Sports & Leisure Magazine March/April 2015

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Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

FROM THE PUBLISHER With the Super Bowl a fading memory and a seemingly interminable time until the NHL draft, one thing that the Sabres and Bills have in common is that both organizations look drastically different than they did at the start of the year. After Doug Marrone’s abrupt departure Rex Ryan didn’t waste any time luring offensive coordinator Greg Roman out of San Francisco, bringing Dennis Thurman with him from New York and signing up David Lee for his second stint with the Bills as quarterbacks coach. With Kiko Alonso headed out of town and some big questions on offense — will it be Manuel or the recently acquired Cassel under center at the start of the season, will the

acquisition of LeSean McCoy mark the end of Spiller in a Bills uniform — it’ll be up to the new coaching staff to build on a successful 2014 campaign with an eye to the future.

While the coaching staff remains in place for the Sabres, GM Tim Murray didn’t waste any time getting ahead of the trade deadline. In what was arguably the biggest trade of the season, Murray acquired Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, a first round pick in this year’s draft, AHLer Joel Armia and highly touted prospect Brandan Lemieux, son of legendary Claude Lemieux. With Tyler Myers’ production dwindling since his Calder-winning rookie season, swapping for Bogosian, the third overall pick in the 2009 draft, is a winwin for both teams. Signaling the start of what could be a

very sensible rebuild, the Sabres will also be aided next season by a high draft pick, presumably Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.

Imagine a generational talent like McDavid or Eichel centering a revitalized Kane and Matt Moulson!

In addition to the flurry of trade, the NHL also said goodbye to Martin Brodeur who finally retired after twoplus decades of exceptional play. Some have called him the greatest to ever play the position so to see how he stacks up we compare him not only his contemporaries but also among the legends of the game.

Speaking of retiring, Mike Dyer, our sports card writer, is moving to Florida and will no longer be part of our team. He has been a valuable member of our staff and he will be greatly missed!

Looking for: Writers / Bloggers / Interns to cover Outdoor/Adventure sports (ex; hiking, running, kayaking, boating, etc) Sportsmen Sports (ex: hunting, fishing, horse racing, etc) Winter/Summer Sports (ex: ski, snowmobile, snowboard, Watersports, etc) Beat writers to cover teams in Buffalo, Rochester, Canada Sports & Leisure Magazine

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Publisher & Editor Marian Giallombardo

Associate Editor Jeffrey Levine Feature Writers Paul Adamo, Robert Caico, Rick Davenport, Mike Dyer, Mike Fox, Paul Gotham, Ivan the Impaler, Joe Kirchmyer, George Kuhn, Jeffrey Levine, Christopher Fee, Adam McGill, Brian Michalek, Ron Montesano, Len Mytko, Dave Ricci, Charles Roberts, Dave Sully, Todd Etshman, John Williams, Mark Zarbo, Rick Zurak (golf editor) Chief Photographer Jeff Barnes Staff Photographers Nick LoVerde, Joe Valenti, Mike Majewski, Holly Malinowski, Jake French Cover photos Zach Bogosian by Mike Majewski, Sled Hockey by Meredith Nierman/Ice Warriors/WGBH Advisory Board Phil Haberstro, Adam Lingner, Denny Lynch Contributing Writers Jared Buyer, CPFT, Ryan Esguerra, Jack Godzuk, Mark Harzynski Sr., Holly Malinowski, Joel Marrs Jr, Bob Plezia, Eric Venator Layout & Cover Alex Getz, Meg Kinsley, NYGMSonline.com Graphic artist Liz Seivert, Shannon O’Hara Copy Editors and Office Assistants Len Mytko, Justin Vernold, John Williams Please send your letters, questions, and comments to: Sports & Leisure Magazine, 192 Louvaine Dr, Buffalo, NY 14223 or e-mail publisher@sportsandleisuremag.com. Please include your name, address and phone number or your letter can’t be published. All letters and responses become the property of Sports & Leisure Magazine, they may be printed, and are subject to editing. Sports & Leisure Magazine is circulated throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario. All rights and trademarks reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. ©1997 2015 Sports & Leisure Inc.Facebook: Sports and Leisure Magazine and Hugesportz.com

Who is minding the store?

Community Sports Report Who is minding the store? When you walk into a convenience store or a gas station, you are bombarded with tobacco promotions.

These promotions are strategically placed so as to be impossible to miss – next to the snacks and soft drinks; hanging from the ceiling; and located directly behind the checkout counter so they are in your face every time you make a purchase.

Tobacco companies know that if they can get young people to start smoking before they become 18 years old, they are more than likely to become hooked for life. Internal documents refer to young people as “replacement smokers.”

These replacement smokers are necessary because tobacco products are destined to kill one in two users. What other product do you know of that can make that claim when used as directed?

The recent U.S. Surgeon General’s report on youth and tobacco use show that nearly 90 percent of today’s tobacco users began before they were of the legal age of 18. The Surgeon General went on to say, “Despite the well-known health risks, youth and adult smoking

rates that had been dropping for many years have stalled.

We have the responsibility to act and do something to prevent our youth from smoking. The prosperity and health of our nation depend on it.”

When is tobacco too available and too visible in Western New York? A recent study found that tobacco ads were displayed inside 93 percent of stores and that 90 percent of the stores featured tobacco product displays behind the cash register.

Every day, our kids are exposed to a tremendous amount of tobacco marketing in retail outlets.

Studies show that even brief exposure to tobacco advertising influences

adolescents to smoke.

And surprisingly, young people are more likely to be influenced by cigarette advertising than by peer pressure.

State governments and local communities can determine community standards for responsible tobacco retailing. Today’s displays give youth the impression that tobacco products are easy to buy and that it is okay to smoke.

Reducing the number of tobacco retailers or covering up the ubiquitous tobacco advertising will lead to reducing the rate of youth smoking and sales to minors.

The less tobacco our youth see the better chance we have to ensure their future health and well-being.

Mar/Apr 2015

Sabres topsy-turvy season has many fans conflicted

By George Kuhn First of all, lets acknowledge that everything is upside down for the Buffalo Sabres this season. Suddenly a win is bad and a loss is good as the Sabres take up residence at the bottom of the NHL standings. While the home crowd is still cheering for the Blue and Gold to score at the First Niagara Center, there is a significant segment of Sabres nation that feel a goal for the opposition might actually serve the franchise better.

The reason for this dichotomy is that a last place finish guarantees the Sabres the right to acquire one of the phenomenal top two prospects eligible for the NHL entry draft this June. Under the rules of the draft lottery, the last place team has a 20 percent chance to receive the first choice in the draft, which most scouts agree is likely to be Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters. The beautiful part of finishing last this season is that the Sabres can draft no worse than second overall. The second choice will likely be Jack Eichel from Boston University who, in other years, would have been a worthy number one pick in his own right.

“If we’re wrong about him, he’ll score 80 points per year.

If we’re right, he’ll score 120 points,” one NHL scout said of McDavid. Another gave him very high praise indeed by saying that McDavid is farther along in his development than Sidney Crosby was at a similar

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SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

Photo by Mike Majewski

Zach Bogosian has looked strong for the Sabres. age. But Eichel is hardly a consolation prize for the team that drafts second. Think of 2005 when Alex Ovechkin went first and Evgeni Malkin second.

That’s the type of talent these two prospects have for this year’s draft.

It’s the prospect of acquiring one of these prospective superstars, adding to Sam Reinhart from the 2014 draft, which has Sabres fans conflicted this season. Keep losing and draft your best skater since Gilbert Perreault.

Or get hot and win some games finishing maybe 29th or 28th and lose that opportunity but maybe draft stud defenseman Noah Hanifin third overall.

The value of franchise players like McDavid has never been higher. With parity league wide in this salary cap era, the superstars are what separate the champion teams from the pretenders. Every Stanley Cup

champion since 1994 features at least one and usually more players selected first, second or third overall in the NHL entry draft.

The Detroit Red Wings have been the NHL’s model franchise over the last 20 years, winning Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. While Steve Yzerman, drafted first overall in 1985, was their franchise player, captain and leader, the Wings didn’t become champions until they added Brendan Shanahan (second overall 1987). Similarly, Pittsburgh with Sidney Crosby (first overall 2005), Malkin (second overall 2004), and Marc Andre Fleury (first overall 2003) as well as Chicago with Patrick Kane (first overall 2007) and Jonathan Toews (second overall 2006) shows that it takes more than one star player for a team to win the Stanley Cup. Some question this blueprint

for success and point to Edmonton as evidence that drafting first overall is not a panacea. The Oilers continue to flounder after drafting first overall for three straight years in 2011, 2012 and 2013, with the third in 2014. But Edmonton’s ineptitude does not invalidate this template for success.

The Oilers have had the misfortune of finishing last at the wrong time when there are no true franchise players available to draft. While Taylor Hall (first overall 2010) is an excellent scorer and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (first overall 2011) is developing into a solid NHLer, they are not the outstanding players like Malkin or Kane or Toews or Crosby.

As mentioned above, the franchise player is what elevates their team to a championship but he must have a team to elevate. That involves complementary players, scoring wingers for his line, secondary scoring and defensive players to take the puck away from the opposition. These players can be acquired via trades, drafting and free agency. The Oilers have failed to fill these spots for a variety of reasons.

Edmonton has not drafted well in later rounds.

Compounding the problem is the fact that Edmonton is not a choice destination for free agents or trade due to climate, competitive and unfavorable income taxes. So it has been difficult for the Oilers to add quality veteran players to fortify

their lineup. They have also put 18-years-olds into the NHL before they’re ready, which has stunted the development of some of their prospects.

In the Gretzky era players were eager to flock to Edmonton to play on a dynastic team. Just like the Red Wings had little difficulty luring free agents such as future hall of famers Brett Hull and Luke Robitaille and acquiring Igor Larionov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Chris Chelios and Dominik Hasek.

These elite players were eager to play on a championship team and found the Wings and their collection of star players coached by Scotty Bowman too enticing to refuse.

If Buffalo acquires a McDavid or Eichel, they will have the makings of two good scoring lines with Matt Moulson, Evander Kane, Tyler Ennis and Rhinehart. Buffalo will become a more attractive destination for free agents, which along with GM Tim Murray’s trade acquisitions will accelerate the rebuilding program.

The first real move of Murray’s rebuild was the acquisition of Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane from Winnipeg. The trade breaks down as Bogosian for Tyler Meyers and Kane for Drew Stafford, one of the Sabres late first round picks this year, minor leaguer Joel Armia and prospect Brandon Lemieux.

While the Sabres paid a steep price on the Kane end of the trade, they managed to delete one roster player, Stafford, and acquire another in Kane.

Although the left wing is currently injured and unable to play until next season, his theoretical weakening of the

team this year will bring the Sabres one step closer to last place and pay dividends next season both as a healthy player and contributing to better draft lottery odds this year.

Bogosian was the third overall choice in 2009, the same year that Meyers was taken 11th. While Meyers is a talented player with good upside and offensive ability, Bogosian is more of a solid defensive stay at home physical player who has been strong in his early games for Buffalo. For a team like Buffalo with the worst puck possession numbers in the league, players who can stop the other team and get the puck back are just as important as the skilled puck possessing forwards. The team does fine when they get the puck but has been less effective getting the puck away from their opponents. With Bogosian and incumbent Mike Weber the Sabres now have two defenders who are primarily concerned with getting the puck back.

With Edmonton and Arizona only three points and four points ahead of Buffalo respectively at press time, the Sabres responded by making four trade deadline deals that all weakened the roster, making a last place finish more likely: Brain Flynn and Torrey Mitchell went to Montreal for draft choices and a minor league player; Chris Stewart went to Minnesota for a 2017 second round pick, which was a good return; goalie Michael Neuvirth went to the Islanders for goalie Chad Johnson, who is having a terrible season, and a third round pick.

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New coaching staff, new approach for the Bills

By Charles Roberts Since taking over as head coach of the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 12, Rex Ryan has wasted little time putting key personnel in place.

Ryan – known for his ground-and-pound approach to the game – made several appointments in his first week on the job, including Greg Roman as offensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman as defensive coordinator and David Lee as quarterbacks coach.

Roman joins the Bills after spending the previous four seasons as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. During his time in San Francisco, the 49ers advanced through seven playoff rounds – including a trip to the Super Bowl in 2012 – when Roman proved adept at working with a less-than-traditional quarterback in Colin Kaepernick.

“Look at my track record,” Roman said at his introductory press conference. “The greatest predictor of future events is the past. I could stand up here and tell you that we could have been number one in the league in rushing in San Francisco every year if that was my goal. If I wanted to be number one in rushing, I could’ve done

Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

Greg Roman worked with a less-than-traditional QB in Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco.

Could he help turn things around for EJ Manuel?

Dennis Thurman rejoins Rex

Ryan -- the two worked together with the Jets -- in Buffalo as defensive coordinator for the Bills.

Photos Courtesy of Buffalo Bills

that. But my goal is to win, and I think you have to strike a commensurate level of balance to do so in this league.”

In other words: Roman’s approach on offense is far from set in stone, but given his aforementioned track record – widely considered a run-first kind of guy – and the Bills’ addition of topflight running back LeSean McCoy, all signs point to emphasizing the run game in 2015.

McCoy was acquired in a player-for-player trade – set to be made official on March 10, about a week prior to Sports & Leisure Magazine’s print date – involving linebacker Kiko Alonso.

Also pointing to a run-first approach on offense is the uncertainty at quarterback.

The Bills on March 4 acquired veteran Matt Cassel from Minnesota Vikings, and more change is likely coming at the position by way of

free agency and possibly the draft. However, barring a monumental trade, the Bills are not likely to make a major upgrade under center.

“I think we want to build a team that kind of reflects the city of Buffalo. I think part of that is being smart, tough and making Buffalo a place that nobody wants to come in December, January, etc.,” Roman added. “I think if you can exert your will at the line of scrimmage, it’s going to open up a lot of other things in the offense.

To simply say we’re just going to run the football – well, nobody simply runs the football. We want to run the football to a level where people respect and fear us and our ability to do so. That will help everything else in the offense open up. It will help us control the game, which is ultimately what we want to do.”

Thurman, a 16-year veteran in the NFL coaching

ranks, comes to the Bills after spending the previous two years as defensive coordinator under Ryan with the New York Jets, for which he also spent four years coaching the defensive backs.

During both seasons as coordinator, Thurman oversaw a defense that finished in the top five against the run. Thurman’s 2014 defense limited its opponents to the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (93.1) and finished sixth in the NFL in total defense (327.2 total yards per game).

Over the last two seasons, the Jets’ defense held opposing rushers to the second-fewest rushing yards per game – allowing 90.7 yards per game. They led the NFL during that span by only allowing 3.56 yards per carry. The Thurmanled defense ranked tops in the NFL by allowing just 64 carries for more than

10 yards and allowed the second-fewest for a first down (142).

“For us defensively, our number one goal is to prevent points,” Thuman said. “Every time we step on the field, our job is to prevent the other team from putting the ball in the end zone or minimize the opportunity to score, kick at a field goal, or what have you. There’s a lot of talent here and they played good defense here a year ago and that’s a credit to Coach [Jim] Schwartz and his staff. They did a good job.

There’s talent on this defense up front, at linebacker and in the secondary.”

Thuman, who succeeds the aforementioned Schwartz, said he plans to rely on something of a hybrid defense, in terms of a defensive approach.

“Whatever talent dictates,” he said. “We’ll play a 3-4.

We’ll play a 4-3. We’ll get in a 46. We’ll give them an odd front. It’s whatever our guys do best, and we’re going to play to their strengths and when you do that, you’re giving your guys a chance to

be successful and that’s what it really comes down to… those guys that are out there on that field, are you giving them the opportunity to go out and succeed? So it doesn’t matter. The scheme will be dictated by the personnel that we have.”

Lee, meanwhile, returns to the Bills as quarterbacks coach after spending the last two seasons in New York with Ryan.

Lee, who served as the Bills quarterbacks coach in 2012, will enter his 11th NFL season in 2015. During his last stint with the Bills, he guided then-starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a personal single-season best 24 touchdown passes, which marked the fifth-most in franchise history.

Also joining the Bills’ coaching staff are Bobby April III (linebackers), Karl Dunbar (defensive line), Tim McDonald (defensive backs), Jason Oszvart (strength and conditioning assistant), Tony Sparano Jr. (tight ends), Jeff Weeks (assistant defensive line) and Eric Smith (special teams assistant).

Photo by Kevin Colton

If finishing their undefeated season (10-0) as the No. 8 team in the national DIII polls didn’t put Hobart football on the map, Ali Marpet is doing everything he can to make sure everyone knows who they are. The first-team D3football All-American turned more than a few heads at February’s NFL combine by being not only the sole DIII player to participate but by posting the fastest 40 time among lineman at 4.98. Add to that an impressive 30 reps at 225 pounds for the bench press, tied for fi fth among linemen, and suddenly a lot of scouts are showing interest. Although he’ll most likely need to slide inside to center or guard, Marpet is being projected as high as a third round pick. Of course, the strong showing is not all the surprising for people who have watched the 6-foot-3 and 7/8, 307-pound lineman dominate for the last three years. He more than held his own at the Senior Bowl against NFL caliber defensive players and if drafted would be the first DIII player to have his named called since 2012.

Mar/Apr 2015

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SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

Martin Brodeur NHL’s most overrated player retires

By George Kuhn After his recent retirement, the tributes flowed from some calling Martin Brodeur the greatest goaltender of all time. His incredible career includes three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000, 2003), four Vezina Trophies (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008), three first team allstar selections (2003, 2004, 2007) and four second team selections (1997, 1998, 2007, 2008).

Brodeur has an NHL record for goalies with eight seasons with over 40 victories. His puck handling skills were so advanced that the NHL changed its rules to restrict the goalies’ opportunities to stick handle with the puck. However, in spite of his impressive accomplishments, Brodeur was not even the best goalie of his era, let alone the best ever.

During Brodeur’s career from 1993-2015, his rivals for NHL goaltending

supremacy were Dominik Hasek (1990-2008) and Patrick Roy (1985-2003).

Goaltenders save percentage has been regarded as the primary statistic to evaluate goaltenders effectiveness over the past 20+ seasons, surpassing goals against average, which is more indicative of a team’s defensive play rather than the effectiveness of an individual goalie.

Brodeur never led the NHL in save percentage, his highest finish was third, which he accomplished during the 1996-97 and 2006-07 seasons.

In comparison, Hasek led the NHL in save percentage for six consecutive seasons, from 1993-94 to 1998-99.

Roy never dominated save percentage stats the way Hasek did. However, in eight of the 10 seasons that Roy and Brodeur played against each other, Roy’s save percentage was higher than Brodeur’s. In fact, there are five seasons during Brodeur’s NHL career when his save percentage didn’t even finish within the top 20, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2001-02.

So as far as save percentage goes, Photo by Joe Valenti Hasek and Roy’s Martin Brodeur was a great NHL numbers were goaltender, but not the greatest.

Terry Sawchuk was the NHL’s best goaltender. superior to Brodeur’s. In fact, Hasek has the all-time best career save percentage among NHL goalies at 0.9223. Considering that Brodeur never finished higher than third in save percentage, and frequently finished out of the top 20, it’s difficult to put him in the discussion for best of all time.

Brodeur won an impressive collection of NHL awards and championships, but Roy and Hasek best him in that category as well. Brodeur may have one more Vezina on his resume than Roy (1989, 1990, 1992) but Roy has four Stanley Cups to Brodeur’s three. Where Roy clearly outshines Brodeur are his three Conn Smythe awards as playoff MVP. Brodeur has never been a Conn Smythe trophy winner. Wouldn’t you assume that the greatest

goalie of all time would be an MVP for at least one of his three championship teams? Brodeur never was.

Hasek’s collection of individual NHL hardware is much more impressive than Brodeur’s, with six Vezina trophies to Brodeur’s four, and two Hart Trophies as NHL MVP (1996-97 and 1997-98). Hasek was the first NHL goalie to win the Hart trophy since Jacques Plante in 1962 and is the only goaltender to win the award two times.

Hasek also was a twotime winner of the Lester B. Pearson trophy, chosen by the NHL Players Association as the best player in the league (199697 and 1997-98). Hasek was only the second goalie to ever win this award and joined Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir

Fantasy hockey

By Mike Fox Despite what you might think when you look at Thomas Vanek’s stat line for the year, another fantasy hockey season is drawing to a close.

Members of keeper or dynasty leagues are already looking ahead and plotting a future strategy, but owners in re-draft leagues should realize it’s never too early to start planning for next year.

Here are a few players that might deserve to be move up a bit on your wish list from where you currently have them ranked.

The Winnipeg Jets have been rolling with Ondrej Pavelec in net for years but his career stats – sub-.500 win/lost record, 2.92 goalsagainst average (GAA), .909 save percentage (SV%) scream “mediocrity.” Enter Michael Hutchinson, who was drafted by Boston in the third round of the 2008 draft. Due to the presence of

stalwart Tuukka Rask, the Bruins opted not to chase him when he reached free agent status at the end of the 2012-13 campaign. The Jets may have struck gold when they inked him to a free agent deal in the summer of 2013, as Hutchinson has soundly outplayed Pavelec while splitting time in the Winnipeg crease this season. The Jets are still obligated to pay Pavelec a total of $9M over the two years remaining on his contract, but the glaring difference in the stat lines of the two players could easily convince the team to give Hutchinson the lion’s share of starts next year.

Quickly, can you name the Nashville Predator player who ranks among the league leaders of defenseman for goals, assists, points, plusminus rating, shots on goal and blocked shots? If you said Shea Weber you’re

Photo by Mike Majewski

This has been a lost season for the Sabres, but Zemgus Girgensons is just one of the reasons fans are quietly optimistic about the future. only half right because teammate Roman Josi can boast the same claim. The 24-year-old Swiss whiz has already locked in his second consecutive 40+ point campaign, and has become a poor man’s Weber in our alternate-reality world. Give Josi a slight downtick if your league counts hits, but that’s

nitpicking, as we could be looking at a player who will be filling up stat sheets for years to come.

Owners who are looking for a true bargain-basement steal should consider Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman.

Hoffman produced only three goals and three assists in 29 NHL games over the

Jagr as the only multiple winners of this award, which neither Roy or Brodeur ever received.

Hasek’s success so impressed the voters for these individual awards that he overcame an institutional bias against goalies winning the Hart or Pearson trophy because it was felt Photo by Joe Valenti that it was enough Dominik Hasek’s numbers tell us that he to recognize the was better than Brodeur. best goaltender with the Vezina. Hasek also moment was in the 1951-52 played on two Stanley Cup season playoffs where he winners with the Detroit led the Wings to an eightRed Wings. game sweep to a Stanley Brodeur never won a Cup championship through Vezina until 2002-03 when two playoff rounds with Hasek was out of the league an outstanding 0.63 goals and Roy was in his last against average and five season. Brodeur never won shutouts. a Vezina Trophy competing This performance led to against them while they one of the NHL’s greatest were in their prime. His play traditions, the throwing of had been slipping in recent the octopus onto the ice at seasons, with the Devils Red Wings playoff games. gradually reducing his role The eight legs of the Octopus and declining to retain him symbolizing the eight wins after his contract expired which were necessary to last season. win a Stanley Cup in the The best goalie of all original six era. Sawchuk time was probably Terry also swept the playoffs in Sawchuk who broke into the the minor leagues in 1949NHL with the Detroit Red 50 with Indianapolis of the Wings in 1950 winning four American Hockey League Stanley Cups in his first five going 8-0 with a 1.50 goals seasons in which he posted a against average. goals against average below 2.00. Sawchuk’s greatest

past three seasons but has quietly eclipsed the 20goal plateau this year. The 25-year-old was a standout in the QMJHL, where his coach once compared his shot with that of the legendary Brett Hull, and he showed some flashes of stardom with the AHL Birmingham Senators last season. He might be a late bloomer, or he might be a flash in the pan, but his fantasy price should still be low enough to warrant taking a shot.

Johnny Gaudreau won’t come as cheaply as Hoffman, but it might be worth paying the extra premium. The Calgary Flames tabbed him in the fourth round of the 2011 entry draft, and that already looked like a steal after Gaudreau culminated a standout college career by winning the 2014 Hobey Baker Award. Add in an AllStar Game berth in his first NHL season and the Flames should almost feel guilty.

Our beloved Sabres have suffered mightily of late, but their roster could be a good place to mine future fantasy talent, especially if the McDavid/Eichel “Embrace

the Tank” scenario plays out the way some are hoping.

Yes, the fact that Zemgus Girgensons led all players in All-Star votes was more attributable to overzealous Latvian fans than to his actual production, but the 21-year-old already has two full NHL seasons under his belt and the talent is obviously there. Lock him down now, before the hometown inflation rate kicks in fully. Sam Reinhart was overmatched in his first NHL go-around, and has been limited to only 37 games for WHL Kootenay, but he’s been productive during those games and will soon be a fixture in Buffalo’s lineup. A bit further down the line should see the arrival of massive Russian defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who plays with an attitude that matches his size. And, oh yeah, next year there’ll also be a guy named Evander Kane in town, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with power forwards with 30-goal potential; kudos to Tim Murray for pulling that one off.

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Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

Rookies making their mark in Rochester

By Todd Etshman

“High School Stars”

summer hockey league is now accepting applications for the 2015 season.

This competitive league provides a great opportunity to stay sharp this Summer and compete vs. other high quality teams.

Photo Courtesy of University of Wisconsin Athletics

After a distinguished college career, defenseman Jake McCabe is quickly adjusting to life in the AHL. lineup, plays like a pinpoint precise assist in an inspiration 4-3 win against league-leading Syracuse (Tampa Bay) shows how much potential Carrier has.

He’s still trying to figure out “the way he wants to play right now,” especially since he didn’t know who his linemates are going to be on any given night, but he liked the description of a “power forward using his size and speed to bring the puck to the net” to describe his game.

Early season struggles are common for AHL rookies and while Carrier seems to be getting his feet under him, the coaching staff have been patient with defensemen Jake McCabe and Brady Austin as they work their way along the learning curve. College bred players like McCabe (from the University of Wisconsin) have to adjust to playing twice as many games as a first year pro and facing much tougher competition than they did while at university. “A big difference here too, is if you make a mistake it’s more than likely going to end up in your net,” McCabe said.

“In college, I might have been a little stronger than some of the guys, here you have to understand which guys you can outmuscle and which guys you have to beat with your feet.”

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound,

second round pick from 2012 got his first call-up in February and paired with Rasmus Ristolainen. When he returned to Rochester, McCabe said he was pleased to see he wasn’t behind in the pace of an NHL game.

He’s not afraid to block an opponent’s 100 mph slap shot even though it’s going to hurt. “You have to sacrifice the body to win games and that’s what I’ve been doing here (in Rochester).”

“Brady Austin is in the same boat (as McCabe).

Maybe he was thrown in there over his head at the beginning of the year and struggled with his confidence a bit,” Cassidy said. “But he’s really come along now and we have him on the second power play unit. He’s a good puck mover and plays a physical game.”

“I feel like at the start of the year it was a real learning process for me,” the Sabres seventh round selection in the 2012 draft said. “They may be young but you’re playing against men here. Everyone can skate, everyone is strong and everyone is skilled.”

Injuries on the blueline created the opportunity for the 6-foot-3, 232-pound, 21-year-old rookie to crack the lineup and he’s made the most of the opportunity, which is what an AHL rookie has to do if they’re going to make it to the NHL.

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Bir

In the American Hockey League, winning is nice but player development is equally or perhaps more important. A team may be remembered more for the number of players it sent to the NHL than for winning the Calder Cup. Some rookies are counted on to produce almost as soon as their amateur status ends while others get their chance when teammates are called up, traded, released or injured.

With the 2014-15 season entering its final quarter, the Rochester Americans are faced with the task of filling glaring offensive and defensive holes in their lineup left by trades (Joel Armia to Winnipeg), injuries on defense (to captain Drew Bagnall, Nick Petrecki and Matt MacKenzie) and recalls by the Sabres of their top forwards (Zac Dalpe, Phil Varone, Matt Ellis and Johan Larsson).

Citing the “next man up has to produce” mantra, head coach Chadd Cassidy said that some of his young players have stepped up their game and brought their best.

“That’s the way it’s got to be. Guys have to be ready when their opportunity comes,” Cassidy said while lamenting the fact that every time the team named a new captain they were soon out of the lineup. “There’s so many new guys, that’s the mentality we have to have around here now,” 20-yearold rookie forward William Carrier said.

“He’s playing his best hockey right now,” Cassidy said of the 2013 second rounder picked up from St. Louis last year in the trade for Ryan Miller and Steve Ott. “His biggest asset is his speed. He’s moving his legs to make plays coming out of his own zone then attacking through the neutral zone.”

Despite a patchwork

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Mar/Apr 2015

Page 7

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

HOCKEYTRAINING WITHMARKZARBO

Coaches:

Creating an environment for success The biggest mistake I see coaches make is setting limitations on their players.

Most of the time coaches do not even realize they are setting limitations on their players. From a coach’s point of view they are trying to manage a lot of different skill levels and personalities. They attempt to find an easily understood team mentality that all players have the ability to perform to gain consistency of play. The two most common adages that fall into this category are a dump and chase mentality offensively and the high and hard just get it out of your zone mentality defensively.

Instead of being trained to maintain puck possession and make plays, players are instead taught to punt the puck away.

The reality is that both the concepts above pattern players to play with limited vision and at a lesser skill level. Many coaches believe this is an effective game plan because they will limit turnovers that will directly lead to fewer goals against. The flaw with that coaching style is it limits players from using skill/ creativity to maintain puck possession while at the same time creating an acceptable environment for turning the puck over. Coaches should not be creating limits to gain team consistency but encourage creativity through unpredictability to create consistency of play.

Now this does not mean players should be able to

do whatever they want because you are trying to be unpredictable. It starts with educating players, no matter the level of play, on the basics of puck protection and puck support. These basics apply to all situations and in every zone and will become a base of creating consistency of team play.

Help players connect those basic skills to all situations with the goal of maintaining puck possession at all times (no punts allowed). This type of coaching requires a lot of patience. Players will make mistakes but need to learn from these mistakes in a positive way. As players learn from every situation and mistake there will come a time when these skills start to snowball and players start to anticipate versus react to plays. Once players are able to anticipate plays their ability to maintain puck possession and create opportunities will reach an even higher level.

Once this base of team play is achieved, the next step is to individually teach players how to maximize their best assets to create further success.

Every player has assets/skills that they are good at. The coach’s job is to manage all players and their individual assets helping players achieve individual success from a team base of play. That is done on an individual and situational basis depending on that player’s strengths. By helping players maximize their individual skills the team you are creating

will have an overall team unpredictability of play. The idea is that by highlighting every player’s best skills you are creating a mix of potential opportunities for success. You are creating a team with different strengths by highlighting each individual player’s best skills and giving them high percent to succeed.

It is this mix of skills blended together using the team goal of puck possession as its base that will lead to opportunities for success in multiple ways. The idea of coaching should not be to win but to give players the highest chance of success. It is creating this environment for the individual players without limitations that will lead to team winning.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments regarding this article at 716.208.3724 or MarkZarbo@yahoo. com.

More information can also be found: www.

MarkZarboHockey.com.

OFF-ICEHOCKEYFITNESS WITHJAREDBYER,CPFT The spring and offseason are the time to evaluate and retool for the upcoming season. With so many practices, games, tournaments and travel, the hockey season is long and arduous. Many players need time off the ice to recover and plan for the upcoming season.

While some cross-train with other sports others continue through with spring hockey programs.

Either way, a focus on continual progress and development is key. You’ll want to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to become a more complete hockey player for the upcoming year.

Setting goals and tracking progress are essential for advancement. Your goals should be determined through a body and fitness evaluation followed by an action plan. Results should then be tracked on a monthly basis to allow enough time for your body to change and see results.

Too frequently, people want immediate change that will actually take a large amount of time and effort to achieve.

The areas you should track include physical growth (tape measurements), speed (10-yard dash), agility (change of direction),

quickness (reaction time), strength (upper and lower body) and power (jumping ability).

A player’s fitness level and his or her proficiency as a hockey player don’t always correlate. While athleticism cannot be taught, it can always be enhanced.

Better-trained athletes have the ability to pick up

coordinated tasks faster and easier.

Training programs should mimic on-ice time and movements based on intervals that match the typical 45-second shift.

This approach will translate to improved efficiency and conditioning that is appropriate for hockey.

There are several off-ice performance tests that correlate with on-ice skills

including vertical and long jump, which indicate skating speed and power.

The offseason is also a good time to screen for chronic injuries such as groin, hamstring and low back issues. Many players lack sufficient flexibility and range of motion in the lower body due to poor form and skating technique. Skating is also not a natural pattern of human motion and can lead to muscle imbalances in and of itself. These issues can be addressed using a corrective exercise approach.

Offseason training frequency should increase to three to five days per week whereas in-season training should typically be limited to two to three days at most.

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Photo Courtesy of Tom Lucia/Canisius HS

We hope that Canisius High School football head coach Rich Robbins has a stockpile of stamps on-hand because he’ll need plenty to keep up on correspondence with Michael Tarbutt (far left), Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (second from left), Brad Zaffram (second from right) and Josh Huffman (far right) as they move on to UConn, the University of Michigan, UTEP and the University of Maine respectively. Kickers don’t usually get much credit but Tarbutt may have had the highlight of the season for the Crusaders when he made a 60-yard field goal, obliterating the old record of 52, which he also set. After a storied career, no one is happier that tight end Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is headed to Michigan than his dad Tyrone Wheatley who played his college ball at the Big House and is currently the RB coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff. After leading Canisius with 91 tackles and being tabbed as a three-time All-Western New York first-team player, linebacker Zaffram will take some time to bulk up and then head to El Paso to play under Lockport Native and former Bills assistant coach Sean Kugler. Huffman, a 5-foot-11 corner, looks to make an impact in the American East for the Black Bears in the fall.

34 Chestnut St, Lockport NY 14094 | Inside NEW Cornerstone Ice Arena SayHi@SkateAheadWNY.com | 716-514-9525

Page 8

Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

‘Hockey Heaven’ to host national and world championship events for disabled athlete

By Joe Kirchmyer Western New York, or “Hockey Heaven” if you prefer, will host two championship events in the coming weeks featuring the best disabled hockey players from across the country and around the globe.

The Northtown Center at Amherst will host the 11th Annual USA Disabled Hockey Festival April 9-12, followed by the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships April 26 through May 3 at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo.

“The Disabled Hockey Festival is for club teams from all over the country,” Norm Page, national sled representative for USA Hockey, explained. Page’s son, Adam, born 22 years ago with Spina Bifida, will participate in both upcoming tournaments. “It’s going to be a celebration as well as our national championships — the celebration being all the disciplines of disabled hockey brought together.”

Organizers of the event are expecting 70 to 75 U.S.based teams to participate.

The disciplines to which Page is referring include standing amputee hockey for both men and women who have lost one or more limbs playing the game with or without their prosthetics; a hearingimpaired division; special hockey, which is standup hockey for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome or autism; and sled hockey.

Adam Page will suit up with his Buffalo Sabres Sled Hockey teammates to compete for the national championship. In total, four teams will take part in the Disabled Hockey Festival under the Buffalo Sabres flag, along with three teams consisting of military veterans who will represent the Buffalo VA’s hockey program, which was established three years ago. One Buffalo VA team will participate in the sled division, with two other teams vying for standup titles.

In preparation, the local teams practice once or twice per week, usually at the Northtown Center or the Depew Ice Pavilion. “One thing that is really special and speaks volumes for this area is that there are 18 handicap accessible rinks in the country — it costs about $10,000 to $13,000 to make

a rink accessible — and nine are right here in Western New York, including the new ice rink in Lockport and one of the new rinks at Buffalo RiverWorks,” Page explained.

The IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships at HarborCenter will feature the top eight sled teams from around the world.

Joining Team USA at the competition will be teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway and Russia.

Joining Adam Page on Team USA will be another Buffalo native, Paul Schaus.

A Purple Heart recipient, Schaus is an above-knee amputee who was injured by an improvised explosive device while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan in 2009.

“The World Championships have only happened two other times in the U.S., once in Salt Lake City and once in Boston,” Page said. The event is held for three consecutive years and then takes a year off to allow the sledge athletes to compete in the Paralympic Games. “I don’t know if it will ever happen in Buffalo again, so we’re very excited to have it here.”

With assistance from USA Hockey and the United States Olympic Committee, Team USA typically assembles once per month at various locations across the country to prepare for major tournaments and spread awareness for sledge hockey.

“We’re very proud of this team and the fact that they have won the last two Paralympic Games and three of the last four World Championships,” Page added. “There’s a lot of competition out there.

Canada spends a lot of money on their team and they are very serious about their program. The Russian team, going into the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, was kept together all year.

Our guys get together once a month and they’re able to compete against the best in the world.”

On the ice, the sledge hockey game is basically the same as the NHL-style game. “The only difference is that the players are sitting in sleds and using their upper body and two sticks to move the sleds,” Page explained. “What will amaze people is the athleticism and the physical part of the game. It’s very

physical and the skill level is very high. These athletes are using both hands to shoot and move their sleds. And, they can shoot just as well with their dominant hand as they can with their nondominant hand.”

“The speed of the game is also very impressive,” Page continued. “Guys are sitting in sleds and don’t have their legs to use, and they can still shoot the puck 70 to 75 miles per hour from a sitting position. It’s pretty amazing.”

Also impressive is the extraordinary effort required of the host venue to accommodate these disabled athletes and meet their special needs.

Throw in language and cultural differences with the international teams and you have yourself a major undertaking.

Don Heins, communications manager for HarborCenter, said the venue’s staff is ready for the challenge.

“Harbor Center’s amenities significantly exceed the handicap code

Photo Courtesy Meredith Nierman/ICE WARRIORS/WGBH

Team USA’s Ice Sled Hockey team, getting ready for action as they prepare for the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games. For more, visit pbs.org/icewarriors. guidelines,” Heins said.

“All 13 locker rooms are ADA compliant.

Both First Niagara Rink at HarborCenter and Rink 2 will be fully adapted to accommodate the sled hockey athletes. Both have ample handicap seating and allow for convenient entrance and egress to and from the ice surface.”

As for the language barriers, Heins reflected on the success of the recent IIHF U18 Women’s World

Championship held at HarborCenter, where each squad had a “team host” who was fluent in both languages and able to guide the athletes around the facility, the team hotel and the city of Buffalo.

“For our IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, attendance topped the 14,000 mark,” Heins added. “We hope for another strong response with this event.”

For more information on

sledge hockey, please visit the following websites: The Sled Hockey Foundation Inc., www. sledhockeyfoundation.org; USA Hockey, www.usahockey. com; and Buffalo Sabres Sled Hockey of WNY,www. buffalosabressledhockey.org.

To reach Norm Page, please call 716-984-2585 or email npsp9@aol.com.

Joe Kirchmyer is president of West Seneca-based Kirchmyer Media LLC. To contact Joe, please email jkirchmyer@verizon.net.

Photo Courtesy of Norm Page

Photo Courtesy of Norm Page

Adam Page scores against Russia in the 2014 Sochi Paralympics.

Buffalo Sabres Sled and Pittsburgh Penguins Sled play in East Aurora.

Photo by Ward LaForme Jr.

Way before he suited up for the Sabres or torched nets on a line with John Tavares on the New York Islanders or had even played an NHL game with the Los Angeles Kings, Matt Moulson was drafted by the Rochester Knighthawks in the fourth round (37th overall) of the NLL entry draft. The Mississauga, Ontario native played his Junior “A” lacrosse with the Mississauga Tomahawks before heading to Cornell University to focus on hockey. Although his three 30-goal seasons indicates that he made the correct choice by picking hockey over lacrosse, Moulson still has a connection to the Knighthawks as Special Advisor to Team President Ted Nolan, whom he knows quite well from their continued time on the Sabres together. On Saturday Feb. 21 the team honored Moulson – after he signed plenty of autographs for all his fans –by presenting him with his draft jersey.

Page 10

Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

COLLECTINGMEMORIES

WITH

MIKEDYER

FINAL COLUMN

It was ‘raining’ cards for Mantle, Mays and Snider This happened in the autumn of 1956. I was forced to wave goodbye to my sportscard collection. My mother was house cleaning and had seen enough of my rubber-banded cards from 1948 to 1956.

The assortment of cards (in all conditions) included Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Ernie Banks, Al Kaline, Satchel Paige, Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Ted Williams and Sandy Koufax. Aside from baseball I had cards that included Gordie Howe, Andy Bathgate, Gump Worsley, George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, Sid Luckman, Otto Graham, Frank Gifford and

Lou Groza.

We lived in an apartment in Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y. and there were hundreds of youngsters who resided in the six-story apartments along 65th Road and Queens Boulevard. I had heard my mother complain in the past about my cards but this time I knew it was serious.

I was told to throw the thousands of Bowman, Leaf and Topps cards down the incinerator. But I balked at that command.

Instead, I told the other kids to “look to the skies” the next day. After returning from high school, I tossed the cards into boxes and bags and took an elevator ride to the top of the building.

From there I started tossing the cards off the roof.

So, for 15 minutes, it “rained” cardboards of the greatest players of the 1940s and 1950s. Down and down they fell. And way below me, I saw the kids on the block scoop up the cards.

My cards were to live on. In today’s prices, I threw more than a million dollars off that roof.

It’s a scene that I can still see in 2015.

Anglers anxiously await spring

By Rich Davenport The Old Farmer’s Almanac once again proved its prognosticating penchant as the winter of 2015 certainly showed record-breaking cold and snow as promised.

Although hard water anglers delight in prolonged safe ice cover, the record-breaking February has all WNYers anxiously waiting for the arrival of spring.

Last Ice May Be Nice Solid, thick ice covering over all of the waterways in WNY could sport fishing throughout the month of March unless dramatic changes occur in weather patterns earlier in the month. All “permanent” ice shelters/shanties must still be removed from all waters

by March 15, but the close of walleye and northern pike season will most likely not mark the end of hard water angling this year.

Lake Erie perch seekers have experienced mixed results, depending on the day, as one day the bite can be hot and heavy, while the next day has fish completely turned off the feed. With this Great Lake nearly 100 percent ice covered, it could be well into April, or even May, before open waters allow boaters to access the hotspots.

Chautauqua Lake perch have shown larger this year, with activity varying depending on light penetration/snow cover.

Good catches have come from all depths, with the best action showing in over 40 feet of water. Small minnows, spikes or mousee grubs on small jigs work best.

Honeoye Lake continues to deliver excellent bluegill action around the outside weed edges, with wax

Upcoming Shows:

Signs of Spring The 2015 Topps Baseball Cards made their debut this February. I am amazed.

After blasting Topps for making ugly cards, I see the company has put out its nicest set since 1975. Yes, it’s been 40 years since a set was this attractive.

The 350-card First Series

includes cards for Derek Jeter (No. 1 in the set), Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, Mike Trout, Jose Reyes, Jose Abreu, Clayton Kershaw and Adrian Gonzalez. Don’t miss getting your hands on these cards.

effect on the annual Trout opener, with a big change coming in Muskellunge regulations where inland seasons will be adjusted to open earlier (in May), but minimum keeper requirements will move up from 30 inches statewide to 40 inches. The Great Lakes and connecting rivers (Upper and Lower Niagara, St. Lawrence) will see a minimum size length of 54 inches. Be certain to check the regulations or read the regulations booklets when the new ones are published before you hit the waters.

Fishing Clinics Coming Up Photo by Rich Davenport

Collins Center Angler Dane Stocker shows off this walleye and pile of perch caught while ice fishing Lake Erie this past February. worms dominating the menu it seems. Silver Lake has shown better action out in deeper waters in excess of 20 feet.

see muddy streams for most of March and through the April 1 NYS Inland trout opener.

Great Lakes Trout

Water temperatures this year may delay the spring stocking efforts this year and snowpack may make angling the smaller inland streams difficult for waders, as access could hamper fishing excursions. On the positive side, the cold water temps and heavy snow could prolong the peak of the spring fishing season well into May this year, perhaps even into June. For stocking information please visit the NYS DEC website and you will find updated stocking schedules and numbers of fish being stocked in each stream on the stocking list.

New Regulation Timing With the restructuring of NYS season-long Fishing Licenses being valid for 365 days from date of purchase, fishery officials will now start new regulatory years on April 1, moving away from the Oct. 1 traditional regulatory year start. Several new regulations will take

Steelhead and brown trout show in good numbers in the lower Niagara River, but the trick has been accessing the waters, with ice and snow making shoreline fishing treacherous, and boaters needing to dodge too many ice floes for safe angling. As March moves forward, streams will see good runoff due to the heavy snowpack, which should make for excellent spring trout fishing options across all Great Lakes feeders.

Minnow patterns and small egg presentations dominate the offerings at this time of year, but the trick, especially in upstream stretches of tributaries, is finding enough open water to fish.

If March shows a gradual warm up, slow snowmelt should keep streams at good levels without too much stain. If, however, a fast warm up coupled with some rain happens, we may

Inland Trout

With regret I want to announce that this is my last column with Sports & Leisure Magazine. I have really enjoyed these five years. It gave me a chance to meet many area collectors and talk sports but my family is moving to Florida and I’ll have to spend time watching the awful Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14 in 2014) instead of the vastly improved Buffalo Bills. Of course, the Tampa Bay Lightning will make it easier as they march towards the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring.

Thanks again, readers.

Family fishing clinics in WNY start spinning up in April with the Bison City Rod & Gun Club’s Jimmy

E a s t Amherst’s R o b Schilling hosts his big show March 29 at the old He ar t h stone Manor in Cheektowaga.

It’s an all-day show and will feature sports items from more than 100 dealers from the northeast and Canada.

The regular monthly shows at the Leonard VFW Post on Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga will take place March 11, April 8 and May 13.

Griffin Teach Me to Fish event on April 25. This free event includes learning stations for kids of all ages with a Sahlen’s hot dog lunch also provided.

Other upcoming events include the NYSDEC/ Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs Family Fishing events at Tifft Farms on June 13 and at Chestnut Ridge Park on June 27. Also, during the Jun 27-28 weekend, Buffalo United will be holding their annual fishing weekend at the Black Rock Canal Park, foot of Ontario Street. It was changed from the former location of Broderick Park because it is inaccessible due to drawbridge repairs expected to last through the

summer of 2015.

Remember, take a kid fishing, and give the gift that lasts a lifetime.

Rich Davenport is cofounder of WeLoveOutdoors. com, an avid Outdoorsman and member of the NYSOWA. His works are also published in NY Outdoor News, Walleye.com and the Buffalo News. Rich is also the Recording Secretary for the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Secretary of the Western New York Environmental Federation, member of the Erie County Fisheries Advisory Board and is the Co-Chairman and Region 9 Rep NYSCC Big Game Committee. Email rich@weloveoutdoors.org.

Looking for:

WRITERS to cover

Sports Cards and Sports Collectibles Sports & Leisure Magazine

call: 716-876-2738 or email: publisher@sportsandleisuremag.com

Sun, Mar. 29, 2015 9:30 AM- 3:30 PM

Grapevine Banquet Hall

(formerly Hearthstone Manor) (716) 391-1895

333 Dick Rd., Depew (Buffalo) NY 14043 Minutes from the NYS Thruway, Buffalo Airport, & Galleria Mall

Autograph Guests: To be Announced

This Show will Feature 100+ Tables of Sports Collectible Dealers Showcasing Vintage as well as Newer Sports Cards, Items from The Aud, Publications, Programs, Pennants, Autographs, Photos, Videos, Souvenirs and many other related miscellaneous memorabilia.

This is WNY’s Largest Regularly Running Show Featuring Local & Out of State Dealers.

SHOW ADMISSION IS: $3 for Adults & Children 16 and up; children 8 and older are $2; ages 7 and under are FREE!

Items for sale from – “THE AUD” Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium

GET $1 OFF ADMISSION Sign up for our email notification and admission discounts for this & future shows by sending an email to us at

robschilling@verizon.net and put “SHOW LIST” in subject line.

For dealer or show information call: Rob Schilling (716) 432-7388 or email: robschilling@verizon.net

Page 12

The home stretch

By Eric Venator In recent games the Bandits have shown more passion and excitement in hopes of reaching the post season. Scoring across the league may be in decline but it seems like the action in Banditsland never slows down. This will only be amplified with a late season push to the playoffs.

Although there are many factors that contribute to a successful lacrosse club, there is no doubt that a lot of the credit deserves to go to all-around workhorse Mark Steenhuis and the return of the iconic Johnny Tavares.

The team captain still has something to offer on the

Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

field and, more importantly, a lot to give off the field for his teammates.

One of those teammates is Alex Kedoh Hill. Despite showing offensive prowess in his first season with the Edmonton Rush, No. 66 struggled to find regular time in the lineup first with the Rochester Knighthawks and then with the Bandits.

This season, however, he’s played in all 10 games, netting 10 goals and eight assists on the season, good Photo by Jake French enough for sixth on the team. It’s not a set the world Mark Steenhius played his 200th game on fire kind of pace but if this 2015 season and has become one of the young transition player the elite in the NLL with the Bandits. can continue to get in the

boxscore, he could very likely be one of the key building blocks to the future of the franchise.

With the Bandits sitting in the middle of the Eastern pack at 5-5, they should be able to finish the season strong.

A long road trip to Minnesota later this month could prove exhausting but a home and away against New England to finish the season could be the final boost needed to help with playoff seeding, not to mention avenge the opening day loss. The orange and black haven’t done well away from home this

year but not having to make the long trip to Vancouver will certainly help make sure the team is well rested for the post season.

Despite a negative goal differential, the Bandits lead the league in shots taken and have posted good to great offensive numbers.

They have also been fortunate to come out on top of contents decided by one or two goals more often than not. Partially luck, partially sill, there’s no doubt that Tavares helps shift that balance towards the Bandit’s favor. Until he retires there will always be speculation about if this is JT’s last season but until the Bandits officially have to start their new era, they’ll continue to grow and build around a core, either through players already rostered or through the draft.

Although fans have gotten used to plenty of on-field celebrations, not to mention breakaway goals and beautiful saves, one of the highlights of the season is sure to come later this month when the Bandits honor a student with a $1,000 scholarship as part of Native American Heritage night on March 21.

Started in 2000, the Buffalo Bandits Native American Scholarship Fund was established to financially assist a Native American student in their pursuit of higher education. The night will also feature Native music and dance.

If you haven’t done so this season, do yourself a favor and support your team by coming to a home game and rooting for the Bandits in their push to the playoffs.

Knighthawks continue their winning ways

By Christopher Fee

Photo by Micheline Veluvolu

Cody Jamieson (left) celebrates with Jordan Hall. With all the scoring Jamieson has been doing this year, the Knighthawks have had plenty to cheer about.

As the National Lacrosse League’s season heads towards it’s halfway point, the back-to-back-to-back defending champion Rochester Knighthawks continue to find ways to win.

After limping out of the gate by dropping their first two games, it looks like Rochester has righted the ship. The KHawks are currently in the middle of a four-game winning streak and show no signs of slowing down, having taken six of their last seven games.

During the first three games of the winning streak they scored 43 goals, averaging out to over 14 goals a

game.

By comparison, they only posted 50 goals through their first five for a somewhat anemic average of 10 per game.

With victories over archrival Buffalo, and division victories over Minnesota and New England the Knighthawks find themselves just two games behind division leader Toronto with nine games left to play and improved to 6-3 on the year.

“This team knows how to win, we’re not three time champs for no reason,” attacker/midfielder Joe Walters said after the win over Buffalo. Currently, Walters is tied for fourth on the team in scoring, fourth in goals (14) and fourth in

Super Monday Hockey Championship

By Dave Ricci It was only fitting that on the biggest night of high school hockey the areas three biggest rivalries took center stage.

When all was said and done, however, NiagaraWheatfield (Large School), Canisius (Catholic) and Williamsville East (Small School) all celebrated to the soundtrack of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as they were all crowned champions during the 25th Super Monday WNY Federation championships that were held at the First Niagara Center on March 2.

Jake Nichols earned MVP honors as he stopped 27 of 28 shots as Canisius edged St. Joe’s 2-1 to win its first Catholic School title since the 2009-10 season.

“It’s unbelievable,” Nichols said. “We’ve been working four years, the

off a weird angle with 39.4 seconds to play in the game.

To their credit, St. Joe’s played to the final buzzer as senior defenseman Anthony Pontello crashed the net and scored with 2.4 seconds to play.

As winners of three of the last four Catholic championships and the defending state champs, this Photo Courtesy of Williamsville East was a difficult loss for St. Pictured from left to right: Cullen Smyth Ken East, Matt Steffan Will Joe’s to digest after winning East, Brad Pholman Canisius, Justin Crawford St. Joe’s and Adam 21 games.

Logar Niagara Wheatfield.

“I’m extremely proud of these young men,” St. seniors on the team. St. Munschauer took a pass Joe’s coach Rich Crozier Joe’s, they’re the defending from Kurt Villani, raced said. “One game doesn’t champs [who] came out. It into the Marauders end then define a team. At the end of was a great game, a great snapped a wrist-shot over the season this is another battle. We’re just happy we the right shoulder of goalie successful year for St. Joe’s came out on top.”

Ben Higgins 3:07 into the hockey.”

As expected, just like second period.

The title was a nice every time these two schools Ironically though the welcome back present for clash, the first period was a goal that turned out to be Sam Belsito Jr. who returned bit chippy and very physical. the game-winner, scored after a three-year absence.

The Crusaders got that allby Grigorios Koutsomitis, For the large school important first goal on the was somewhat anti-climatic bracket can you say fourpower play when George as it was an empty netter peat? Garrett Downie’s

assists (14).

There is no doubt that the veterans lead the way for Rochester. Cody Jamieson and Dan Dawson have combined for 98 points this season, accounting for a third of the team goals and points. In their recent victory over Buffalo, Jamieson scored the final three goals for Rochester completing a 13-12-overtime victory over the Bandits. Currently, Jamieson’s tied for tenth in the league in goals scored (20) but with a balanced offense and timely shooting he could start climbing up that list in a hurry.

“I just finally hit my spot, I don’t know how many shots I took, but I just hit my spot, I’m glad my teammates

stuck with me because I just kept shooting and shooting and it just finally kept going in.” Cody Jamieson said on his scoring tear.

When asked about the reigning MVP Jamieson, Buffalo defenseman and former teammate Billy Dee Smith said, “There’s no question he’s the best player in the world. I’ve played with him and against him.

It’s not like the coaches have to tell us to watch for him.”

After extending their winning streak with a victory against the Calgary Roughnecks at home on Feb. 28, the Knighthawks will have two weeks to rest up before heading west to take on the Roughnecks on the road on March 14.

natural hat trick and five point night was more than enough to earn him MVP honors as the Falcons won a 6-4 shootout over Williamsville North to claim their fourth consecutive Section VI large school title.

“It feels amazing,” Downie exclaimed. “It’s just unheard of. It feels amazing actually.

There’s no words for it.”

This game bore no resemblance to the two regular season 1-0 defensive battles that were both won

by Niagara-Wheatfield.

Andrew Logar scored the game-winner off a pass from Downie 4:45 into the third. Downie scored his fourth and final goal on an empty net with 35 seconds to go. Casey Wall and Dom Tallarico combined for the win in net.

Matt Terrance had two goals for the Spartans who have faced NiagaraWheatfield in the title game five of the last seven years.

In the small school division the Flames blanked Kenmore East 2-0 to become

the first-ever team to win back-to-back small school titles.

Senior captain Matt Steffan (MVP) scored the game-winner 5:18 into the game when he slid the puck

by Bulldogs goalie Brad Hermann.

Alex Finley capped off the scoring in the third period when he scored off a pass from Chris Winiecki.

Senior goalie Max Battistoni turned away all 17 shots that he faced as strong play from his defensive corps made sure he had a clear view of every single shot that came his way.

“All season we worked hard and we knew it had never been done,” Battistoni said of repeating. “It’s an amazing thing to accomplish.”

A rematch of last year’s small school title game, which was also won by Will-East, this marks the fifth time in six years the Flames and Bulldogs faced one another for the title.

Mar/Apr 2015

Page 13

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

Local collegiate indoor track and field shining stars

throwing the shot put.

He broke his own school record at the Mid-American Championship with a throw of 20.06 meters. The senior truly put on a show this indoor season.

By Adam McGill

Camaria Long, University at Buffalo Long (Rochester, N.Y.) has been a rock for the Bulls this season. She won the 200-meter run with a time of 24.40 at the MAC Championship and even placed third at the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.56 seconds, which broke the previous school record that she held.

The indoor track and field season is just wrapping up, but the outdoor season is right around the corner. To help you identify some of the local talent, here are the top indoor track athletes in the Western New York and Rochester area.

Austin Becker, Buffalo State College Becker (Broadalbin, N.Y.), the defending SUNYAC Champion in the 800-meter run, captured another indoor title this year. He posted a time of 1:53.37, which was the eighth-best time in the entire season.

Becker showed why he is one of the top middle-distance runners in the area this year.

Casey Bills, Alfred State College Bills (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) qualified for the ECAC Championship at the Golden Eagle Brockport Invitational.

She has also participated in the 400-meter run, high jump and long jump throughout the year. The freshman truly had a breakout performance this season.

Jazmin

Dunham,

Buffalo

Photo Courtesy of Buffalo State Athletics

After a strong SUNACY showing, Jazlyn Porter (left) is poised to lead the Bengals next year in her senior season.

State College Dunham (Rochester, N.Y.) captured the SUNYAC championship in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.74 seconds. She also participated in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash throughout the season.

Matt Giannino, RIT Giannino (Syracuse, N.Y.) set multiple school records throughout the 2015 season. He broke the RIT record in the 3,000-meter run (8:13.99) and the 5,000-meter run (14:15.85).

The senior was also a part of the team’s distance relay team that recently qualified for the ECAC Championships. Giannino

ended his storied indoor track career on a high note.

Emma Jones, RIT Jones (Watertown, N.Y.) was a constant for the Tigers this season. She was a part of the team’s 4x800 team that set a school record with a time of 9:33.58 at the NYSCTC Indoor Track and Field Championship. Jones also won the 1,000-meter run with a time of 3:03.45.

The sophomore has quietly emerged one of the top distance runners in all of Rochester.

Jonathan Jones, University at Buffalo Jones had a

(Portville, N.Y.) brilliant season

Morgan Mastin, St. John’s Fischer College Mastin (Springwater, N.Y.) put on a show at the NYSCTC at the end of February. The senior placed second in the 60-meter dash with a time 8.01 seconds, which was enough to qualify her for the ECAC. Mastin also finished third in the 200-meter run with a time of 26.29 seconds.

Brandi College

Pettit,

Canisius

Pettit (Strykersville, N.Y.) was a bright spot in the team’s distance program this season. She posted a team-best time in the 800-meter run (2:36.01) and 1,000-meter run (3:12.45) this year. The senior capped off a brilliant indoor track career.

Jazlyn Porter, Buffalo State

Photo Courtesy of RIT Athletics

After a storied career, Matt Giannino (foreground) leaves RIT with his name all over the record books.

College Porter (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) had a very strong SUNYAC showing with a second place finish in the 400-yard dash and third in the 200-yard dash behind classmate Jazmin Dunham.

Combine that with the best DIII long jump at the Molloy Invitational and the junior has a lot of promise for next season.

Cooper College

Roach,

Canisius

Roach (Honeoye, N.Y.) took home second place in the mile (14:07.83) at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships.

It ended a stellar season for the junior and he will certainly be a strong part of the program next year as well.

Chris Wehner, St. John’s Fischer College Wehner placed second (8.65 seconds) in the 60-meter hurdles at the NYSCTC, which qualified him for the ECAC Championship. The senior ended his career on a strong note and will look to carry his indoor success into the outdoor season.

Zach Woodard, Alfred State College Woodard (Adams Center, N.Y.) was the leader of one of the top relay teams in school history. The senior was the first runner in the team’s 4x400 relay team and contributed to a run that was the second fastest time (3:26.03) in Alfred State history.

Basketball Sectional Title and State Championship, two goals for Greece Athena team

By Paul ‘Mr. NFL’ Adamo Tues. Feb. 24 marked the start of the 93rd edition of Section V basketball championship post season, with Sectional titles decided the weekend of March 6-8 and the state finals following March 20-22. This year’s iteration of the tournament has ten sectional title classifications on the boy’s side with nine titles for the girls. Section V’s open tournament selection policy, that allows every team to be invited to play, will showcase over 200 teams from the Greater Rochester area. The Greece Athena boys and Rush Henrietta girls basketball teams enter the sectionals undefeated at 18–0 and ranked No. 1 in their respective large school Democrat and Chronicle basketball polls.

Greece Athena was already a Section V boys basketball team to watch coming into this season after winning the Class AA sectional title a season ago, but everyone was on notice this season as they moved down to Class A. The Greece Athena team is an interesting quad, with tournament history, to follow in the month of

March playoffs. Last season after winning that Class AA large school sectional title, Coach Jim Johnson’s team was upset by Section VI (Buffalo) Jamestown in the state quarterfinals.

Since that loss to Jamestown two team goals were set for this season. Nothing less than a sectional trophy and a NYSPHSAA Class A championship would be considered a successful postseason for this Trojan team. Ten seniors on a roster of 13, four starters returning from last season and the AGR player of the year candidate in Anthony Lamb, a 6-foot6 junior who many area coaches believe has NCAA Division I college basketball in his future. This team has depth, great experience, and leadership. Lamb and senior point guard Jay Sarkis were both members of the 2014 All-Greater Rochester team. The Trojans have a winning tradition with five sectional titles since 2006.

One potential obstacle they may have to overcome is a Feb 4th injury to Sarkis who could return in time for the state playoffs. Their depth should help if Sarkis can’t

return as other players in high school sports step into his role. is like trying to Outside Section V predict the Seattle Greece Athena has Seahawk’s last pass defeated two statein this year’s Super ranked teams with Bowl.

Division I collegeIn the other boys talent in an early classifications, season tournament in Aquinas in Class December. On Jan. 31 AA, city school the Trojans defeated L e a d e r s h i p Jamestown 70–69, a Academy in Class B, one point victory and Caledonia–Mumford the only game this in Class C and Class season that was not D Genesee Valley a double digit win. are solid favorites.

They will not meet Aquinas is favored to the Red Raiders again win a third sectional this March in the state title in five years quarterfinals and for while Leadership the fourth time in two Academy is trying Photo Courtesy of Greece Athena Athletics seasons as Jamestown for a second straight Anthony Lamb, last year’s All-Greater after winning last remains a Class AA program. The winner Rochester Player of the Year, has the No. season.

If both between No. 2 seed 2 ranked Greece Athena Spartans poised teams play better Canandaigua and No. to march from sectionals to the state defensively they have 3 Pittsford Sutherland championship. an outside chance to should face Athena in join Greece Athena the sectional championship in Glen Falls. Caledonialook for Greece Athena game.

But after an Mumford in Class C known to advance to the state undefeated regular season for its football program has quarterfinals against the playing many top Class AA its best team in a decade at Section VI representative teams it will be hard for 18-1. and then on to the state final any Class A sectional team The girl’s tournament four in Glen Falls. They to match up against Lamb has two programs Class AA are the best hope of any and the scoring ability of Rush-Henrietta and Class A Section V team to capture the Trojans. The best team Bishop Kearney with a lot of a state championship but in Section V this season, championship experience. guaranteeing any outcome

BK were state champs in 2013 and runner-ups last year while R-H won three titles from 2006-08. If the Kings win in Class A it will be their fourth straight sectional. Over the past three seasons they have won C3, C2 and B. In Class A2 Wayne the defending champion, will have two new contenders as Pittsford Sutherland and Pittsford Mendon are new teams in Class A2. Livonia, Class B, has one of the top scorers in senior guard Taylor VanThof who is averaging 20.2 ppg.

Class B also has the leading scorer in Section V, Greece Odyssey senior forward Karissa Birthwright at 26.1 ppg. East Rochester, the home of champions, has not won a girl’s basketball sectional title since 1992.

Fourth year coach Mark Loira has the Bomber’s at 18-1 and the Class C trophy should be a new edition to their trophy case. Sectional titles for Romulus in D1 and D2 Prattsburgh will put them on a collision course to play in the state qualifier to represent Section V in the state Class D playoffs.

Page 14

An eventful first year for the WWE network

By Ivan the Impaler February 24th of this year marked the one-year anniversary of the WWE Network going live.

Or going online. Or just, well, getting going...

The main selling point of the network was that PayPer-Views were included in the $9.99 monthly price, about one-fifth of what it’d cost via cable/satellite providers.

Plus, there was archival footage of WWE, WCW, ECW, World Class, documentaries, matches unique to the network and their fledgling NXT developmental federation.

A lot has happened in the past 12 months; comparing it to a rollercoaster ride would be understated.

To gain even a cursory understanding of this long, strange trip, we have to delve into programming a startup, the stock market, the wrestling business itself and the continued crumbling of the Wall of Kayfabe as best as This Reporter can try.

Fans of Our Great Sport recall the incessant hyping of the Network on WWE programming in the weeks leading up to debut. WWE Corporate was pimping a goal of one million subscribers. With WrestleMania just around the corner, optimism was riding high in Stamford, Conn. Wall Street was feeling the love as well: WWE stock rose to an all-time high of $31.39 on March 20, 2014.

However, initial expectations were not met.

Far from it, in fact.

The first totals announced after the launch indicated some 667,000 subscribers; this equaled a loss in the Expectations Game.

That, along with less television revenue than hoped for in renewing Raw/ Smackdown broadcast rights led to stock prices falling faster than Cesaro’s push. In just over two months, it fell from $31.99 to $10.81 on May 22. The worst 24 hour period was from May 15-16th, when the price dropped from $19.93 to $11.26. Yes, the rats were jumping off the perceived sinking ship.

The June 30th corporate report, where subscriptions grew only to 699,750, didn’t brighten moods.

Following Business 101, WWE realized that if profits aren’t rising, you can hold off barbarians at the gate by cutting costs. Seven Percent of the workforce was let go; surprisingly, David Otunga wasn’t part of the layoffs.

The incessant plugging of the $9.99 subscription price on WWE programming became even more incessant.

The End-of October report was viewed as critical, since it’d indicate how many of the original subscribers renewed after the network launched.

Even with the network going live in Canada, results were far from encouraging.

The announced total was 731,000 subscribers. At this pace, Curtis Axel would be over with the fans before they hit 1 million buys. In addition, the launch into the U.K. would be delayed until

January.

So, Vincent K. McMahon felt the need to take action.

Six-month commitments were eliminated. November would be free. More special programming was directed to the network. For example, hours prior to a Raw telecast from Buffalo on Nov. 3, it was announced that a United States Title Match between Sheamus and Rusev would be on held on the network immediately after Raw went off the air, which probably made the execs at USA less than happy. In the months that followed, Steve Austin podcasts with Vince and Triple H would be seen on the network immediately following the completion of Raw. (An old-school complaint: the podcasts were very entertaining, but they “exposed the business.”

The marks were getting suspicious.)

The hope was that all this, plus the free month and other bonuses, would entice fans to sample the network and keep it.

The rollercoaster ride went into high speed on the weekend of the Royal Rumble PPV. Six days prior to the event, WWE stock dropped to $9.82- it’s lowest point since Summer 2014.

At the Rumble itself, The Philly Crowd - much like Pittsburgh the previous year - took a collective dump on the Rumble results. Roman Reigns won; the fans were miffed just as in 2014 when Dave Bautista won.

This led to twitter pushing #CancelWWEnetwork for the next 24 hours. But then,

Local boxing happenings

By Bob Caico The 2015 NYS Golden Gloves tournament opened their first round elimination on Jan. 25 at the Tralf Music Hall.

The tournament consists of sub-novice,

novice and open class fighters from 123-pounds to 201+ pounds. Teams from Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Albany and Elmira will compete to have

their open fighters advance from the State to the National Championships in Las Vegas.

Eleven open class bouts were staged before a packed house: 132 lb Jeffrey Nygayot of Buffalo (Westside) decisioned Mike Vega (Casal’s).

132 lb Sequan Felton of Rochester (St. Martin’s) decisioned Hector Bayanilla (NWBCC) 141 lb Akhmed Aliyev (NWBCC) stopped Vinnie Denierio (Elmira Boxing) 152 lb Mike Christopher (U.B.) decisioned Mike Stevens (Buffalo PAL) 152 lb Tracy McGruder of Rochester decisioned Wilfredo Gomez Vega (Darkside) 152 lb Anthony Woodruff (Westside) decisioned Cody Zappone (Albany Boxing) 152 lb Mark Renza (Sweet Science) decisioned Chris Donahue (Elmira Boxing) 178 lb Nelson Madhi (Westside) stopped Corey Hepburn (St. Martin’s) 178 lb Curtis Chaplin (Ultimate Fitness) decisioned Ahmad McEntire (Westside) 201+ Alex Dedovets (Goombas Boxing) decisioned Michael Reeves (St. Martin’s) 201+ Brandon Lynch (Albany) stopped Drew Grazadei (NWBCC) In addition, nine other bouts were staged in the novice and sub-novice classes.

Mar/Apr 2015

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

The second round of the Golden Glove tournament was held on Saturday February 28. Four more

open battles were held out of the 17 total bouts.

Multiple time State Champion Wilmont Wood

in a pure coincidence, WWE announced they reached 1 million subscribers 48 hours after the event.

And lo, peace and prosperity filled the land.

The stock price increased from $10.48 to $12.50. The fourth quarter financial report came out on Feb. 12; WWE said while they were still losing money, gross revenues had increased, and with optimism over the network, the price went up to $14.36. Wall Street investors can be the biggest bandwagon jumpers anywhere; the day later, it shot up 15.5 percent to $16.59. It closed as high as $17.47 on Feb. 17.

Surely subscriptions would continue to increase, they reasoned, with February being free and WrestleMania coming up on March 26.

On it’s first birthday, WWE stock closed at $16.62.

That’s about $7 less than a year before, but considering everything that went down since May, and the fact that the network now had legs, the prevailing feeling in Stamford had to be relief with a touch of optimism.

So, we guess, on the first birthday of the network, life in WWE Corporate was good.

Except for those pesky concussion lawsuits...

And that pesky defamation suit WWE physician Chris Amann filed against C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana...

Hey, do you want to follow WWE financials from someone (unlike me) who actually knows what of Rochester’s St. Martin stopped Israel Heyward of Team Ultimate Fitness in the 165 pound class. Tim Akeradoulou of UB won my unanimous decision over Adenawel Ledesma of Utica in the other 165 pound contest.

Perennial NYS Golden Glove champ Lawrence King of Rochester stopped Nelson Modi of Buffalo’s Westside Boxing in the 178 pound division while Mike Christopher of U.B. won a close decision over Anthony Woodruff of Westside Boxing in a 152 pound tilt.

There were eight novice and sub-novice battles waged with one of the subnovice contests having a female match. Kristen McMurtree of U.B. won by unanimous decision over Emily Oaks of Victory gym at 120 pounds. UB may have their next female Golden Glove champ in McMurtree who trains with former

they’re talking about rather than just hypothesizing?

We suggest you follow the sage wisdom of Rochester native Chris “Mookie” Harrington, a fellow smark who applies mathematics and analytics to financial problems and makes sense of the whole mess. Follow him on twitter @mookieghana and check his website at www.indeed.wrestling.

FARE YE WELL Those the wrestling community lost in 2014: Mae Young, Jim “Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig, Nelson Frazier Jr. a/k/a Mabel & Viscera, Luis Martinez, Sean O’ Haire, Ricky Starr, Doug “Ox” Baker, Bob Geigel, Albert Denny a/k/a All Greene, Billy Robinson, Mike McGee

UPCOMING EVENTS Friday, March 6 - WWE house show - Blue Cross War Memorial - Rochester, N.Y. - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 14 - UPW - Eagles Club, 1200 Buffalo Road - Gates (Rochester), N.Y. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 14 PWR - Saga Club, 3828 Washington Ave. - Erie, Pa. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 21 Crossfire Wrestling - Scotia Bank Convention Centre - Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 29 Victory Commonwealth Wrestling – Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. West- Toronto, Ontario, Canada - 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 4 - ESW St. Johnsburg Fire Hall, 7165 Ward Road - N.Tonawanda, N.Y. - 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 12 - Alpha-1 Wrestling - 222 Queenston Road - Hamilton, Ontario,

Canada - 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 16 FWE - Main Street Armory, Rochester, N.Y. – 8 p.m.

Friday, April 17 - ESW Good Times of Olean, 800R E. State Road - Olean, N.Y. 7 p.m.

Friday, May 15 and Sat. May 16 - ROH - Ted Reeve Arena - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 16 - Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Banquet - Holiday Inn, 308 N. Comrie Ave. Johnstown, N.Y. – see www.

PWHF.org for details.

MASSIVE MEDIA Wrestlevision is proud to announce a showcasing of Victory Commonwealth Wrestling on Time-Warner Cable Channel 20 in Suburban Erie County.

You can catch the action Saturdays at 4 p.m. with replays Mondays at 11:30 p.m. Your hosts are Lord Hutchins and The Infamous Jay Moore.

You’ll see many of the top indy wrestling stars of WNY and Southern Ontario on this program.

Watch the Big Schmozz Podcast on the Roc City Sports Network or youtube. com, with new webisodes every month.

Those on “The Twitter” can follow @wrestlevision.

You can also follow wrestlevision on “The Interweb” and “The Facebook” as well.

Folks with radios can listen to the Pain Clinic on Saturdays at 10 a.m. via WHTK-AM (1280) in Rochester. You can also catch Turnbukle Talk on WBNY-FM (91.3) in Buffalo on Mondays at 7 p.m.

Jackie Donnelly of south Buffalo who won the 1957 Golden Gloves was on hand to witness the first round of the 2015 championships in downtown Buffalo. amateur star Wendy Casey.

Casey made a return to the ring on the same night with a close decision win over Casey Costanzo of Casal’s

Boxing in a match bout.

The semifinal round of the tournament will be held Saturday March 28 at the Tralf.

Mar/Apr 2015

Page 15

SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE

Buffalo Weightlifting Hall of Fame Road to the Roses: A Triple Crown story Community Sports Report

By Mark Patrick Harzynski Sr.

Mark Solomon (left), Marian Giallombardo, Steve Orsini 2015 Buffalo Hall of Fame Inductees:

Marian Giallombardo (also Sports & Leisure Magazine’s Publisher): Lifetime natural competitor, and WNBF Pro Natural Bodybuilding Champion (2001 Herc’s Classic Eastern Canadian Champion). INBF/WNBF promoter of Northern States Super Natural and Mr. & Ms. Super Natural and the Pro Masters Cup. Sarah Oryszak: Multipletime drug free bodybuilding champion.

Darlene Andolina: Multipletime drug free bodybuilding champion for over 30 years.

Sean and Tommy Doctor: Two of Buffalo’s finest strength athletes, both played professional football.

Jerry and Joe Marsala: Jerry is a long time bodybuilding promoter, and Joe is a 600pound drug free bench presser.

Jay and Jim Malone: Jay, is a

national masters’ powerlifting champion and Jim is a national masters’ olympic lifting champion and a professionMarian Giallombardo, WNBF Pro Natural al strength coach.

Bodybuilder and 2001 Eastern Canadian Ron and Jesse Champion.

Gang: Ron, Manager of Team

NHL Playoffs trivia

By Mike Fox When a typical fan is asked about hockey playoff legends, it usually evokes thoughts about names like Beliveau, Richard, Plante and Gretzky. This month’s trivia quiz focuses on active players who have shown they have what it takes to shine when the post-season pucks are dropped.

1. Jaromir Jagr leads all active players with 78 career playoff goals. Who ranks second with 60?

a. Henrik Zetterberg b. Justin Williams c. Patrick Marleau d. Jarome Iginla 2. Who is the only active goalie with more than 50 career playoff wins? a. Marc-Andre Fleury b. Henrik Lundqvist c. Roberto Luongo d. Ryan Miller 3. Only three active players have scored 30 or more points in one playoff year; Evgeni Malkin, Sidney

South Buffalo, and fivetime silver medalist at the Niagara District Weightlifting Championships.

Jesse, Niagara District record holder for the clean and jerk, 286 at 132-body weight.

Ed Wolowiec: 1996 Mr. Buffalo.

Jay Kuszniaj: 2001 Mr. Buffalo.

Mike Gill: National Strong Man Champion, regional powerlifting Champion. He is also a professional strength coach.

•••• Special awards:

Steve

Orsini: Lifetime achievement award. Steve has won titles over a six-decade span! He placed in the top 5 in 102 out of 110 contests (in seven different organizations). He’s won 41 titles including the Novice and Jr. Mr. Buffalo (1958). He was inducted into the National Natural Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Buffalo Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 2009.

Chris Joyce: Best male lifter award.

Melissa Kurdzorfer: Best female lifter award.

Matt Goodfellow: Best most improved lifter.

Crosby, and who? a. Eric Staal b. Danny Briere c. Patrick Kane d. Brad Richards 4. Who is the only active goalie ever to post four shutouts in a playoff year? a. Michael Leighton b. Carey Price c. Roberto Luongo d. Jonas Hiller 5. Only two active goaltenders have registered nine career playoff shutouts; Henrik Lundqvist and who? a. Jonathan Quick b. Ilya Bryzgalov c. Tuukka Rask d. Cam Ward 6. Who is the only active player ever to score seven

For both the lifelong and casual horse racing fan alike, the first weekend in May will always be special with the running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Getting to the Derby, however, isn’t as easy as saying “Hey, let’s saddle a horse and enter the Kentucky Derby.” A series of 35 Graded Stakes Races come into play and a point system is awarded. Not all the horses run in all point races that are held from New York to California from September to April. Only 20 horses are allowed to run in the Derby – the first race in the Triple Crown along with The Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes – so the new crop of 2-year-old horses are all competing against one another to finish with the most points. As of writing, there are 50 eligible horses with points for The Kentucky Derby, with the top ten listed below by points; 1) International Star 71 points 2) Itsaknockout 50 points 3) Upstart 36 points 4) El Kabeir 25 points 5) War Story 24 points 6) Far Right 22 points 7) Dortmund 20 points 8) Carpe Diem 14 points 9) Mr. Z 14 points 10) Frosted 13 points It’s easy to rank by points, but how does the point system work? For the last three years, the top four finishers at each of the 35 graded races receive points on a sliding scale. Kentucky Derby Prep Season races (Sept.-Feb.) award 10 points to the winner, four to second, two to third and one to fourth. The Kentucky Derby Championship Series (Feb.-April) begins with eight races awarding 50/20/10/5 to the top four finishers, followed by seven races with 100/40/20/10 game-winning goals in a playoff year? a. David Krejci b. Martin St. Louis c. Johan Franzen d. Brad Richards 7. Who is the only active goalie with at least 10 playoff appearances with a career goals-against average under 2.00? a. Corey Crawford b. Mike Smith c. Michal Neuvirth d. Niklas Backstrom 8. Chris Nilan holds the all-time record for most penalty minutes in a playoff year, with 141. Only four active players have ever assessed more than 50 PIM in a playoff year; Maxim

Photo by Jay Baker

California Chrome at The Preakness, but disappoints in The Belmont, falling short of the Triple Crown 2014. for the top horses. The 50-point races are at The Risen Star at Fairgrounds Racetrack, The Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, The Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack, The Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs, The San Felipe at Santa Anita Racetrack, The Rebel at Oaklawn Park, The Spiral at Turfway Park and The Sunland Derby at Sunland Park. The 100-point high profile Derby preps are the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Hallandale, the Louisiana Derby at Fairgrounds Racetrack, the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, the Santa Anita Derby at beautiful Santa Anita Racetrack, The Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeland Racetrack. There’s also the UAE (United Arab Emirate) Derby at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

With all those races it’s not only about having the highest point total but the highest point total and the freshest horse ready to Run for the Roses. Winning the Triple Crown, however, is no easy feat. Of the 289 horses to win a single leg, 52 have won two (23 Lapierre, Milan Lucic, Kevin Bieksa, and who? a. Evgeni Malkin b. Shane Doan c. Chris Neil d. Zdeno Chara 9. Only two active defensemen have scored two overtime winners in a playoff year; Alec Martinez and who? a. Kris Letang b. Mark Streit c. Dan Girardi d. Brent Seabrook 10. Who is the only active defenseman ever to score 11 goals in a playoff year? a. Sergei Gonchar b. Dustin Byfuglien c. P.K. Subban d. Duncan Keith

Kentucky Derby/Preakness, 18 Preakness/Belmont, 11 Kentucky Derby/Belmont), with only 11 horses winning all three in its 140 year history: “The Amazing 11;” Sir Barton with his jockey Johnny Loftus in 1919; Gallant Fox; Omaha; War Admiral; Whirlway; Count Fleet; Assault; Citation; Secretariat; Seattle Slew; and finally Affirmed with his jockey Steven Cauthen in 1987. The Kentucky Derby runs at 1 1/4th miles, The Preakness Stakes runs at 1 3/16th miles, and The Belmont Stakes runs at 1 1/2 miles.

In addition to the strain of having the horses run so many races there is a nomination fee to enter each leg of the Triple Crown Series, which can be as high as $100,000. With so many challenges it is quite an accomplishment just to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Remember that as you watch the fastest two minutes in sports as the Road to the Roses makes its way to Churchill Downs this May!

Photo by Mike Majewski

Jaromir Jagr is the runaway leader in most career playoff scoring categories.

Answers 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. c 5. a 6. d 7. b 8. a 9. d 10. b

The 2015 Buffalo Weightlifting Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and party were held at J’s White Elephant in Lackawanna on February 7.

The Buffalo Weightlifting Hall of Fame began at the American Open Weightlifting Meet in 2000 at the Buffalo Convention Center.

Founder, John L. Schweikhard, said, “The original idea was to honor athletes who were overlooked by other local athletic hall of fame organizations. It blossomed into a fundraiser to help Team South Buffalo Weightlifters travel to meets around the United States.”

Team South Buffalo went on to win the Mason Dixon Open team title (including best male lifter, Tim Hoar, and best female lifter, Amy Angelina). They continued their dynasty by being the first WNY team to win the men’s Gold in Empire State Games history. After that, Team S. Buffalo went on to win East Coast vs. West Coast two years in a row at the Arnold Classic in Columbus Ohio. This year, Mark Solomon (Masters Pan Am Champion, Niagara District Masters snatch record holder) and John L. Schweikhard developed several terrific “up and coming” lifters who will be traveling to meets like the Arnold Classic and the USA Weightlifting Youth Nationals held in Columbus, OH and Minneapolis MN, respectively.