Canes, Sabres Take Different Paths
by Cory Lavalette on Jan 6, 2009 12:08 AM EST
28 comments
Two cities. Two franchises. Two strategies. Two similar destinations.
Back in the 2005-06, the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres were two of the best teams in the NHL, compiling 112 and 110 points, respectively, en route to the Eastern Conference finals.
Both teams were, first and foremost, built for speed.
The Sabres were led by dipsy-doodling Russian Maxim Afinogenov, up-and-coming offensive defenseman Brian Campbell, skilled leaders Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, and emerging netminder Ryan Miller. Behind the bench was Lindy Ruff, one of the longest-tenured and most fiery coaches in the league.
The Carolina forward corps was a mix of young talent (Eric Staal, Justin Williams and Erik Cole), veteran savvy (first-year captain Rod Brind'Amour, Ray Whitney and Cory Stillman) and, eventually, grizzled trade deadline acquisitions (Doug Weight and Mark Recchi). The back end was a defense by committee, led by veterans Glen Wesley and Bret Hedican, rugged Mike Commodore, Aaron Ward and Nic Wallin, and puck-moving Czeck Frank Kaberle. In net was was first-year starter Martin Gerber, along with a rookie backup named Cam Ward who would make a name for himself by the end of the season. Peter Laviolette roamed the bench, implementing a run-and-gun style that would take the "new NHL" by storm.
Also on display were two drastically contrasting cities. The Triangle area is a 21st century American working city, riddled with technology and pharmaceutical companies. It's population was exploding, with Midwestern and Northeastern transplants relocating in droves to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary for the good weather, growing economy and reasonably priced housing.
One of the cities that felt the pinch of the Southern exodus was Buffalo, N.Y. A blue-collar factory city, the Sabres' hometown was filled with passionate sports fans, but a crumbling economy and dwindling population, several of which relocated to the Triangle. Empty factories, boarded up buildings and the bitter cold were the backdrop for a team that gave hope to the residents who stayed behind and pride to those who moved on to greener pastures.
As we know, it ended in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, with Carolina topping Buffalo and its depleted defense en route to the finals and, eventually, the Stanley Cup.
After the season, both teams had huge decisions to make. Buffalo GM Darcy Regier watched as J-P Dumont left for Nashville and gritty Mike Grier bolted for San Jose. Underrated d-man Jay McKee took a big suitcase of cash — and his rugged play — to St. Louis. Backup goalie Martin Biron's future with the club was clearly coming to an end — he wound up dealt to Philadelphia at the 2007 trade deadline. Regier also overpaid talented-but-oft-injured Tim Connolly nearly $3 million a year in cap space over three years.
Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford parted ways with Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward — both signed with the Rangers — and instead kept Wallin and Kaberle. Also signed was John Grahame to replace Gerber as the backup to Ward, the Conn Smythe winner the year before. Rentals Weight and Recchi returned to former teams in St. Louis and Pittsburgh, respectively. Low-priced replacements like Trevor Letowski were brought in to fill the void.
Buffalo's plan worked in the 2006-07 regular season, as they tied for the NHL lead with 113 points. Carolina's didn't, with the Canes missing the playoffs and falling to 11th in the Eastern Conference. But Buffalo was again unable to climb to the top of the mountain, falling to the Senators in the playoffs. More importantly, Regier had passed on discounted contracts for Briere and Drury, and both left Buffalo after the season for more money elsewhere. The team did match the Oilers' huge offer sheet to emerging superstar Thomas Vanek, but they surely weren't happy about it.
The Canes tried to reassemble their Cup roster, bringing back Cullen and keeping together the foundation of the team that once brought them glory.
For both teams, it ended with a high draft pick and no postseason games in 2007-08.
So here we are, nearly two-and-a-half seasons removed from a time when the two teams redefined how the game was played coming out of the lockout, and both are at a crossroads. The Sabres hitched their wagon to Vanek and Miller along with their young, speedy players like Derek Roy and Jason Pominville. They moved Campbell at last season's trade deadline once they realized they'd be unable to re-sign him and replaced him with Craig Rivet, a reliable but not elite blueliner who became their captain. Carolina still has the skeleton of the team that won the Cup — including Staal, Brind'Amour, Williams, Ward and Whitney — plus new faces like Tuomo Ruutu and Sergei Samsonov. But the defense has been overhauled with speed and skill (featuring Joni Pitkanen and Joe Corvo), along with grit and toughness (Tim Gleason and Dennis Seidenberg). Only Kaberle and Wallin remain, and in much lesser roles. Ward, like Miller, is still the man between the pipes and is growing into being an everyday No. 1 goalie.
Most significantly, Carolina made a change on the bench early this season, sending Laviolette on his way and bringing back the man he replaced, Paul Maurice. Even the men on the bench assisting Maurice are different from past seasons — former Albany head coach Tom Rowe and Hall of Famer Ron Francis guide the players from ice level while Laviolette's two bench associates, Kevin McCarthy (associate coach from the press box) and Jeff Daniels (Rowe's replacement as coach and GM with the River Rats) are no longer in their familiar spots behind the Hurricanes players at ice level. Buffalo still has Ruff behind the bench, but another year out of the playoffs could possibly lead to a change.
As both teams approach the midway point of the 2008-09 season, they are closer to being playoff bubble teams than the conference frontrunners they once were. The Canes have recommitted to building their system, keeping their draft picks and developing young talent. The Sabres continue to draft a mix of size and skill, but are doing so by utilizing more video and less on-site scouting — a cost-cutting move they claim won't affect the quality of their decisions.
They are two franchises that began the post-lockout era at similar places, took different paths and find themselves again staring at each other in the standings — but this time it's near the fringe of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt instead of the top. And while it's more than two years since their spirited playoff tilt, there's no doubt that when the teams meet Jan. 17 in Buffalo for the first of four regular season games, it won't just be about two teams battling for a playoff spot.
It's a story of two cities whose fans still harbor a resentment toward each other. One is a wilting metropolis whose population still has more pride than 99 percent of American cities, especially when it comes to their sports teams. The other is a region that continues to expand, one that even many Western New Yorkers now call home because of the benefits of the Southern Light living it provides compared to their hometowns. But the Triangle is still, first and foremost, Tobacco Road — the center of the college basketball universe, not the home of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Does that make one region better than the other? When both arenas are packed with passionate fans who love their respective teams, does it matter that one city has a long professional sports history and the other is still a neophyte in major league pro athletics? Is it of consequence that one region is growing and expanding while the other is shrinking and struggling?
For 60 minutes of hockey, be it in HSBC Arena or the RBC Center, none of that matters when these two teams meet. The teams' different roads to success, failure and mediocrity are thrown out the window and all that matters is this: Canes vs. Sabres.
That rivalry has meant a lot the past few seasons to both cities, and will again this year. The four head-to-head matchups could decide the seasons of both franchises and, above all, give bragging rights to one of two similar, but oh-so-different cities and fanbases.
And that's what a rivalry is all about.
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Excellent article, Cory!! Great depth and perspective! Awesome posts over the holidays as well.
Happy New Year to all. And thank you to Bubba and Cory for all that you continue to do… your tireless hard work is appreciated more than you can imagine.
by SamsonovFan on Jan 6, 2009 1:28 AM EST reply actions
Great parallels here, Cory. Your English teachers would be proud.
by Wufpirate on Jan 6, 2009 8:26 AM EST reply actions
I lived in Hartford when the Whalers were there – and now here(partly because the Whale moved to the Triangle), as well as in Buffalo, where I would go to open hockey after the Sabres would practice at Sabreland & get to stand on the ice while watching Pierre Turgeon practice shot accuracy. Decent article, with some good questions raised. My favorite 2 bumper stickers (in Buffalo) were; “Last one out of Buffalo turn out the lights!” and “GO BILLS!…… and take the Sabres with you.” I would have to say that while this area is sports crazy in general, I have NEVER seen fans as loyal as I have seen in Buffalo (Bills AND Sabres) – and that includes travels to Spain & running into Real Madrid fans.
by marc on Jan 6, 2009 8:55 AM EST reply actions
I lived near Hartford much of my childhood, and while the structure of the city and Buffalo are quite different (Hartford being an insurance city, Buffalo a blue-collar one), both know what it’s like to go through hard times. I’ve been to Buffalo countless times the past 10 years (my wife’s from outside there) and you can see how it was once a great city — the Buffalo Central train terminal comes to mind; a beautiful building going to waste — that can’t get back on its feet.
While it’s hard to compare the economy here to that of Western New York, I think Buffalo could take a tip from Durham and use some of these old buildings for new endeavors. Of course, that takes money and some kind of entrepreneur to get things in motion. The Buffalo area is a unique one with lots of traditions and customs worth knowing about.
by Cory on Jan 6, 2009 9:16 AM EST reply actions
Yeah, it is crumbling a bit – and the waterfront reconstruction has been going on for over a decade in Buffalo. I was always amazed that the official state buildings in Buffalo would fly 3 flags – a NY State flag, an American flag, and a Bills flag. Also, if you walked around a mall in the area while the Bills were playing or a Sabres playoff game was going on, the Mall was EMPTY, except for the store employees who were huddled around TV’s in their respective shops, decked out in Bills or Sabres gear. I was playing a game at a rink in Buffalo during the Bills’ playoffs one year – the Frank Reich comeback game vs. Houston – and between the 2nd & 3rd periods, BOTH BENCHES and refs crowded into the snack bar area to watch the Bills game. We picked up our hockey game after the outcome of that one was decided.
by marc on Jan 6, 2009 9:48 AM EST reply actions
I will be flying up to Buffalo for the game on the 17th. I’m both excited and nervous (hopefully I’ll make it back alive). Never been to an away game before (although I went to a Wild game in St. Paul). The Sabres fan base is one that I have a hatred for greater than any other in any sport, but at the same time I have quite a respect for their passion.
by DaleCooper on Jan 6, 2009 10:36 AM EST reply actions
Interesting article Cory!
Good luck Cooper, you’ll need it. L
by Bubba on Jan 6, 2009 10:44 AM EST reply actions
I went to HSBC the year before the lockout — nice downtown arena, though not much around it. Everyone was really nice despite my Hurricanes shirt — but that was before the intensity between the teams was magnified a hundred fold by the 2006 playoffs.
Good luck Dale.
by Cory on Jan 6, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions
Good luck, Dale… never been to HSBC – used to own 10 pack tickets at the old Aud. That place got crazy, especially when a Canadian team was visiting. I don’t see HSBC being any less raucous… Buffalo’s fans are long suffering (WIDE RIGHT! NO GOAL! BRAVES MOVE! NO MLB! 4 SB LOSSES IN A ROW! OJ!) and their passion and loyalty are only fueled by their disappointment & anger at these “events.”
by marc on Jan 6, 2009 12:28 PM EST reply actions
Haha the rbc center is never packed, I got tickets to game 7 the day of the game…that is just sad…canes fans are fair weather fans…kind of like unc football fans
by Matthew on Jan 6, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions
Matthew, it’s impossible for Buffalo fans to be fair-weather since the weather always sucks in Buffalo. I will feel sorry for the hardcore Sabre fans when the team moves away.
by TrickyD26 on Jan 6, 2009 2:14 PM EST reply actions
Dang… that’s so fluffy it makes me feel bad for hating Buffalo!
ahhhh… I’ll get over it…
by Mateo on Jan 6, 2009 4:12 PM EST reply actions
“Canes are fairweather fans…”
I get so tired of hearing this type of drivel and the constant use stereotypes about southern hockey as an intellectual argument. (Wait did I use the word “intellectual” in a diatribe about Barfolo? How idiotic!) TrickyD26’s tactic is tantamount to a child saying, “I know you are but what am I?”. Do you think Barfalo would have the same attendance and passion they have today if they had any other sports options? Hell, any other entertainment options! Place Duke, UNC, NCSU in the area and see what happens. I don’t think they have the attention span or enough beer for that type of entertainment diversity. While I admire their passion too, I detest their poor sportsmanship and holier than thou attitude. I guess with the negative growth rate, bad economy, crumbling infrastructure, attitude and passion are all that is left. I am not a Detroit fan, at all, but I admire when them come to the RBC center they cheer their team but act like a visitor in someone’s home. Barfolo fans act like any place serving beer is their own local bar. They are totally disrespectful, rude, and obnoxious.
So all you Barfolo fans that don’t like us, feel free to bundle up and take your rusted out truck back to your home bar where you belong. Those that care to visit in a civilized manner, feel free to stay a while, southern hospitality is real and the tailgating tradition at hockey games is something to behold.
As for the hypocrisy in my using stereotypes to describe Barfolo, let’s just say I must have reached my limit.
by Porglast on Jan 6, 2009 4:54 PM EST reply actions
go to a game on a weekday and nobody is there, but once yall make the playoffs, you can almost sell out, why can’t you have pride in your team all year long, thats all im asking. Its the same question nc state fans ask unc fans about football? In the original post, they talk of both arenas being packed with passionate fans, HSBC is packed everynight, rbc only when its the playoffs or the weekend
by Matthew on Jan 6, 2009 5:41 PM EST reply actions
Check out the attendance figures (link below). Carolina is not the only team struggling through attendance problems. Carolina is in the top 2/3 of all teams, with NJ, NY Islanders, Boston below us, and Washington, Pittsburgh and Edmonton within reach.
All mudslinging aside, for those that love hockey, and as a southern boy that came late in life to hockey I would include myself in the fraternity, it would seem that as a fan base we would all be focused on expanding the sport. That means investment in time and money in non-traditional markets. Hockey will never make it as a regional only game. The other option, I suppose, is to move the sport back to the original six and watch it go no where.
by Porglast on Jan 6, 2009 6:05 PM EST reply actions
FWIW, Buffalo’s attendance was 20th in 2004 and 27th in 2003. Both years they finished last in their division. It didn’t climb back up until they made the playoffs in 2005. So let’s not act like the Sabres have this storied history of selling out for the past 20 years. I’m guessing if they miss the playoffs for a second straight year the attendance will continue to slip.
by Cory on Jan 6, 2009 8:00 PM EST reply actions
for me to get four tickets for game seven i had to go to ebay. you might have found a single on gameday but thats about it (and i doubt that there were too many to be had).
one thing that you have to look at when talking about fans here, is that we are still growing as a hockey market. remeber: we spent two years in greensboro. so we have played 8 full seasons here.
I think that Carolina is doing a fine job with fans. This market will continue to grow. Please do not even try to compair the markets.
What do you think the total attendance for St Bonaventure is??? I rest my case.
by Charles on Jan 6, 2009 10:09 PM EST reply actions
why not compare markets, you have way more people here you should be able to fill an arena, game 1 of that series the entire upper deck was sabres fans, you could hear sabres chants over canes chants, in a playoff setting an entire upper deck shouldn’t be filled with fans from a city 12 hours away. And yes my uncle got 4 tickets from the box office though nosebleed, you weren’t sold out for a game 7 until game day
by Matthew on Jan 7, 2009 7:07 AM EST reply actions
Buffalo’s population is still (slightly) bigger than Raleigh’s:
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/10/13/story5.html
So there’s your market comparison.
And the influx of Canadians who attend Buffalo games (b/c they can’t afford/get tickets to Leafs games) is significant. The city’s NFL team is also outsourcing a home game to Toronto each season for money. We could go on and on about which city is a better sports town. My point for the article was it doesn’t change the rivalry.
by Cory on Jan 7, 2009 8:40 AM EST reply actions
Matthew, I remember being in the Aud for a game against Toronto & there were more Toronto fans than Sabres fans… and again with the Canadiens. Several times. Maybe THAT is why Buffalo sells out more than Carolina – it’s proximity to Canada. Having lived in several NHL markets, Carolina & its fans do an awesome job of promoting the sport. Why would fans of the sport NOT want it to grow?
And Porglast, Buffalo DOES have some major universities & other cities very close by… there are many other venues & sports that are vying for the sports entertainment dollar. Toronto, Niagara, UB, etc etc… Buffalo has just always been hit harder than most by economic downturns, which is why it was always amazing to me that the Sabres and Bills do as well as they do. It’ll be a shame to see the Bills play in Toronto – but that’s where the money is.
by marc on Jan 7, 2009 9:14 AM EST reply actions
Greater Buffalo area population: 1.2m
Greater Raleigh area population: 1.6m
Compared to major markets, the difference in overall population between the RTP and Buffalo areas is minimal. As noted, the difference is that the population within a radius of 250 miles of Buffalo have intense hockey interest, easily attracting ticket buyers outside the primary market.
The area of interest in NC is much smaller. I believe the RTP supports the Canes well, and much better than some major market teams. Examples are the Devils, Islanders, and Bruins. The Canes have a limited fan base in the surrounding areas, such as Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Columbia, etc. I am often surprised when I visit friends in Charlotte how little they know about the Canes and the sport. I detest the NBA, awful product, but I follow the woeful Bobcats enough to know about the hiring of a quality coach, their absentee owners/management, the fact they tripped up the champs recently. The real test for the Canes is their ability to expand their regional market and generate a larger potential ticket buying pool.
by Porglast on Jan 7, 2009 10:21 AM EST reply actions
Where did you get the 1.6M? I remember reading the article I posted back in the fall, about how Raleigh was poised to pass Buffalo b/c of the 30-percent-ish growth.
by Cory on Jan 7, 2009 10:49 AM EST reply actions
I remember last December (2007) flying to Toronto the day after a leafs game (that sadly I missed because I was sick) and there were two guys across the aisle from me on the flight that had flown down to Raleigh for the game.
Also, between game 6-7 of the playoffs against Edmonton I was flying from Toronto to Raleigh and there were several Oilers fans flying down for the game (they gave me a hard time because I was wearing a ‘canes playoff shirt, I just told them that they were going to lose…)
So, yes, there are some very dedicated fans in Canada… BUT maybe part of the reason that they have to go to such lengths to go to games is that so many of the seats in their home arenas are bought by corporate clients that either go unused, or go to casual fans/random employees, so ’hardcore’ fans have less of a chance to get tickets for home games. A friend of mine pointed out the other day that, although the RBC center wasn’t full, the number of people in attendance that were wearing jerseys (which I would consider the mark of a more-than-casual fan) was more than one might see in the more ‘traditional’ hockey markets. Does that mean that the canes have more dedicated fans? Or is just that people don’t bother to buy jerseys if they can’t get tickets to go to the games… You can make of that what you will…
by Andrea on Jan 7, 2009 3:52 PM EST reply actions
Wikipedia…
The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau’s Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Raleigh-Durham-Cary in the central Piedmont region of North Carolina. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,635,974 as of July 1, 2007, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) portion estimated at 1,047,629 residents.5
Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the seat of Erie County.5 The city itself has a population of 292,648 (2000 Census)6, and the metropolitan area 1,170,111 (2000 Census)7, the 46th largest in the United States.
The question is, can you believe what you read on the web? Wait, I take that back…
by Porglast on Jan 7, 2009 5:59 PM EST reply actions
I’m not gonna get into this but any comparison of “within 250 miles” is so stupid as to be discounted out of hand. San Diego and LA merge, NY City and Jersey are as one, Florida, Texas, Virginia/DC, and these are not all “major” markets for hockey. Not a valid indicator at all. Raleigh has a few hundred thousand, the triangle just crested about 3/4’s of a million. Comparing Buffalo, that’s in the middle of nowhere and Raleigh that is within 250 miles of a couple million is silly. Virginia Beach is within 250 miles and bigger than both. Charlotte is almost twice the size of Raleigh and in the Zone. Richmond, Roanoke, Martinsville, Danville and all of trhe southeast of va. Then go south to Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, hell Atlanta is just over 300 and with the 250 mile circle we have to include DC and I’m pretty sure we ain’t gonna dig into thier market share.
A 250 mile radius of Raleigh is the Mid Atlantic coast. I’m also pretty sure Buffalo isn’t getting diddly shit out of Toronto or Detroit. Rochester and syracuse maybe, but driving this time of year is tough, I bet the showing is pretty minimal.
I think I read your post wrong or you are outside of normal “range of draw”. 250 miles is silly.
A
by Paladin6 on Jan 7, 2009 6:00 PM EST reply actions
Doubled up. You use one county for Buffalo (Erie)and 6 for Raleigh. I’d say don’t believe what you read.
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by Paladin6 on Jan 7, 2009 6:01 PM EST reply actions
Paladin,if there is a Canadian team playing in Buffalo, they WILL drive there. I’ve seen it first hand – people living in Buffalo & on the other side of the border really don’t stop driving because of weather.
Detroit I’ve never seen a presence at the Aud, but Pennsylvania yes.
by marc on Jan 8, 2009 11:51 AM EST reply actions
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