It was a tough call for the Buffalo Sabres, but I guess they made the right one when they decided to go ahead with tonight’s hockey game against San Jose.  With the community still reeling after Thursday night’s plane crash, I found myself wondering earlier today whether it was appropriate to play the game.

I was on hand in the press box between the first and second periods, when Sabres Managing Partner Larry Quinn answered questions about the decision to play.  Quinn says he took a call from NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly earlier Friday, asking if the team had any employees directly impacted by the crash, and whether they wanted to go ahead with the game.

Quinn says he took the pulse of the team, and a decision was made to play the game.  “We felt it was best for the community to play the game, ” said the Sabres Managing Partner.

Several Sabres players live near the crash site in Clarence, and they were clearly shaken by the crash and their proximity to the site.  But playing the game was probably the right move by the hockey club, with a greiving community looking for a reason to come together and possibly get relief from the shock and despair over the tragedy.

What do you think?  Was playing the Sabres-Sharks game the right thing to do?