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An open call for assistance from the Bfloblog reader community:

A couple years ago I bought a blank, blue, classic Sabres sweater. You know, the real sweater of the Buffalo Sabres. It has neither a goat head nor a “stylized, leaping yellow buffalo”. Anyway, I had meant to get it lettered and numbered a while back but I never got around to it. Then a couple weeks ago while the missus and I were moving into a new apartment I noticed it and decided that I should act now so it’s ready before the season starts.

What I need help with is this: where are the best, most reliable places to get a name and number put on? I’m looking for a place that will make it look real and with the correct font. I would just go to the Sabres store but their hours are 9-5 on weekdays. No, I won’t be taking a half-day vacation just to get my sweater numbered. Bonus points for anyone who knows of a good place east of Batavia. I’ll drive to Sloan or Blasdell if I have to, but I’d rather not.

As for who I’m going to put on it, right now I’m leaning toward either Foligno or Ruff. Guys like Perrault/Gare/Schoney were before my time, guys like LaFontaine/Mogilny/Hawerchuk are too popular, guys like Bodger/Krupp/Audette are serious considerations, and guys like Snuggerud/Priestlay/Presley/Creighton are only good for comic effect. Foligno was one of my favorite players growing up, but Ruff would provide for a nice link to the current teams. Then again I could always get Vaive and tape a rolled up white towel across the neck…

So if any of you guys know of a place, I’m all ears. Or if you have any input on the player I’d love to hear that too.

Just sitting back enjoying a glass of STFU…

BuffNews editor Margaret Sullivan takes the time every Sunday to inform us of how awesome a job her minions are doing. This past Sunday, she also gave us a warning about those nasty blogs, and how full of misinformation they can be:

After all, the common fare of blogs — which often have their own axes to grind and their own less-than-admirable motivations for publishing — often does not meet the standards of a responsible news outlet.

Fortunately, we have a responsible news outlet to let us know when hot Aussie movie starlets are dropping everything to save a local Buffalo theater for no apparent reason. That’s above the fold, baby! A1!

We are also fortunate enough to have those outlets tell us when their front-page story was likely fabricated and their sources were actually “show business websites.”

Maybe Mrs. Sullivan didn’t read her own “questions” from Sunday’s edition:

The Hoyt story brings forth all sorts of challenging questions. When do rumors turn into legitimate news? When does a politician’s personal life merit public scrutiny? What ought to be considered adequate sourcing for such a story?

I guess “blogs” are not adequate sourcing, but “show business websites” are. Glad we cleared THAT one up.

Thanks to BuffaloPundit for making all the links easy to find.

Not the type of attention a town wants to receive. The story of the hazing of baseball players in Wilson, NY makes ESPN.

JP stole the idea from a Canes writer who did an all-time Hurricanes team. So I’m stealing it as well.

All time team. Four forward lines, three defense pairs, two goalies. You can flop some wingers around if you must, but I’m going to try to play it legit. And I’m going to try to use just their time in Buffalo as the measuring stick, although if two guys are close, I will look at the whole of their careers. I tried to make line combos that made sense - if someone is a wing on the third line (Danny Gare) it doesn’t mean I consider him the third-best RW in Sabres history (because in my opinion he was the best)

What, you’re going to break up The French Connection? I did however remove Yuri Khmylev from the LaFontaine line and put HOFer Andreychuck in there instead (he did see time with those guys as well). If there’s one thing that probably should be changed it would be removing Lindy Ruff and sliding an out-of-position Pierre Turgeon or Miro Satan onto the wing with Hawerchuk and Gare. But neither of those were my “type” of players, so I stuck with Lindy.

I also couldn’t bring myself to put Alex Zhitnik on the list, although he may have brought some much-needed scoring to the back end, probably at the expense of Jerry Korab.

If it was based on total career, Tom Barrasso knocks off Donny Edwards.

Please feel free to spend the weekend discussing this vital issue.

- The Sabres have been busy signing warm bodies to play in Portland. Now that Buffalo is on the hook to stock a full AHL team, they are going to have to have about 6-8 guys who will likely never see the NHL, but are needed to round out the Portland roster. The latest signings are:

(note - most of this info was taken directly from the team’s press releases.)

LW Mathieu Darche:

Darche (11/26/1976, 6’1”, 217 lbs.) spent the 2007-08 season with Tampa Bay, recording a career-high 22 points (7+15) in 73 games. He also picked up 10 points (3+7) in four games with Norfolk (AHL). Darche has 24 points (8+16) in 101 career NHL games with Columbus, Nashville, San Jose and Tampa Bay.

RW Colton Fretter:

Fretter (3/12/1982, 5’10”, 187 lbs.) split last season between Bridgeport and Chicago in the AHL, scoring 15 points (10+5) in 26 games. In 2006-07, Fretter had 68 points (36+32) in 51 games with Gwinnett (ECHL).

LW Colin Murphy:

Murphy (4/11/1980), 6’0”, 195 lbs.) spent the last three seasons with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Last season he finished with 38 points (11+27) and 152 PIMs in 68 games.

C Tyler Bouck:

Bouck (1/13/1980, 6′’0″”, 196 lbs.) captained the Portland Pirates (AHL) last season, picking up 29 points (11+18) and 86 PIMs in 79 games. Bouck’s 11 goals matched his career-high set in 2003-04 with Manitoba.

LW Jimmy Bonneau:

Bonneau (3/22/1985, 6’3”, 220 lbs.) split last season between Hamilton (AHL) and Cincinnati (ECHL), picking up five points (1+4) and 66 PIMs in 24 combined games.

How does this impact the Sabres, you may ask? It doesn’t. Much. Two of them are 28-years-old, so they’ve been around and hopefully can show some of the kids how a pro prepares for games and offer some guidance. Darche is one of those vets who can calm down a frustrated youngster and show him the ropes. And hopefully Bonneau is a huge goon who will keep guys like Zagrapan, Gerbe and Kennedy safe. But other than that, you won’t be hearing their names in the HSBC Arena.

- Actually, that last statement isn’t entirely true. The Portland Pirates will play one game in Buffalo - a February 10th matchup versus Albany.

- The Sabres will unveil their new third jersey at the first practice of the year:

The Buffalo Sabres announced today they will be unveiling their new third jersey on Saturday, September 20, as part of “Puck Drop 2008” presented by Verizon FiOS at HSBC Arena. This day-long event will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to share in the excitement of the first day of training camp with a full day of events, including the opportunity to purchase individual tickets for the new season. Admission and HSBC Arena ramp parking are both free.

When the Sabres hit the ice for their first full practice of the season, fans will get their first look at the team’s new third jersey that will make its debut during the 2008-09 NHL season. The jersey features a modernization of the team’s vintage design elements, while incorporating the latest in sports uniform technology.

Other “Puck Drop 2008” events include: the debut of the 110-foot long Winter Classic mural in the HSBC Arena pavilion; live music in the Plaza area from Noon-2 p.m., with food and drink available for purchase; and a Sabres Kidz Zone.

Oh, good! More jersey stuff for people to spend hours and hours obsessing over. Me, I’m bored with all of it. The only Sabres stuff I own has the original logo on it, and the only Sabres stuff I will ever own will have the old logo on it. If the third jersey looks close to that, then I’ll buy it. If not, I won’t. Yup, I’m old-school grumpy like Andy Rooney here. And nice to see the Sabres will be replacing the mural a little quicker this year. Having Danny Briere and Chris Drury staring at me on the way in to the home opener last year was unpleasant.

- Someone was kind enough to point out to me that Bucky Gleason thinks signing Teppo Numminen was a bad idea. Shocking.

- Speaking of Sabres Edge, Mike Harrington points out that the Sabres are on Versus eight times next year, tied for the most appearances with Pittsburgh, Boston, Minnesota and the Rangers. Versus loves the ratings boost that the Sabres give them, and Pittsburgh’s numbers are second only to Buffalo’s. Minnesota, Boston and NY all make the needle move as well, so clearly Versus let the ratings choose their slate. I do find it interesting that one of the Sabres games is a Toronto game (in Toronto), since Toronto hurts Versus’ numbers by bringing in a zero. But that’s essentially the same as broadcasting a game with Carolina or Atlanta (total combined Vs. appearances - three). Full schedule here.

- Is everyone aware that the UB Bulls are currently scheduled to have nine of their 12 football games on TV this season? Time Warner is airing four home games, with Howard Simon and Brian Koziol doing the announcing. And Lord knows I like to bang on Howard Simon, but I will say that he is very professional and prepared when calling the UB games. A little too much forced excitement on occasion, but he does his homework and he is an asset to UB. Four other games are on ESPN2 or ESPNU, and an additional game will be on SNY. Baby steps, I guess.

- With the NFL having total control of every pixel of highlights from games, you have to head to NFL.com to see any highlights. So, the Bills-Steelers highlights are here. McKelvin’s kick return is here.

- A friend and fellow blogger sent along this website, which is a treasure trove of obscure jerseys and snark. He also sent me this video, which is so sweet it’s magical. Apparently, it’s also dated, but I’ve been AFK for a while now.

What the hell does this statement mean? (Emphasis mine)

“I think it’s the first of many steps,” Rogers vice-chairman Phil Lind said yesterday. “It’s a major step because the Bills are now officially ensconced in Toronto, as a team. And they’ll be here for five years, and we have a minimum of eight games — a minimum of eight games — so they’re going to be here. They’re now part of the Toronto scene.”

Clearly, Rogers Communications expects to buy more games from Ralph Wilson. And, make no mistake, the term “buy games” is exactly what is occurring here.

I also got a kick out of this one:

“Some people will look at this thing tonight and see that not every seat is filled and they’ll say, ‘You see? Nobody likes the NFL in Canada,’ ” Lind said. “What a ridiculous thing to say.”

He pointed to Buffalo’s pre-season opener in Washington last weekend, where at least a third of the stadium sat empty. The Redskins are one of the more profitable teams in the NFL.

“All I know is that there are going to be more fans in this park than there’s been in most, if not all, NFL parks in the pre-season,” Lind said. “Ask me in December if there are any seats kicking around because, already, we know what the demand is for December. It’s huge.”

(again, my emphasis)

Just to be clear, the Bills have sold out all their home games this year except their “home” game in Toronto. So let us not lecture anyone about the “demand” for tickets in Toronto. That’s right, you can’t buy a Bills ticket for any game in Orchard Park, but plenty of good seats are available to watch them play in Toronto.

And is anyone saying “nobody likes the NFL in Canada?” Lind’s attempt to use a false argument to support his position is the only “ridiculous” thing I read there. I would say that “nobody wants to be gouged for ridiculous prices to watch an event they can see for 1/4 the cost by driving to Orchard Park” in Canada. As was stated by a commenter in a Toronto paper, you could buy four tickets to a Bills game in Buffalo and hire a limo to drive you from Toronto for the price of two tickets to the event in Toronto.

Again, I have no doubt that the game in December against the Dolphins will be a real sellout, as opposed to the farce that Rogers Communications is pulling tonight. But it’s fun to see it all blow up in Professor Dickweed’s face.

- When the biggest news is the return of Teppo Numminen to the Buffalo Sabres, you know you didn’t miss much in the way of big news. To me, the Teppo signing is not that big a deal, but I would rather have him than not have him. With that move, and various comments from the Sabres implying that Teppo will be a regular on the blueline, then the Sabres top-six appear to be Tallinder, Lydman, Spacek, Rivet, Numminen and Sekera. Logic tells me that Paetsch stays up as the emergency seventh defenseman, while also able to spell Numminen on occasion. That means Weber heads to Portland, but likely gets the nod as a longer-term injury replacement over Paetsch if someone goes down. It also means the end to Nolan Pratt’s short career in Buffalo. Assuming we say it’s a Numminen for Pratt trade, I think the Sabres come out ahead. Pratt’s primary method of getting the puck out of the zone was to chip it off the boards, which means your team may or may not end up with control of the puck. Numminen always looked to pass first, and he is excellent at getting the puck out of the zone while allowing his team to maintain possession. That’s a big boost to the offense and the transition game.

- Apparently, even Canada knows what a dickweed Professor Dickweed is:

By agreeing to pay the Bills $9.75-million a game, and with 54,000 seats to sell at Rogers Centre, tickets to see the Bills in Toronto had to average roughly $200 each just for the operation to break even at the gate.

Had Rogers Communications president and chief executive officer Ted Rogers and his gang got that message out, it might have softened some of the sticker shock that seems to have turned many fans away.

Instead, Ted Rogers set the tone at last February’s news conference announcing the series by following up a promise that some tickets would be less than $100 each by putting two fingers in the air and saying “Two,” accompanied by a smile that seemed aimed at those who were being priced right out of the market.

Just read the comments to the linked Globe and Mail article. Canadians know Rogers is trying to screw them.

- In a related note, I see I received a couple e-mails from the people at “Bills in Toronto” during my sabbatical. Seems the good folks of Toronto are going to have themselves a nice, friendly tailgate party tomorrow night. That’s two-and-a-half hours of gen-u-wine Toronto football craziness before the game. Just make sure you tailgate there and there alone, because the local gendarme will be looking for illegal tailgaters.

“There will be no tolerance for unofficial tailgating,” warns Toronto Police Superintendent Hugh Ferguson, who heads the 52 Division responsible for patrolling around the Rogers Centre.

Man, that sounds awesome! Just like the real NFL experience I have always dreamed about. I’m sure the food and drink are at eminently reasonable prices as well. Despite the sheer suckitude of a tailgate party where no cars, food or booze are allowed, some PR douche is throwing down the tailgate gauntlet:

“I think there’s a certain skepticism among the intelligentsia of the American sporting world that we Torontonians can tailgate with the best of them, so here’s our opportunity to show them that we’re up to the challenge,” he said.

“If there’s any way to issue a challenge to Torontonians … to show the world our tailgating skills, I think we should do it. Let’s raise the bar. They’ve got to represent too.”

I boldly predict that more people attended the Sabres “Party in the Plaza” for any one playoff game in 2007 than will attend this sterile tailgating experience. Oh, and plenty of good seats still available for tomorrow’s game.

- As for the Bills, it seems I’m not the only one who wondered why Trent Edwards say hardly any playing time at all against Washington. Why do NFL coaches insist on “doing what they have always done”? The kid needs work, and the whole first-team offense needs work. Get them the reps tomorrow in Toronto.

- Watching the game on Saturday, I couldn’t help but notice that Ashton Youboty played what appeared to be the entire game. I’m sure he didn’t, but all that playing time under game circumstances will help this young and inexperienced - but talented - corner. Do not be surprised if he ends up challenging for a starting spot this year.

- Remember when you once thought that RB Dwayne Wright had a chance to be good? I don’t even see how he makes the squad this year.

- Apparently, it’s a “make-or-break” season for the Sabres.

- As far as I know, Kelly from Byzantium’s Shores is the longest-tenured blogger in the Buffalo Blogosphere. It saddens me to have to now write that he “was” the longest tenured.

All for now. Next thing you know I’ll find out something wild like Brett Favre came out of retirement.

I’m dumbfounded. I really am. With the exception of Teppo’s new contract last week, I honestly can’t think of a single hockey-related thing to blog about right now. It’s too summery. There’s the Olympics to watch. Baseball is heating up (and the Cubs are still looking good!). The NFL is gearing up and will become relevant again in a couple more weeks. And yet, I keep seeing new posts on hockey blogs everywhere. The fact that Mirtle has been averaging three posts a day in August is batty. But crazy as it seems to me, a lot of what I’ve been reading is good stuff. So good that I wanted to touch on some of what I feel are the better posts from the past couple weeks.

First up is this nice rundown by Mike Chen on which teams are currently over the cap ceiling or under the cap floor. The part I found most illuminating was where he lists the players that are most likely to be given away to get their current teams under the cap, along with their current salaries:

Nikolai Khabibulin ($6.75 million)
Kyle McLaren ($2.5 million)
Adrian Aucoin ($4 million)
Mathieu Schneider ($5.6 million)
Mike Knuble ($2.8 million)
Viktor Kozlov ($2.5 million)

Take a look at that list and tell me who you think is worth the number next to their name. McLaren, Knuble and maybe Kozlov are the only ones I’d take at those numbers, and even then I wouldn’t be thrilled about it. The fact that somehow, somewhere, Adrian Aucoin will collect $4 million this season makes a part of me die inside. I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s lists like this that make me glad the Sabres have the GM they do.

Next up are two posts from a blog I mentioned earlier in the summer, Here Come the Hawks. The first is a post about how, now that the Hawks are getting some attention in Chicago, the United Center will be “the place to be”. The downside to this, as many of us real Sabre fans can attest to, is that popular hockey teams often attract some pretty un-savvy hockey fans spectators. My favorite line:

It’s probably preferable to when there were 7,000 of us watching Paul Kariya score his 4th goal against us of the evening, but there will come times when we won’t be so sure.

The second post from HCTH deals with team photos of their new draft picks:

Why does every draft pick have to have the same few poses like they’re the gayest senior portraits the world has ever seen…

Good question. Great post.

Lastly we go from drunken posts about photo shoots to a heady, in-depth post by Mirtle titled “The NHL’s Salary Structure: Part 1“. Yes, a multi-part analysis of the NHL’s salary structure. Honestly, I haven’t even read the whole thing yet. All I know is it’s long, contains data plots, and was written by James Mirtle. It’s got to be worth your time.

So kudos to the bloggers out there who can still churn out so much hockey content in August. About the only thoughts I’ve been having about the NHL lately are “Did Pommers sign?”, and “How many more days till training camp?”. Unfortunately the answers are still “No”, and “Still another month”.

I’m back to real life after taking a nice week off to hang with the family. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re older and wiser, or have already lived through two newborns, but this first week has been so much easier than the last couple times.

I’m not sure what I missed over the last ten days, and I know it will take me a day or two to catch up, but I’ll be back to posting on a regular basis over the next 24 hours.

A few commenters caught this in the post below, but I figured it deserves its own post. From WGR:

The Sabres have signed veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen to a one-year contract today. Numminen missed all but one game last season with a heart ailment. The 40-year old underwent successful heart surgery in September of 2007. The deal is worth $1.1 million.

$1.1 Million? That works for me. I’ve long subscribed to the idea that his absence last year hurt more than the loss of any co-captains. And if this is the year that Sekera becomes a full-time NHLer (which all signs point to), then having daily interaction with Teppo will be a huge boost to his development. If his guidance can help turn Sekera into our future #1 defenceman, that’s worth more than three Brooks Orpiks combined.