BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -Buffalo Sabres forward Tim Kennedy was awarded a one-year, $1 million contract by an arbitrator on Thursday, two days after his hearing was held in Toronto.

As a rookie last season, the 24-year-old Kennedy made $635,000 while collecting 26 points in 78 games in a defensive role for Buffalo.

The Sabres have no option but to accept the contract terms. Teams cannot walk away from an arbitrator's ruling that is lower than $1,611,180, per the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.