Ice hockey players are back, and the Sabres rookies were on the ice at the Amherst Pepsi Center to kick off a rookie training camp that will culminate with the veterans joining them on the ice.
Lindy Ruff spoke at length to the media, and seemed to at the very least imply that the club would love to see 2008 first-round pick Tyler Myers show the ability to make the team. Ruff mentioned the "grind" as the No. 1 obstacle for Myers, whose only other option is to return to Kelowna of the Western League. If Myers does make the team and play 10 games, he must stay up or the team will have to count the year as a year on his rookie contract.
Ruff said that when he speaks to people around the league, the one question that always seems to come up is whether Myers will wear blue and gold come Oct. 3 against Montreal. The Sabres coach also joked that he keeps his skates on when talking to the blueliner to avoid being "intimidated."
For his part, the gargantuan Myers said he's excited to have the opportunity to make the big club, and said he accomplished his goals of gaining weight this offseason. The media also spoke with the other end of the spectrum, Nathan Gerbe, who indicated his goals are making the big club or bust. He noted a difference in rookie training camp after a year's experience in the American Hockey League, and responded with a prompt, "I've always been small" when asked about the difference between himself and Myers.
We also spoke with 2009 first-round pick Zack Kassian. The bruiser came equipt with a beard, and admitted he was nervous about his first day on NHL ice, but that those fears subsided once he got on the ice. Kassian noted the speed of game play as the biggest surprise.
Defenseman Chris Butler did not have to attend camp even though he participated in rookie camp earlier in the summer. The 22-year-old American played 47 games for the big club in 2008-09.
Myers is listed on the roster as No. 57, while journeyman defenseman Joe DiPenta sports the single digit No. 3. The only players with NHL experience on the rookie training camp roster were Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Mark Mancari, Weber, Marc Gragnani, and DiPenta.
can't wait t o see the kids in a preseason game in a couple of weeks
09/08/2009 2:39PM
bla bla bla
Love Lindy, but it's time to move on.....from everyone. So many dead branches(tallinder, hecht,lydman,paille,mair) on an old dead tree (management and coaches)...every time I hear Lindy or Darcy talk I want to puke...I'd rather see them go 30-52 than 40-42 so we can finally turn the page and start fresh
09/08/2009 2:42PM
bla bla bla
Every time I hear Darcy or Lindy's comments I want to puke....This team is a bunch of dead branches (mair,tallinder,lydman,paille,hecht) on an old dead tree (management and coaches)....rather see a 30-52 season than another 41-41 season so we can start fresh with a new gm, coach, and players
09/08/2009 2:51PM
wrong about myers
" If Myers does make the team and play 10 games, he must stay up."
That isn't true Nick. Myers can be sent back to Kelowna after 10 games. The difference is it will count for a year of his rookie contract. If he was sent back after 9 games, it wouldn't affect his service.
09/08/2009 3:04PM
why so negative
you guys must be a sabres fan and read the article to make your comments , so that doesn't say much for you !
09/08/2009 3:07PM
i agree with bla bla bla
instead of giving credence to ruff and regier, your station should be all over them for being so inept that they cannot even make a salary dump!.. if it were the bills, a web poll would be up, criticism would be rampant. but we get this puff piece about the "young sabres"..your station should just admit that you are in a constant state of bending over and ankles grabbed whilr larry and tommy g- stick it to ya!
09/08/2009 3:13PM
what the heck?
should they not write articles about the practice? what professional would show up to the first day of rookie practices and start some sort of angry blow-up about the offseason? wow.
09/08/2009 3:15PM
brains
a person with an ounce of credibilty comes to mind.. to answer "what the heck"'s question
09/08/2009 3:19PM
bills vs sabres
lets hope sabres season comes quick so we can be distracted from the horrendous season the bills are going to have...(is 3-13 too lofty by the way?)
09/08/2009 3:43PM
Turk Schonert?
He's got some freetime...
09/08/2009 3:47PM
Peca
Bring back Peca... Peca Grier = much needed veteran leadership and toughness!
09/08/2009 3:54PM
typical...
everyone jumping all over the sabres right now will be the same people standing outside the arena, watching it on a giant TV screen come playoffs. hypocitical, bandwagon jumping, idiots.
09/08/2009 4:05PM
WHAT ABOUT?
MAX, IS HE DONE? HOW ABOUT MOORE? AND STAFFORD, AND IS LALIME BACK?
09/08/2009 4:14PM
bandwagon buffalo fans welcome to the new season
Boy preseason isn't even here and all the bandwagon fans are out in full effect...off the wagon till we win 8 of 10 and then it's omg i need tickets to the sabres--then they'll lose 4 in a row(which happens in hockey) and they'll burn all of the memorabilia they just bought and so the cycle goes....
09/08/2009 4:18PM
Oh no
Oh no the fans are angry! Blow up the team, the sky is falling, get your supplies for the impending doom that will come upon Buffalo. If the Sabres are wining this year I want some of you naysayers to come on here and eat some crow. You won't though,you aren't man or woman enough to do so.
09/08/2009 4:59PM
Don't like it? Beat it.
Hey if you don't like the Sabres, beat it! Plenty of fans to fill the seats without you negative idiots. Save your time, don't watch the games, don't post on the site, and let us enjoy some news about the team. Go Sabres!
09/08/2009 5:09PM
Tall And Short
Of a playoff spot thanks to Regier1
Let's Make A Deal!!!
09/08/2009 5:12PM
excited
FOR HOCKEY SEASON!!!
09/08/2009 5:15PM
Comment
FIRE REGIER!
09/08/2009 5:34PM
wow so much hate
I don't know why there is so much sabres hating here. I think what everyone is forgetting is that not everyone can be the Detroit Red Wings. The difference between the Bills and Sabres are obvious the sabres went deep in the playoffs two seasons in the last four years. The Bills haven't gone deep in the playoffs since the early 90s, and haven't been in the playoffs for 10 years.
09/08/2009 5:36PM
Oh and don't forget....
I am Pittsburgh and everyone was super down on the Pens just before and a little after they let their coach go...and they made the playoffs. At that point the sabres were going to make playoffs and the pens weren't....I think we know how that worked out...
09/08/2009 5:54PM
darcy regier
is such a joke, when he finally gets fired he should work for the bills.
09/08/2009 5:59PM
Small and Sweet
Too many small sweet guys. There is not a team in the NHL that's scared of the Sabres . Bring your binoculars to the games so you can see all the midgets. They'll be the player in the middle ice areas surely not in the corners.
09/08/2009 6:17PM
I love it
Finally some real fans coming out of the woodwork and telling all the bandwagoners to go get lost....I wrote the bandwagon thread and loving all of the other fans coming out on here.. Why do all the haters realize that we really need nothing? All the teams that made big moves, went out and got a pommer or royzie for their own team we didnt have to we have those types of players.(imagine if all these players including hecht have a normal season, not even spectacular but normal) The ONLY thing we are missing is 1 more lockeroom/vet guy.. Add that in with van timmy c a world class goalie and one hell of an energy line and I cant wait for OCT 3 party in Hamburg---screw it i cant wait till the 17th to see the kids get a shot at the bigs
09/08/2009 6:30PM
joe, nyc
WOW ROOKIES! AND To think 3 all stars in 13 years who've been home grown..shills@
09/08/2009 7:11PM
Negative
Why do so many "fans" always talk so much garbage. Let the Sabres and Bills start their seasons and judge later. So annoying
09/08/2009 8:08PM
Ted Nolan
Bring back Teddy. Teams would once again fear the Sabres
09/08/2009 8:34PM
He has a shot at making the Team
I think Myers has a real shot at making the team. He has excelled at every level so far. He is pretty skilled and agile for a player his size.
09/08/2009 11:29PM
Oh Joy
I think we all know how this season is going to pan out if we dont get rid of waste products like hecht and get some more veteran leadership in that locker room. I guess all we can do at this point is cross our fingers bc i dont see darcy moving anyone before the season starts
09/09/2009 12:28AM
Can we just assume for one second
that we are not all smarter than the management of our teams. I know all of us are experts and should be GM's and Head Coaches, but obviously were not getting paid to do it so why don't we wait for the season to pass judgement. GO SABRES
09/09/2009 2:41AM
WTF?!?!?!?
I dont understand how they announce the opening of rookie training camp and everyone is already out for blood and calling for firings. calm down bandwagoners theres still 3 weeks till the start of the season you dont know how its gunna go. go hate on thebills theyre in a worse position by worse coaching and management. I dont think the Sabres are going to miss the playoffs this year. We should definatly be in the middle of the top 8.
09/09/2009 7:39AM
Bring back Ted Nolan? Really?
The guy couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag. He didn't couldn't keep his job with THE NY ISLANDERS!
09/09/2009 8:55AM
ass kissers
all the sabre shills, get a grip!.. mgmt is playing with you! i have to believe any person on here defending them are just gr staffers.. any sane person know that the mgmt are frauds.. wake-up..
09/09/2009 10:42AM
In love with his picks
For the last few seasons Darcy has let some of his best talent/role players go in favour of people he drafted.This team got soft and soft teams are inconsistent.You need lunchbox type players to help grind through the 82gm season and the hardest playoffs in sport.Bringing back Grier and signing Montador is a good sign he is finally catching on.Lindy is a top 5 coach and a grinder in his day.It must have killed him to coach all those wussies(except Mair) for the last couple of seasons.Oh and I left out Peters because he's a plug
09/09/2009 2:32PM
ted nolan?
really? did you really just mutter those words? i mean im all for bringing back a coach that rode the coat tails of dominik hasek...
09/10/2009 8:26PM
Ted Nolan
You guys must not remember the Nolan years. Best team ever to play in Buffalo.
The Jim Rome Show
Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm
Are you interested in Donovan McNabb as the starting QB of the Bills in 2010?
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