The Buffalo Sabres have assigned forward Matej Pekar to the OHL’s Barrie Colts, the team announced Wednesday.
Pekar, who has become something of a fan-favorite, played in Tuesday night’s preseason loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 19-year-old Turnov, Czech Republic native will now get a chance to develop with another season in the Ontario Hockey League.
Last season, Pekar appeared in 33 games with Barrie. He averaged more than a point-per-game, racking up 14 goals and 22 assists. He also earned 38 penalty minutes.
Pekar also represented his country at the World Juniors.
Pekar was drafted by the Sabres with the 94th overall pick in 2018. Since then, he’s made a name for himself among Sabres fans as a bit of a “pest,” likening his game to that of Brad Marchand, and for his off-the-cuff comments that make him a fan-favorite.
“I don’t know, I’m cute?”
– @mpekar10 on why opposing players get angry at him on the ice😂 pic.twitter.com/9tLoZa5HO4
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 8, 2019
Pekar’s reassignment at this point makes sense, as it comes two days before the Colts are set to open the 2019-20 OHL season. Pekar & his teammates travel to North Bay to face the Battallion on Friday night before opening a three-game homestand against the London Knights on Saturday.