WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Aaron Huglen and Stiven Sardarian participated in development camps in Buffalo. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
In early June, just days after the Buffalo Sabres relinquished the rights to Viljami Marjala, a high-scoring forward they drafted in the fifth round in 2021, the Edmonton Oilers snapped up the prospect, signing him to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Marjala, fresh off a breakout season in which he registered 44 assists and 52 points in 54 games for TPS Turku, will likely begin the upcoming campaign with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Perhaps ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Ethan Miedema in the fourth round in 2023. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres have relinquished the rights to three draft picks, including winger Ethan Miedema, a fourth-round selection in 2023.
In addition to Miedema, the Sabres did not sign forwards Viljami Marjala and William von Barnekow to contracts before Sunday’s deadline.
They selected Marjala, a Finn, in the fifth round in 2021, and von Barnekow, a Swede, in the sixth round that year.... Read the full article
©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Three years into his NHL career, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson is already sporting his third number.
The Swede recently switched to No. 71 after having No. 68 for two seasons. He also briefly wore No. 41 for his first six NHL games late in the 2018-19 season.
Why did Olofsson pick new digits? When he broke into the NHL, No. 71, one of his favorite numbers, was worn by Evan Rodrigues, a forward ... Read the full article
Jerry Forton ran his first NHL Draft as Buffalo’s director of amateur scouting. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – You had to go back five years and 34 picks to find the last time the Sabres drafted a Russian.
Before they selected winger Prokhor Poltapov 33rd overall Saturday, they hadn’t drafted a Russian since winger Vasily Glotov in the seventh round in 2016.
Poltapov’s selection was harbinger. The Sabres used three straight picks on Russians and took four overall Saturday.
Later in the second round, the Sabres drafted winger Aleksandr Kisakov with ... Read the full article
The Sabres have nine picks today. ©2021, NHL
BUFFALO – The Sabres drafted Russian winger Prokhor Poltapov with the first pick of the second round, 33rd overall, this morning at the NHL Draft.
The 5-foot-11, 174-pound Poltapov, 18, recorded 25 goals and 52 points in 61 games last season with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, a junior team in the MHL. Poltapov also registered two goals and seven points in seven contests for Team Russia at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship.
He also played one ... Read the full article