BUFFALO – Having arrived in North America late in the 2023-24 season, Sabres prospect Noah Ostlund is still acclimating to a more physical brand of hockey.
On the larger ice surface in his native Sweden, there’s less contact and, of course, fewer fights.
“I’m not as used to it as you guys over here are because we don’t have that in Sweden,” Ostlund said following Saturday’s chippy 7-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Prospects Challenge at LECOM Harborcenter.
Still, as he illustrated in the second period Saturday, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Ostlund enjoys the rough stuff and is willing to scrap.
When P.J. Fagan hit Sabres center Konsta Helenius from behind into the boards, he immediately challenged the Columbus defenseman. Sabres winger Isak Rosen also zoomed over from the other side of the ice to stick up for Helenius.
While officials interceded before anything escalated into a full-on fight – Ostlund and Rosen each received roughing penalties – the Sabres sent a strong message to the Blue Jackets, who tried to get under their skin all night.
“I just saw him getting an ugly hit and just didn’t have much time,” Ostlund said. “Just jumped in and Rosy came, too. You got to stick up for each other. It’s a tough tournament.”
Fagan hit on Helenius #LetsGoBuffalo #CBJ pic.twitter.com/FmYRnOMMla
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) September 14, 2025
Rochester Americans coach Mike Leone, who’s running Buffalo’s bench during the tournament, loved the strong response from Ostlund and Rosen, two skilled youngsters not known for their grit.
“You’re not going to see him drop the gloves too many times, but any time a scrum like that happens, a teammate, you want to have guys be in there,” Leone said of Ostlund.
Earlier in the period, Ostlund, 21, showcased some of what makes him arguably the Sabres’ best prospect, beating a defenseman and backhanding the puck in on a breakaway.
“I think he’s really worked hard in the offseason on gaining that extra step,” Leone said. “It’s a really good play. Like, he has the ability in tight to get the puck over goalies.”
Ostlund, 2-2 #LetsGoBuffalo #CBJ pic.twitter.com/uheWehnYQB
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) September 14, 2025
After injuring his hand early last season, Ostlund the 16th overall pick in 2022, caught fire and developed into the Amerks’ top scoring threat. When the Sabres recalled him in early April, he had scored 18 goals and 34 points over a torrid 32-game stretch.
While he went pointless in his first eight NHL outings, his time in Buffalo offered him some perspective.
“It gave me a lot of experience,” he said. “I think I know what I got to do to get up there and what I got to do to have my impact on the games more than I did last year.”
The Sabres close the Prospects Challenge on Monday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins.