BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff will miss tonight’s preseason opener in Pittsburgh to attend a Celebration of Life ceremony for his former teammate, Brent Peterson, in Nashville.
Sabres assistant coach Seth Appert will run the bench against the Penguins in Ruff’s absence.
Peterson, who played four seasons with the Sabres in the 1980s, died Sept. 11 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. He was 68.
Tonight’s lineup will mostly feature players ticketed for the Rochester Americans, although center Jiri Kulich and winger Justin Danforth are expected to play their first games in nearly a year.
Kulich, who had a blood clot removed in March, hasn’t played since Nov. 1. Meanwhile, Danforth, broke his kneecap Oct. 15, just his fourth appearance with the Sabres.
Check back later for a full story on Danforth’s long recovery.
The Sabres will have some other NHL talents in the lineup. Appert said goalies Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis will both play. The exact split will be determined later.
With only four preseason games this year, it’s a little trickier to find playing time for goalies. The Sabres are expected to carry three again this year: Lyon, Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
“With our three, we’ve certainly talked about making sure that all three get enough action to get them ready for the regular season,” Appert said this morning in KeyBank Center.
They will likely dress a more veteran lineup Tuesday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Tonight’s roster with the lines and defense pairs is below.
Forwards
– Conor Sheary, Kulich and Jake Richard
– Thomas Bordeleau, Matthew Peca and Danforth
– Trevor Kuntar, Tyson Kozak and Jason Polin
– Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Aidan McDonough and Liam Valente
Defense
– Dennis Gilbert and Zach Metsa
– Jack Rathbone and Vsevolod Komarov
– Ryan Johnson and Radim Mrtka
Kuntar, a Williamsville native, played one game for the Sabres last year after signing a two-way contract. He enjoyed a breakout season in Rochester, scoring 21 goals.
“He competes his tail off, gives you everything he has every shift,” Appert said. “Puck battles are life and death for him.”
Appert said Kuntar “is very hard to play against” and “easy to play with.”
“He’s an easy guy to want in your organization and to root for,” he said.