WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
JJ Peterka skates during Monday’s practice. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres on Monday finalized their 23-man regular-season roster, sending goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the minors and placing forward Riley Sheahan on injured reserve with a muscle injury.
That means wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, both of whom enjoyed dynamic rookie seasons with the Rochester Americans last year, have made the big club.
While Peterka did not stand out during training camp, the Sabres are confident he ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo might be Buffalo’s leading candidate to be named captain. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – For just the second time in their history last season, the Sabres did not name a captain.
Instead, having undertaken another rebuild, they named Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo, their two longest-tenured players, as alternates. The move worked, and the veterans helped the team establish a fresh culture after Jack Eichel was stripped of the captaincy.
This year, however, with the roster stabilized, general manager Kevyn Adams said the Sabres plan to name ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Tyson Kozak in 2021. ©2022, Megan Connelly, Portland Winterhawks
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday signed forward Tyson Kozak, a seventh-round pick in 2021, 193rd overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Kozak, 19, spent all of last season with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, setting career highs with 32 goals, 37 assists and 69 points in 66 contests while serving as captain. He also registered a team-high seven game-winning goals.
The 5-foot-11, 173-pound Kozak has compiled 48 goals and 109 points in 152 career ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Isak Rosen 14th overall in 2021. ©2022, Leksands IF
The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Isak Rosen, a first-round pick in 2021, 14th overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Tuesday.
Rosen, 19, spent most of the 2021-22 season with Leksands IF, a Swedish Hockey League team, compiling two goals and four points in 28 games. He also registered four goals and nine points in eight outings for Leksands’ junior club.
The 5-foot-11, 159-pound Rosen played two games for Team Sweden’s ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Olivier Nadeau in 2021. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Olivier Nadeau, a fourth-round pick in 2021, 97th overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.
Nadeau, 19, set career highs across the board this season, recording 35 goals, 43 assists and a team-high 78 points in 65 games for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Shawinigan Cataractes. His 17 power-play goals were tied for fourth in the league.
The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Nadeau also registered two goals, ... 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