BUFFALO, New York – That Wallop of a two-day snowstorm That hit Buffalo over the weekend, and the sense of desperation that came with it hit Sabers general manager Kevyn Adams on Christmas Eve as he trudged through the storm to check on his mother-in-law.
What is normally a 20 minute round trip turned into a 2+ hour trek through snow covered roads in cold, windy conditions. Adams found his family member safe.
Adams considered himself one of the lucky ones after Friday and Saturday’s storm, which dropped more than 4 feet of snow and crippled Buffalo and left at least 40 dead, some of which have been found stranded in homes, on streets, and in cars. The death toll has surpassed that of the region’s infamous 1977 snowstorm.
“We had a house full of food and we were warm, and when you just see what people are going through on the news, your heart goes out to them,” Adams said of the Sabers returning to action and hosting the Detroit Red Wings Thursday night .
“That’s where perspective comes in. We get up every day and do this for a living and you have to make sure you always remember how lucky we are,” Adams added. “What the first responders, key workers and people did to even try to allow us to be here today was quite remarkable.”
The sport took a backseat in Bills- and Sabers-crazy Buffalo for the past four days. The teams resumed training on Thursday.
The Sabers had postponed two games because of the snow storm and had not held a formal practice since December 22 before playing Detroit. The AFC-leading Bills, meanwhile, have been gone for a while 35-13 victory in Chicago on Saturday.
The blizzard affected the Bills’ travel schedule. The team had to stay overnight in Chicago after the game before flying to nearby Rochester, New York. From there they took buses for the 90-minute drive west to Buffalo on Sunday.
While the brunt of the storm was over, the tedious cleanup was just beginning, resulting in linebacker AJ Klein contributing what he called a very small part.
After a neighbor helped Klein clear his driveway, the two did the same for everyone on their block.
“What I did was tiny compared to what my neighborhood did for me,” Klein said, noting how neighbors helped him dig when a lake-effect snowstorm forced the Bills to play theirs Home game against Cleveland in Detroit.
He also said his neighbors repaid him by providing him with meals for three days because his fridge was empty and supermarkets were closed.
“If I can shovel snow, I can shovel snow. But everyone helps everyone. … It’s just the ‘City of Good Neighbors,'” he added, referring to Buffalo’s motto. “It is heartbreaking to hear that people have lost loved ones and people have died from exposure. All I can say is that hopefully everyone involved will be able to cope because I know it’s been tough.”
The Bills donated $100,000 to snowstorm relief efforts through their foundation. The NFL Foundation and one of Bills’ main sponsors, Highmark BCBSWNY, matched the donation, bringing the total to $300,000.
The Sabers, followed by the announcement of their formation, donate $50,000.
“Of course it’s very tragic. It’s very sad. It’s hard to find the right words to describe it,” said Bills quarterback Josh Allen. “I know the Bills have donated money, and I kind of want to help out in some way.”
With the streets of Buffalo reopening, the Sabers focused on playing with no practice time. Players who live near the Sabers’ downtown arena and practice facility did some skating there during the break. Others, living out of town, managed to get some ice time at a suburban ice rink.
Coach Don Granato expressed his condolences to those affected by the storm and waived the missing training time. He said the Sabers could play a role in strengthening their city with the way they play.
“The one who is known is gathering our guys because they feel like part of the community,” Granato said. “We have a lot of people who have lost power and been through it. And the guys I spoke to said, ‘We’re in. It’s part of being here. And we like it here.’”
Sabers forward Casey Mittelstadt endured one of the most difficult journeys when he returned to Buffalo after spending Christmas in Minnesota with his family. He continued with his plans to travel to join the team in Columbus for their game against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. When the game was postponed and the Buffalo airport was closed, Mittelstadt rented a car to make the five-hour drive to Buffalo.
Mittelstadt had no complaints, knowing that others had had far more difficult experiences.
“There were a lot of sad stories and hard times, so you have to empathize with those people, especially around the holidays,” Mittelstadt said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. You feel for the people who were really affected.”
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Associated Press freelance writer Joe Yerdon contributed to this report.
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