WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
November Edition
Kyle Okposo skates during Thursday’s opening session of training camp. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – It took nearly 12 years for the Sabres to reach this point. They endured failed rebuilds, regime changes and what felt like constant turmoil.
On Thursday, for the first time since 2011, the Sabres opened training camp feeling like they’re a legitimate contender for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Now it’s time,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said prior to the first session of camp in KeyBank Center. “Look, I think ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin scored 15 goals last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In the week leading up to training camp, contract talks for Sabres defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power became “more intense, more frequent,” general manager Kevyn Adams said.
Still, nothing was completed before camp opened Thursday.
“I was on the phone with both of their agents for a long time late last night,” Adams said prior to Thursday’s opening session in KeyBank Center. “… No update on where we’re at. I don’t think ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie was injured Monday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Matt Savoie is week to week after suffering an upper-body injury in Monday’s Prospects Challenge finale, general manager Kevyn Adams said.
“We’re also going to be really patient and make sure that he’s full go before we let him out there,” Adams said this morning in KeyBank Center, where training camp opens today. “But good news overall.”
Savoie, the ninth overall pick in 2022, is expected to compete for an NHL ... Read the full article
(From left) Devon Levi, Lukas Rousek and Victor Olofsson are three intriguing participants in training camp. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The deepest and most talented Sabres team since the rollicking post-lockout days of the mid-2000s will hit the ice today shouldering the expectation it can end the franchise’s embarrassing 12-year playoff drought.
Coming off a season in which they fell one win short of the postseason, the Sabres begin training camp with three sessions at KeyBank Center.
They have a whopping 64 players on their camp roster: seven goalies, 21 defensemen and 36 ... Read the full article
Nikita Novikov signed his entry-level contract in May. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – The Sabres’ leading scorer in the Prospects Challenge wasn’t Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Matt Savoie or another talented young forward.
No, try defenseman Nikita Novikov, who registered five assists, including three in Friday’s 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens in LECOM Harborcenter.
The Russian, 20, compiled three assists and five points in 62 games with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Moscow Dynamo all of last season.
The 6-foot-4, ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie is expected to compete for an NHL job in training camp. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – For Monday’s Prospects Challenge finale, the Sabres gave some of their more established young players a well-deserved afternoon off.
However, center Matt Savoie, arguably the Sabres’ biggest prospect, dressed for his third consecutive game. Twenty-seven seconds after taking the opening faceoff, he skated into a Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jagger Joshua and left the game.
Savoie, who’s competing for an NHL job this season, suffered an upper-body injury and is expected to miss ... Read the full article
Tyson Kozak has started this season showcasing offense. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Right away, Seth Appert noticed a difference in Tyson Kozak. The Sabres center prospect looks more confident and assertive this season.
“He’s not a loud person,” said Appert, Kozak’s coach with the Rochester Americans. “He lets his action speak more than his words. But I hear him on the ice more right now.”
If Kozak’s recent exploits offer any indication, Appert will also be seeing more of him on the ice. He ... Read the full article
Isak Rosen (wearing the ‘A’) and his teammates celebrate his second-period goal Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Viktor Neuchev scored in front early, converting center Tyson Kozak’s nifty backhand pass from behind the net. Winger Zach Benson followed minutes later, releasing a wicked shot from the left circle.
After the New Jersey Devils scored in the second period, winger Isak Rosen zoomed to the net unfettered, recording his second goal in as many nights.
The early goals in Saturday’s 4-2 win at the Prospects Challenge in LECOM Harborcenter ... Read the full article
Jiri Kulich warms up before Friday’s Prospects Challenge game. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When Vaclav “Vinny” Prospal learned Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich trains in his hometown in Czechia during the summer, he headed to the local rink in Ceske Budejovice to introduce himself.
Prospal, one of the Rochester Americans’ new assistant coaches, ran into some of his former teammates, so he invited Kulich to his house for lunch to chat.
Having coached against Kulich and followed hockey closely, Prospal knew about the youngster’s lethal shot – ... Read the full article
Isak Rosen played 80 total games for Rochester as a rookie last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Isak Rosen said he needed to experience a season like last year, his first in North America. The Sabres prospect showcased durability, playing a whopping 99 total games over a dizzying 10-month stretch.
A year earlier in his native Sweden, he suffered a season-ending hand injury, and he played just 39 times. Staying healthy in 2022-23 allowed him to display consistent development throughout a campaign in which he played in two World Junior ... Read the full article