Buffalo News - 01/05/2019 Copy Reduced to 48% from original to fit letter page Page : C05 The Buffalo News/Saturday, January 5, 2019 C5 Hockey Sabres’ skills challenge is geared toward thrilling fans Autograph sessions with per day, according to Jureller. 27 alumni are on tap Though the NHL All-Star Game has its critics, the weekend’s annual By Lance Lysowski skills competition is universally liked among hockey fans. Players also seem NEWS WIRE SERVICES to enjoy the event — Chicago’s Patrick On what would typically be a qui- Kane famously wore a Superman cape et practice day for the Buffalo Sabres, during the 2012 Super Skills Competi- thousands of fans will gather inside tion — and the Sabres are no different. KeyBank Center on Sunday for an Their unusual first half of the sea- event unlike any in franchise history. son hasn’t changed that. Entering play The Sabres will host their first today, Buffalo had played 14 overtime skills challenge at 12:30 p.m., when games, including 10 in a 14-game span players will be split into two teams to between Oct. 27 and Nov. 30. compete in five events: the shootout, This event offers a lighthearted hardest shot, shooting accuracy, 3-on- break from the rigors of the season. 1 power play and a puck control relay. Rookie center Casey Mittelstadt had Twenty-seven alumni, including yet to give much thought to which Dominik Hasek, Gilbert Perreault and events he would compete in, but he Rene Robert, will sign autographs. As was expecting the friendly trash talk of Thursday night, more than 10,000 between teammates to ramp up. tickets had been sold despite the event “I’m sure somehow it will get pret- being held on the NFL’s wild-card ty competitive,” Mittelstadt said. “It playoff weekend. All proceeds will seems like it always does with us. Ev- benefit the Buffalo Sabres Foundation. eryone wants to let loose, have the Organizing such an event is no families around and have a little bit small feat given the Sabres’ grueling of fun.” schedule, which has forced coach Phil Each player is expected to compete Housley and his staff to become cre- in two or three of the five events, and ative on days between games. everyone will participate in the shoot- “We don’t want to disrupt their out. Points will be awarded to each schedule,” Rich Jureller, the team’s vice team throughout. president of community relations and Though he is unlikely to partici- president of the Sabres Foundation, Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News pate because of injury, Jack Eichel is said. “I don’t ever want that to come captain of a team that includes Mittel- back on us and have people say, ‘Well, Sabres Jeff Skinner, left, and Jason Pominville will be on opposite teams Sunday during the team’s skills stadt, Linus Ullmark, Vladimir Sobot- the team wasn’t rested because they challenge at KeyBank Center. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Buffalo Sabres Foundation. ka, Jason Pominville, Conor Sheary, were doing community things.’ At the Evan Rodrigues, Remi Elie, Marco same time, Jason [Botterill], Phil [Hou- lows fans to engage with current and the event could fit into the schedule. town to attend the skills challenge. Scandella, Jake McCabe, Matt Hun- sley], Terry [Pegula] and Kim [Pegula] former players. The first three months of the sea- Former players will be set up at wick and Rasmus Ristolainen. have been very, very generous. They un- Other teams in the NHL, including son weren’t ideal, so they agreed on various locations throughout the 100 Jeff Skinner will captain Scott Wil- derstand these things are important, the Vancouver Canucks, have received Sunday, the first of two days between and 200 levels of the arena from 11 son, Kyle Okposo, Johan Larsson, Sam whether we’re raising money or we’re a positive response from their fan bas- games. The Sabres will face the Bos- a.m. until noon. Fans will receive a Reinhart, C.J. Smith, Tage Thomp- providing our fans with an opportunity. es after holding similar events. The ton Bruins tonight in TD Garden and ticket to one autograph table, to which son, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Bogosian, It’s important we do it. The scheduling Sabres held an annual open practice won’t play again until Tuesday against alumni will be randomly assigned. Lawrence Pilut, Nathan Beaulieu and is always tenuous, but we get through at The Aud in the 1970s, which was New Jersey in KeyBank Center. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Carter Hutton. it and I appreciate their support of it.” extremely popular among fans. Once a date was agreed upon, Ju- The timing also proved to be per- “It’s been really exciting,” Jureller Jureller and his staff have brain- When the league’s schedule was reller’s staff began contacting Sabres fect. The Sabres announced the event said. “It reaffirms the popularity of stormed the idea of a skills challenge released last summer, Jureller ap- alumni, many of whom still live in the Dec. 3, only four days after the team’s this team. … It will be fun. There’s a over the past few years because it is a proached Botterill, the Sabres’ gener- area. Only Hasek, Robert and Per- 10-game winning streak ended. Tick- lot of skill on the team. This will show- low-cost, family-friendly event that al- al manager, and Housley to see when reault traveled to Buffalo from out of ets have sold at a rate of roughly 100 case it.” Hasek wishes seniors a happy New Year AHL Nylander, Amerks win in shootout NEWS WIRE SERVICES Alexander Nylander scored the winning goal in the fifth round of a shootout Friday night as Roches- ter topped Laval, 3-2, to open a two- game American Hockey League se- ries. It was the second shootout win in as many games for the Americans, who are now 22-11-2 and still in first place in the North Division. They also impoved to 1-1-0 when tied after two periods. The loss dropped the Rocket to 14-16-3. They are in sixth place in the North. Just as in Wednesday’s game against Bridgeport, Rochester fell behind early when the Rocket’s Da- vid Sklenicka got a shot past Amerks’ goalie Scott Wedgewood. Nylander tied the game at one goal apiece, but Laval regained its lead minutes later with a power-play goal by Alex Belzile. Seconds before the second inter- mission, winger Judd Peterson tied the game 2-2 on a pass from Zach Redmond. It was Peterson’s first career goal and point in the AHL. The score remained tied for the rest of regulation. Victor Olofsson had a chance to end the game in overtime on a break- away, but a highlight-reel save from Rocket goaltender Michael McNiven John Hickey/Buffalo News sent the game to the shootout. Hasek returns: Hall of Fame and former Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek signs a shirt with the help of Linda Zynda, a staff coordinator at Buffalo Center, for Daniel McNiven ended the night with 32 Higgins in Buffalo on Friday. Hasek, who is in town for the Sabres’ skills challenge, wished seniors a happy and healthy New Year. saves. Wedgewood stopped four out of five shots in the shootout. He finished with 22 saves. Wayne Simpson scored in the sec- NWHL ond round of the shootout before Bel- zile solved Wedgewood in the third round. Beauts will take on league-leading Boston for Kids Day Neither team scored in the fourth, and Nylander was able to hit paydirt in the fifth to win the game. Pride have won four ships in 2016 and 2017. Boston is on a four-game win lies. Penalties, which had been a prob- Boston (7-2) in its last game es- streak with victories over the Con- Elia also was named the VEDA lem in earlier games this season, straight games caped with a 2-1 overtime victory necticut Whale and Metropolitan Player of the Week after posting were generally a nonfactor Friday. over Stamford on Dec. 30. Riveters, and two wins over the four points in Buffalo’s 4-0 win over Three Amerks were sent to the NEWS WIRE SERVICES Hayley Skarupa recorded the Minnesota Whitecaps. Minnesota on Sunday. penalty box for high-sticking, trip- game-winning goal for the Pride. The Pride scored five goals or Both women are at the top of the ping and interference, respectively. The Buffalo Beauts will contin- She leads the team with 11 points. more in three of those wins. NWHL leaderboard in scoring. Laval’s second goal came on a ue their quest for the Isobel Cup to- Not far behind her is three-time Nichols graduate Hayley Scamur- It will be Kids Day at the Harbor- power play after Dalton Smith went day when the league-leading Boston Olympian Gigi Marvin, who has ra, who is from Williamsville, Center; children 15 and under can to the box for interference. Pride comes to the HarborCenter scored with nine points. leads the Beauts (5-4) with 15 points. watch the game for $5. Adults will Rochester and Laval will conclude for a 1:30 p.m. game. Marvin, 30, won a gold medal for Fellow Nichols graduate Mad- pay the regular admission price of their two-game series today at 3 p.m. The meeting has been named the the United States when she scored die Elia, who was extended by the $20.