Sabres’ youngsters to get taste
Top prospects will gather at Niagara
It’s nursery rhyme time in Sabreland.
The newest and youngest members of the Buffalo Sabres organization come to Western New York this week for the annual summer development camp.
For those with some experience, it’s a chance to learn a few tricks. For the newcomers, it’s the start of their biggest dream becoming reality.
“You see a little twinkle in their eyes when it’s their first NHL opportunity,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
So go ahead: twinkle, twinkle, little stars.
At least 30 prospects will gather at Niagara University for the seven-day camp that begins Wednesday. It’s designed to teach players how to be pros on and off the ice.
They will watch videos to see what works in the NHL and what doesn’t. They will split into offensive and defensive groups, with each getting individual instruction on how to enter corners. They will meet with strength and conditioning coach Doug McKenney to learn what to eat and how to train. Toward the end of the weeklong session, they will scrimmage to show off their instruction.
“It’s a 12-month game for them,” General Manager Darcy Regier said. “There’s guys in the National Hockey League, if they don’t work at their craft 12 months of the year, these kids are going to push them out.”
Regier’s goal is to make the youngsters understand that even though they are close to the big time, they aren’t there yet.
“One of the first things I say to the kids there for the first year, I say to them: ‘You have five years to make it to the National Hockey League from the time you were drafted, so it’s get-to- work time right away,’ ” Regier said. “It’s very hard. It’s very strenuous. A lot of times it feels dark. You’re on a bus, you’re in not the greatest motel in some cases depending on where you’re playing, and there’s not always a lot of hope.
“And so the thing that keeps kids going, and ultimately one of the biggest attributes I think they have to have, is one of perseverance. Their ability to persevere comes more from, than anywhere else, their love for playing the game.”
The Sabres’ top prospects are scheduled to attend, including this spring’s bumper crop of signees: Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Jhonas Enroth, Chris Butler and Dennis Persson. The eight players drafted over the weekend have been invited.
Players who’ve had a stint in the NHL will be at Niagara, too, including Patrick Kaleta, Mike Weber and Andrej Sekera.
“One of the first things [the new guys] do is they end up alongside a pro,” Regier said. “That 18-year-old kid is going to jump on a treadmill and go, ‘Oh, my God. I’m way behind.’ ”
The person expected to deliver that message the strongest is Drew Stafford. The right winger has been in the NHL for a season and a half, and it might seem strange for a guy who played for Team USA at the world championships to attend what’s essentially a rookie camp. But Stafford is just 22, and last season wasn’t the best with 38 points in 64 games.
“I think he’d be a good leader for the other guys to look at,” Regier said. “He’s still in a learning period and a growing process, and it’s important for him to be there for himself and it’s important for him to be there for the younger players.”
The prospects will have daily on-ice sessions from 3 to 5 p. m. in Dwyer Arena, and the public is welcome.
