BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres Wednesday traded forwards Danny Gare and Derek Smith, goalie Bob Sauve and defenseman Jim Schoenfeld to the Detroit Red Wings for forwards Dale McCourt, Mike Foligno and Brent Peterson and future considerations.
The Sabres said they expected their three new players to be on the ice Thursday night against the Bruins in Boston. Buffalo also called up goalie Jacques Cloutier from Rochester of the American Hockey League to replace Sauve.
The Sabres said they acquired two of the 'best' young players in the National Hockey League in McCourt, 24, and Foligno, 22, who share the scoring lead for Detroit this year. Each has 13 goals and 13 assists.
Gare, 27, the Sabres' captain, who tied for the league lead in goals two seasons ago with 56, was Buffalo best right wing and perhaps the team's most popular player. In 503 career games, he has 267 goals and 233 assists.
Smith, 27, who centered for Gare and Tony McKegney on Buffalo's top-scoring line, had 64 points a year ago. Slowed by a shoulder injury this year, he has just 4 points.
Sauve, 26, who teamed with Don Edwards to form perhaps the top goaltending duo in the league, has a 2.76 goals against average, fourth best in the NHL. He was the only goalie ever selected by Buffalo in the first round of the draft.
Two seasons ago he led the NHL with a 2.36 goals against average and shared the Vezina Trophy with Edwards. Sauve and Edwards were unhappy splitting time in the nets.
Schoenfeld, 29, is a defensive defenseman who has twice appeared in the All-Star game. He has a penchant for dropping to the ice to block shots, a habit which has often led to injuries. He has appeared in 70 or more games only twice in his nine full seasons.
The Sabres said Sauve went to Detroit for future considerations, while his three teammates were traded for the three Red Wings named Wednesday.
Detroit, after a surprising start, has lost five straight games, is winless in its last eight and has a 1-11-4 road record this season. The Red Wings are in fifth place in the Norris Division of the Campbell Conference.
McCourt, who had 30 goals and 56 assists last season, refused to go to Los Angeles in 1978 as compensation for free-agent goalie Rogatien Vachon. The clubs eventually worked out other compensation.
The litigation was halted short of the U.S. Supreme Court when Detroit agreed to give Los Angeles Andre St. Laurent and the Red Wings' first-round draft choices in the 1980 and 1981 drafts.
Foligno scored 36 goals as a rookie two seasons ago but slumped to 28 last year. His assist total also dropped from 71 to 63.
