2012–13 Buffalo Sabres season

The 2012–13 Buffalo Sabres season was the 43rd season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on May 22, 1970.[2] The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to a lockout. The season was the 15th and final season coached by Lindy Ruff, who was fired after a 6–10–1 start. The Sabres failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season.

2012–13 Buffalo Sabres
Division5th Northeast
Conference12th Eastern
2012–13 record21–21–6
Home record11–10–3
Road record10–11–3
Goals for125
Goals against143
Team information
General managerDarcy Regier
CoachLindy Ruff (Oct.–Feb.)
Ron Rolston Interim (Feb.–Apr.)
CaptainJason Pominville (Oct.–Apr.)
Vacant (Apr.)
Alternate captainsSteve Ott (Apr.)
Drew Stafford
Thomas Vanek
ArenaFirst Niagara Center
Average attendance18,970 (99.5%)[1]
Team leaders
GoalsThomas Vanek (20)
AssistsThomas Vanek (21)
Tyler Ennis (21)
PointsThomas Vanek (41)
Penalty minutesSteve Ott (93)
Plus/minusJochen Hecht (+6)
Christian Ehrhoff (+6)
Brian Flynn (+6)
WinsRyan Miller (17)
Goals against averageJhonas Enroth (2.60)

Off-season

Broadcast changes

On June 8, 2012, the Sabres announced that Rick Jeanneret, the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in NHL history,[3] would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame; Jeanneret will also receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. Rob Ray will replace Harry Neale as the full-time color commentator for all Sabres game broadcasts. Neale will join Mike Robitaille, whose role will remain unchanged, and Brian Duff, who will take over as full-time studio host, in the studio.[4] Kevin Sylvester and Danny Gare, who served as the alternate broadcast team in 2011–12, were not originally going to reprise their roles in 2012–13; Sylvester instead revived the Hockey Hotline, a long-discontinued Sabres call-in talk show, for WGR.[5] However, due to Jeanneret suffering an illness, Sylvester was pressed into service to call play-by-play for the first four games of the regular season.[6]

Alumni Plaza

On July 12, 2012, the Sabres announced that the plaza adjacent to First Niagara Center would be re-branded Alumni Plaza. On October 12, 2012, a bronze French Connection statue was added to the plaza.[7] Other plans included plaques with the name of every player to play a game for the team and fans having to opportunity to buy engraved bricks.

Lockout

On September 13, 2012, Buffalo Sabres owner Terrence Pegula, along with all 28 other league ownership groups (the League still collectively owns the Phoenix Coyotes), authorized NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to lock-out the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) upon the expiration of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on September 15.[8] The lockout ended at 4:45 am EST on January 6, 2013, lasting 113 days.[9] The lockout reduced the regular season from 82 to 48 games.

Overseas Sabres

After the announced lockout, players from the team began to sign contracts to play in Europe until resumption of NHL play.

Overseas Sabres
PlayerNew teamLeague
Thomas VanekGraz 99ers Austrian Hockey League[10]
Tyler EnnisSCL Tigers Swiss National League[11]
Andrej SekeraSlovan Bratislava Kontinental Hockey League[12]
Christian EhrhoffKrefeld Pinguine Deutsche Eishockey Liga[13]
Jhonas EnrothHuddinge IK Swedish Division 1[14]
Mike WeberLorenskog GET-ligaen.[15]
Jason PominvilleAdler Mannheim Deutsche Eishockey Liga[16]
Jochen HechtAdler Mannheim Deutsche Eishockey Liga[17]
Alexander SulzerERC Ingolstadt Deutsche Eishockey Liga
Tyler MyersKlagenfurt AC Austrian Hockey League[18]

Beyond Blue and Gold

During the abbreviated training camp the team released the first episodes in a new web-series called Beyond Blue and Gold. The series will run through the season with the goal to give fans an "all-access pass to the entire Sabres organization throughout the entire 2012–13 NHL season."[19][20]

Regular season

After the lockout, the Sabres had an abbreviated one-week training camp. During the camp, the Sabres' first pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Mikhail Grigorenko, played well on a line with off-season trade acquisitions Steve Ott and Ville Leino. At the end of the camp, Grigorenko was put on the opening day roster.[21] The Sabres were given five games to decide whether to keep him on the roster (and thus pay him a full season's salary) or send him back to his junior team, the Quebec Remparts; in the end, Grigorenko was kept on the roster after Leino suffered an injury. After several weeks of mediocre play and Leino's return to the active roster, Grigorenko returned to the Remparts. He remained with the Remparts until their elimination from the QMJHL playoffs, whereupon he returned to the Sabres.

After an unsuccessful 6–10–1 start, general manager Darcy Regier announced the firing of head coach Lindy Ruff[22] Ruff coached the team since 1997 and was the team's most successful coach. It was further announced that Ron Rolston, who was the current coach of the Rochester Americans, would replace Ruff on an interim basis. The Sabres performed better under Rolston but were nonetheless eliminated from playoff contention following an 8–4 home loss to the New York Rangers.[23]

The Sabres allowed the most shorthanded goals in the NHL, with seven.[24]

Playoffs

The Sabres did not qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Standings
Northeast Division
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Montreal Canadiens 48 29 14 5 26 149 126 +23 63
2 x – Boston Bruins 48 28 14 6 24 131 109 +22 62
3 x – Toronto Maple Leafs 48 26 17 5 26 145 133 +12 57
4 x – Ottawa Senators 48 25 17 6 21 116 104 +12 56
5 Buffalo Sabres 48 21 21 6 14 125 143 −18 48
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division.
Eastern Conference
Pos Div Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 AT z – Pittsburgh Penguins 48 36 12 0 33 165 119 +46 72
2 NE y – Montreal Canadiens 48 29 14 5 26 149 126 +23 63
3 SE y – Washington Capitals 48 27 18 3 24 149 130 +19 57
4 NE x – Boston Bruins 48 28 14 6 24 131 109 +22 62
5 NE x – Toronto Maple Leafs 48 26 17 5 26 145 133 +12 57
6 AT x – New York Rangers 48 26 18 4 22 130 112 +18 56
7 NE x – Ottawa Senators 48 25 17 6 21 116 104 +12 56
8 AT x – New York Islanders 48 24 17 7 20 139 139 0 55
9 SE Winnipeg Jets 48 24 21 3 22 128 144 −16 51
10 AT Philadelphia Flyers 48 23 22 3 22 133 141 −8 49
11 AT New Jersey Devils 48 19 19 10 17 112 129 −17 48
12 NE Buffalo Sabres 48 21 21 6 14 115 143 −28 48
13 SE Carolina Hurricanes 48 19 25 4 18 128 160 −32 42
14 SE Tampa Bay Lightning 48 18 26 4 17 148 150 −2 40
15 SE Florida Panthers 48 15 27 6 12 112 171 −59 36
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division; z – Clinched conference.

Schedule and results

Original regular season schedule

Revised regular season schedule
2012–13 Game Log
Overall: 21–21–6 (Home: 11–10–3; Away: 10–11–3)
January: 3–3–1 (Home: 1–1–1; Road: 2–2–0)
February: 5–9–0 (Home: 2–5–0; Road: 3–4–0)
March: 5–5–5 (Home: 3–1–2 ; Road: 2–4–3)
April: 8–4–0 (Home: 5–3–0; Road: 3–1–0)

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)

Player statistics

Final regular season stats[26]

Skaters

*Totals include goaltenders (G/A/Pts/PIM) and bench minors (PIM)

Goaltenders
Regular Season
Player GP GS TOI W L OT GA GAA SA SV% SO G A PIM
Ryan Miller40392302:14171751082.811270.9150002
Jhonas Enroth129623:26441272.60332.9191000
Totals482925:40212161352.771602.9161002

†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Sabres. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only.
‡Traded mid-season
Bold/italics denotes franchise record

Awards and records

Awards
Regular Season
PlayerAwardAwarded
Thomas VanekNHL Third Star of the MonthFebruary 1, 2013[27]
Thomas VanekNHL First Star of the WeekFebruary 4, 2013[28]


Milestones

Final roster
# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
10 Christian Ehrhoff D L 30 2011 Moers, West Germany
63 Tyler Ennis C/LW L 23 2008 Edmonton, Alberta
1 Jhonas Enroth G L 24 2006 Stockholm, Sweden
65 Brian Flynn RW R 24 2012 Lynnfield, Massachusetts
82 Marcus Foligno LW L 21 2009 Buffalo, New York
42 Nathan Gerbe LW L 25 2005 Oxford, Michigan
25 Mikhail Grigorenko C L 18 2012 Khabarovsk, Russia
55 Jochen Hecht C R 35 2002 Mannheim, West Germany
19 Cody Hodgson C R 23 2012 Toronto, Ontario
36 Patrick Kaleta RW R 26 2004 Buffalo, New York
23 Ville Leino LW L 29 2011 Savonlinna, Finland
30 Ryan Miller G L 32 1999 East Lansing, Michigan
57 Tyler Myers D R 23 2008 Katy, Texas
9 Steve Ott (A) C L 30 2012 Summerside, Prince Edward Island
27 Adam Pardy D L 29 2012 Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador
12 Kevin Porter LW/C L 27 2012 Detroit, Michigan
53 Mark Pysyk D R 21 2010 Sherwood Park, Alberta
5 Chad Ruhwedel D R 22 2013 San Diego, California
32 John Scott LW/D L 30 2012 St. Catharines, Ontario
44 Andrej Sekera D L 26 2004 Bojnice, Czechoslovakia
21 Drew Stafford (A) RW R 27 2004 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
52 Alexander Sulzer D R 28 2012 Kaufbeuren, West Germany
26 Thomas Vanek (A) LW R 29 2003 Baden bei Wien, Austria
6 Mike Weber D L 25 2006 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Transactions

The Sabres have been involved in the following transactions during the 2012–13 season:

Trades
Date
Details
June 22, 2012[29] To Calgary Flames
1st-round pick (21st overall) in 2012
2nd-round pick (42nd overall) in 2012		 To Buffalo Sabres
1st-round pick (14th overall) in 2012
July 2, 2012[30] To Dallas Stars
Derek Roy		 To Buffalo Sabres
Steve Ott
Adam Pardy
March 15, 2013[31] To Florida Panthers
T. J. Brennan		 To Buffalo Sabres
5th-round pick in 2013
March 30, 2013[32] To St. Louis Blues
Jordan Leopold		 To Buffalo Sabres
2nd-round pick in 2013
Conditional 5th-round pick in 2013[lower-alpha 1]
April 1, 2013[33] To Los Angeles Kings
Robyn Regehr		 To Buffalo Sabres
2nd-round pick in 2014
2nd-round pick in 2015
April 3, 2013[34] To Minnesota Wild
Jason Pominville
4th-round pick in 2014		 To Buffalo Sabres
Matt Hackett
Johan Larsson
1st-round pick in 2013
2nd-round pick in 2014

Draft picks
See also: List of Buffalo Sabres draft picks

Buffalo Sabres' picks at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 22 & 23, 2012.[60]

Round # Player Pos Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
112Mikhail GrigorenkoC RussiaQuebec Remparts (QMJHL)
114[a]Zemgus GirgensonsC LatviaDubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
244[b]Jake McCabeD United StatesUniversity of Wisconsin (WCHA)
373Justin KeaC CanadaSaginaw Spirit (OHL)
5133Logan NelsonC United StatesVictoria Royals (WHL)
6163Linus UllmarkG SwedenModo Hockey Jr. (J20 SuperElit)
7193Brady AustinD CanadaBelleville Bulls (OHL)
7204[c]Judd PetersonC/RW United StatesThe Marshall School (USHS-MN)
Draft notes[61]
  • a The Calgary Flames's first-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as a result of a June 22, 2012, trade that sent a 2012 first-round pick and a 2012 second-round pick to the Flames in exchange for this pick.
  • The Buffalo Sabres' second-round pick went to the Calgary Flames as a result of a June 22, 2012, trade that sent a 2012 first-round pick to the Sabres in exchange for a 2012 first-round pick this pick.
  • b The Calgary Flames' second-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as a result of a June 25, 2011, trade that sent Chris Butler and Paul Byron to the Flames in exchange for Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik and this pick.
  • The Buffalo Sabres' fourth-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a June 29, 2011, trade that sent Christian Ehrhoff to the Sabres in exchange for this pick.
  • c The Chicago Blackhawks' seventh-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as a result of a June 29, 2011, trade that sent Steve Montador to the Blackhawks in exchange for this pick.

See also

References
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  2. National Hockey League (2010). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2011. Triumph Books. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-60078-422-4.
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  4. "Changes coming to Sabres Broadcast in 2012-13 2012–13". Sabres.com. NHL.com. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  5. Pergament, Alan (June 13, 2012). Sabres make right moves with broadcast team. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  6. Reiman, Liz. Jeanneret out for Sabres game #2. WIVB-TV. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  7. Mansfield, Aaron (July 12, 2012). "Sabres to erect French Connection statue". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  8. Vogl, John (September 15, 2012). "With no last-minute talks planned, NHL set to shut down". Buffalo News. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  9. Hackel, Stu (January 6, 2013). "Tentative deal reached to end lockout". Time Inc. Archived from the original on January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
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  11. Allen, Kevin (September 21, 2012). "Two more NHL players heading to Switzerland". USA Today. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  12. "Sekera becomes third Sabres player to sign with European team". Buffalo News. September 27, 2012. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
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  14. Vesey, Steve. Enroth signs two-game deal in Sweden. WIVB-TV. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
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  17. Hoppe, Bill (December 11, 2012). Hecht heading to Germany with goal of NHL return. Olean Times Herald. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  18. Harrington, Mike (January 11, 2013). Myers' ankle passes early Sabres workout test. The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
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  28. Vogl, John (February 4, 2013). "Vanek named NHL's First Star of the Week". Buffalo News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  29. Sabres stock up on centers in NHL draft
  30. SABRES ACQUIRE OTT, PARDY FROM DALLAS IN EXCHANGE FOR ROY
  31. BRENNAN DEALT TO PANTHERS
  32. "SABRES ACQUIRE TWO DRAFT PICKS FROM ST. LOUIS BLUES FOR DEFENSEMAN LEOPOLD". Sabres.NHL.com. NHL.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  33. SABRES ACQUIRE TWO DRAFT PICKS FROM LOS ANGELES KINGS FOR DEFENSEMAN REGEHR
  34. SABRES ACQUIRE LARSSON, HACKETT & DRAFT PICKS FROM WILD
  35. SABRES AGREE TO TERMS WITH FORWARD JOHN SCOTT
  36. "SABRES SIGN PORTER, MANCARI; RE-SIGN LEGGIO". NHL.com. Sabres.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  37. SABRES SIGN TARNASKY, RE-SIGN BRENNAN
  38. SABRES SIGN FORWARD TIM SCHALLER
  39. SABRES SIGN DEFENSEMAN CHAD RUHWEDEL
  40. Szczechura Thanks Fans for Support
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  42. Boyes Agrees To Terms
  43. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  44. Islanders Claim Finley off Waivers
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  46. "SABRES SIGN DEFENSEMAN ALEXANDER SULZER". Sabres.com. NHL.com. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
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  49. GIRGENSONS, SABRES AGREE TO TERMS ON ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT
  50. SABRES SIGN GRIGORENKO TO ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT
  51. SCHIESTEL SIGNS ONE-YEAR, TWO-WAY DEAL
  52. SABRES, KALETA AGREE ON MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT
  53. SABRES SIGN BIEGA TO ONE-YEAR DEAL
  54. SABRES SIGN ENNIS TO TWO-YEAR DEAL
  55. HECHT AGREES TO TERMS ON ONE-YEAR DEAL
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