Thanks, NHL
Ten years ago, the Buffalo Sabres hosted the first ever NHL Winter Classic®.
The ten year anniversary of the NHL's premiere outdoor event will feature the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers on January 1, 2018 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
"The Winter Classic made its debut under snowy Buffalo skies in 2008, and we look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of that landmark event by matching the Sabres with their intrastate rivals, the New York Rangers, in the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "With New York City as its host, the renewal of our New Year's tradition will continue to inspire hockey memories for our clubs, our players and our fans."
Both the Sabres and Rangers will be making their second appearance in the NHL Winter Classic®. Buffalo hosted the first-ever NHL Winter Classic® against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 2-1 shootout loss in front of 71,217 fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Jan. 1, 2008. New York defeated the hometown Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park at the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® on Jan. 2, 2012, by a score of 3-2.
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If you would have told me two weeks that Terry and Kim Pegula would hire their next Buffalo Bills GM before they hired their next Buffalo Sabres GM, I would have told you to jump in Lake Erie.
For the past week, Jason Botterill has been warming up in the bullpen. The Pegulas want to hire him but he is still in a committed relationship. Botterill cannot accept the offer from the Pegulas until his current employers the Pittsburgh Penguins wins or loses Game 7 of their series with the Washington Capitals.
The Pens once led their series three games to one, however, they have lost Games 5 and 6.
Today, the Pegulas hired Brandon Beane, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, to replace the deposed Doug Whaley. Terry and Kim love handing out five year contracts. Former head coaches Rex Ryan and Dan Bylsma once signed five year deals as did Tim Murray and Doug Whaley. The Pegulas have no problem whatsoever paying people to no longer work for their company.
New Bills GM Brandon Beane met with the Pegulas in Florida today. Termed 2nd interview, was really a formality. He agreed to a 5-year deal.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 9, 2017
Experience. Vision. Leadership.
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) May 9, 2017
Welcome to Buffalo, GM Brandon Beane! pic.twitter.com/16bwfXbAdM
The Pegulas will formally introduce Beane at a Friday 10:30 am press conference.
Win or lose in Game 7, the Sabres will have to wait until next week to introduce at a press conference in Buffalo.
Here's why:
Friday is off limits due to Beane newser.
Perhaps a Saturday presser would be acceptable but not likely. Sundays are out of the question.
Monday will likely be the day Terry and Kim Pegula introduce their new Sabres GM. Jason Botterill be thy name.
Botterill, 40, is a key architect of the Penguins' 2009 and 2016 Stanley Cup championship titles.
-In his 3rd season as Pittsburgh's associate GM and 10th overall with the organization.
-Promoted to associate general manager on June 6, 2014.
-Assists GM Jim Rutherford on all hockey-related matters, including scouting, player development, contract negotiations and salary cap management.
Oversaw the Penguins scouting and development staff that drafted, signed and developed many key contributors to the team's 2016 Stanley Cup title.
Played a key role in the hiring of Mike Sullivan as head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the start of the 2015-16 season. Sullivan would finish the season by leading the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title.
Spent 5 years as the Penguins assistant GM from 2009-14 and the 2 years prior to that as the team's director of hockey administration beginning in 2007-08.
His avant-garde approach and understanding of the salary cap has been a major asset for the Penguins.
Serves as GM of the Penguins' top minor-league affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).
The Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins have made the playoffs all 7 years he has overseen the team, including back-to-back berths in the Eastern Conference Final in 2013 and '14.
Botterill worked for NHL Central Registry and as a scout for the Dallas Stars before joining the Penguins.
Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet is reportedly the head coaching candidate that Botterill will select to be his bench boss in Buffalo.
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The Dallas Stars have acquired goalie Ben Bishop from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Bishop is a pending unrestricted free agent and is still not under contract for next season. The pick originally belonged to Montreal, and was acquired by the Stars in the Jordie Benn deal from earlier this year.
Tampa Bay traded Bishop to Los Angeles midway through the 2016-17 season. Former Kings GM Dean Lombardi was a fan of Bishop. I would say that newly minted Kings GM Rob Blake is not a fan of Bishop. Thus, the trade.
The oft-injured goalie played just 39 games played and finished with a .910 save percentage this season.
Dallas now has until July 1 to sign the pending UFA to a long term contract. But first, Dallas GM Jim Nill must say goodbye to one or both of his goalies. The Stars have failed miserable with Antti Niemi and Karo Lehtonen in their cage.
Niemi is entering the final year of his contract and will earn $4.5M AAV. Likewise Lehtonen who will count $5.9M AAV against the 2017-18 salary cap.
Paying up $10.3 million a year in mediocre goaltending is ludicrous.
Jim Nill fired Lindy Ruff in April. Under Ruff, and with Niemi and Lehtonen in the nets, the Stars failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs two of the past four seasons.