Sabres breathe sigh of relief

By Dave Ricci

Tom Golisano’s press conference announced that his purchase agreement with the Buffalo Sabres was still a few hours away, but the mood within the Sabres locker room, the morning of March 14, was upbeat. After months of uncertainty the Sabres were finally just a few short weeks away from new ownership.

When asked if news of Golisano coming in would spark the team, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff answered with a wry "I don’t know. Can Tom play defense?"

As the media laughed at another classic Ruff one-liner you got the sense this time around this deal was going to happen.

"I don’t want to jinx us by saying it’s all said and done. I want to wait until all the papers are signed and Mr. Golisano walks in here and shakes hands. That will be a really exciting time; I look forward to that. In the past it seemed like things were going forward, with the Hamister group, and it fell through. So before I start doing cartwheels with my sore knee I think I want to wait until Mr. Golisano walks in here and shakes hands with everybody." Sabres defenseman Jay McKee said.

McKee’s hesitation to get too excited is not uncommon. After the disappointment that was felt when the Hamister deal fell through there’s a sense from some people around WNY that some how, some way, some thing could still go wrong with the Golisano deal.

Sabres GM Darcy Regier defined the difference in where Tom Golisano is now, compared to where the Hamister group was.

"The asset purchase agreement has been signed and it wasn’t in the other case. That alone is evidence that we are further along," said Regier. "It’s not just a light at the end of the tunnel; it’s real hope."

While their future was hanging in limbo the players hung by the company line that they weren’t spending too much time worrying about off-ice problems they couldn’t control. Now that the fog has lifted some are starting to admit off-ice worries did have an impact on the ice. "You can’t say that there wasn’t (worries). We were a team without direction, without ownership. What did it mean to be a Buffalo Sabre? I thought the players gave a genuine effort the whole year," said Lindy Ruff.

McKee added, "The whole season a big question on everybody’s mind was what’s going to happen with ownership? Is there going to be a team here? What’s going to happen with the players? A dispersal draft was something we heard about over and over. Now that things seem to be cleared up the word I like to use is a sense of direction."

While the players feel more secure with their place, Lindy Ruff’s fate is a hot topic. For months the NHL rumor mill has had Ruff’s bags packed with a one-way ticket to Columbus in his pocket. That could still happen but If Lindy Ruff is a man of his word, and I believe he is, he’s not in any rush to exit HSBC Arena. "Anytime somebody new steps in you can expect change. I don’t know if that will involve me, I don’t fear that. I’m not afraid of change but I’m not welcoming it either."

But as Ruff has stated, his place in the Sabres’ future plans pales in comparison to the overall importance of the team remaining in Buffalo. Be sure of one thing, Lindy Ruff is a competitor; he doesn’t run from a challenge.

The excitement of the Sabres ownership situation being resolved was felt in the visitor’s locker room that day by the Tampa Bay Lightning as several members of the Lightning family still have ties to the Sabres.

Lightning defenseman Cory Sarich who played for Buffalo over parts of two seasons (1998-2000) spoke of the Sabres’ impact on Buffalo and Rochester. "It’s good for the community. This hockey team has always been a big part of Buffalo and even, down the road, in Rochester. It’s a big thing for them to come (to Buffalo) and watch some (NHL) games. It’s nice that they’re sticking around."

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