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INSIDE THIS ISSUE The NHL Trade Deadline Fast Approaching
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The Ice at Canalside - Worth the Wait
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2015 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championships - Tickets on Sale Now
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FEATURE ARTICLE - The Trade
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Teams Aim for Super Monday FEATURE ARTICLE - Empire Sports Network:
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g i n h a c o p r p a BY DAVE REICHERT
The 2015 NHL trade deadline will soon be upon us. Monday March 2nd is a highly anticipated day for both teams and fans. The 2015 trade deadline is one of the most eagerly awaited deadline days in recent memory for the National Hockey League. RADIO On the radio side, WGR550 AM in Buffalo, Toronto’s Fan 590 AM and TSN 1050 AM will all provide wall to wall coverage. If you are not near a radio on the big day, all three stations stream live broadcasts at their websites: www.wgr550.com, www.fan590.com and www.TSN.ca /radio / Toronto-1050.
TELEVISION The U.S. feed of the NHL Network will carry a live simulcast of Canada’s TSN television feed to keep viewers in the States up to date with the latest developments.
Many talented players who will be scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency in July could be in play. Sharks goaltender and Stanley Cup winner Antti Niemi, Toronto’s Cody Franson and Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green could be among those on the move for the right asking price. Some clubs will be in a retooling or rebuilding mode, and looking to trade pending UFA’s to obtain draft selections or prospects. For many general managers securing some value in return for a player who will walk out the door, next summer is a significant goal. The Buffalo Sabres could have several valuable free agent assets available at the deadline, as the franchise looks toward the future. Goaltenders Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirth and forwards Drew Stafford and Chris Stewart could all draw interest from playoff bound teams looking to add pieces for a postseason run. As fans prepare for what could well be a frenzy of activity leading up to the deadline, there are many ways to stay connected for news regarding player movement (refer to radio, television, and online sources on this page). While some players may still resign with their current teams prior to March 2nd, the 2015 deadline promises to be an eventful one. ONLINE SOURCES
Our publication, Western New York Hockey Magazine, will feature trade deadline updates and information at our website: www.wnyhockeymagazine.com www.thefourthperiod.com and www.mynhltraderumors.com are sites which feature news and updates for each team and the latest from the rumor mills. Eklund’s www.hockeybuzz.com features rumors grouped by team, including Eklund’s rumor chart, which gathers information from many sources and provides a breakdown of likely trade scenarios involving sought after players. This chart displays teams interested
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in each player and a percentage likelihood of each player moving to a particular club or staying with his current franchise. The hockeybuzz site also features a live weekday video podcast at 1pm Monday-Friday. The show offers a round table discussion of trade rumors and league news. The panel includes Eklund, as well as Kevin Allen, hockey writer for USA Today Sports. In Canada, outlets www.sportsnet.ca and www.TSN.ca will deliver extensive information, with TSN including a Trade Center Trade Tracker page.
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MARCH 2ND IS A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DAY FOR BOTH TEAMS AND FANS
5 he prolonged wait was worth it. At least in the eyes of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. when it comes to the first winter of operating the Ice at Canalside open air rink. The rinks, which are located on the historically-aligned, replica Erie Canal waterways, have attracted 42,675 skaters between its Dec. 18 opening date and Feb. 8. That includes recreational skaters, those who rented the ice bikes, curlers and pond hockey teams. Given that the rink was closed for several days during the Christmas week because of warm weather, the Ice at Canalside has attracted - on average - somewhere around 948 skaters per day. “It is an amazing number to me,” said Tom Dee, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. president. For the harbor development corporation, the larger than anticipated crowds means its generating approximately $200,000 more than originally budgeted. Just revenue from admission fees is $143,000 more than budgeted, with approximately $272,000 collected to date when $129,000 was anticipated. Sponsorship and other revenues are also greater than budgeted, giving the harbor development corporation the $200,000 anticipated surplus. So what does that mean? For starters, the controversial $865,000
unexpected allocation the agency made in December to Canalside’s operator, Global Spectrum, will be reduced to $665,000 - or less, depending on how the remaining six weeks of the ice skating season does in terms of revenues. The rink will be closed on or about March 18, depending on weather conditions, and transitioned into its summertime use for the canals. “The good news is that revenues are tracking favorably,” said Robert Gioia, ECHDC chairman. However, with larger than expected crowds, some operational costs may also be higher than budgeted. The agency has retained Freed Maxick to conduct an end-of-season audit in late March to determine how much of the $865,000 allocation will actually be paid to Global Spectrum. In other Canalside news: Dee said the debut of the lighted grain mills along Buffalo’s waterfront will likely be pushed back from early summer to later summer. By having a late summer debut, it allows crews to fine tune the lighting system and also take advantage of earlier sunsets. “If they debut in June or July, you really won’t be able to see much until later in the evening,” Dee said. The mill lighting can then tie into the opening of the 205-room Marriott hotel inside the HARBORCENTER and beginning of the new Buffalo Sabres’ hockey season. Dee also said he expects the much anticipated pedestrian and bike ferry ride connecting people between Canalside and the Outer Harbor will start by early spring.
2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships
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April 26 - May 3, 2015 at HARBORCENTER • Buffalo, NY
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The schedule for the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, which will take place April 26 to May 3, 2015, at HARBORCENTER, has been announced and tickets are on sale now. The IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships will feature eight of the world’s best sled hockey teams. Group A will consist of the defending champion Canada, Czech Republic, Norway and Japan. The U.S. will face Italy, Germany and Russia in Group B. All eight teams begin play on Sunday, April 26, highlighted by a rematch between the U.S. and Russia, who have met in the championship game in the last two major international tournaments. The U.S. defeated Russia, 2-1, in overtime to win the 2015 World Sled Hockey Challenge title and 1-0 to claim the gold medal at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Each team will play three preliminary-round contests and the tournament will culminate with the bronze and gold-medal games on Sunday, May 3. For a complete tournament schedule, please visit Buffalo2015.com. Tickets for the tournament are available at the First Niagara Center box office and tickets.com or by calling 716.855.4444. Individual tickets start at $5 and are also available as tournament passes (all-inclusive). The IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships was first staged in 1996 and is being held for the eighth time. The 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships marks the third time the United States has hosted the tournament, including Salt Lake City, Utah (2000) and Marlborough, Massachusetts (2008).
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THE ICE AT CANALSIDE HAS ATTRACTED LARGER THAN ANTICIPATED CROWDS
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BY DAVE REICHERT
n Wednesday, February 11th Buffalo Sabres General Manager Tim Murray executed a major roster transaction in an effort to accelerate the Buffalo Sabres rebuilding process. Murray moved two significant pieces of the team’s current lineup, defenseman Tyler Myers and right Drew Stafford. The transaction also included two forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and one of the Sabres first round draft picks in the upcoming 2015 entry draft. This package of assets was sent to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for left wing Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie prospect Jason Kasdorf. There is no question that Murray paid a high price in the deal; however the Sabres General Manager also obtained the most talented player in this trade. Forwards of Evander Kane’s age and caliber don’t become available frequently. Kane is just twenty-three years old and has already posted a thirty goal season. The native of Vancouver, BC is not only a physical power winger who goes to the net, but he also has the ability to put up points. In the past couple of seasons, the Sabres have set historic lows in the goal scoring column and Kane brings a much needed scoring threat off the wing. Kane had his issues in his time with the Jets and a fresh start in the Sabres’ organization could be the key to him reaching his full potential. Each of the main components of the swap could use a change of scenery. Stafford, an unrestricted free agent at seasons’ end has had a tough campaign, netting just nine goals in fifty appearances with Buffalo this year. Former Calder trophy winning defenseman Tyler Myers hasn’t lived up to the promise he showed in his first year and has been very inconsistent since his rookie season. Bogosian, a 24 year old native of nearby Massena, NY, possesses a highly skilled, physical, stay at home style. The Jets, being very strong on defense deemed Bogosian expendable in order to complete the trade. The move to the improving Buffalo blueline particularly at such a young age should bring out the best in his game. For Murray, this deal was needed. Remaking a team that has been at the bottom of the National Hockey league standings for the past two seasons takes many moves and elements to complete. Transforming a franchise into a Cup contender involves more than just one coveted first round pick. Drafting an elite talent like Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel won’t in and of itself translate into a Championship. Buffalo’s 2014 first round draft selection Sam Reinhart starred for Canada in the 2015 World Junior Championship and is poised to join the Sabres lineup next season. The New York Islanders drafted star center John Tavares with the first overall draft selection in 2009. It is now, years later, that the Isles find themselves in a position to challenge in the postseason. They have
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continued to develop the organization’s young talent and added excellent veteran defensive help in signing free agents Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. All of the moves combined to allow New York to the take the next step toward the ultimate goal. Despite any potential draft compensation, no organization enjoys losing. The management, coaching, staff, players and the fan base are all hungry for a better product and want to see the team succeed sooner rather than many seasons down the line. Murray has begun reworking the current roster prior to the draft, to speed up the rebuild process. No one focused on the development of the team wants to endure a five year retooling to become competitive. The changes made in the Jets deal will shorten the timetable of this revamp by a full season or more. The Sabres will continue to move players currently on expiring contracts leading up to the March 2nd trade deadline. Another move completed on February 11th sent unrestricted free agent goaltender Jhonas Enroth to Dallas in exchange for Stars backup netminder Anders Lindback and a conditional draft pick. Beyond Lindback, the compensation in the trade will depend on whether Dallas reaches the postseason and the performance of Enroth. Gaining additional assets for players who will leave the organization this summer is important. Draft selections aren’t always used to select additional young players. The picks obtained in UFA deals can be packaged for more immediate help. The biggest reason the Sabres were able to complete the Kane deal is because they possessed the cap room and available assets. While many teams had interest in adding Evander Kane, few could make the move work in terms of the compensation the Jets were seeking, as well as the financial ramifications. While it is not easy to part with Lemieux, Armia and a first round pick, these pieces were essential in order to secure Kane. In addition, Buffalo still maintains two first round draft selections this summer, even after sending one to Winnipeg in the trade. For the Sabres, from this point forward, even one more season at the bottom of the standings will not be acceptable. This two year stint in the cellar has been difficult to watch and must end beginning next fall. Even with the possibility of a franchise changing forward on the horizon, more talent needs to be added to move the team forward. Tim Murray was aggressive in pursuing the Kane trade and there will no doubt be many other player changes ahead as he continues to put his stamp on the roster. Not all changes achieve the desired result, but the potential benefits for the Sabres are significant. For Murray and the Sabres, this was a chance worth taking.
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EVEN ONE MORE SEASON AT THE BOTTOM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTABLE
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1 0 5 2 -2 016 SEA E H T R O F SON W E N The Buffalo Regals are pleased to announce they have hired the following coaches to support its organization:
The Buffalo Regals are proud to announce its SCTA/AAA coaches for the 2015-2016 Season:
Mark Metzger - Skating/Skills Coach
2008 Mark Miller
www.precisionhockey.net
Brandon Monin - Strength/Conditioning Coach www.oneupsportsandwellness.com
Bob Janosz - Goaltending Coach www.bobjanosz.com
These Coaches will be an ongoing resource that our Coaches, Players and Families can use throughout the season. Each travel player can expect to receive on ice skill instruction and off ice strength training throughout the season run by our new Coaches above. Please contact your Team’s Coach for more information about the program your team will be following, as there will be variations depending on your age group.
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2007 Duane Evans/Mark Nasca 2006 Paul Sullivan 2005 Rob Peters 2004 Gene Knaab/Steve LoVullo 2003 Terry Miller 2002 Tony Ricotta 2001 Brian Cox 2000 Jon Braun 16U Kyle Quick 18U Matt Barnaby
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BY DAVE RICCI
It’s the date every team in the WNY Hockey Federation aims for. The day champions are crowned and take that next big step toward a shot at states. Super Monday. This season, the WNY Federation, which is in its 25th season, will crown its champions on March 2, as the very best teams in the league descend on the First Niagara Center - home of the Buffalo Sabres. This year’s triple header line up will feature the Catholic championship at 4pm, Small School at 6:15 and cap off with the crowning of the Large School champion with a puck drop of 8:30. “The kids always look forward to going down and the Sabres always roll out the red carpet for us,” said Fed president Mark DiFillipo. “They treat the kids like they are professionals and it’s a big thrill for them and a big honor. I know the kids and the coaches all appreciate going down there and appreciate all that the Sabres do for them. We look forward to it every year.” Continued onto page 15
A portion of proceeds gacy” will go to “Lukey’s Le Foundation and the Myocarditis
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t n e m a n r u o T l ia r o m e M ld u o G e Luk 2015 unday, March 22, Thursday, March
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l Tr yout” teams e v ra “T r o t c le e S ) teams only, no L H O M r ith no curfew (o w e s s d u o o ri H e t p ir u te q u S in • m Games, 10-10-12 3 d e te n ra a u G • uling • Flexible sched hift changes s r fo rn o h o n y, fl • Change on the and 2nd place • Medals for 1st tors • Free for specta • $50 0 per team Contact Jim Bowen
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Ten Years Later by Bob Koshinski mpire Sports Network, the home of Buffalo Sabres hockey from 1991 to 2005, celebrates a somber anniversary in March. It was ten years ago that Empire Sports ceased operations as a regional sports network. The actual final day of transmission was March 7th, 2005, although operations actually ceased six weeks prior when all but two employees were dismissed. On March 7th, Engineer Dennis Majewicz was the last remaining employee and threw the switch to shut down Empire’s satellite transmission. Now ten years later, the vacuum left by the departure of Empire Sports Network has never been filled. Empire Sports Network was the idea of Adelphia Communications founder John Rigas. John and his son Mike first contacted me about the idea of creating a Buffalo based regional sports network in 1989, but it took two years to bring the idea to fruition. That was only after the decision was made to base it in Buffalo and not Coudersport, Pennsylvania where Adelphia’s corporate headquarters were located. Empire officially went on the air the night of December 31st, 1990, carrying a Sabres/Flyers game. Over the next five years Empire expanded to Rochester and Syracuse, but was still a somewhat modest operation. Programming consisted of live Sabres, Bisons and Pittsburgh Pirates games. Locally produced studio shows included Hockey Hotline, The Bill Polian Show, Sportsline, Thurman Thomas Show, Fan Forum, Pros and Cons, Not Just Sports, High School Highlights and a few others. It wasn’t until the fall of 1996 when Empire debuted the sports/news program Fan-TV that the network began to build additional viewership and migrated east to Albany and Binghamton. Fan-TV was live Monday through Friday from 4:30pm to 7pm with anchors Howard Simon and Jim Brinson. The two and a half hour sports news desk program covered everything from the Bills, Sabres, regional college teams and even high school sports. However, it was on January 22, 1997 that Fan-TV and Empire Sports grew beyond the perception of being just a local cable TV sports channel. On that afternoon Fan-TV broke one of the biggest stories in the history of Buffalo sports - Jim Kelly’s retirement as quarterback of the Buffalo Bills. The seed of the story began that morning as Steve Tasker, in New Orleans for the Super Bowl, hinted on a WGR radio morning interview that Kelly may be considering retirement. No other media outlet in Buffalo picked up Tasker’s comment, but for the next six hours the entire on-air and production staff at Empire Sports threw everything into the Kelly retirement story. Once confirmed by multiple sources, including Jim’s brother Dan, support interviews were lined up with Kelly’s teammates and highlights of the quarterback’s career were edited together. When Fan-TV broke the story at 4:31pm, viewers and the rest of the western New York media were completely caught by surprise. For the next two days, Fan-TV and Empire Sports was the go-to place for the Kelly story. The Network suddenly established itself as a serious player in the region’s sports news arena and became a daily must-see. Then in 1998, Adelphia and the Rigas family purchased the Buffalo Sabres and the focus on the hockey team expanded. In fact, when the Sabres advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in 1999, Empire Sports’ coverage of the team began each weekday at noon and continued throughout the day until the conclusion of Hockey Hotline some twelve hours later.
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Hockey Hotline was the Network’s single most popular program and was recognized by the NHL as the league’s most successful postgame show. With former Sabre player and broadcaster Mike Robitaille taking phone calls and
01 • 22 • 1997 Fan-TV broke one of the biggest stories in the history of Buffalo sports - Jim Kelly’s ret Continued onto page 12
EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK
HOME OF BUFFALO SABRES HOCKEY 1991-2005
tirement as quarterback of the Buffalo Bills
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Ten Years Later Continued from page 10
providing entertaining and informative dialogue with co-host Brian Blessing, the show maintained over half the viewing audience that had viewed that night’s game. The coverage that Empire Sports provided the Sabres day in and day out was the envy of the NHL. To the point, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was once quoted as saying, “If the rest of the league was covered like Empire Sports covers the Sabres, we would be as big as the NFL.” In fact, in 2001 a research survey conducted by Travers and Collins concluded that the Empire Sports Network was ranked as the region’s number one source for sports. Included in the survey were the three Buffalo television network affiliates, local radio stations and national cable TV sports channel ESPN. Empire Sports Network peaked in 2001 with over 1.7 million subscribers across New York, northern Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio. The network also had over five million viewers nationally on the various satellite services. It was also in 2001 that Empire Sports enjoyed a partnership with newly created all-sports WNSA-FM, also owned by Adelphia Communications. Utilizing the combined resources of both Empire and WNSA in the same facility, Buffalo sports teams received coverage never seen before or since. It was a great time to work at the Network, but that all soon changed.
none for the entities created by the Rigas family like Empire Sports or WNSA-FM. That was especially disappointing when it was discovered that Chief Operating officer Ron Cooper was born in Lewiston and a graduate of Lew-Port high school. At the end of the day the corporate mercenaries hired to run Adelphia discovered that the monthly $1.98 Empire Sports subscriber fee which was built into every cable bill would result in pure profit once the network was shut down and operational and staffing expenses eliminated. If Adelphia sold the network then that fee would instead go to the new operator. That represented a potential $21.2 million dollar annual swing at the bottom of Adelphia’s spread sheet. Something the bean counters in Denver would never allow to happen. Now ten years later, the fine Empire Sports Network on-air alumni are spread throughout the region and the country. At last check Howard Simon can be heard doing mornings on WGR radio, Jim Brinson is the morning host at all-sports KKSP in Arkansas, Mike Robitaille has retired from the Buffalo Sabres broadcast team but still does a weekly show on WGR radio, Pete Weber is the voice of the Nashville Predators, Josh Mora is an Engagement and Strategy Executive at Full Sail College, Mike DeGeorge is Director of Communications for Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo Police Department, Bob Trimble is Verizon Sales Consultant for Small Business in Continued onto page 18
Est. 1965
In 2002 the Security and Exchange Commission began an investigation of Adelphia’s finances and the Rigas family was removed from Adelphia leadership. The resulting bankruptcy began a decline for Empire Sports despite the Network’s healthy profit margin. In 2002 Empire Sports’ net profit was a healthy $10 million dollars, but that was small potatoes compared to the multi-billion dollar debt Adelphia needed to restructure.
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There were several near misses for Empire’s survival as the Hamister group planned on purchasing the network along with the Sabres, but when the bid fell through so did any real chance the network had for survival. The Buffalo Bills were interested as well, but Adelphia was not a willing seller.
Lunch Dinner Take-Out Drop-Off Catering Gluten-Free Menu Available Private Banquet Facilities
Eventual Sabres owner Tom Golisano and team President Larry Quinn chose not to buy Empire Sports when the team was purchased from Adelphia Communications. When the existing Empire contract expired the Sabres instead signed a new carriage agreement with New York City based Madison Square Garden Network.
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Next, the Adelphia Board of Directors appointed new CEO William Schleyer and Ron Cooper as COO and Empire’s fate was sealed. The pair were promised bonus payments of approximately $16 and $8 million dollars respectively to take Adelphia out of bankruptcy. They technically accomplished the feat just before selling the company off to cable TV giants Time Warner and Comcast.
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Empire employees found that Schleyer and Cooper had zero attachment to their work force in the Buffalo area and certainly
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EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK PEAKED IN 2001 WITH OVER 1.7 MILLION SUBSCRIBers
13 W ESTERN N ew York
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14 The Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association A n n o u n c e s
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SABRES ALUMNI WINE FESTIVAL
WILL NOW BE HELD ON THURSDAY MARCH 12 th • first niagara center • 6:00PM -9:30pm This event, co-sponsored by First Niagara, Labatt, BlueCross BlueShield of WNY, Fallsview Casino, and JW Danforth, was originally scheduled for November 20, 2014 but had to be rescheduled due to ‘Winter Storm Knife.’ All tickets for the original date can be used for the event on March 12, 2015. The Alumni Wine Festival will feature wineries and restaurants from Buffalo, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and beyond. Sample some of the finest wines and food that the Western New York and Southern Ontario regions have to offer while socializing with Sabres legends and their wives, as well as members from the 2014-2015 team. The festival will include music, auctions and raffles with unique items from the Buffalo Sabres and Sabres Alumni. Tickets are $75 each and are available on Sabres.com, at the First Niagara Center Box Office, or by calling Nick Fearby at 716-855-4452. All attendees are asked to dress in business attire for the evening. There will be complimentary parking in the ramp adjacent to the First Niagara Center. Please use the 100 level bridge entrance to enter the event. All breast cancer care Proceeds For anyone interested in a sponsorship package, please contact Teresa Belbas at 716-855-4588. Benefit in Western New York
Tom Branden Honored by USA Hockey B
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Tom Branden was the recipient of the USAH President’s Award of Excellence which was presented to him on Sunday, January 18, 2015 in Orlando, Florida at the USAH winter meeting. USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio honored Tom with the award recognizing his outstanding leadership, dedication, contributions and service to youth hockey, USAH and NY hockey stating, “Tom has given tirelessly to registration, member services and most importantly to the game. He has gone above and beyond expectations on behalf of USAH in promoting our sport.” Tom has been involved with many aspects of the game, and has seen it develop into the sport we know now. In his second term as the chair of the registrars section, Tom has embraced and assisted in the transition to the new web based registry which is making registration and the duties of the registrar much easier. He will continue assisting USAH in long term planning, centralizing data and using technology to further evolve the role of the registrar. Tom Branden started in hockey in 1987 when his son Mark began playing in the Buffalo Regals House Program. It did not take long for the club to recognize his leadership, talents and his willingness to volunteer and get involved. Over the next 14 years, he served as manager for various teams, board member and assisted with tournaments, local hockey events and fund raisers with both the Regals and Saints hockey
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clubs. He broadened his horizons as a board member of the Empire West Hockey League before being appointed USAH Associated Registrar in 1994 where he served for 6 years before his promotion to USAH District Registrar for NY in 2000. Tom has also managed the Empire State Hockey teams over the years and is an integral part of the player development for NY. Additionally, he is a level 4 coach, has taken many of the age specific module training, has been a team leader and has traveled with the U20 National Team overseas. Currently he is serving on the board of the Buffalo Sled Vets and when he is not working on something administratively for hockey you can find him at HARBORCENTER assisting with tournaments and providing guidance to the next generation of hockey volunteers. Even though Tom Branden has never played the game, his impact over the last 28 years has been tremendous. His leadership, dedication and passion to this great game, along with the countless volunteer hours, administrative skills, the instilling of direction and mentorship in whatever he does to help the hockey community, the game and most importantly the players, is above all others. Congratulations to Tom on the reception of this prestigious award and recognition of all his efforts. The President’s Award is selected by USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio. Since 2008, these awards have been presented at the USA Hockey Annual Congress and the Winter Meeting. The award is presented to an individual who has performed outstanding service and dedication to USA Hockey.
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TOM BRANDEN RECEIVED USA HOCKEY PRESIDENT’S AWARD of excellence
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Continued from page 8
The Super Monday pageantry also includes a pre-event media day that features the captains of all six teams competing on Super Monday at the First Niagara Center meeting with the media for pictures and interviews. Media day is expected to be held on Feb. 26. But before one picture can be taken or one question can be asked on media day, teams will have to battle it out on the ice for the right to play on Super Monday. And all three of the 2013-14 defending champions - St. Joe’s, Williamsville East, and Niagara Wheatfield - will have their hands full. Catholic School champion St. Joe’s turned a rocky start into a strong second half as they blazed all the way to the state championship. Senior Anthony Pontello, who stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scales at 200 pounds, is the core of a strong defensive unit that stands in front of goalie Ben Higgins. The Marauders went 24-4-1 in the regular season and received strong contributions from its Super Soph line of Trevor Conschafter, Jake Colosanti and Jeremy Ienco, who combined for 19 goals this season. Brendon Dallas leads Canisius, who remains the biggest threat to St. Joe’s, is returning to states.
Williamsville East (14-1-1) will pin much of its hopes on the shoulders of goalie Max Battistoni as they look to retain the Small School (Division II) title against a strong field of opponents. Hamburg appears to be the Flames’ strongest threat, as the Bulldogs downed them in the regular season. Hamburg also picked up statement wins over Orchard Park and Kenmore East. The Ken-East Bulldogs, who fell to the Flames at Super Monday last year, should also be watched. Defenseman Joey Spataro, who suffered a severe concussion in the league-opener against Will-East, is back in action and AJ Marinelli and Cullen Smyth have been tickling the twine.
North Tonawanda’s top line of Curtis Vivian, Zachary Warner and captain Sam Rydzewski might be the best line in the entire division. If goalie Christian McIntyre can raise his game, the Jacks have a legit shot at making it to Super Monday. Jaret Werner (19 points) and Brian Wasilewski (22 points) lead a West Seneca East squad that is also in the hunt for the DII title. In Division I (Large School), Niagara Wheatfield comes into the playoffs on a roll, winning 13 of 16, which helped them put a difficult 2-3 start behind them. Coach Rick Wrazin said Andrew Logar and the rest of his top line of Dakota Becker and Garrett Downie have combined for 53 points this season. James Stenzle has been a beast on defense for the Falcons who own wins over St. Joe’s, Orchard Park and Will-North, the team they beat on Super Monday last year. Tanner Juul is the only Spartan in double figures in scoring, but they do have some balance in offense as 14 different players have at least one goal. Goalie Nick Stafford sports a 1.23 GAA. Cole Schiffman (17 assists/22 points) leads OP.
Tickets will be available at the door at $5 a person. One ticket is good for all three games.
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the super monday pageantry includes a pre-event media day
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The Buffalo Niagara region has scored a hat trick when it comes to Hockey News’ annual ranking of the 100 most powerful people in the sport. Not surprisingly, Delaware North Chairman Jeremy Jacobs, who owns the Boston Bruins and is longtime chairman of the National Hockey League’s Board of Governors, was named the fourth most powerful person in the Hockey News annual rankings. Last year, Jacobs, 74, was listed as the 11th most powerful person. Besides owning the Bruins and Delaware North’s role as one of the top concessionaires in the industry, Jacobs was cited for his role in negotiating owner-friendly points in the league’s two most recent collective bargaining agreements. “Jacobs has pushed for a hard line on the owner’s share of hockey-related revenue and came out on both labor wars with wins,” Hockey News reported. “...the man (NHL Commissioner Gary) Bettman picks up the phone fastest to speak with.” South Buffalo’s Patrick Kane, the star Chicago Blackhawks right winger, was listed as hockey’s 22nd most powerful person. Last year, he was not rated. Hockey News pinpointed McDonald’s using Kane, 26, in one of its major promotions as an example of his clout and star power. “Kane’s status as America’s most talented and successful young player has vaulted him so high on the list,” Hockey News’ editors wrote. “And he’s got the potential to rise higher still.” Buffalo Sabres’ owner Terry Pegula, 63, was listed as the 27th most powerful individual, up from No. 45 last year. Hockey News said Pegula’s purchase of the Buffalo Bills for $1.4 billion was a key factor. “The natural gas kingpin is instrumental in the growth of NCAA hockey in non-traditional markets,” the magazine’s editors added.
THREE POWERFUL PEOPLE IN HOCKEY AFFILIATED WITH BUFFALO NIAGARA REGION
17 W ESTERN N ew York
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18 Ten Years Later Continued from page 12
Pittsburgh, Jason Bristol is Sports Director at WHP Ch 21 Harrisburg PA, Ginger Geoffrey is Director of Social Marketing at The Mac Groups, Brian Blessing is a host at Sportsbook radio in Las Vegas, Art Wander has retired but can still occasionally be seen on All Sports WNY with me on WBBZ-TV, Paul Maguire has also retired from his many national gigs and is still involved with the Bills Alumni, Jim Basquil is an ESPN Digital Media Talent and Chris Brown is a writer and on-air talent for the Buffalo Bills. I am often asked if another regional sports network could be successful some ten years after Empire’s demise. Certainly the Pegula’s have the necessary ingredients and resources to make it happen, although the landscape has changed greatly since Empire Sports last occupied a channel space on both cable and satellite providers. Still, owning Sabres telecasts and Buffalo Bills support programming would give the Pegula’s the type of leverage they would need to convince providers to bump downstate sports channels in favor of a Pegula Sports Entertainment entity. In my final staff meeting as General Manager in 2005, I told those in attendance that we were probably never quite as good as we will be remembered, but that we were pretty damn good. By that I meant that people tend to romanticize the past and will build up the memory of Empire Sports beyond what it actually was. Now ten years later and seeing what currently exists on our television and radios in the region, I was wrong. The Empire Sports Network was pretty damn good and earned the praise and fond memories that viewers have to this day. Yes, it was a pleasure and an honor to work with so many fine people who walked those halls at the Empire Sports Network and made so many good things happen every day.
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Empire Sports Network was ranked as the region’s #1 source for sports
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2015 - 2016 CHEEKTOWAGA WARRIORS SQUIRT/PEEWEE TRAVEL TEAM TRYOUTS ** ALL ALL TRYOUTS TRYOUTS HELD HELD AT AT THE THE CHEEKTOWAGA CHEEKTOWAGA RECREATION RECREATION CENTER CENTER **
Team Team Squirt Squirt Major Major
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Squirt Squirt Minor Minor
Ben Ben Dennis Dennis 716-440-4652 716-440-4652
Peewee Peewee Major Major
Scott Scott Hurd Hurd 716-481-1769 716-481-1769 Tournament Tournament Bound Bound Peewee Minor Steven Heatley Peewee Minor Steven Heatley 716-432-3336 716-432-3336
2006 2006 2003 2003 2004 2004
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