WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
November Edition
Gabe Perreault has packed on weight over the past two years. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – The genesis of NHL Draft prospect Gabe Perreault’s recording-breaking season for Team USA’s Under-18 squad began a year earlier.
In 2021, Perreault arrived in Plymouth, Michigan, a skinny 16-year-old. Dan Muse, his former coach at the National Team Development Program, said the high-scoring winger weighed just 130 or 140 pounds.
So Perreault took advantage of the resources the program offers and reshaped his body.... Read the full article
Gavin McCarthy (left) and Quentin Musty go through fitness testing June 10 at the NHL Scouting Combine. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – The last time Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams saw NHL Draft prospect Gavin McCarthy, he ran into him, of all places, on the bike path behind his house in Clarence.
Adams, having run the Jr. Sabres and Academy of Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter before being named GM, knows a lot of high-end local prospects like McCarthy and Hamburg native Quentin Musty, who could be a first-round pick Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.
His ... Read the full article
Owen Power enjoyed a terrific rookie season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Throughout Sabres defenseman’s Owen Power’s terrific rookie season, his age often accompanied any mention of his exploits.
Can you believe the important minutes Power plays as a 20-year-old? Look at the poise and smarts he possesses for a 20-year-old.
Forget about his age, coach Don Granato said. Power’s first season was dynamic by any standard.
“What he did, 30-year-old guys in the league that have played 10, 12, 13 years can’t do,” ... Read the full article
Jeremy Davies scored 11 goals for Rochester last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres on Monday re-signed Jeremy Davies, whose 11 goals led all Rochester Americans defensemen last season, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 in the NHL.
Davies, 26, played one game with the Sabres last season, recording zero points.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Davies enjoyed another stellar offensive season, recording 23 points in 66 games. He ranked eighth among AHL defensemen in goals scored. His 90 penalty minutes also led the Amerks.... Read the full article
Joseph Ceconni joined Rochester in December. ©2023, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday re-signed defenseman Joseph Cecconi, a Youngstown native, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 in the NHL.
Cecconi, 26, became a mainstay on the Rochester Americans’ blue line following his arrival in a trade Dec. 15, giving them a more defensive defender to complement some of their offensive threats.
In the regular season, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Cecconi registered three goals and eight points in 41 games. In the ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin (left) and Owen Power are two of Buffalo’s cornerstones. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Following the season, some of the Sabres’ decision makers sat down with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and told them how much they believe in them and what they mean to the franchise.
“There was an excitement from both of them and a clear message to me that they both want to be here long-term,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Wednesday during a news conference in KeyBank Center to discuss the ... Read the full article
Kevin Adams has been deliberate in constructing the Sabres. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – This offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams is having different conversations with his counterparts as he works to improve the Sabres.
Having watched his team record 91 points and fall two points short of a playoff spot in 2022-23, he said he’s examining “every possible scenario.”
That wasn’t the case as the Sabres went through a two-year rebuild. But after enjoying their best season in 12 years, they’re a different mode this summer.
Tom Barrasso and Pierre Turgeon were teammates in Buffalo. ©2023, Janet Schultz
As nearly two decades passed without a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame, former Buffalo Sabres goalie Tom Barrasso grew to accept one would likely never come.
He felt at peace with his career – both the good and the bad. He played 19 years, won the Stanley Cup twice and enjoyed a remarkable rookie season in 1983-84, winning the Vezina and Calder trophies as an 18-year-old who jumped from high school hockey to ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen will likely receive plenty of preseason action for Buffalo. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres will be playing seven preseason games, including a Kraft Hockeyville contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs in St. Thomas, Ontario, prior to the 2023-24 regular season, the team announced Wednesday.
The Hockeyville game, which will be played Sept. 27 at Joe Thornton Community Centre, gives the Sabres an extra preseason outing.
West Lorne, Ontario, which is about 40 miles from St. Thomas, won the annual Hockeyville contest. In addition to the having ... Read the full article
Zach Benson goes through fitness testing June 10 at the NHL Scouting Combine. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When the Winnipeg Ice reconvened to begin an abbreviated season in 2021, James Patrick figured Zach Benson would mostly practice with the junior team. If things went well, the coach hoped the diminutive 15-year-old might play about five games.
In the Western Hockey League, the 5-foot-5, 140-pound rookie winger would be facing opponents four or five years older and nearly a foot taller and 50 or 60 pounds heavier.
Patrick still laughs recalling ... Read the full article