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LUKAS ROUSEK SEASON IN REVIEW

LUKAS ROUSEK: SEASON IN REVIEW

Jun 22, 2023

It was Lukas Rousek's first full season in North America, and he led the Rochester Americans in points, tallying 56 in 70 games. Last year, he was injured for the majority of the season, so Amerks fans only got a peek at what he could be.

This season, he was an AHL All Star. He didn't necessarily shoot a lot, but he made a lot of gorgeous plays... and when he did shoot, he scored.

"I'm feeling so much better," Rousek said in his end-of-season interview. "I'm feeling so much better because of my adaptation to the American Hockey League and a small rink and faster game."

Rousek appeared in his 200th professional game on December 3, and recorded his 100th professional point on December 28. He was the second Amerk to hit the 40-point mark with two goals and an assist on March 10 against the Hartford Wolf Pack. 

He earned his first-ever NHL recall from the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, March 25. He didn't play in the Sabres game that Saturday night, and he returned to Rochester to suit up for Bills Day on March 26. He recorded an assist in the win.

He would then, finally, make his NHL debut on Monday, March 27 as the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Rousek scored his first NHL goal on his first shot on his first shift. And he also tallied an assist.

“Lukas has a lot of swagger, a lot of belief in himself, in a good way,” Amerks head coach Seth Appert said after his NHL debut. “That’s important that when you go up there, you believe you belong at that level.”

Rousek looked like he belonged, and his success with the Sabres truly excited his teammates. "He's a really well-liked member of the team," Appert said.

"He's fun to be around. He's smiling and he's laughing. The guys know how good of a year he's had and that he's earned this moment. It's fantastic to see."

While Rousek was beloved by his teammates, he loved them right back. "I'm good friends with everybody in the locker room," he said. "It's my second family because my family is not here. It's fun." 

Rookie Jiri Kulich made the short trip to Buffalo to watch Rousek in his NHL debut. The duo became very close throughout the season, and even though Rousek is still a young prospect himself, he took Kulich under his wing.

"We just spent all our time together," Rousek said of the friendship. "Whether we go out or are just chilling, we just have fun." Their bond off the ice translated to chemistry on the ice as well. Kulich was often on the receiving end of a beautiful pass from Rousek.

Rousek reached the 50-point mark with two assists on March 29 and notched his 40th assist on April 7 — on a pass that clinched a Calder Cup Playoffs berth for the Amerks. Rousek would then go on a tear in the postseason.

He tallied five goals and seven assists during the Amerks' playoff run, including a goal in three-straight games. He had four points in the Game 3 series win over the Toronto Marlies. He scored twice in the big Game 5 win in Hershey.

At the end of the day, it all came down to his love of the game. "Hockey is fun," he simply stated.

"I don't care where I play — I just play for fun and I play for my teammates."

And he was a lot of fun to watch.

And he'll be a lot of fun to watch for two more years: on Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres announced that they signed Rousek to a two-year contract.

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