SABRES NOTEBOOK
Lorentz, Crozier to join Sabres' Hall
One of the most recognizable voices in Buffalo Sabres history is joining the team's Hall of Fame. So is the "Coach."
Jim Lorentz, who parlayed his Sabres playing career into a 26-year run as a broadcaster for the team, was selected Wednesday as one of the newest members of the Sabres Hall of Fame. He will be inducted alongside Joe Crozier, who coached the Sabres from 1972-74 and has spent the past 26 years in various front-office positions.
The enshrinement ceremony will take place Feb. 9 in HSBC Arena prior to the game against the Boston Bruins.
Lorentz played seven of his 10 seasons with the Sabres, recording 134 goals and 331 points in 485 games. The most famous moment for the 62-year-old came during Game Three of the 1975 Stanley Cup finals, when he swatted a bat out of midair in Memorial Auditorium.
The next generation of Sabres fans knew Lorentz from turning on their televisions or radios. From 1981 to 1992, Lorentz was the radio color man for Ted Darling and Rick Jeanneret. From 1992 till 2007, Lorentz handled the same role for television broadcasts.
The 80-year-old Crozier, still known around the arena as "Coach," was at the helm of the Sabres for 2½ seasons. He was named NHL Coach of the Year by the Hockey News following the 1972-73 season, as the Sabres went 37-27-14 in their third year of existence.
Prior to joining the Sabres, Crozier won three titles with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. He coached the Toronto Maple Leafs for parts of two seasons in the early '80s and retired from the bench in 1984.
Rochester, the Sabres' longtime minor-league affiliate, visits HSBC Arena tonight to meet Buffalo's newest partner. The Portland Pirates face the Amerks at 7 p.m. with plenty of tickets available ranging from $15 to $25.
Three familiar names led the Pirates in scoring heading into Wednesday night's game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Mark Mancari, who held out during training camp, was atop the list with eight assists and 12 points. Rookie Tyler Ennis had a team-high six goals with 11 points, while Nathan Gerbe was next with three goals and 10 points.
The Amerks, affiliated with the Florida Panthers, are still paced by center Chris Taylor. Taylor played parts of four seasons in Buffalo, and the 37-year-old has 14 points, including 10 assists.
"We're expecting an extremely tough game against a revamped Rochester team," Portland coach Kevin Dineen said. "We know there's a rivalry that still lingers for some of our players, which will make for an exciting matchup."
Sabres goaltender Patrick Lalime missed his fourth straight game Wednesday when the Edmonton Oilers visited the arena, but he took the ice for the morning skate. It his first appearance since suffering a groin strain Nov. 2.
"I felt good," Lalime said. "It was a nice first day really practicing, getting some shots, but I felt good. The first one you're a little more careful maybe. You don't want to make it happen again."
There is no timetable for Lalime's return, but coach Lindy Ruff expects Lalime to participate fully in practice today.
"We'll know more in the next couple days for sure," Lalime said.
Defenseman Toni Lydman also skated in the morning, but he missed his eighth straight game with a groin injury. Adam Mair and Nathan Paetsch were the scratches.
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