The 2016-17 NHL season is rapidly approaching, and we’ve seen the first signs of hockey life this week with the beginning of the World Cup of Hockey. Another sign of life has been gifted to us today, as the Sabres announced both the dates and roster for their upcoming training camp.
The Sabres will open camp on Thursday, September 22 with team physicals, while the first camp practice will take place the next day. The first three camp practices, September 23-25, are open to the public and will take place at HarborCenter. Multiple sessions will take place each morning on both rinks, giving fans plenty of opportunity to check out the new team.
Here is the full schedule of events, courtesy of Sabres.com.
Friday, Sept. 23
Session 1: 9 – 9:45 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink)
Scrimmage: 9:50 – 10:35 a.m. (First Niagara Rink)
Session 2: 10:40 – 11:25 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink)
Session 3: 12:50 – 2 p.m. (First Niagara Rink)
Saturday, Sept. 24
Session 1: 9 – 9:45 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink)
Scrimmage: 9:50 – 10:35 a.m. (First Niagara Rink)
Session 2: 10:40 – 11:25 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink)
Session 3: 12:50 – 2 p.m. (First Niagara Rink)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Session 1: 9 – 9:45 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink)
Scrimmage: 9:50 – 10:35 a.m. (First Niagara Rink)
Session 2: 10:40 – 11:25 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink)
Session 3: 12:50 – 2 p.m. (First Niagara Rink)
The roster for training camp should come as no surprise, with the veterans from last year and a group of promising rookies sprinkled in among a handful of tryout players. The entire 2016 draft class won’t be invited, but 8th overall pick Alexander Nylander will be attending, and will look to make a push for the NHL roster along with players like Justin Bailey, Hudson Fasching, and Brendan Guhle.
You can view the entire training camp roster by clicking here.
The Sabres will play their first preseason game on Monday, September 26, and the team will announce further camp dates and practices as we get closer to the preseason. Buffalo opens their regular season on Thursday, October 13 against the Montreal Canadiens.