Quinn - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospects JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn earn honors from AHL

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

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn scores slick shootout goal for Amerks

ROCHESTER – Sabres prospect Jack Quinn has utilized the scintillating moves at least three times to score highlight-reel shootout goals for the Americans.

“I’m just coming down the right side and kind of cutting into the hash marks,” Quinn told the Times Herald after using the moves to score again in Tuesday’s 3-2 win at Blue Cross Arena.

Then Quinn, 20, fakes a shot and the fun begins. If the goalie bites, as the Springfield ... Read the full article

Amerks’ Arttu Ruotsalainen sees future with Sabres, hasn’t signed in Europe

ROCHESTER – For three and a half months, Buffalo Sabres prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen has been on a scoring tear, developing into one of the AHL’s most lethal threats.

Ruotsalainen, 24, earned AHL Player of the Month honors for March, compiling eight goals and 18 points in 13 outings for the Rochester Americans.

Overall, the Finnish center has recorded 18 goals and 50 points in 51 games with the Amerks this season, including 18 goals and ... Read the full article

Sean Malone’s career season filled with growth, frustration in Rochester

ROCHESTER – Ten minutes after the Americans blew a late two-goal lead Sunday afternoon and fell out of a playoff spot, center Sean Malone hadn’t let go of the potentially devastating loss.

In the hallway outside the dressing room in Blue Cross Arena, an agitated Malone searched for the right words to describe his feelings.

“A lot of it falls on me,” Malone said following the stunning 6-5 overtime loss, a game in which the ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn dazzles for Amerks in return from injury

ROCHESTER – In the opening minutes of Friday’s third period, Americans center Mark Jankowski fought off a defender behind the net and laid the puck on the doorstep for his linemate, Jack Quinn, to convert.

When goal scorers receive a nifty pass like that in close, they shoot, oh, just about every time. But Quinn, the most dangerous threat the Amerks have had in a long time, displayed poise under pressure, quickly dishing the puck ... Read the full article

If Sabres trade Craig Anderson, Mark Pysyk, could they return next season?

BUFFALO – When the Sabres signed a slew of cheap free agents to one-year contracts last summer, it appeared their tenures here would be short.

After a season or less, they might become expendable. Some of organization’s prospects would mature and the rebuilding Sabres might also acquire better talent.

Well, so far, some prospects – defenseman Casey Fitzgerald and Mattias Samuelsson, for example – have graduated from the minors and earned regular duty. Others like ... Read the full article

One year after hiring, Don Granato has dramatically changed the Sabres

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato kept rattling off names. There was Taylor Hall, Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen and Eric Staal.

“I’m probably missing a couple more,” Granato said following Wednesday’s practice at LECOM Harborcenter.

Then two more names, Jack Eichel and Jake McCabe, popped into his head.

One year ago today, Granato inherited a veteran-laden team at its nadir. The Sabres were 12 losses into what would become a stunning 18-game winless ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Casey Fitzgerald, young defensemen taking over blue line

BUFFALO – In Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, five of the six defensemen the Sabres utilized were 25 or younger.

The graybeard of the group, Robert Hagg, 27, has played all of 282 NHL games.

The rest of the blue line consisted of neophytes. Only one other defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin, 21, has played more than 200 big league contests.

The Sabres dressed two rookies – Casey Fitzgerald, 25, and Mattias Samuelsson, who turns ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: John Hayden thriving in gritty fourth-line role

BUFFALO – Barring injury, winger John Hayden will establish a new career high in games played later this month. After bouncing around the NHL, often as a spare forward, the Yale product has earned regular duty throughout most his first season with the Sabres.

Hayden, 27, has thrived under Don Granato, a coach he knows well from their days together at the U.S. National Team Development Program and later with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Donny’s made ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Quinn practices, nearing return from injury

BUFFALO – When Sabres prospect Jack Quinn suffered a lower-body injury early in his second NHL game Jan. 20, he pushed through and figured it wasn’t that bad.

“I guess I had a lot of adrenaline or whatever,” said Quinn, who scored his first NHL goal later that night and finished the Sabres’ 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars. “It wouldn’t sideline me, I was thinking, I thought it’d be something I could play through ... Read the full article