WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Jiri Kulich skates in Saturday’s Prospects Challenge game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Forget that Jiri Kulich possesses a shot so lethal his coach described it as “scary.” Forget that the Sabres prospect has recently dominated his peers, scoring 17 goals over a torrid 16-game stretch. Forget that he already has a full season of pro hockey experience.
In a few weeks, following his first NHL training camp, the Sabres will likely assign Kulich to Rochester, where he will begin his North American career with the ... Read the full article
Tyson Kozak scored two goals Thursday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – As the Sabres killed a penalty early in the third period of Thursday’s Prospects Challenge opener, center Tyson Kozak grabbed the puck at the far blue line and zoomed down the left wing on a two-on-one.
When Kozak hit the circle, instead of passing to winger Linus Weissbach, he cut to slot before deftly backhanding the puck the into the net for the short-handed score.
The skill Kozak displayed in scoring his ... Read the full article
Buffalo selected Isak Rosen 14th overall in 2021. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Two months later, Isak Rosen has returned to the Sabres a more aggressive, assured and explosive prospect.
“He looks faster. He looks harder on the puck,” Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said of Rosen’s rapid improvement since development camp ended in mid-July. “And his first step looks like it’s got either more pop or more assertiveness. So some of it’s physical.”
Rosen said prior to recording an assist in Thursday’s Prospects Challenge opener ... Read the full article
Buffalo prospect Jiri Kulich could begin this season in the AHL. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Three first-round picks – centers Matthew Savoie and Jiri Kulich and winger Isak Rosen – are among the 27 youngsters listed on the Buffalo Sabres’ roster for the upcoming Prospects Challenge rookie tournament.
The roster, released Monday, also includes Russian winger Aleksandr Kisakov, a second-round pick in 2020, and winger Flip Cederqvist, a fifth-round selection in 2019 coming off a 14-goal season in the Swedish Hockey League.
The Sabres open the tournament Thursday against the ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played nine games with Buffalo last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday re-signed goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, their final restricted free agent, to a two-year, $1.675 million contract.
General manager Kevyn Adams has said Luukkonen, a prospect labeled as the Sabres’ goalie of the future, is likely ticketed for the Rochester Americans again this year. The Sabres plan to utilize veteran Craig Anderson and newcomer Eric Comrie as their netminding tandem.
Luukkonen, 23, has battled injuries over his three-year pro career, and ... Read the full article
Riley Sheahan spent the 2020-21 season in Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluovolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday added forward depth, bringing back veteran Riley Sheahan on a one-year, two-way contract worth $950,000 in the NHL.
Sheahan, 30, played 53 games for the Sabres in 2020-21 after parlaying a training camp tryout into a one-year contract. He will likely compete for a spot on the Sabres’ fourth line during camp, perhaps at center.
The Notre Dame product often skated as a fourth-line winger during his first stint in ... Read the full article
Arttu Ruotsalainen played 35 games for Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
When prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen examined the Sabres’ depth chart, he apparently saw limited opportunities in Buffalo.
Wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn are expected to graduate to Buffalo this season, meaning there’s likely no room for the Finn in the forward corps.
So on Friday, Ruotsalainen, 24, signed a contract to play the upcoming season for EHC Kloten in the Swiss National League.
The Sabres retained Ruotsalainen’s rights last week by tendering him a qualifying ... Read the full article
Mark Pysyk played 68 games during his second stint in Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
In past years, a slew of former Buffalo Sabres had difficulty finding work in free agency.
With few suitors on the open market, some settled for training camp tryouts while others went overseas or never played again.
So far this offseason, seven players who spent time in Buffalo last season have quickly landed new NHL contracts. Here’s an update:
Brett Murray played 19 games with Buffalo last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Monday re-signed winger Brett Murray, who played 19 NHL games last season, to a one-year, two-way contract.
The deal is worth $750,000 in the NHL and $225,000 in the AHL, according to capfriendly.com.
The Sabres now have two unsigned restricted free agents: goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and forward Arttu Ruotsalainen.
Murray, 23, compiled two goals and six points during his recalls to Buffalo last season. He made his first two NHL ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn (left) and JJ Peterka could have spots in Buffalo this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Michael Peca sees Sabres prospect JJ Peterka as such a rare and special talent he refers to the German winger a “unicorn.” Seriously.
Peca, an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans, can’t think of a former teammate or opponent or find anyone in today’s game who resembles the type of player Peterka, 20, can become someday.
“He has no idea how good he can be yet, which is scary,” said Peca, a popular ... Read the full article