There’s nary a better fashion statement than a hockey jersey. Nor is there a worse statement, if you don’t pick the right threads. So what team looks the best out on the ice? Good question. Here’s your answer, with a look at the five best and worst NHL jerseys for the 2009-10 season. Simply the best • Buffalo Sabres: Only the third jersey, which nearly matches the team’s... 

If Ryan Miller continues his torrid pace between the pipes, the Buffalo Sabres’ netminder might have some personal hardware coming his way. The Vezina Trophy, sure. But we’re talking most valuable player territory with the way he’s played thus far. As of Dec. 10, Miller was on the verge of capturing the goaltending Triple Crown. He led the National Hockey League with a 1.82 goals... 

While channel surfing the other day, I came across the NHL Network, which is buried in the triple-digits on my cable somewhere between ESPN Chess and the Grass Growing Network. I took in the network’s highlights show, “On the Fly,” and I was highly impressed. Aside from the fact that it’s solely devoted to the great game of hockey, it shows highlights in a fashion that should... 

Fear struck the Buffalo-Niagara region earlier this week when, for the first time all season, the Sabres fell out of first place. The Ottawa Senators caught Buffalo, taking a one-point lead in the Northeast Division standings as of Nov. 24. Boston also caught Buffalo and was tied with 26 points. While not entirely unfair on locals’ part, Sabres fans slipped into “the sky has fallen”... 

With Winnipeg and Quebec City both in the midst of erecting new hockey arenas, the movements in those two Canadian cities have been renewed to bring NHL franchises back to them. Both cities are right, and so are several others who have wanted to see major pro hockey. Let’s make the case for moving franchises and/or expanding into a few more worthy markets. • WINNIPEG AND QUEBEC CITY: These... 

For years, international hockey competitions featuring the United States were anchored by Mike Richter, the Rangers stalwart netminder who was one of the game’s most solid producers. Funny thing happened, though. He got old. The Stars and Stripes entered the 2006 Olympics sorely lacking in net. Rick DiPietro, Robert Esche and John Graheme backstopped the United States to another middling finish,... 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the modern goalie mask. Montreal goalie Jacques Plante was the first netminder to wear a mask regularly during the 1959-60 season. While it seems ludicrous not to wear protective headgear now, it was the hockey culture back in the day to go bare-topped; to do otherwise was considered wussy play. In those 50 years, there have been numerous masks that have combined... 

Lindy Ruff might not be there yet, but the longest-tenured coach in the National Hockey League might just be mid-construction on a Hall of Fame career. The coach of the Buffalo Sabres since 1997, Ruff has accumulated 447 wins (a .561 winning percentage) as of Nov. 6, which ranks him No. 19 all time in terms of victories. Of the 18 coaches ahead of him on the wins list, seven are in the Hall of Fame,...