HALL: It's that time of year!

It's hard to believe Christmas weekend is already here, which for the Sabres family and all Western New York hockey fans this year, also signifies the beginning of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. The tournament begins on Tuesday at KeyBank Center, with Team USA and Team Canada facing off in their preliminary matchup at New Era Field on Friday.

I got to see the progress on the ice at New Era Field in person last week for a preview on "The Instigators." Crews started constructing the rink as soon at the Bills crowd cleared out on Sunday, and have been working around the clock ever since to get it perfect for next Friday.
The experience of walking through the tunnel entrance to the stadium and seeing a hockey rink sitting on top of the football field was surreal, and will certainly bring back special memories or anyone who was part of the inaugural Winter Classic there ten years ago. If you need a last minute gift idea, tickets are still available for Friday's rivalry game between the Americans and Canadians.

Speaking of gifts, Sabres players, coaches, staff members and fans have been busy gathering them for local families they've adopted through our Holiday Angels campaign with Catholic Charities. The tradition has been going for four years now, and this year we were able to help almost 90 local families have a special Christmas.
People who participate in Holiday Angels say the experience is meaningful because you're given specific gift requests for the family you are assigned to help.

"You felt like there was some sort of connection to the family, even though you don't know who they are, and seeing the smiles on their faces Christmas morning as you were shopping for them." coach Phil Housley's wife Karin explained.

Karin and the significant others of Sabres players and coaches also recently spent the morning making things merry and bright at the Kevin Guest House on Buffalo's medical campus. The healthcare hospitality house provides a home away from home for patients and their families who are receiving care at Buffalo's local hospitals.
The women prepared a meal for the families staying at the home, decorated Christmas cookies, and wrote handwritten holiday cards for previous guests.
Meanwhile, the entire Sabres roster stopped by Roswell Park Cancer Institute this week to visit patients and throw a Christmas party for children and their families who have gone through treatment there. Imagine that: the entire Sabres team strolling the halls of the hospital in Santa hats, stopping for pictures, autographs and smiles along the way.

Stay tuned to our website and social media pages for a full video recap of this special day soon - it will warm your heart!

And finally, make sure you find time over the holiday weekend to take 94 seconds and watch Sabretooth's holiday video greeting. If this doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, I don't know what will!