WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Sean Malone enjoyed a terrific offensive season in Rochester. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday rewarded Sean Malone for his breakout year with the Rochester Americans, re-signing the center to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Malone, 27, seized an opportunity to play an offensive role, setting new career highs last season by registering 20 goals, eight power-play tallies and 37 points in just 39 games for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate. He added two goals and seven points during the Amerks’ 10-game playoff run.
Early in ... 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
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
JJ Peterka has been a force for Rochester in the postseason. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochster Americans
The Rochester Americans just won their second Calder Cup Playoff series, and winger Jack Quinn, the AHL’s top rookie, hasn’t scored a goal.
Injuries have sidelined goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, two of the Buffalo Sabres’ other top prospects, the entire postseason.
On Thursday, the Amerks, who eked into the playoffs, defeated the top-seeded Utica Comets 4-2 and clinched the North Division semifinal without their injured captain, Michael Mersch, a 26-goal ... Read the full article
JJ Peterka (77) and Mitch Eliot celebrate a Rochester goal on Sunday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – JJ Peterka could be one-and-done in the AHL. The Buffalo Sabres prospect just enjoyed the greatest offensive campaign in a teenage season since 1976. Over the weekend, the German winger was the most dynamic player in the Calder Cup Playoffs, recording five points, including a hat trick, in two Americans wins.
After a 28-goal, 68-point regular season, the excitement and pressure that accompanies postseason hockey has helped Peterka transform into a dominant presence.... Read the full article
Rochester’s Lukas Rousek beats Utica goalie Akira Schmid on Sunday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – Considering the Americans boast one of the AHL’s deepest forward groups, it’s easy for rookie winger Lukas Rousek to be overshadowed.
In center Peyton Krebs and wingers JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn and Arttu Ruotsalainen, they possess four of the AHL’s top young talents.
Sean Malone and Michael Mersch each cracked the 20-goal mark. Brandon Biro, Mark Jankowski and Brett Murray all spent time with the Buffalo Sabres this season.... 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
Buffalo prospect Jack Quinn has been a force all season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Buffalo Sabres prospect Jack Quinn, who has enjoyed a dynamic season with the Rochester Americans, has been named the AHL’s Dudley Garrett Memorial Award as rookie of the year, the league announced this afternoon.
Quinn, 20, scored four times in the opening week and hasn’t let up, compiling 25 goals and 59 points in 44 games entering tonight’s season finale against the Utica Comets. His 1.34 points per game ranks first among rookies and ... Read the full article
Buffalo prospect JJ Peterka leads AHL rookies in scoring. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
Buffalo Sabres forward prospects JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn have earned AHL All-Rookie Team honors for their dynamic seasons with the Rochester Americans, the league announced Wednesday.
Peterka, 20, leads all rookies with 64 points in 69 games and has also scored 25 goals, a total that is tied with Quinn for third among first-year players. Peterka’s 39 assists rank third among rookies.
The German, who turned 20 on Jan. 14, has registered the most ... Read the full article
