KYLE OKPOSO

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin will not participate in the team's Pride Night warmups before Monday's game against the Canadiens, citing safety concerns in his native Russia.

Ilya Lyubushkin is citing an anti-gay Kremlin law and fears of retribution at home in Russia for electing to not participate in the Buffalo Sabres’ pregame warmup on Pride night when players are expected to wear Pride-themed jerseys.

The NHL Players' Association has hired U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh as its executive director.

Jack Eichel turned the emotional hurt he experienced following his first trip to Buffalo in March by finding relief in facing his former team for a second time since being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Buffalo Sabres had just completed a pregame meeting and veteran forward Kyle Okposo was struck by what he noticed once the coaches left the room. Without referencing how things went in the past, Okposo was making a clear point about the current — post-Jack Eichel — makeup of the Sabres and the bonds being formed among a group of developing youngsters and journeymen.

The home opener, 8,467 attended the game, in game 2: 7,872, in game 3: 7,376. In the 2019-2020 season, the Sabres averaged over 17,000 fans per game.

Jack Eichel, now stripped of his captaincy, has likely played his final game for the Sabres because of a rift with the team over how to treat a herniated disk. Forward Sam Reinhart and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen got their wish to escape Buffalo after being traded in July. Despite another offseason of headaches and negative headlines, veteran forward Kyle Okposo chose his words carefully in assessing why he believes the Sabres might be finally pointed in the right direction after spending the past decade dwelling mostly in dysfunction.

Some of the NHL's stars are not on the ice for the start of training camps.

Tristan Jarry stopped 27 shots and the Pittsburgh Penguins jumped into second place in the East Division standings with a 3-2 win over Buffalo, eliminating the Sabres from playoff contention.

“I wasn’t thinking about it," Vanecek said of his first NHL shootout. “We want to win hockey games in good ways and feel good about ourselves,” Dowd said. Buffalo rookie Dylan Cozens scored his first NHL goal on a top-shelf snipe past Vanecek in the second period. The Capitals were fined $100,000 Wednesday for breaking league rules since those four players were together in a hotel room not wearing masks. Goaltender Carter Hutton didn’t travel with the team because of an apparent head injury from a collision Tuesday in Philadelphia.