By Budd Bailey The date was October 6, 1986, a Monday morning. I was reporting for my first day at work in the public relations department of the Buffalo Sabres. I thought I was simply walking through the side door at Memorial Auditorium, but in reality, I was walking through the gates of hockey hell. I’ve been thinking about that day and the ones that followed since I heard about the death of former Sabres’ executive Gerry Meehan on Saturday. I discovered I was arriving just

The Western New York Running Hall of Fame has announced its 14th class, bringing the total number of inductees to 55. This year’s group includes: • Linda (Rogers) Haas built an extraordinary running career spanning decades, becoming an All-American at Erie Community College and Fort Hays State University while maintaining exceptional academic success. She set multiple school records, earned Erie Community College’s Hall of Fame recognition, and was a member of the world-recor

by Tony Fiorello View of the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League's championship trophy, taken during the cup's 100th year anniversary, New York, New York, November 1992. The cup is named after Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley. (Photo by Scott Levy/Getty Images) Welcome to this year’s editions of the NHL’s Eastern and Western Conference Finals, where four teams will battle for the right to become the final two squads to square off for the most famous trophy in sports. The more

by Tony Fiorello View of the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League's championship trophy, taken during the cup's 100th year anniversary, New York, New York, November 1992. The cup is named after Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley. (Photo by Scott Levy/Getty Images) It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Typically that’s a phrase one would hear around Christmas. But for hockey fans, there’s no better time of year to enjoy the game than the playoffs. With storylines galore and t