WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition
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
©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
Brett Murray played his first two NHL games last season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Brett Murray’s transformation into one of the Sabres’ best forward prospects spans three regimes over more than five years.
Ex-Sabres general manager Tim Murray (no relation) drafted him way back in 2016. He did not receive an entry-level NHL contract right away – the Sabres had concerns about his conditioning – so he began his pro career in 2019 by settling for an AHL deal.
But over the past two years, the 6-foot-5, ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played his first four NHL games last season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen displayed it often last season, especially toward the end. The Sabres goalie prospect would become locked in and perform so well he developed some swagger.
Luukkonen, 22, wasn’t boisterous, mind you. The Finn simply possessed what Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert called an “incredible presence.”
“It’s just like something you feel during the games,” Luukkonen said of his swagger. “But I think it’s more you build up that confidence. And once ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn played 15 games as a rookie with Rochester. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Jack Quinn acclimated to center right away as a rookie, recording two assists in his debut. Had the Sabres prospect not undergone season-ending hernia surgery in April, he would’ve closed the AHL campaign pivoting a line.
“He … was very, very good at it,” Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said of Quinn’s two-game stint at center.
So Quinn, the eighth overall pick last year as a right wing, will be playing center during ... Read the full article
J-J Peterka arrived in Buffalo on Saturday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Finally, after 10 months of waiting, Sabres prospect J-J Peterka was set to leave Germany and travel here to prepare for his first NHL training camp.
In normal times, of course, Peterka, 19, probably would’ve visited Buffalo two or three times over the last year. But the COVID-19 pandemic forced the winger to stay home.
“I was so curious about it, so excited the whole last year,” a smiling Peterka said following Wednesday’s ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Jack Quinn last year. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres will be hosting the Prospects Challenge rookie tournament again from Sept. 17 to 19 at LECOM Harborcenter, the team announced today.
Last year, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Sabres to cancel the tournament.
The Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils will also be participating in the round-robin tournament. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dropped out.
Tickets for the games cost $10 and can be purchased at Sabres.com/Prospects.
J-J Peterka began his second pro season in Austria. ©2021, Gepa, Red Bull
Sometimes Don Jackson’s excitement got the best of him and he became too focused on helping Buffalo Sabres forward prospect J-J Peterka develop for the NHL.
“It seems like I was thinking about him more as a Buffalo Sabre more than I was him winning a championship in Munich,” said Jackson, Peterka’s coach with Red Bull Munich the past two seasons.
Jackson’s words, of course, were a bit tongue-in-cheek. It’s just that prospects of Peterka’s ... Read the full article