The Sabres Draft Party - a Photo Diary

I feel way behind on this entry. Everyone else has pretty much summed up both the draft and draft party well enough that this will just be meaningless fluff (but who doesn't love fluff).

I was supposed to recap this much earlier, but I had another dance competition this weekend. We brought home another round of high score awards, but I'm definitely getting too old to keep doing this much longer. Case in point - after I finished my six dances on Sunday I went home and slept for 13 HOURS - apparently my mental and physical recovery time is not as it once was.

Now, onto more pressing matters...

We drafted a boy who is almost two years younger but 18 INCHES taller than I am! Darcy must have been catching up on his blog reading and saw that I wished for a new defenseman and a big, physical presence to help protect little Nate. Like a skinny, Canadian Santa, he proceeded to grant my wishes in one, Tyler Myers-shaped package.

Welcome to the Sabres, Tall Tyler (I need to come up with a better nickname)

We then proceeded to draft Tiny Tyler - Tyler Ennis, that is. He says his favorite player is Danny Briere. That's great Tyler, he was one of my favorites too, just promise you won't up and leave us for Philly like your idol - I still have a bit of a complex about that.

I'm also quite excited about second-round pick Luke Adam, who's 6'1 and 210 pounds, describing himself as a power forward. I feel a future Muckers and Grinders favorite in the making with that pick.

As for the draft party itself, it was okay. I was thoroughly disappointed by the lack of Sabres in attendance (no offense, Mike Funk and Tim Kennedy). However, the locker room tour was pretty awesome and almost made up for the whole Goose in Europe thing:

The lounge looks like the Brady Bunch's living room - they need a new interior decorator

The trainer's room was pretty cool - I like the picture of the Cup looming over everything like some sort of all-seeing presence

In honor of Heather B. - Hank's lovely locker

I was surprised that Pommer's locker wasn't covered in pictures of rainbows and etchings of "Pommers + System 4EVER"

The highlight of the tour for me (I wanted to just sit in there and wait until he comes back)

And finally...the only thing Darcy did not do according to my wish list...

Trade Max. Darcy, I know you said you tried, but all I can say is TRY HARDER. We have too many forwards, and if you have to let Goose go because no one wants Max, I might have to take drastic action.

Get the Party Started

Today's the day!

After dwelling on the sadness of life without major hockey news, today is like a ray of sunshine from those pesky hockey gods.

I'm not going to pretend to have any idea about what is going to happen at tonight's NHL Draft. There are so many things that can happen, but there are some things I would like to see:

• Drafting a good stay-at-home defenseman. I know we wouldn't use him next season, but our supply of d-men in the AHL seems to be getting pretty thin if we call up Weber and Sekera full time next year (like I'm hoping we do).
• Getting a little bigger in terms of size with our forward corps. Now, as a proud shortie who often refers to herself as the 8th dwarf, I have tons of love for our smaller boys like Royzie and Gerbe. However, my heart belongs to the guys like Goose, tall and tough.
• Something BIG. I would love to see Darcy work his magic on a trade of some sort. I'm not a Max hater, but I do believe that a change of scenery would do both him and the Sabres a world of good. I'll miss his adorable Russian-ness and Road Runner-like speed, but I won't miss those times when he becomes a one-man turnover machine.

I can't wait to actually have pertinent Sabres news to talk about, but the best part about tonight is....

The Draft Party!

My best friend and I are going, and I am super excited for the sales and the Sabres Store - not to mention the locker room tours. Oh yeah, and the autographs! I'm still trying to think of who's going to be in town for the summer and would most likely be there. Outside of Kaleta, I really have no idea. I am hoping, however, that Rob Ray and Matt Barnaby will be there with the Sabres Alumni - they were two of my first "favorite Sabres."

If anyone else is going tonight and wants to meet up and commiserate about Goose being in Europe, let me know!

Obligatory NBA Post

I'm not really much of an NBA follower (I'm more of a college basketball fanatic), but I was happy to see the Celtics win the NBA Championship last night.

The Big Three are enjoying the celebration

I definitely wasn't heartbroken for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers - they've won way too many times in my basketball-watching life, and I'll admit that I'm not your biggest Kobe supporter. The Celtics, on the other hand, were a team of guys trying to win it all for the first time. I think this is why I was really rooting for them.

After the game, you could see the relief and joy on each of their faces. I was especially happy for Paul Pierce, their captain, who has been a Celtic through some pretty rough stretches.

And how can you not love Doc Rivers? He is the epitome of what I love in a coach - a defensive-minded, team-oriented, class act.

Don't worry, I'll be back in hockey-mode tomorrow. Two days and counting until the Draft!!

And thanks to everyone for spreading the Goose-love. I promise, there will be many more posts like yesterday's in the coming months - there is always time for more Paul Gaustad loving in the blogging world.

In other random news: If anyone's looking for things to watch now that baseball is the only sport on TV, So You Think You Can Dance has started again on Fox (8 p.m. tonight). It's my personal favorite TV show, so expect some commentary when I get bored this summer. If you like Dancing with the Stars, check it out (plus, cute dancer boys are always nice to look at).

Paul Gaustad Has Given Me Unrealistic Expectations About Men

This post is going to be nothing more than the first of many Goose-themed love-fests I have planned for the summer. So if you, by some chance, are crazy enough to believe that Goose is not God's gift to women everywhere, you may want to turn away.

There are about 10 million things I love about every interview Goose does, and his latest one with 97 Rock is no exception. He just seems so genuine and relaxed with the media. I especially loved how he was getting pestered for not having a girlfriend (which is simply because we have not met yet - haha), to which he replied that he gets the same thing from Mama Goose.

I also loved how he was trying to convince us that Pommer is tougher than he looks. I wonder if Jason has a secret angry side when Goose doesn't let him have the remote on the road. When he said that Jason was complaining that no one understands how tough he really is, I was hit with an image of Goose consoling a whimpering Pommer: "It's ok, I know you can be tough when you want to be. Do you want me to come over with sugar cookies to make you feel better? I'll put M&Ms in them - I know that's your favorite."

Because that's the kind of guy Goose is, baking cookies for his BFF seems second nature. I think Goose's full name is Paul Charity Gaustad. I've been reading on everyone's blogs that Goose chaired the Camp Good Days gala over the weekend while Danny Briere made a guest appearance. Things like this make me smile. To see two guys who are obviously such good people in addition to being such good hockey players makes me feel proud to say that they play (or played) for us. Especially with Goose, it makes me feel even prouder to wear his jersey, proud that I picked a pretty great favorite player.

Thanks to Buffalo.com for the great pictures of the event:

Lindy Ruff is all kinds of awesome

It's things like this that are the reason I can't boo Danny Briere

Say it with me: "Awwwww...."

Between the tux and the little girl, I think my heart exploded from the cuteness

So, Darcy, about that 25-year contract for Mr. Paul Charity Gaustad? I think it would make that little girl (and this not so little one) very happy.

In Memoriam

I don't quite know what to say.

Yesterday, political journalist Tim Russert died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 58. Tim was one of Buffalo's most beloved native sons, a proud South Buffalo boy whose heritage was evident in everything he did.

Buffalo wasn't just where Tim Russert was from; it was his essence. He lived and breathed this city, including its sports teams. My fondest memory was when he had the Stanley Cup next to him on Meet the Press in 2006, along with the jersey the Sabres had made for him.

Tim was our biggest and best cheerleader in the national spotlight. As future journalist, I can only hope to be half of who he was - both professionally and personally. His integrity in his work and his life is something that has been spoken of much in the last 24 hours, and I admire that immensely.

Rest in peace, Tim Russert.

Pommer and Kaner and Ovie - Oh My!

It's time to talk about the award show everyone was glued to last night...

Bravo's A-List Awards!

Just kidding!

The NHL gave out its annual awards last night, and, of course, they had to schedule the ceremony while I was still at work. That, combined with my family's aversion to getting Tivo, means that all I have to base my opinions on are the photos from Yahoo!, the brief but helpful new coverage, and the recaps provided by all of my favorite bloggers.

What I missed:

• Alexander Ovechkin can now add Hart Trophy and Pearson Award-winner to his resume along with his invention of the concepts of "fun" and "enthusiasm."


• Vinny Lecavalier spoke in French during his acceptance speech for the award for being not only beautiful on the outside but the inside as well. It may be a good thing I missed this because my body may not have recovered from the massive swooning.


• Apparently, voters think that Pavel Datsyuk is more of a gentleman than Jason Pominville. That's ok, Pommers, if they gave out awards for dedication to "The System" and most endearingly delusional optimism - you would win in a heartbeat. Oh well, you still get to room with Goose, which, in my mind, is better than any award.


• Pat Kane is doing nothing to combat my desire to marry him and join his adorable family. His speech was delivered surprisingly well - you did us proud once again, Kaner!

And now for the award that really matters: Katie's Most Attractive Man of the Evening Award (and the 3 runners-up - because I just want an excuse to post pretty pictures of studly men):

4.) Jarome Iginla

The smile! The polka dots! I'm still trying to figure out how I managed to watch the West before I loved Iggy.

3.) Vinny Lecavalier

I know that he shaved his beautiful head, but he is still more attractive than 99% of all the men I've ever seen.

2.) Jason Pominville

I like the lighting in this picture - it makes him look even more like the cute, little angel that he really is. Now, that is the face of a gentleman (no offense, Datsyuk).

1.) Patrick Kane

I need to get out more if there are other guys like him wandering around our fair city.

And the Award Goes To...

It feels like it's been far longer than a week since the Stanley Cup Finals ended. Thankfully, the hockey gods (or NHL executives) have smiled upon us and given us a major blogging topic to satisfy our need for hockey talk and good looking men in tuxedos:

The NHL Awards!

And, of course, I am scheduled to work tomorrow while they will be aired. I hope to come back to detailed recaps and lovely pictures (pretty please!).

In the spirit of award show fun, I present my picks for all of the awards that will be handed out tomorrow in Toronto.

Award: Hart Trophy (NHL MVP)

Nominees: Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh), Jarome Iginla (Calgary)
My Pick: Alexander Ovechkin. As much as I LOVE Iggy's glowing smile and captain-y goodness and Geno's ability to take over games with his scoring ability and blank stares, if any award tomorrow is a foregone conclusion, it's this one.

Award: Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)

Nominees: Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose), Henrik Lundqvist (NY Rangers), Martin Brodeur (NJ)

My Pick: Evgeni Nabokov. I know Brodeur is Brodeur, but I really like the newcomer in this race. Nabokov led the NHL in victories with 46, while tying Brodeur for most games played (77). His most impressive stat, however, may be the fact that he didn't sit for a game until January 13, 43 games into the season.

Award: Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)

Nominees: Nick Lidstrom (Detroit), Dion Phaneuf (Calgary), Zdeno Chara (Boston)

My Pick: Nick Lidstrom. It's hard to argue with the captain and blueline stronghold of one of the stingiest defenses in the NHL. Though he did spend some time injured this season, Lidstrom still managed to keep his +/- rating a +40 while logging an average of 26:25 in ice time during Detroit's President's Trophy winning season.

Award: Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year)

Nominees: Patrick Kane (Chicago), Nick Backstrom (Washington), Jonathan Toews (Chicago)

My Pick: Patrick Kane. In the battle of the Blackhawks, I think my future husband (haha) will edge out his road roomie because of his offensive prowess. He led all rookies in scoring with 72 points while playing against the top lines of his opponents. Also, he led all rookies in shootout goals, scoring on 7 of 9 attempts. I may be biased towards this homegrown star, but the stats don't lie - he's earned this award.

Award: Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Gentelmanly Play)

Nominees: Jason Pominville (Buffalo), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit), Martin St. Louis (Tampa)

My Pick: Jason Pominville. I know this judgment is ridiculously biased, and I know Pommers probably won't win, but there is certainly a good case for him here. He is definitely the most gentlemanly of the Sabres, a team containing many gentleman (not named Tim Connolly - sorry Timmay). He excelled as our Captain, earning a career-high 80 points. He also committed only 10 minor penalties while playing in all 82 games for the Sabres.

Award: Frank Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)

Nominees: Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit), Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit), John Madden (NJ)

My Pick: Henrik Zetterberg. Watching him play against every team's top line is like watching a clinic in prefect two-way hockey.

Award: Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)

Nominees: Mike Babcock (Detroit), Guy Carbonneau (Montreal), Bruce Boudreau (Washington)

My Pick: Bruce Boudreau. Before he was named coach, the Caps were 6-14-1. After he moved behind the bench, they captured the Southeast Division title. No other team had ever made the playoffs after standing in 14th place at midseason; he took them to the 3rd seed. Montreal's resurgence was impressive as well, but nowhere near as dramatic as this.

Award: Masterton Trophy (Perseverance to Hockey)

Nominees: Jason Blake (Toronto), Chris Chelios (Detroit), Fernando Pisani (Edmonton)

My Pick: Paul Gaustad! Wait...Goose didn't make the cut? Oh well, then I'll go with Jason Blake. The man has leukemia and still managed to play in all 82 games. If that's not the very definition of perseverance, I'm not sure what is.

Award: Lester B. Pearson Award (NHLPA voted MVP)

Nominees: See Hart Trophy

My Pick: If Ovechkin doesn't win, he is either a pretty unpopular guy or hockey players are dumber than we think!

Let's hope Pommers looks extra-spiffy in his tux tomorrow. That way, any hardware he happens to bring home will simply be an added bonus.