Trevor Kuntar played three seasons in Youngstown. ©2020, Scott Galvin, Youngstown Phantoms

Bruins draft Williamsville’s Trevor Kuntar 89th overall

When 31 teams passed over Trevor Kuntar in the NHL Draft last year, he said he never stopped thinking about it. The snubs fueled the Williamsville native.

Kuntar, 19, tried to seize the opportunity having an extra year to develop into a better prospect offered him.

“I’m kind of glad that it happened like that, too, because I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot,” Kuntar told the Times Herald last week.

This afternoon, ... Read the full article

Jack Quinn enjoyed a monster season in Ottawa in 2019-20. ©2020, Terry Wilson, OHL Images

Top Sabres pick Jack Quinn developed rapidly during 52-goal draft season

Growing up, Jack Quinn liked to think of himself as a multi-sport athlete. The high-scoring winger the Buffalo Sabres drafted eighth overall Tuesday did not simply focus on hockey. He also enjoyed playing baseball and golf.

“I didn’t really train for hockey, really, I just played it,” said Quinn, who scored 52 goals in 62 games last season for the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s.

Not surprisingly, Quinn struggled to make any progress in hockey. ... Read the full article

The NHL held a normal draft last year in Vancouver. ©2020, Olean Times Herald

Sabres notes: Virtual NHL Draft forces changes; Buffalo will pick best player

Instead mingling with his counterparts on the arena floor, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stayed in Buffalo on Tuesday and ran his first NHL Draft from KeyBank Center with his cellphone close by.

In regular times, the eyes of media members and spectators are often fixated on the floor, the hub of activity during the NHL Draft. The site of two GMs chatting can ignite intense speculation and sometimes means a trade is brewing.

When ... Read the full article

©2020, NHL

Sabres draft high-scoring winger Jack Quinn with No. 8 pick

The Buffalo Sabres have selected winger Jack Quinn, who scored 52 goals with the Ottawa 67’s last season, eighth overall at the NHL tonight.

The 6-foot, 167-pound Quinn is the first pick under new Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams.

Quinn, who often draws comparisons to Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, ranked seventh among draft-eligible North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Quinn, 19, is a bit of a late bloomer. He scored only ... Read the full article

Kevyn Adams couldn’t stop smiling Monday. ©2020, Hickling Images

NHL Draft, free agency will be critical tests for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams

The smile on Kevyn Adams’ face said everything. What promises to be the oddest offseason in NHL history is about to kick into high gear, and the Buffalo Sabres’ rookie general manager couldn’t hide his excitement.

During a 30-minute Zoom call Monday, Adams, 45, rarely stopped grinning. After preparing nearly four months throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to reshape the Sabres, Adams and his staff will be busy this week.

Following the NHL Draft – the ... Read the full article

Declan McDonnell (25) enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Kitchener Rangers. ©2020, Kevin Sousa, Kitchener Rangers

Lake View’s Declan McDonnell on NHL Draft radar

At the beginning of his rookie season, NHL Central Scouting listed Lake View’s Declan McDonnell as a “player to watch.”

McDonnell, 18, doesn’t possess notable size or blazing speed. As the winger was beginning his career with the Kitchener Rangers, he mostly played a third-line role and did not skate on special teams.

But 5-foot-10, 171-pound McDonnell forced scouts to pay attention to him.

“He found a way (to contribute), his name was on the ... Read the full article

Trevor Kuntar enjoyed a strong season in Youngstown. ©2020, Scott Galvin, Youngstown Phantoms

Williamsville’s Trevor Kuntar motivated by snubs, happy at Boston College

Trevor Kuntar couldn’t stay put in the crease. Never mind his father, Les, played goalie professionally for six seasons. Never mind everyone on the team had to take a turn in net.

In his lone appearance as a goalie, Kuntar’s penchant for carrying the puck took over. Even dressed in the heavy equipment, the Williamsville native kept grabbing it and skating up the ice.

“I just wouldn’t stay in my net, so that was the ... Read the full article

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was a popular interview at the 2018 combine. ©2020, Hickling Images

NHL postpones scouting combine in Buffalo, draft and awards show

The NHL has postponed three events in June – the scouting combine in Buffalo, the draft in Montreal and the awards show in Las Vegas – because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced today.

The rescheduled dates for the three events and the NHL Draft Lottery will be announced later.

The combine, which has been held at LECOM Harborcenter and KeyBank Center since 2015, was scheduled to take place June 1 to 6.... Read the full article

Ryan Johnson lifts the Clark Cup last season. ©2019, Hickling Images

Sabres prospect Ryan Johnson learned game from NHL father

BUFFALO – For 11 years, Craig Johnson coached his son, Ryan, staying with the youngster from his first strides on the ice through high school.

So when Ryan, the 31st overall pick by the Sabres on Friday, left California for the junior Sioux Falls Stampede last year, it marked the first time he had been away from his father, who played 557 games as an NHL forward.

“It wasn’t hard to let him go,” Craig ... Read the full article

Sam Reinhart welcomed Dylan Cozens to the Sabres. ©2019, Hickling Images

Jason Botterill believes Sabres’ young talent terrific selling point

VANCOUVER – Shortly before the Sabres’ higher-ups traveled to the NHL Draft, Sam Reinhart told Jason Botterill he wanted to join them during their stay in his hometown.

So one night, Reinhart met the general manager, coach Ralph Krueger and Terry and Kim Pegula for dinner.

Then on Friday, Reinhart, a winger the Sabres selected second overall in 2014, warmly greeted center Dylan Cozens after the team’s top pick left the draft floor inside Rogers ... Read the full article