played, Cheese.
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Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray has accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Murray appears here with his good friend Chuck Fletcher, GM of the Minnesota Wild. Also, Minnesota Wild AGM Brent Flahr.
I love how Murray represents Buffalo by wearing his Sabres saucy mitts and logo gear. Beauty lobster pot, TMGM!
Nicely done, Mr. Murray.
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Twin 28s--- Zemgus Girgensons and CJ Spiller.
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Don't sell Chris Stewart short. The guy is motivated and ready to show his critics that he has more to offer.
The Sabres power forward told NHL.com that he's got the eye of the tiger this summer. After the Ryan Miller-Steve Ott trade, Stewart played in only 5 games for the Sabres as the result of a season ending injury. Stewart's been busting his hump while working out in Buffalo this summer and he's ready to prove that last season's low point totals and inconsistent play were just a fluke. He scored 15 goals and 11 assists in 63 games. Stewart wasn't satisfied with his overall game. He knows that he has much more to offer to Ted Nolan and the Sabres in 2014-15.
"I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," said Stewart. "I wasn't happy with my year last year, either. I feel like I have a lot to prove and it's just going out and doing it. I'm going to come in and I'm going to be consistent. I think that's been a knock on me. I've been able to put together good stretches and then go cold, but I think we have a coach like Ted Nolan who believes in you. I think it's going to be hard not to have the best season of my career so far.
"I've never ended the season on an injury before, so it's been a long offseason for me. I'm definitely ready to play some hockey."
Ted Nolan thinks that Stewart's ceiling is higher than the 28 goal plateau that he's reached twice in his NHL career.
"I think he's going to make a huge difference," Nolan said. "I'm a Chris Stewart-type of hockey coach that likes that type of player. He's big, he's aggressive, he plays with some spirit, he's got great hockey sense, got good size and he's tough. And he's going into his contract year. I'm quite sure he'll get back that form. If he's better, we're all better."
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Don't waste your breath telling Stewart that his team is in prime position to tank their season so that they can finished dead last in the NHL standings and select Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft. The additions of Brian Gionta, Josh Gorges, Matt Moulson, Cody McCormick, and Andrej Meszaros will improve the leadership group and will go a long way to helping to mentor Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno, Samson Reinhart, Tyler Ennis, Cody McCormick, Tyler Myers, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nic Deslauriers and the rest of the Sabres young core players.
" I think on paper right now there's no doubt in my mind that we're a playoff-bound team. We have some good players who are ready to take a step in the right direction and start leading. I think July 1st we took a big leap in the right direction and I think we'll be a team that definitely surprises some teams next year"
Stewart will become UFA on July 1, 2015. He's got a lot to prove to Nolan, Tim Murray, his teammates, and the Sabres fans this summer.
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Carrie Underwood's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Oh yeah, Mike Fisher was in it, too.
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