Lindhurst has a unique connection to hockey. More than 50 years ago, Lindhurst stepped on a military landmine that cost him both legs. He’s almost 83 now, and has spent much of his life helping other amputees adjust to everyday life.
Sports, and the Sabres, remained connected to Lindhurst after his time in Vietnam. He played wheelchair basketball for 28 years before spending part of a decade playing sled hockey.
On Tuesday, Lindhurst met Mattias Samuelsson. Lindhurst enjoyed his time meeting No. 23, and admitted was “a little bit bigger” than he’d thought from watching games on TV.
But, as Lindhurst himself said: “You’ve got to have a couple big guys like that on your team.”
Read below to learn about each of the honored veterans. (Bios have been edited from nomination forms.)
Gary Barney – Army
Lt. Col. Barney is in his 26th year of service. He’s been deployed to Iraq (twice), Afghanistan, and Kuwait and, domestically, he served in 9/11 response and commanded a New York City COVID task force. He is a Purple Heart recipient.
Bob Barzycki – Navy
Senior Chief Barzycki served as a boatswain’s mate in multiple amphibious maritime prepositioning force operations overseas and domestically. As a Navy reservist stationed in Buffalo, he operated and trained sailors on board Landing Craft 1680 and MPF Utility Boats in all five Great Lakes and along the east coast.
Charles Bays – Marines
Charles Bays served 19 years, during which time he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operating Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was part of the International Security Assistance Force during operation in Afghanistan and also supported operations in the Philippines during Marine Aviation Support Activity.
Robert Canazzi – Coast Guard
Robert Canazii remains active with the U.S. Coast Guard, now in his 26th year of service. He responded to 9/11, Hurricane Maria, and many more crises.
Dwayne Carhart – Marines
Master Sgt. Carhart completed a combined 43 years of government service before hanging up his boots in October 2025. He served 24 years on active duty in the Marine Corps, earning multiple meritorious promotions during a career that included overseas assignments, Pentagon tours, and a tour on recruiting duty in Buffalo from 1990 to 1993. Following his military retirement in 2006, he went on to serve an additional 19 years as a government civilian supporting the Navy and Marine Crops Team’s Global War on Terrorism.
Jose Esquilin Jr. – Army
Jose Esquilin Jr. joined the 105th Military Police Company out of Buffalo from 2000 to 2012. He activated on Ground Zero during 9/11 to help search and rescue efforts for 45 days. In 2003, he activated to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was engaged in multiple ambushes and firefights during his deployment.
Dan Frontera – Army
Dan Frontera served at Ground Zero after 9/11 and also served in Iraq from 2004 to 2025. He helped create the WNY Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans War Memorial and now works with the Buffalo Animal Shelter.
Raymond Gilbert – Army
Raymond Gilbert joined the army at age 17 as an infantry man and went on to serve with units all over the country including Alaska, Hawaii, North Carolina and New York. He deployed multiple times including tours in Haiti, Sinai, Bosnia and Afghanistan. He earned a Purple Heart in Afghanistan in 2003 when he lost his right leg below the knee, then continued to serve until 2007 when he retired after 21 years.
Casey Hopkins – Air Force
Casey Hopkins spent six years with the Air Force Reserve 914th Air Refueling Win, Civil Engineering Squadron from 2014 to 2020.
Thomas Kahabka – Air Force
Thomas Kahabka, a lifelong Sabres fan, was diagnosed with cancer while still in the service. He fought and won his battle while still on active duty.
Steve Klose – Marines
Steve Klose enlisted in the delayed entry program of the U.S. Marine Corps during his junior year of high school. He suffered a serious injury during his training and was medically discharged under honorable conditions.
Dan Kulik – Army
Dan Kulik served in the 1st Calvary Division, U.S. Army. His son, Calvin, is currently a U.S. Air Force ROTC Cadet at Syracuse University.
Michael Lindhurst – Army
Michael Lindhurst stepped on an IED on July 4, 1969 while serving in the Vietnam War. He lost both his legs and spent 16 months at Walter Reed Medical Center. Now 83 years old, he’s lived a full life coaching and helping fellow amputees.
Christopher McArdle – Air Force
Chris has supported numerous military campaigns, from Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom to his current leadership efforts supporting service members deployed in the Middle East. Throughout his career, he has served as a RAMS team member, deployment Fire Chief, and most recently as Interim Command Chief at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station for the past year.
Joseph Piotrowski – Army
Maj. Piotrowski served for 22 years as an intelligence enlisted soldier and officer. He was responsible for gathering intelligence in Panama for three years. As a captain, he deployed to Iraq for all of 2006 and was responsible for training a partnered Iraqi battalion on intelligence operations and collection. He is a lifelong Sabres fan.
Mark Pizzuto – Marines
Mark Pizzuto served honorably for 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and 18 years as an Army civilian in the Pentagon, where he was stationed on 9/11.
Delcey Pulvino – Army
Sgt. Maj. Pulvino served 36 years, during which time she deployed to Kuwait (in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom) and mobilized to Fort Dix, N.Y. (in 2008, working in a Warrior Transition Unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom). In 2020, she was mobilized in support of COVID operations. She’s also served on various overseas medical exercise in Nicaragua, Bolivia and Haiti as senior non-commissioned officer.
Joshua Ratzel – Navy
Joshua Ratzel served nearly a decade as military police in the U.S. Navy before being medically discharged. He was deployed in 2018, missing the first year of his daughter’s life, but in that time earned the title of Blue Nose, considered one of the rarest titles in the Navy.
Andrew Russell – Marines
Sgt. Russell served in the U.S. Marine Corps, deploying four times to Iraq and Afghanistan. His last deployment was as a platoon sergeant in charge of a scout sniper platoon.
David Schieber – Air Force
Col. Schieber is a retired Air force squadron commander and nurse with the 914 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. He served multiple deployments as squadron commander, directing over 100 personnel in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia immediately following the 9/11 attacks and in the ensuing years.
Joseph Skowronski – Air Force
Joseph Skowronski served as an independent duty medic during the Cold War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom with several deployments overseas. He earned many service medals including the Joint Services Medal for his time at the Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base after 9/11, where he helped identify and process the remains of fellow Americans, thus helping bring closure to their loved ones.
Jamie-Lynn Smerka – Navy
Cmdr. Smerka is in her 32nd year of service. As a combat veteran she has been deployed to Germany, Kuwait, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She also served in support of two U.S. Comfort deployments at Portsmouth, VA and to Camp Pendleton during COVID.
Bryan Stablewski – Marines
Bryan Stablewski served 17 years on active duty before retiring from military service. As a result of his service, he is now a 100-percent permanently and totally disabled veteran. Despite the challenges that come with his service-connected disabilities, his pride in being a marine has never faded. One of the things that brings him the greatest joy is sharing the passion of the Sabres with his 9-year-old son.
William Tokash – Army
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Tokash served over two decades in the Army, first as a Military Police Officer and then as a Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent. He protected countless lives as a CID agent and is the soldier and special agent in charge who put handcuffs on Major Nidal Hassan during the tragic 2009 Fort Hood shooting. He served a combat deployment to Iraq, protection details for the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense and is a lifelong Sabres fan.
Julie Torres – Air Force
Senior Master Sgt. Torres served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, serving in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm and also being stationed in Japan and Germany at different points. After leaving the service, she transitioned to a career at the Department of Veterans Affairs where she served over 15 years as an HR specialist prior to retiring this year.
E. Daniel Walther IV – Army
Lt. Col. Walther served in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 2012 and seven years with the U.S. Coast Guard. He is one of the founders of the Freedom Lounge for veterans and active military at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Paul Yacono – Air Force
Paul Yacono served 16 years, including time as a bomb dog handler protecting the President and Vice President of the United States on Secret Service details. He activated after 9/11 as a member of the 107th Security Forces Squadron stationed at Andrew’s Air Force Base as one of a few select units assisting in the protection of Air Force One.
