Helenius - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Radim Mrtka, Noah Ostlund highlight first-rounders on Sabres’ Prospects Challenge roster

Four first-round picks, including defenseman Radim Mrtka, the ninth overall selection this year, and center Noah Ostlund, who finished last season in the NHL, highlight the 26-man Prospects Challenge roster the Buffalo Sabres released Tuesday.

Forwards Konsta Helenius and Isak Rosen, who has played 15 games for the Sabres over the last two seasons, are the other Buffalo first-rounders who will be participating in the rookie camp tournament that runs from Friday to Monday in ... Read the full article

Sabres to host Prospects Challenge rookie tournament Sept. 11 to 15

The Buffalo Sabres will be hosting four teams at the Prospects Challenge rookie tournament from Sept. 11 to 15 at LECOM Harborcenter, the team announced Monday.

The Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins will also be participating in the round-robin tournament. The Ottawa Senators have dropped out.

Tickets for the games cost $11.80 and are on sale. Rosters will be announced at a later date.... Read the full article

Strong rookie season with Rochester earns Sabres pick Konsta Helenius spot on AHL’s Top Prospects Team

A strong rookie season in which forward Konsta Helenius scored 14 goals and 35 points in 65 games for the Rochester Americans has earned the Finn spot on the AHL’s 2024-25 Top Prospects Team.

Despite being the AHL’s youngest regular player, Helenius, who turned 19 on May 11, ranked fifth on the Amerks in goals and eighth in points. He made an impact in the Calder Cup Playoffs, scoring three goals and six points in ... Read the full article

Rochester Amerks fight to finish, fall to Laval Rocket in second-round opener

ROCHESTER – The Laval Rocket has won seven of its nine meetings with the Americans this season, including Wednesday’s opener in the AHL North Division final.

The Amerks, of course, have ranked among the AHL’s heavyweights all season, boasting a deep and skilled lineup. However, Laval, having finished first overall, is the class of the AHL, which it proved again in Game 1 of the best-of-five series in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Rocket erased ... Read the full article

Agitating style helping Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius’ development with Rochester Amerks

ROCHESTER – In the not-so-distant past, Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius would’ve been anywhere but in front of the net battling an opponent.

“First half of the year … he would be somewhere in the corner, hiding in the second or third row, hiding in the weeds, you know?” Americans assistant coach Vinny Prospal told the Times Herald following Friday’s practice in Blue Cross Arena.

But Helenius, who turns 19 on Sunday, has matured throughout ... Read the full article

Sabres AHL: Kale Clague grabs starring role for Rochester Amerks in playoffs

ROCHESTER – Technically, Americans defensemen Kale Clague had played a playoff game in pro hockey before last weekend.

In 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the AHL to play a truncated schedule, it did not hold the Calder Cup Playoffs. However, some Pacific Division teams held a small postseason tournament at the Anaheim Ducks’ practice facility with no fans in attendance.

Clague, 26, played one game for the Ontario Reign after the Los Angeles Kings ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi, Jiri Kulich star as Rochester Amerks grab 2-0 lead

ROCHESTER – Don’t let the 4-0 final fool you. For much of Sunday afternoon, the Americans held a tenuous grip on a one-goal lead against the Syracuse Crunch.

After rookie winger Konsta Helenius put them up early, the Amerks could’ve unraveled in the second period of Game 2 of their AHL North Division semifinal series.

The Crunch buzzed around goalie Devon Levi, outshooting the home team 15-6 and also hitting the post during a late ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius shows confidence by scoring hat trick, nifty goal for Rochester

ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius has bounced back from a 13-game goal drought in emphatic fashion, recording his first hat trick for the Americans before scoring arguably the most dynamic goal of his rookie season.

To wit: in Friday’s 4-2 loss, the slick center unleashed a hard backhander after cutting to the slot from the right circle – “Made a little dangle,” he said – with Laval Rocket defenseman William Trudeau hectoring him ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius moves to wing, learning to evolve in Rochester

ROCHESTER – When Americans coach Mike Leone examines Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius’ entire rookie season – his adjustment to the rigors of the AHL over his first six months and 55 games in North America – he sees what he called a “net positive.”

Helenius, 18, arrived possessing notable pro experience, having spent two seasons playing in Liiga, a top-tier pro circuit in his native Finland.

By his second year with Jukurit, he ... Read the full article

After struggling with Sabres, Nicolas Aube-Kubel finding game in Rochester

ROCHESTER – For three months, winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel moved in and out of the lineup, never finding a groove while often skating short minutes for the Buffalo Sabres.

In his first days with the Sabres, Aube-Kubel, 28, looked like he would fit nicely on their revamped fourth line, offering them some much-needed grit and speed.

The newcomer enjoyed a strong training camp and stood out early in Buffalo’s season-opening loss Oct. 4 before injuring his ... Read the full article