WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
September Edition
Buffalo drafted Brandon Hagel in 2016. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Over the past 10 years, five prospects the Sabres drafted in the sixth round or later have played NHL games. Just three have earned regular duty.
Winger Victor Olofsson has scored 11 goals for the Sabres this season, a total that trails only center Tage Thompson’s 13. Goalie Linus Ullmark, who departed Buffalo in 2021, has a stunning 13-1-0 record for the Boston Bruins.
The other? Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel, ... Read the full article
Matt Bartkowski has played for four NHL teams. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans on Saturday added to a defense corps depleted by recalls to the Buffalo Sabres and injuries, signing veteran Matt Bartkowski to a professional tryout.
Bartkowski, 34, played in Saturday afternoon’s 5-1 road win over the Laval Rocket.
Injuries to defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju forced the Sabres to recall Lawrence Pilut and Kale Clague from the Amerks. They’ve also lost defensemen Chase Priskie and Peter Tischke to injuries.... Read the full article
Henri Jokiharju has missed the last three games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Just two weeks into the season, having lost Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju and two more defensemen in the minors to injuries, the Sabres are considering adding depth to their blue line, Kevyn Adams said.
The general manager said prior to Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center that Samuelsson, who suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, will be sidelined “a few weeks.”
“But much ... Read the full article
Mattias Samuelsson suffered a lower-body injury Saturday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Just two weeks into the season, having lost Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju and two more defensemen in the minors to injuries, the Sabres are considering adding depth to their blue line, Kevyn Adams said.
The general manager said this morning Samuelsson, who suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, will be sidelined “a few weeks.”
“But much better than maybe originally we thought,” he said. “So a few ... Read the full article
Matej Pekar hasn’t played since March 13. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
By late last winter, Buffalo Sabres prospect Matej Pekar had lost confidence his ailing shoulders could hold up for the final stretch of the grueling AHL season.
Pekar, an ultra-aggressive agitator, thrives on contact. But his shoulders had become so wonky he said each one would often come out of its socket.
“Playing through it at the end, it wasn’t great, I would say,” he told the Times Herald on Wednesday. “It was just ... Read the full article
Malcolm Subban was injured Oct. 9. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
If Americans goalie Malcolm Subban keeps progressing, he could be cleared to play within two weeks, coach Seth Appert said, ending a frustrating 10-month stretch.
After suffering a season-ending wrist injury with the Sabres on Jan. 11, Subban enjoyed a productive summer and strong training camp. When Buffalo assigned him to Rochester, he expected to begin the season as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s backup.
Instead, Subban, 28, has been watching games from a suite at Blue ... Read the full article
Rochester’s Brett Murray stands in front of Laval goalie Cayden Primeau on Wednesday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – The Americans battled adversity and beat long odds for weeks, eking into the Calder Cup Playoffs on the last day of the regular season before beginning their deepest and most memorable postseason run in 18 years.
They rallied to win games, earned four overtime victories and triumphed in a do-or-die Game 5 against a top seed.
So when the Amerks dropped the first two games on the road against the Laval Rocket in ... Read the full article
Utica’s Nolan Foote scores a first-period goal on Rochester goalie Aaron Dell on Tuesday.
ROCHESTER – In opening up a series lead and putting the Utica Comets on the brink of elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Americans hadn’t seen the best out of the AHL powerhouse.
The top-seeded Comets only showcased flashes of their slick regular-season form throughout the first three games of best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal. In a do-or-die scenario Tuesday, you figured they would come out roaring.
Well, in Game 4, the Comets gave ... Read the full article
Arttu Ruotsalainen celebrates his overtime goal Sunday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – In his brief time playing with Peyton Krebs, winger Arttu Ruotsalainen has learned he must always be ready for the Americans center to adroitly feed him the puck anywhere on the ice.
“He’s an incredible player and he sees those passing lanes that others can’t see,” Ruotsalainen said Sunday after converting Krebs’ slick feed on the power play 1:39 into overtime, securing another wild 4-3 win and a 2-1 series lead against ... Read the full article
Buffalo prospect Jack Quinn has learned playoff hockey is intense. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – Right now, winger Jack Quinn acknowledged he’s frustrated. In the Americans’ first three playoff games, opponents neutralized the slick Buffalo Sabres prospect, holding him pointless.
How significant is that? Well, in establishing himself as one of the AHL premier talents this season, Quinn never went more than two games without recording a point.
“As an offensive player, we all want to produce and score,” Quinn said following Thursday’s practice at Blue Cross Arena. ... Read the full article