At the time of this writing Sherry Bassin was on the verge of making his official bid to purchase the Buffalo Sabres. Frank DuRoss and Mark Hammister were still very much alive in the Sabres derby but Sherry Bassin is the name on everyone’s lips. As the Bassin name moves to the head of the pack another familiar name has also resurfaced. Actually, it’s a name that’s never really gone away. Ted Nolan.

Nolan forever etched himself in to the hearts of WNY hockey fans by turning a bunch of inexperienced kids with limited skills into "The hardest working team" in hockey. Win or lose, Nolan’s boys came to play every shift, every night, every game. They were relentless on the attack and they were the perfect example of team toughness. Other NHL teams dreaded playing against Buffalo. Ever since Ted collected his final paycheck from the Sabres, fans have cried out for a return to the Nolan era. A return to those days when the Sabres were a team you didn’t want to play. Even though Lindy Ruff has taken the Sabres to places Nolan hasn’t (Conference and Cup finals) many fans would take Nolan back in a heartbeat.

Talk of Nolan coming back is far from new, but with Sherry Bassin emerging the front runner to purchase the Sabres, Nolan’s return becomes more than just wishful thinking. It’s a distinct possibility. Nolan and Bassin were the architects of the powerful OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of a decade ago.

The Sabres are in a push to sell tickets. Fans want to buy tickets, but they also want a reason to buy. They seem to be waiting for some type of earth shattering move to shake things up. Come on Buffalo, admit it. If you heard Ted Nolan was rehired, you’d fall out of your seat. Visions of the "Nolan era" team would come rushing back and you’d try to be the first in line for "Teddy’s return."

No doubt a Nolan return would give ticket sales a shot in the arm. Be sure if Bassin were to hire Nolan, it would be for more than just ticket sales. And it won’t be just for friendship sake. If Bassin hires Nolan it’ll be because he feels Nolan can get the job done. So the question that now arises: can Nolan do a better job than Ruff?

Nolan was thought by most to be a strong motivator, but he didn’t quite posses the "X’s" and "O’s" knowledge of the game the way Ruff does. Ruff might be able to draw up better game plans than Nolan, but what good is a great game plan if your players aren’t listening anymore? The Sabres have grown stale and complacent under Ruff. Many believe this team needs an injection of Nolan magic to get their competitive fires burning again. The Sabres were never lazy under Nolan. Too bad we couldn’t take the best qualities from Ruff and Nolan and build a darn near perfect coach. Well maybe the Sabres can.

Talk always seems to be Ruff or Nolan. Here’s a crazy scenario that hasn’t come up, how about Ruff (italicize) and Nolan? Is there anyway the two could get along behind the Sabres bench? Could they trust each other? I say sure why not? Last time I checked, I don’t recall hearing Ruff and Nolan exchange harsh words. Obviously there would be an issue of trust. Would Nolan try a power struggle to get Ruff axed? Would Ruff be in fear for his job and not completely trust Nolan?

A Ruff-Nolan bench combo sounds crazy but it makes more sense then any other possibility. If Bassin became owner, would he just fire Ruff? If so, wouldn’t that create tension between Nolan and the rest of the hockey department? Should Bassin do a complete house cleaning and get rid of everyone, including Ruff and Regier?

Rumor has it that if Bassin succeeds in buying the team, there could be a major clean out of the hockey department. A clean out that could send Ruff and Regier in search of new jobs. Bassin must realize the Sabres hockey department (GM, coaches , scouts etc) work very well together. A strong bond has developed. It would be a critical error to remove anyone from that mix too soon. People often say they’d love to see just how good Regier could be if he had an ownership behind him that knows hockey and is committed to winning and not just competing. Bassin could be that owner.

Instead of removing people, Bassin should add one person. Make Ted Nolan an associate coach. It doesn’t have to be Ruff or Nolan. A Ruff-Nolan partnership could do more than just work, it could win. And winning is the great cure-all in pro sports.

Anything is possible in the world of sports. Hey; didn’t we see Ruff hug Bettman at the NHL draft? Anything can happen.