Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

In prized Sabres prospect Matt Savoie, Rochester Amerks add new weapon

ROCHESTER – Before the Americans can think about utilizing slick Buffalo Sabres prospect Matt Savoie in the Calder Cup Playoffs, coach Seth Appert joked he needs to learn his new teammates’ names.

Savoie, 19, has experienced a whirlwind few days, traveling from Seattle, where his junior team lost in the Western Hockey League final, back to Winnipeg. Following some emotional goodbyes with his Ice teammates, he arrived in Western New York on Sunday.

After practicing ... Read the full article

Sabres assign prospect Matt Savoie to Rochester Amerks

The Buffalo Sabres on Sunday assigned center prospect Matt Savoie, the ninth overall pick in 2022, to the Rochester Americans.

Savoie, 19, can join the Amerks, Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, because his junior campaign with the Winnipeg Ice ended Friday in the Western Hockey League championship. Teenagers who play for Canadian Hockey League teams aren’t eligible to play for AHL clubs until their season is over.

The Amerks begin the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final series ... Read the full article

Sabres sign Russian prospect Nikita Novikov to entry-level contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Friday signed Russian defenseman Nikita Novikov, a sixth-round pick in 2021, 188th overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Novikov, 19, spent the 2022-23 season in the Kontinental Hockey League, registering two goals, five points and 14 penalty minutes in 62 games for Moscow Dynamo.

The 6-foot-3, 196-pound Novikov has compiled three goals, nine points and 20 penalty minutes in 94 career KHL appearances. Only three KHL defenseman have played more ... Read the full article

Amerks’ Brett Murray hopes career year can create more chances with Sabres

ROCHESTER – A season after spending nearly two months in Buffalo and playing 19 NHL games, Sabres prospect Brett Murray stayed put in the AHL nearly all year.

Murray, 24, joined the Sabres just once, skating in the pregame warm-up Dec. 10 before getting scratched. They returned him to the Americans following the game.

The Sabres, of course, have beefed up their forward depth and prospect pool over the last year. They also remained remarkably ... Read the full article

Amerks stay hot, sweep Marlies as Jiri Kulich extends goal streak

ROCHESTER – It’s easy to forget after watching the Americans quickly dispose of the Toronto Marlies to advance to their first conference final since 2004, but they faced elimination three times earlier in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Since losing their first two postseason games, the Amerks have been downright dominant, rattling off six straight wins and scoring a whopping 36 goals.

In beating the Marlies 8-4 on Wednesday and completing a three-game sweep of the ... Read the full article

Rochester’s Mason Jobst emerges as player critical to Amerks’ success

ROCHESTER – Americans center Mason Jobst waited four seasons for an opportunity like this to materialize.

He bounced around the AHL, often skating short minutes in a bottom-six role without any special-teams action. Instead of playing center, his natural position, teams utilized him as a winger. He struggled to stay in the lineup, never playing more than about a month straight.

Then last season, as he began producing for the Amerks, Jobst suffered a concussion ... Read the full article

After taste of NHL, Sabres goalie Devon Levi returns to school, plays for Canada

BUFFALO – When Sabres goalie Devon Levi returned to Northeastern last month to finish the semester, coach Jerry Keefe chatted with his former player one day in the Huskies’ lounge.

Levi, 21, had just made the difficult jump from college hockey to the NHL, winning five of his seven starts as the Sabres made a memorable push and fell one victory shy of earning a playoff berth.

It’s not unusual for teams to award forwards ... Read the full article

Jiri Kulich extends goal streak, six other Amerks score in win over Marlies

TORONTO – In his first taste of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Buffalo Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich has quickly morphed into the Rochester Americans’ offensive catalyst, scoring in each of his five games.

It’s no coincidence the Amerks, after Saturday afternoon’s 7-4 win over the Toronto Marlies in Game 2 of the AHL North Division final, are 5-0 with the rookie center in the lineup.

At just 19, Kulich is one game shy of tying the ... Read the full article

After stint with Sabres, Lawrence Pilut becomes elite defenseman for Amerks

TORONTO – Shortly after Christmas, following perhaps the best outing of his 86-game NHL career, the Buffalo Sabres waived defenseman Lawrence Pilut.

Having received two blueliners back from injury, Pilut, who had been passed on the depth chart by Kale Clague, lost his roster spot. He cleared and was assigned to the Rochester Americans, beginning another stint in the minors.

Today, Pilut, 27, ranks among the AHL’s elite defensemen. A strong argument can ... Read the full article

Brett Murray, Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen help Amerks stay hot, beat Marlies

TORONTO – Brett Murray won a puck battle along the wall, knocking Pontus Holmberg down and igniting a scoring chance for the Rochester Americans. A few seconds later, the winger parked his hulking 6-foot-5, 228-pound frame in front of Marlies goalie Erik Kallgren, providing a perfect screen for defenseman Ethan Prow’s point shot.

Murray redirected the puck past Kallgren 18:16 into Thursday’s first period, putting the Amerks up 2-1 in a game they would win ... Read the full article