WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Filip Cederqvist skates in Monday afternoon’s Prospects Challenge game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Given his rookie status last season, Djurgardens’ former general manager figured Sabres prospect Filip Cederqvist would play a supporting role for the Swedish Hockey League team, perhaps on the third or fourth line.
But coach Barry Smith found wherever he put the 6-foot-3 Cederqvist in the lineup during the preseason, the youngster “was empowering” his teammates.
“He plays a power forward game, and because he plays a power forward game, he can really ... Read the full article
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
Matthew Savoie talks to the media Wednesday. ©2022
BUFFALO – Seth Appert smiled and began searching for the right words to describe his first impressions of Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie.
The coach settled on two.
“Just electric,” Appert said Wednesday.
Two months ago, a shoulder injury forced Savoie, the ninth overall pick on July 7, to stay off the ice during development camp. So Appert had to wait until rookie camp opened at LECOM Harborcenter to watch the ultra-talented center up close.... Read the full article
Rochester’s Brett Murray stands in front of Laval goalie Cayden Primeau on Wednesday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – The Americans battled adversity and beat long odds for weeks, eking into the Calder Cup Playoffs on the last day of the regular season before beginning their deepest and most memorable postseason run in 18 years.
They rallied to win games, earned four overtime victories and triumphed in a do-or-die Game 5 against a top seed.
So when the Amerks dropped the first two games on the road against the Laval Rocket in ... Read the full article
Peyton Krebs was a difference-maker for Rochester on Wednesday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER – When the Sabres assigned Peyton Krebs to the AHL following a successful 48-game stint in Buffalo, they probably hoped the center would be an offensive catalyst for the Americans in his first taste of playoff hockey.
Sure enough, after a slow start, Krebs helped the Amerks complete a furious three-goal, third-period comeback in Wednesday’s dramatic 4-3 win overtime win against the Belleville Senators before a raucous crowd of 6,044 fans at Blue Cross ... Read the full article
Linus Weissbach has scored nine goals for Rochester. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In the third period of Rochester’s 5-2 loss last Friday, rookie winger Linus Weissbach hit defenseman Matt Kiersted hard into the end boards, freeing the puck.
A second later, winger JJ Peterka scored, moving the Americans within one goal of the Charlotte Checkers.
The assist wasn’t exactly pretty or the type of play the speedy Weissbach’s known for making. The Sabres prospect fell to the ice after hitting Kiersted, and it appeared he ... Read the full article
JJ Peterka is one of Buffalo’s top prospects. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In the Sabres’ recent history, games as significant as tonight’s can be counted on one hand. How often have three highly regarded young players – in this case, forwards Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch – all made their debuts together?
Their presence illustrates that after a decade of futility, maybe – just maybe – a franchise known for dysfunction is starting to get things rights.
In less than a year, the ... Read the full article
JJ Peterka learned he was recalled in the grocery store. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect JJ Peterka was grocery shopping with Linus Weissbach on Monday in Rochester when his teammate’s phone rang.
Peterka’s phone wasn’t working, so to relay some special news, Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert called Weissbach, one of the German’s roommates.
“That was kind of weird but then I got the phone and Appert told me I got called up, so it was amazing,” said a smiling Peterka, who was officially recalled this ... Read the full article