The reminder comes often: Hockey isn't limited to the NHL. There's plenty of proof near Buffalo.
With no Sabres to cover, I've made my way to rinks featuring various levels of hockey. There have been trips to Rochester to see the Amerks and the American Hockey League. I've wandered to Buffalo State to watch Canisius, Niagara and NCAA hockey. This weekend, I drove to Erie, Pa., to watch Kitchener visit the Otters in an Ontario Hockey League junior game. Plus, I've seen more of my son's youth contests than the previous three seasons combined, I bet.
Anyone else been catching hockey despite the absence of the NHL?
---John Vogl
