Jochen Hecht, who had been skating in Buffalo while waiting for the NHL to start, has returned to his homeland and hometown team. Hecht has rejoined Adler Mannheim, which recently signed former Sabres teammate Jason Pominville.
Hecht, an unrestricted free agent, has an out clause in his Mannheim contract that would allow him to play in the NHL if the lockout ends. The forward played for Mannheim from 1994 to 1998 and helped the team win two German titles.
The Sabres opted not to re-sign the oft-concussed Hecht, but they have a glaring whole at center should play resume. Hecht has repeatedly said he's healthy.
---John Vogl
