BUFFALO – The toughest day of Sabres center Josh Norris’ hockey life ended 1,500 miles from where it started, with a familiar face greeting him at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Eight years ago, Norris and Sabres assistant coach Seth Appert spent a memorable six weeks together at the US National Team Development Program.
Norris was in his final weeks of junior hockey and about to become a first-round pick by the San Jose Sharks and then join the University of Michigan. Appert had just been hired by the program after a successful 11-year run coaching RPI.
In April 2017, they won a gold medal together with Team USA at the Under-18 World Junior Championship.
“We have some good memories,” said Norris, who was stunned when the Ottawa Senators traded him to the Sabres shortly before last Friday’s trade deadline.
While they hadn’t seen each other regularly over the years, they stayed in contact.
So when Appert drove to the airport late last Friday, Norris said his presence offered him some comfort following a long and emotional day.
After Appert greeted him at the baggage claim, they caught up on the 20-minute drive to the hotel.
“It was awesome,” Norris told the Times Herald. “… It was good to see his face and have someone pick me up and welcome me to the team.”
Appert, Norris’ only strong connection to the Sabres prior to the deal, said picking him up “felt like the right thing to do.”
“It’s a hard day for everybody – for us, for them, for the players,” he said. “… He doesn’t know that many people in our organization. I’m one of the few that he did.”
Norris, 25, grew up with the Senators after the Sharks traded his rights in 2018, spending six seasons in the organization.
Following the trade, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, Norris’ teammate dating back to their days at the NTDP, became choked up – “The No. 1 guy that I’d go to with anything,” Ottawa’s captain said of his dear friend – discussing the deal.
But the initial shock has started wearing off for Norris. He has settled in a bit in his new surroundings and began feeling more comfortable on and off the ice. Players, management and staff have welcomed him.
“First few days were hard,” he said. “I didn’t get a ton of sleep, just moving and stuff like that and the new faces and new people. Obviously, it’s the first time I’ve kind of gone through that during the season.”
On the ice, Norris has fit in well, showcasing why general manager Kevyn Adams dealt center Dylan Cozens to pry him away from the Senators.
Norris’ dogged effort created linemate Tage Thompson’s winning goal in Monday’s 3-2 home win over the Edmonton Oilers. In Wednesday’s 7-3 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Norris scored late in the first period to move the Sabres within one goal.
Josh Norris from Benson, 3-2 #Sabrehood #LGRW pic.twitter.com/GIOcAH3ngQ
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) March 13, 2025
When Appert coached Norris eight years ago, he said possessed intelligence, took hard matchups as a top-line center and produced offense “without having cheat in his game,” a sign of maturity.
Appert said Norris has developed into the “higher-end NHL version of that.”
Off the ice, the coach said the newcomer is “a great teammate and a great person.”
“So you just love being around him,” he said. “I remember that from when he was 17 years old. I always felt that way when I’d see him in the summer (in Michigan) … and you can already feel that when he’s here with us now.”
Norris, having undergone three surgeries on his left shoulder since 2019, has endured a lot in recent years. He missed 108 games over the previous two seasons.
He said in January, around halfway through this season, he finally started feeling like himself again.
“(I) wasn’t thinking so much and was just playing with a lot of confidence,” he said.
Norris said the injuries helped him gain a new “perspective of really just enjoying your time at the rink and not taking it for granted.”
“It was a hard time,” he said, “but I think it made me grow as a person and I’m better off for it.”