SABRES LOAN ROSEN, KULICH TO RESPECTIVE NATIONAL TEAMS

Dec 19, 2022

By Suzie Cool

 

Last week, Rochester Americans forwards Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich were named to Sweden and Czech Republic’s rosters for the upcoming 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. Today, the pair of rookies were officially loaned by the Buffalo Sabres to their team respective national teams.

 

“We're very excited for them,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert when asked about the young rookies taking on the 2023 tournament. “This is something we talked about as an organization, that we wanted them to have this opportunity and it’s great.

 

For Rosen, he’ll be representing his home country of Sweden in which the Amerks rookie has already done on three other occasions in 2019, 2021 and 2022, winning bronze medals in back-to-back years.

 

Kulich has also represented his home country of the Czech Republic during the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. In seven games at last year’s event, Kulich recorded eight points on two goals and six assists.

 

Despite being two of the youngest players in the American Hockey League currently, both Kulich and Rosen remain among the team’ scoring leaders with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Kulich's 16 points tie him for 15^th among all AHL rookies while Rosen's 11 assists are tied for ninth-most. Additionally, Kulich tops all Rochester skaters with 57 shots and is tied for the team lead with three power-play goals.

 

Appert is excited for Rosen and Kulich to get the chance to test their development at the upcoming tournament and feels it will further prove to them how much they’ve improved in the short time they’ve already spent in the AHL.

 

“It's about going back to your own age group and showing yourself how much you've improved in this first half of the season – the work ethic, the competitiveness, how good they are away from the puck now – all of the things that they've been doing to make themselves successful American League young rookies. Now they get to go back and play in their own age group and keep playing that way and they're going to have massive success for their home countries.”

 

The upcoming 2023 World Junior Championship is being held in Moncton and Halifax this year and kicks off on Monday, Dec. 26 when Sweden takes on Austria at 2:30 p.m. while Czechia battles host Canada at 7:30 p.m.

 

The annual tournament runs through Thursday, Jan. 5.