WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
January Edition
Scott Ratzlaff skates during development camp. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Considering he’s a 6-foot Sabres goalie prospect who has represented Team Canada, it was inevitable Scott Ratzlaff would draw comparisons to Devon Levi.
But the similarities go beyond their size, position and team. Ratzlaff, like Levi, who ended last season as the Sabres’ starting goalie, has a cerebral approach to the game, said Jerry Forton, Buffalo’s director of amateur scouting.
Ratzlaff, a fifth-round pick last Thursday, 141st overall, likes to study his ... Read the full article
Dustin Tokarski played 42 games for Buffalo over two seasons. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres added depth in free agency this afternoon, signing two goalies – old friend Dustin Tokarski and Devin Cooley – and forward Justin Richards to one-year contracts.
All the players inked two-way deals worth $775,000 in the NHL.
Tokarski, 33, played 42 games for the Sabres over two seasons before signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year.
Right now, the Sabres have goalies Eric Comrie, Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen under one-way contracts, ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Zach Benson 13th overall Wednesday. ©2023
First-round pick Zach Benson and the Buffalo Sabres’ seven other selections at the NHL Draft this week will be attending the team’s development camp that starts Sunday at LECOM Harborcenter.
The roster released today features 19 forwards, 11 defensemen and five goalies.
Winger Victor Neuchev and defenseman Nikita Novikov, Russian prospects who recently signed their entry-level contracts, will be participating. It’s the first time they’ve attended a camp in Buffalo.... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin (left) and Owen Power are two of Buffalo’s cornerstones. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Following the season, some of the Sabres’ decision makers sat down with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and told them how much they believe in them and what they mean to the franchise.
“There was an excitement from both of them and a clear message to me that they both want to be here long-term,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Wednesday during a news conference in KeyBank Center to discuss the ... Read the full article
Kevin Adams has been deliberate in constructing the Sabres. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – This offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams is having different conversations with his counterparts as he works to improve the Sabres.
Having watched his team record 91 points and fall two points short of a playoff spot in 2022-23, he said he’s examining “every possible scenario.”
That wasn’t the case as the Sabres went through a two-year rebuild. But after enjoying their best season in 12 years, they’re a different mode this summer.
JJ Peterka scored 12 goals as a rookie for Buffalo. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
In the second period of Team Germany’s 5-0 victory Tuesday, JJ Peterka roared through the neutral zone before splitting two Team France defenders and slickly scoring his fourth goal of the World Championship.
Peterka, who recently completed his rookie season with the Buffalo Sabres, has enjoyed a stellar tournament, recording a team-high nine points and a plus-eight rating in seven games. Right now, the winger’s tied for third in tournament scoring.
The Sabres, of course, ... Read the full article
Devon Levi returned to Northeastern after playing seven games with Buffalo. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
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
Buffalo prospect Isak Rosen responded last weekend after struggling early in the playoffs. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
Instead of talking to Buffalo Sabres prospect Isak Rosen about his first taste of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert and his staff wanted to hear from the rookie.
“What did he learn? What did he take away from those experiences?” Appert said on a Zoom call Friday. “Those are the best developmental moments, is when they own their development and we can poke questions and prod them, but they’re the ones ... Read the full article
Malcolm Subban focuses on the action in Sunday afternoon’s game. ©2023, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – Americans goalie Malcolm Subban chose to talk more about the team than himself.
Subban performed splendidly in Sunday afternoon’s 4-0 win over the Syracuse Crunch, making 31 saves in the Amerks’ first shutout in the Calder Cup Playoffs in 19 years. At 29, he has enjoyed a terrific comeback season, playing a career-high 43 games, including all four playoff contests, for the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate.
Following a subpar outing in Friday’s 8-5 ... Read the full article
Eric Comrie played 19 games in his first season in Buffalo. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Nothing could ruin Eric Comrie’s season. Not the goalie’s first significant injury. Not losing the starting job or falling to fourth on the Sabres’ depth chart.
He played just eight of the final 65 games after going down in mid-November. In one of his appearances, he allowed 10 goals. Following rookie goalie Devon Levi’s arrival, he did not play in the final nine contests.
Comrie, 27, faces an uncertain future. Levi, ... Read the full article