Henrik Tallinder was a typical rookie, happy to be in the NHL and possessing a mind filled

with questions. The best place to go for answers was to the veterans, but the defenseman

noticed they were occasionally preoccupied. Even a 23-year-old newcomer could tell why.

Mixed in with power-play meetings were bankruptcy updates. In addition to game plans, the

2002-03 Buffalo Sabres had to discuss which prospective owner might buy the team. Some guys

had their minds split on faceoffs and court dates, wondering whether a judge would permit

their bonuses to be paid.

It certainly wasn't how Tallinder had pictured professional sports, but it's how things were

on the bankrupt Sabres team being run by the league.

"It was confusing times because you look up to older guys on teams — Stu Barnes, Curtis

Brown, Jason Woolley, all those guys — and they were confused. When they are confused,

it means that you are even more confused as the new guy," Tallinder recalled Wednesday. "It

was confusing because you walk in and it's like, "Oh, now we have a meeting about

[bankruptcy].' What you really want to do is just practice and do your normal business."

The team visiting HSBC Arena today probably couldn't agree more. The Sabres host the Phoenix

Coyotes, a bankrupt team being run by the league. They've faced questions about ownership,

relocation, court dates and bankruptcy since spring. The inquiries will continue until someone

buys the club and decides where it should play.

It's an uneasy situation, and Buffalo is one place where the Coyotes can find empathy.

"The biggest vision is the dry erase boards were just filled with bankruptcy scenarios, and it

wasn't pretty most times," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.

The teams' reasons for bankruptcy differ, but the aftereffects are the same. The Sabres were

broke and under NHL control because owner John Rigas looted Adelphia Communications, hid $2.3

billion in debt and was on his way to jail. The Coyotes are in flux because owner Jerry Moyes

lost $300 million and filed for bankruptcy, which led to a bidding war between the NHL and Jim

Balsillie, who wanted to move the organization to Hamilton, Ont. The judge rejected both bids,

and the search for an owner continues.

It'll remain a messy process, as folks in Sabreland recall. Hopeful bidders in Buffalo made

promises and appearances before B. Thomas Golisano was finally approved near the end of the

season.

"You couldn't get away from the speculation about which group was buying the team," said

assistant coach James Patrick, who was a defenseman on the 2002-03 club. "You were reading

this owner was going to do this, or this owner was going to come in and clean house. Different

names were being thrown about. That was certainly a bit of a soap opera."

The biggest question facing the Coyotes is where they'll play next season. The league is

willing to relocate the team after this year if it can't find a buyer who'll make it work in

Arizona. There was certainly a chance the Sabres could have been moved, but it was minuscule

compared to the current bankruptcy.

"There was a lot of talk about the team being sold or bankrupt or having the league run it,

but there wasn't that much talk about moving the team," Sabres holdover winger Jochen Hecht

said. "That's got to be on the minds of some of the [Phoenix] players with family that have a

contract and might have to move in a year or so."

The relocation talk will become more prevalent if the Coyotes can't draw fans, which is

certain to be the case. It's hard for people to invest in a club that might depart or has done

wrong, as Sabres center Adam Mair vividly recalls.

"Because we went through that summer with the Rigas family, there was a big disappointment in

the fan base because they felt they were let down by the ownership," Mair said. "It reflected

in the fans going to the games. There'd be 11,000 or 13,000 fans here. It showed that they

were a knowledgeable hockey crowd and they weren't taking that kind of response from an owner.

"It was tough. You want to go out, you're giving your all, and you want the hometown behind

you. At the time, they weren't there, and they had a good reason not to be."

The Sabres finished that season 26th in the 30-team league. They used 38 players and traded

their captain (Barnes) and alternate captain (Rob Ray). Though they tried to focus, a

distraction inevitably popped up, like when Jay McKee, Brian Campbell, Ryan Miller and Brown

had to wait for bonus checks because the courts held their cash. Brown, while being approached

once for his thoughts on a hockey matter, quickly initiated the chat with, "You know I can't

talk about not getting paid, right?"

That's the atmosphere that likely will stay with the Coyotes this season.

"I think they should be able to put it aside," Ruff said, offering hope. "I think they realize

they're there for the year and you've got to move forward."