WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
July Edition
JJ Peterka stayed in Buffalo until the end of training camp. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After Don Granato told prospect JJ Peterka the Sabres would be assigning him to the Rochester Americans, the coach stopped center Casey Mittelstadt in the hallway and asked him about his 36-game stint in the AHL.
Granato wanted to learn more about Mittelstadt’s surprising demotion two years ago, which turned out to be a turning point in his career.
“He had a half smirk, half smile on his face,” Granato said following Monday’s ... Read the full article
JJ Peterka scored three goals in five preseason games. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – If the Sabres assign rookie JJ Peterka to the minors this week, his stint with the Rochester Americans could be short. The German arrived here last month nearly an NHL-ready prospect, having spent two seasons playing pro hockey against men.
Sabres coach Don Granato has watched Peterka, who scored in Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 preseason win over the Detroit Red Wings, acclimate quickly to North American hockey.
“He absorbs what’s in front of him, ... Read the full article
John Hayden played for three teams before joining Buffalo. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Over the past three seasons, winger John Hayden bounced around the NHL, playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes before signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Sabres.
Hayden, 26, has usually served as a fourth-liner or an extra forward, never playing more than 54 games in a season. Still, he has stayed put in the NHL. Other than a 37-game stint in 2017-18, his first full pro season, ... Read the full article
Zemgus Girgensons also played in the 2014 Olympics. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons represented Latvia in an Olympic-qualifying tournament late in the summer, NHL players hadn’t committed to participating in the 2022 Beijing Games.
“But I still decided to go over and compete in the qualification because even if I wasn’t going, what it means to other players back home to go is a big thing,” said Girgensons, who played for Latvia in the 2014 Sochi Games, the last time the ... Read the full article
Dustin Tokarski played 13 games for Buffalo last season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Very quietly, Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski has enjoyed a stellar training camp, allowing just one goal in nearly 53 minutes of preseason action.
Tokarski, 32, has outplayed newcomer Aaron Dell in the competition for the backup job behind Craig Anderson.
Tokarski will start tonight’s road exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Penguins before Dell relieves him. Another strong outing by Tokarski could cement a roster spot.
Earlier today, the Sabres sent top goalie ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is considered Buffalo’s goalie of the future. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Top goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was among six players the Sabres sent to the Rochester Americans this morning.
The Sabres also assigned forwards Matej Pekar, Ryan MacInnis, Sean Malone and Linus Weissbach and defenseman Oskari Laaksonen to their AHL affiliate.
The Amerks open training camp today. The Sabres, meanwhile, play a road preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.... Read the full article
Tage Thompson played center Monday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Over his 145-game NHL career, Sabres forward Tage Thompson has only showcased glimpses of what coach Don Granato called his “incredible potential.”
“Which is different than actual potential,” Granato said prior to Monday’s 5-3 preseason loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. “He can do things in moments but we need him to sustain more and to do it more consistently.”
Thompson, 23, has enjoyed little consistency over his three years here, often getting ... Read the full article
Mark Pysyk spent his first four NHL seasons in Buffalo. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sometimes, Mark Pysyk said, it seems like he only left the Sabres a week ago. Other times, however, he acknowledged it feels like it has been a long time.
The Sabres, who signed a one-year, $900,000 contract to return, left in 2016. Only one teammate from the affable defenseman’s first run here, center Zemgus Girgensons, is still with the team.
“I see him walking around, the way he plays, his body takes a ... Read the full article
J-J Peterka scored late in Tuesday’s win. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres prospect J-J Peterka couldn’t stop smiling.
Yes, he had only experienced a preseason victory. And his late goal in Tuesday’s come-from-behind, 5-4 shootout triumph doesn’t officially count in the record books.
Still, for Peterka, linemate Jack Quinn and the other youngsters who buoyed the Sabres to an unlikely win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the exhibition opener likely holds a lot of meaning.
The Sabres roared back in the third period, erasing a ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn will play right wing tonight. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In a year or two, after wingers J-J Peterka and Jack Quinn acclimate to pro hockey, they could flank center Dylan Cozens on the Sabres’ No. 1 trio.
But right now, the intriguing line is simply an experiment for tonight’s preseason opener in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Instead of putting the talented youngsters beside veterans, Sabres coach Don Granato wants them to learn on their own.
While Cozens, 20, played 41 NHL ... Read the full article
