BUFFALO – Sabres newcomers Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring clearly had a blast last season helping the Utah Mammoth establish roots in the franchise’s first year in Salt Lake City following 28 years in Arizona.
Tuesday’s game at KeyBank Center, their first meeting against their former team since being traded to the Sabres, has likely been circled on the schedule for months.
On Sunday night, Kesselring said he and Doan texted with Utah center Logan Cooley – “We were chirping back and forth,” he said following Monday’s practice – so in addition to two precious points, some bragging rights are also on the line.
“It’ll be cool,” Kesselring said of facing his former teammates. “Obviously, definitely a little nervous. I have some really good friends on that side, and those were the guys that helped me kind of get into the league and show me the way and how to handle myself and be a professional at this level.”
The Arizona Coyotes-Mammoth franchise will likely always hold a special place in the hearts of Doan and Kesselring.
Both players earned their first NHL action with the Coyotes. Almost 700 miles to the north, they helped the Utah Hockey Club, as the franchise was known last season, improve 12 points and become a success at the box office and in the community.
Doan, 23, grew up as both a person and player in the organization. His father, Shane, the Arizona Coyotes’ biggest icon, played 20 seasons in the desert and had his No. 19 retired in 2019.
The winger was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, and drafted by the Coyotes in the second round in 2021. Other than four years playing junior and college hockey, the franchise had always been a part of his life.
Then on June 26, Utah packaged Doan with Kesselring to pry winger JJ Peterka away from the Sabres.
In addition to leaving a tight-knit group of players, Doan said goodbye to staff members he has known his whole life.
“It was hard at times because that equipment staff has been around since I was zero, so kind of grew up with those guys, and they’ve done an amazing job,” he said. “So that was, I think, the hardest group to leave other than some of your friends on the team, was leaving guys like Tony Silva and Jason Rudia, who have been (around) since you were a toddler running around the rink.”
Kesselring, 25, spent less than two and a half seasons in the organization. On March 2, 2023, his career changed when the Edmonton Oilers traded him to Arizona following parts of three seasons in the AHL.
The next day, the defenseman made his NHL debut, and he became a mainstay on Utah’s blue line last season after the Coyotes moved.
Kesselring will always be grateful for the opportunity Utah general manager Bill Armstrong and coach André Tourigny gave him.
“It’s hard not to be,” Kesselring said. “I mean, Bill and (André) gave me an opportunity as a sixth-rounder. Edmonton really wasn’t going to give me that chance. They traded for me, gave me a chance right away. I handled my side of it, but they gave me the opportunity.”
Right now, both players have better opportunities with the Sabres.
The 6-foot-2, 198-pound Doan has enjoyed a strong start, scoring four goals and nine points in the first 12 games. In addition to a spot on the second line alongside center Ryan McLeod and Alex Tuch, he skates on the first power-play unit.
“I think it was just a matter of a better opportunity and having confidence in myself to build off something like this and then kind of add it to my game,” said Doan, who scored a career-high seven goals last season.
In the “Embedded” behind-the scenes series the Sabres produce, Armstrong told Adams he wouldn’t part with Doan, as he considered him “too core of a guy.”
The Sabres insisted he be included in the deal, and Armstrong eventually relented.
So far, Doan has illustrated why Adams coveted him.
After dealing a disgruntled Peterka and not acquiring another established top-six forward, many wondered how the Sabres would replace the German’s scoring.
Well, Doan’s scoring at a 27-goal pace over a full season. Peterka, who scored 27 times last season, has recorded four goals this year.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Doan has seized his fresh chances.
“He’s been on that first power play and helped make that work,” he said. “So I think that’s an opportunity to help accelerate your career. His compete and play around the net front has been real good, so it’s kind of fit in with those guys he’s playing with.”
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Kesselring has played just three games after an undisclosed injury sidelined him the first nine contests.
He said he felt good about his debut before enduring some ups and downs.
“It’s been enough games now where I just want to get my legs going a little bit,” Kesselring said. “I’m feeling a little bit better with the injury and getting more comfortable and getting closer to 100 percent.”
Ruff said Kesselring “is actually still trying to feel comfortable with the way we play,” so he doesn’t want to judge him right away.
“I think you got to get comfortable,” he said. “He spent a lot of time out of the lineup. He missed a lot of practices. That puts him way behind a lot of reps where we’re trying to practice what we want to be good at.”