bernier56
April 8th, 2008, 11:20:21 AM
The Sabres cleaned out their lockers Monday and the shock and disappointment of missing the playoffs certainly hung heavy in the words and faces of every player in the room. One of the only players with something to celebrate was defenseman Teppo Numminen, who finally got in a game Saturday night in Boston after missing all season after heart surgery. He said he could have played another one Monday if it was on the schedule.
"It was huge," Numminen said. "There were so many times during the year I thought they were was no way I'd be skating. ... I'm glad I got that game in. The next day, you kind of realize how big the game was mentally and physically. I'm back. I'm healthy and I can still do the things I do. It was huge for me."
Numminen, 40, said he intends to play next season. He's an unrestricted free agent and it seems unlikely the Sabres will bring him back. You'd think he'd be so aggravated that the team put him on the suspended list most of the year that he'd want to go somewhere else. But that's not the case -- in fact, he said Buffalo is "my first option."
Plenty of hockey experts said Numminen's injury hurt the Sabres in the leadership department as much as the losses of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. So what do you think: A one-year deal at a much lower price than this year's $2.6 million? Thanks but no thanks?
---Mike Harrington
http://buffalonews.typepad.com/
i hope He'll be back. He's a good guy, he was so happy to play in just one game, and he brings soo much.leadership and is a mentor for the younger guys..
"It was huge," Numminen said. "There were so many times during the year I thought they were was no way I'd be skating. ... I'm glad I got that game in. The next day, you kind of realize how big the game was mentally and physically. I'm back. I'm healthy and I can still do the things I do. It was huge for me."
Numminen, 40, said he intends to play next season. He's an unrestricted free agent and it seems unlikely the Sabres will bring him back. You'd think he'd be so aggravated that the team put him on the suspended list most of the year that he'd want to go somewhere else. But that's not the case -- in fact, he said Buffalo is "my first option."
Plenty of hockey experts said Numminen's injury hurt the Sabres in the leadership department as much as the losses of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. So what do you think: A one-year deal at a much lower price than this year's $2.6 million? Thanks but no thanks?
---Mike Harrington
http://buffalonews.typepad.com/
i hope He'll be back. He's a good guy, he was so happy to play in just one game, and he brings soo much.leadership and is a mentor for the younger guys..