Saturday, March 16, 2013

Team report: Buffalo Sabres


One of my highlights of any hockey-hounding campaign is any time the Buffalo Sabres -- my hometown team -- travel to Hockey Bay to play the Tampa Bay Lightning. By and large, the Sabres are one of the better signing teams in the NHL. That, alone, makes it worth the trip.

Just as much fun, and maybe a little more, is the opportunity to commune with like-minded people. Over the years, I've found that while you can take the person out of Western New York, you can't take the WNY out of the person.

Kindred spirits, we are, rooting for the Blue and Gold.

On the Sabres' last visit, I was flying solo during the hounding adventure. Given work, school and hockey schedules, that's the way it will sometimes this season.

Still, that didn't keep me from adding another 24 autographs, including the 2010 American Hockey League All Stars Game puck, shown above, signed by Tyler Ennis.

Signing the pucks shown above were, from left, Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek.

For the record, Patrick Kaleta, a fellow Buffalo kid, also signed a puck and Steve Ott showed my resourceful nature. The rest of the haul came in cards:


Drew Stafford signed these four cards.

Also signing were:


Top row: Nathan Gerbe, Christian Ehrhoff, Jonas Enroth and Jochen Hecht; and
Bottom row: Cody Hodgson, Mikhail Grigorenko, Tyler Myers and Robyn Regehr.

4 comments:

  1. Ron, my daughter and I have received autographs from the Sabres in the past and Tyler Ennis is, by far, the nicest of all of the players to sign. He actually asked the fans if anyone else needed something signed (during one of the signing sessions after summer rookie camp.) Kaleta was willing to take a picture with my daughter too. Wishing the on-ice product was better this year!

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  2. He willingly signed the puck, but wouldn't add the "MVP" I requested. He probably had a case of dealeritis. But, he's always been good to us.

    I'm taking Colin out next Wednesday. We have some cards left and he has a Gerbe jersey he'd like to get signed.

    Hopefully, I won't forget items for Teppo Numminen this time.

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  3. Teppo shops at the Wegmans I used to work at in East Amherst. Super nice guy and his whole family is very friendly. Used to cut filet mignon for Pominville and Vanek. Once on the same day, within about 20 minutes of one another. They all live so close to each other.

    Ennis is a humble guy. I'm not surprised about the MVP addition.

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  4. I looked at the Vault for Numminen and already had him on pucks for every team he played for. Then I got too lazy to fish out some old cards.

    Funny thing about Ennis and the AHL puck. I asked him if he could add "MVP" to it and he said he couldn't. Still, was happy to add it to the collection.

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