By: Carly Recoon
If you’re a Buffalo Sabres fan, you may know the extreme heartbreak and exhilarating victories our team has brought us this season. With one of the youngest teams in the NHL, you also might not even recognize most of the player’s names. Or if you’re like some, you may have completely stopped caring about the Sabres after they traded the last of the dynasty, and one of Buffalo’s most adored players, goalie Ryan Miller. With so many young, fresh, faces on the ice, the next few years are going to be a period of adjustment for the team.
The Sabres are currently 12-15-3 and 7th in the Atlantic Division. Although they don’t have a winning record, for those who have been following the Sabres, you know that for the most part the season has been epitomized by nail-biting overtimes, high scoring games, and countless shootouts. Some of the newest members of our team this year are Ryan O’Reilly, Robin Lehner, Zach Bogosian, Ivander Kane, and most prospective, Jack Eichel.
Jack Eichel, 19, an American ice hockey center was selected as the second overall draft pick in the 2015 NHL draft. At 6’2 and 201 pounds, Eichel is a powerhouse on the ice, he played for Boston College before being drafted as a Freshman at 18 years old. In his first year at Boston University, Eichel won the Hobey Baker Award. He lead the NCAA Division I skaters with 71 points in 40 games. He helped lead the Boston College Terriers to their first conference title in six years and was named Most Valuable Player at the Hockey East Tournament. Among the other honorable recognitions, in the 2014/2015 season, Eichel was named Hockey East Player of the Year, Hockey East Rookie of the Year, received the Tim Taylor Award as the nation’s outstanding Freshman and was the only player to be unanimously selected for the First-Team Hockey East All-Star Team. In addition to many other enviable awards and recognitions, it is clear that Jack Eicher is an up-and-coming star when it comes to hockey.
In the opinion of his teammates and coaches, Eichel is a stand-up guy, “As confident and as good as he is, he’s a very humble person,” Sabres teammate Matt Moulson said. “That’s something that’s stuck out to me as I’ve gotten to know him. He’s very humble and respectful.” Eichel is not only modest about his talent, but he even admits that he was nervous to play at first. “Obviously there were a little bit of nerves in the beginning, first game,” Eichel said. “It’s something you dreamed of your whole life. But I think as I shook them off throughout the games,. As a team there’s a lot of things to work on to get better.” As the records show, the Sabres have a lot to work on in the upcoming games and future seasons, but fans are still celebratory on the overall successes of the team as a whole.
Followers of the Sabres have been scrupulously watching from couch cushions and stadiums seats alike in anticipation for the signature ‘Eichel goal’. Ryan, a Sabres lover, states “Watching Eichel [play] is so thrilling, I feel like the Sabres are onto something and hopefully we [the Sabres] will continue to get better.” Even before Eichel formally committed to Buffalo there was major buzz about this up-and-coming player. Jessica, another fan of the Sabres, claims “I think everyone [in Buffalo] is really excited to have such a big prospect on our team! Even though the season has been underway for a while now I still feel like people are super pumped about the Sabres!” It is evident that Buffalo Hockey fans are very enthusiastic when it comes to talking about the Sabres and their future. Although it might be a few years before we start seeing a more dominant team, the foundation is definitely present. For now, fans will have to continue supporting their beloved team and watch for what the future holds. Go Sabres!
