Sep

20

With the end of each hockey season, especially the disappointing ones, I go into hockey hibernation. That’s not to say that I completely forget about the best sport of all time, but without some sort of Buffalo title to celebrate, I focus on the non-ice aspects of the world. Which pretty much amounted to work, college, and the occassional baseball game.

All that changes now, though! Today marked the first day of the Buffalo Sabres training camp for the 2008-2009 season. Not only is my team returning, but so is Teppo Numminen. Yes: That blue-liner who only played in the very last game of the previous season has been cleared to play. Not only were his skills missed terribly, but I also believe that he brings an air of leadership to the team that is well-needed. Numminen may only be signed for one more year, yet his desire to continue playing in Buffalo after his heart surgery in 2007 points to a dedicated player that will always be welcome in the Sabres ranks.

What else is there to look forward to this season? In an abbreviated format:

In other news, Quinn said that play-by- play man Rick Jeanneret has signed a two-year contract extension. His contract and the contract of analyst Harry Neale now will expire at the end of 2009-2010 season.

The first regular season game for the Sabres is scheduled for October 10 @ 7:30 PM against the Montreal Canadiens: Start counting down the days!