Sabres Owner Terry Pegula continues to show that he is "consumed with winning the Stanley Cup," the latest sign of his commitment coming Thursday with D Tyler Myers signing a seven-year, $38.5M contract extension, according to Bucky Gleason of the BUFFALO NEWS. Pegula since taking over the club at the end of last season has been "building a first-rate organization that's committed to acquiring and keeping first-rate players." Myers said, "What Terry and his team have done ever since he stepped in, it's pretty motivating as a player to see that and want to come to the rink and play for somebody like that. With my teammates, it's in our discussions daily, how excited we are with what's happening in Buffalo. It's amazing, the motivation you can see from all the guys." Gleason notes Pegula is a "wealthy man who carries himself as if he didn't have a dime in his pocket, a great fit in outposts like Buffalo." Gleason: "Money certainly helps, but there's been a sense around the Sabres that it's not what's pushing them. For the first time since Seymour and Northrup Knox founded the franchise, it's solely about winning. He's had a profound impact" (BUFFALO NEWS, 9/16).
LISTENING TO THE FANS: In Buffalo, John Vogl reports the Sabres are introducing several new fan amenities for this season. That includes a "flat-screen TVs in every restroom, which will also feature cup holders above the urinals; up to 10 plaza parties; a 200 Level suite that includes pregame access to the area between the Sabres' dressing room and the ice; an outdoor party tent similar to the one erected for the world junior championships; a relocated smoking area that will improve the Sabres Store experience for nonsmokers; and a 90-foot, exterior message board that streams messages to passers-by on Washington Street. " Sabres President Ted Black said, "Most, if not all, of these initiatives were the result of the more than 30,000 ideas that fans had submitted last year. These improvements and business achievements are not our primary goal. They're merely the byproduct of our bigger pursuit of a championship organization and team." Vogl: "Apparently, there's no area of Sabreland that Pegula and his crew won't continue to develop" (BUFFALO NEWS, 9/16).
