Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospect Devon Levi dazzles in playoff debut as Rochester grabs lead

ROCHESTER – Following the Calder Cup Playoffs, Devon Levi will likely bid adieu to the minors for good. In his brief time here, the Sabres prospect has morphed into the Americans’ backbone, emerging as one of the AHL’s elite goalies.

Next season, Levi, 22, is expected to graduate to Buffalo, where he will compete for playing time with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. In the meantime, the rookie has an opportunity to lead the Amerks on a deep ... Read the full article

Rochester rookie Nikita Novikov looks like special Sabres defense prospect

ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres defense prospect Nikita Novikov displayed special offensive instincts throughout his first regular season in North America.

“Borderline high-end,” said coach Seth Appert, whose Americans open the Calder Cup Playoffs tonight at Blue Cross Arena in a best-of-five series against the Syracuse Crunch.

Without the benefit of power-play time, the 6-foot-4, 209-pound Novikov compiled 20 assists, a high total for a rookie acclimating to a different brand of hockey.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Victor Olofsson to play for Team Sweden at World Championship

Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, who scored a career-low eight goals this season, will represent Team Sweden at the upcoming World Hockey Championship.

The Sabres are expected to let Olofsson, 28, leave as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Players who have expiring contracts often don’t want to risk injury and turn down invitations to the tournament. Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, both of whom can become restricted free agents, said ... Read the full article

Could the Sabres promote Rochester Amerks coach Seth Appert to Buffalo?

BUFFALO – General manager Kevyn Adams wants his new head coach to have already run an NHL bench, so the Sabres likely won’t consider Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert for their open job.

“Previous NHL head coaching experience, pedigree, is important,” Adams said Tuesday in KeyBank Center after firing Don Granato.

Appert, 49, is a hockey lifer, having coached since his days as a college goalie ended in 1996. He has enjoyed success at ... Read the full article

Sabres assign prospect Noah Ostlund to Rochester Amerks

BUFFALO – The Sabres on Wednesday assigned forward prospect Noah Ostlund, the 16th overall pick in 2022, to the Rochester Americans.

Ostlund, 20, recently completed his first season in the Swedish Hockey League, scoring 12 goals and 23 points in 38 games for Vaxjo HC.

The 5-foot-11, 163-pound Ostlund joined the Amerks last season during the Calder Cup Playoffs but did not play.

The Amerks have two games left before the postseason.

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Sabres ... Read the full article

After firing coach Don Granato, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams begins search for experienced replacement

BUFFALO – In firing coach Don Granato following a disappointing season in which the Sabres missed the playoffs for an NHL-record 13th consecutive year, general manager Kevyn Adams has shifted the onus to himself.

Adams has always accepted blame for the Sabres’ troubles, and in discussing Tuesday’s dismissal of Granato and the state of his team for 45 minutes in KeyBank Center, he again shouldered his share of the responsibility for an 84-point campaign.

But ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi developing in Rochester, ready for playoffs

ROCHESTER – Prior to goalie Devon Levi’s uncharacteristically weak outing, coach Seth Appert said the Americans had the rookie tentatively scheduled to play again less than a day later.

Then after Levi allowed four goals in Friday’s 6-3 home loss to the Belleville Senators, Appert informed the Buffalo Sabres prospect he would be starting Saturday so he could “snap from what happened to prepare for what’s coming.”

“He didn’t perform to his standards on Friday, ... Read the full article

As career with Sabres likely nears end, Eric Comrie excited to work on game

BUFFALO – In what are likely the final days of his two-year career here, as he watches game after game as the backup or a healthy scratch, Sabres goalie Eric Comrie feels excitement.

At first, the affable Comrie, who hasn’t played since March 7, had a difficult time sitting out. For a while at least, he dressed for games behind starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. When the Sabres recalled rookie Devon Levi last month, he was relegated ... Read the full article

Sabres send rookie goalie Devon Levi to Rochester after two starts

The Buffalo Sabres this morning assigned goalie Devon Levi to Rochester, where he will resume his role as the Americans’ starter.

Amerks coach Seth Appert said Levi, 22, will start tonight’s home game against the Cleveland Monsters.

The rookie started twice following his recall March 16, allowing the Sabres to rest goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for one game during back-to-back sets.... Read the full article

Maple Leafs beat Sabres as Toronto fans take over Buffalo: ‘We have to earn it’

BUFFALO – There’s a lot to unpack from Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a defeat that likely extinguishes the Sabres’ faint hopes of making a miracle run to the playoffs.

Mathematically, yes, the Sabres are alive. But forget about it. There are five points to make up and five teams to climb and just seven games left.

Saturday’s defeat illustrates how far the Sabres have fallen during a record-setting playoff drought about ... Read the full article