AMERKS LEAVE 'WELCOMING' IMPRESSION ON NEWCOMER PRISKIE
Oct 12, 2022By Suzie Cool
First impressions are always key, especially when joining a new organization. It sets the tone for the rest of the season and provides an early glimpse of what to expect when entering unfamiliar territory.
“A lot of communication. Everything's really open. The staff has been great in communicating what they want from the players and then obviously it's our job to go out there and execute their expectations and just welcoming. I mean, from the first day I got here, I felt like I've been part of the group and they make you feel like you’re part of the team, no matter if it was with the Sabres or with the Amerks.”
That was Rochester Americans newcomer Chase Priskie’s first answer in Tuesday’s post-practice media availability when asked what his first impressions of the organization were. A strong answer for a player who cleared waivers and was reassigned from Buffalo on Sunday to then turn around and play in Rochester’s final preseason game against the Utica Comets that very same night.
Not an easy task, but it was the communication throughout the organization which made it an easy transition for the Amerks defenseman.
“Apps (Amerks head coach Seth Appert) was really good. He communicated that I didn't have to play if I didn't want to,” explained Priskie when asked what he thought of being thrown into the Amerks lineup on Sunday. “I thought the best thing for me was to just jump right into it. There was no time to waste, and it was a good wake-up call for our group. Utica had a more veteran lineup, a lot of guys that have played in the American League and know what to expect. For us, I think we played six or seven rookies that have never played an American League game before. So, it's a steep learning curve.”
Priskie wasn’t wrong.
Sunday’s preseason matchup against Utica didn’t go in Rochester’s favor as they fell 5-1, however, Priskie benefited from the outing. Instead of wasting time sitting around after clearing waivers and missing the Sabres final preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, we saw Priskie start on the Amerks top defensive pairing while also seeing time on the power-play.
Going into his fifth year as a pro, Priskie has already played for three different organizations in the American Hockey League. Between the Charlotte Checkers, Syracuse Crunch and Springfield Thunderbirds, the defenseman has appeared in 126 AHL games while registering 73 points on 19 goals and 54 assists.
Originally a sixth-round selection (77th overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2016, Priskie went on to make his National Hockey League debut last year with the Florida Panthers. Although Priskie was held scoreless, he made his long-awaited NHL debut on Nov. 4 against the team who originally drafted him and racked up two penalty minutes on the night’s effort.
Between the little taste of the NHL that he got last year and making it to the final round of cuts from Buffalo’s main camp, it made Priskie hungrier for the chance to play at that level. For now, though, all attention is focused on putting in the work while in Rochester.
“It was just a level of consistency that you needed play to be there,” stated Priskie when asked what he got out of his time with the Sabres. “I'm trying to work my way back to the NHL and stick there for good. So, when I come down here, it's not about having an attitude, it's coming down to put the work boots on and get going and there's no time to waste. So, I'll try to get off to a strong start and work my way back up into that lineup.”
With all the moves that Buffalo has made over the last week, the Amerks defensive unit is looking stronger by the day. Priskie will look to play a large role on the blueline in Rochester to try and work his way back up to the NHL.
Priskie left us with this as we head into the Amerks 67th season in the AHL this Friday:
“I'm a competitor. So, when I'm not in the lineup, I try to find ways to get into the lineup, work myself in and become usable in any situation. So, for me coming down here there are some things that I want to work on in my game. I just want to continue to progress and get better and anything kind of less of dominance is not up to my standard.”