Numba 3

I'm not a subscriber to The Hockey News, but thanks to the wonderful world of blogging and fan forums, I've gotten word that Ryan Miller was number 3 in THN's Top 50 players in their 2010-2011 yearbook edition. He was only behind Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin...shocking! According to Sabres Edge, the next goalie on the list is Ilya Bryzgalov at number 20.

It's awesome to see Ryan Miller being discussed in the same vein of Crosby and Ovechkin when it comes to talent, importance, and marketability. It's nice to see that has become another face of the NHL and it's certainly deserved.

Speaking of Ryan... He was featured on NHLPA.com's In Studio feature. It's just a short 2 minute interview where he talks about what music he likes (The Raconteurs), his hobbies (photography), and his best hockey memories. Nothing we haven't really heard before...but it's nice to see our beloved players during the offseason!



Can't believe it's already late August... The bad news is that I'll be going back to school in the very near future. I'm actually looking forward to it, but I could use a few more weeks of summer. But the good news is that hockey will be here before we know it. Soon, the players will start trickling in from their hometowns or wherever they spend their offseason, they'll play some shinny hockey together at the Pepsi Center, and then training camp will be upon us! Then there's some preseason and all of a sudden the 2010-2011 season will be in full swing.

Since August can be pretty slow in the hockey department, I decided to read "The Game" by Ken Dryden. It's a book that I've always heard about and everyone has recommended, and I decided that it was finally time to pick up a copy and read it. I have to say that it's an absolute must-read for any hockey fan...or anyone who is remotely interested in hockey. It is truly a gem. Ken Dryden gives fans an inside look into one of the best hockey teams in history and what it was like to play goal in Montreal during that time. He gives us a rare behind-the-scenes look into what it's like to be a professional athlete, from life spent on the road, what goes through your mind during a game, the celebrity of it all, the money, the affect it has on your family, your relationship between your teammates and coaches, and everything in between.

What impressed me the most is how timeless the book is and how it's still relevant today. The book was written in 1983 and a lot has changed in the NHL since then, but this book seems to stand the test of time. It's a testament to intelligence of Ken Dryden. It's truly a special book and if you haven't read it yet then I suggest you go out and get a copy ASAP.

It's A-Comin'...

...Hockey season, that is.

The Sabres have announced the date for this year's Puck Drop, which kicks of the start of hockey season! It's an all-day event occuring on September 18th which (scarily enough) isn't that far away. Which really means that hockey isn't that far away either when you really think about. What I'm excited for is the 40th anniversary jerseys they will be unveiling. I love the promo pic they used on the announcement:


Vintage!! (said in Regina George's voice)

The Sabres have also announced the team's preseason schedule. Preseason is always fun because the games are essentially meaningless, you get to see players from the minors that you probably haven't seen play before, and it gets you back in the swing of things when it comes to following hockey again. The Sabres only have two home preseason games this year, their first game against the Leafs on September 25th, and their final game on October 3rd against the Philadelphia Flyers.

I guess I should say something about Tim Kennedy. I'm guilty of not posting very frequently in the summer, and in result whenever something news worthy does happen, by the time I want to weigh in on it, the topic has already been beaten to death. My sentiments on what happened is that if this happened to a non-Buffalonian similar to Tim Kennedy's role, I don't think fans would think much of it. A lot of Sabres fans have been complaining over the past few years that the Sabres have a hard time getting rid of their dead weight and they seem to hold onto their players for too long. With Ennis coming along, Kennedy just didn't seem to have a role on the team anymore and the Sabres had to find a way to release him.

With that said, I think it also just flat out sucks how the events unfolded, and as a fan, I can't help but feel awful for him. I'm sure it was quite an unpleasent shock to Kennedy to find out that his hometown was taking the steps into buying out his contract, but hockey careers can take you on unknown paths sometimes and I'm sure he'll find somewhere to play eventually.

In better news, the Shaone Morrisonn (I almost spelled his name correctly without having to look it up! I only goofed up on wanting to add two s's to his last name) signing will be a nice addition to our team. The Sabres have also signed Williamsville native goalie David Leggio to back up Enroth in Portland. When I first heard of the news all I basically thought was, "Oh...that's nice." Then last night on the news I saw an interview with him....and, well why didn't anyone tell me he was so hot?


Helloooo, Mr. Leggio.

Ryan Miller might have some competition. Probably not in the goaltending department, but in the porn stache wearing department.

Observe...



I don't know... Does he have Ryan beat?



Someone doesn't look too amused with that notion...

By the way, if you type "Ryan Miller", on Google, the 2nd thing on Google's suggested search is "ryan miller mustache". This warms my heart in more ways than one.

Ahh, hockey...I've missed you.