PROSPECTS CHALLENGE NOTEBOOK: HOCKEY RETURNS TO BUFFALO
Leone ready for coaching debut, Five first-round picks highlight Sabres' 22-man roster
Sep 12, 2024By Ryan J. Harr
Hockey has officially returned to Western New York this week as more than 20 Buffalo Sabres prospects descended upon LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo for the start of the annual Prospects Challenge.
The squad is made up of 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders, who are early in their professional hockey careers or on the verge of making the transition.
The six-team event will again feature the host Sabres go up against prospects from five other NHL organizations, including Boston, Columbus, New Jersey, Ottawa and Pittsburgh.
The 22-man roster has been under the direction of new Rochester Americans head coach Michael Leone, who was appointed the 34th bench boss in the 68-year history of the organization earlier this summer. Accommodating Leone are his assistants in the Flower City in Nathan Paetsch and Vinny Prospal, both of whom are entering their second seasons with the club in their respective roles.
Sabres goaltending development coach, Seamus Kotyk, director of player development Adam Mair, and player development coaches Tim Kennedy and Zach Redmond are also providing on-ice instruction as is new Jacksonville head coach Brandon Mashinter.
The group has already practiced twice after gathering earlier this week ahead of Friday’s matchup against Columbus 7:00 p.m. They will have one final tune-up tomorrow morning for an abbreviated morning skate, but eager for the opportunity to showcase their abilities in the games that precede the start of training camp.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD(S)
Leone takes over for Seth Appert, who was promoted as an assistant coach on the staff of head coach Lindy Ruff.
Appert was at the helm of the Amerks for the last four seasons, leading Rochester to three consecutive Calder Cup Playoff appearances and a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023.
Leone embarks on his AHL head coaching career following two seasons as head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. His previous coaching experience also includes a successful three-year stretch as an assistant coach at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP), as well as brief stints at both the collegiate and professional levels.
Leone amassed a 66-41-10-7 record in his two seasons with Green Bay, leading the Gamblers to back-to-back 30-plus win seasons as well as consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over a decade.
Ruff, meanwhile, returns to Buffalo ranked fifth all-time and second among active coaches with 864 career regular-season wins for the Sabres, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. His 935 combined wins in the regular season and playoffs are tied for fourth in league history.
Ruff has made the playoffs in each of his three stops as a head coach (Buffalo, Dallas, and New Jersey), including a 112-point finish with the Devils last season.
Ruff is the winningest coach in Sabres history, having set franchise records in regular-season games coached (1,165), regular-season wins (571), playoff games coached (101), and playoff wins (57) during his first stint with the organization from 1997-98 to 2012-13.
Ruff made the playoffs eight times as head coach of the Sabres, including an appearance in the 1998-99 Stanley Cup Final along with three trips to the Eastern Conference Final in 1997-98, 2005-06, and 2006-07. The Sabres finished with a franchise-record 53 wins and 113 points in 2006-07, claiming their only Presidents’ Trophy in team history.
Ruff won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2005-06, when he led the Sabres to a 110-point finish. He was the runner-up for the award in 2006-07 with Buffalo and 2022-23 (New Jersey) and a finalist in 2015-16 (Dallas).
A former Amerk who played 62 games with Rochester during the 1991-92 season, Ruff was selected to coach in the NHL All-Star Game three times (1999, 2007, and 2016).
PARTY OF FIVE
The Sabres’ 22-man roster features five players who were the club’s selection in the first round of their respective draft classes: Ryan Johnson (19th overall, 2019), Isak Rosén (14th overall, 2021), Noah Ostlund (16th overall, 2022), Jiri Kulich (28th overall, 2022), and Konsta Helenius (14th overall, 2024).
Johnson started his first professional season in the AHL but spent the majority of his first campaign playing 41 games for Buffalo, tallying nine assists and averaging 13:52 of ice time.
The young blueliner produced nine assists in 27 games with Rochester while adding one more in five playoff games against the Syracuse Crunch.
Rosen set AHL career highs in goals (20), assists (30), and points (50) during his second season in Rochester while also skating in all five contests during Rochester’s postseason.
The 21-year-old will be among the players looking to earn a spot in Buffalo this season after playing seven NHL games in 2022-23.
After spending his first two seasons as a teenager, Kulich is entering his age 20 season, which can be easy to forget considering he has two productive AHL campaigns already on his resume. Kulich topped all Rochester players with 27 goals in 57 games last season before tallying a pair of helpers versus the Crunch in the postseason.
Kulich, who represented the Amerks at the AHL All-Star Classic along with Rosen, became the first Rochester skater to lead the club in goals in back-to-back seasons since Jody Gage did so in the early 1990’s. He was also named to the AHL Top Prospects Team each of the last two years.
Ostlund made the jump to the SHL last season, recording 12 goals and 23 points in 38 games. The young rookie joined Rochester for the final two games of the regular season and scored a goal in his postseason debut against Syracuse.
This will be Ostlund’s first full season in North America. Leone said he liked what he saw from the 20-year-old during their first practice together on Wednesday.
Helenius, the newest player on this list, was drafted 14th overall by the Sabres in June. His competitiveness and defensive responsibility, plus his multiple seasons of professional experience in Finland, could ease his transition to North America whether he starts in Rochester or earns a spot in Buffalo the same way Zach Benson did last fall.
Helenius represented Finland at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship, IIHF U18 World Junior Championships in 2024.
LOOKING AT THE WEEKEND
All games will be held on the KeyBank Rink at LECOM Harborcenter. See below for the complete game schedule for the 2024 Prospects Challenge.
Friday, Sept. 13
Boston vs. Pittsburgh, 12 p.m.
New Jersey vs. Ottawa, 3:30 p.m.
Columbus vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 14 (Fan Fest and Hockeyfest)
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa, 12 p.m.
Columbus vs. Boston, 3:30 p.m.
New Jersey vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 16
Boston vs. New Jersey, 10 a.m.
Ottawa vs. Columbus, 1:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo, 5 p.m..
The Sabres will also be hosting Fan Fest and Hockeyfest on Saturday, Sept. 14 ahead of the team’s game against New Jersey.
Fans will have the opportunity to take in unique experiences, special programming, and live music throughout the day while interacting with current Sabres players and alumni, who will be in attendance for photo opportunities and autograph sessions.