The Buffalo Sabres reported to training camp on Thursday, with players having their physicals done and individual meetings with the media. On-ice sessions begin Friday, with many open to the public over the coming days before the team opens its preseason Monday in Columbus.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sabres training camp ahead of the 2018-19 season:
The training camp roster includes all the players you’d expect, from Jack Eichel to Rasmus Dahlin, Rasmus Ristolainen and Zach Bogosian. Newcomers like Carter Hutton and Conor Sheary are on the roster, as well as guys like Eric Cornel, Vasily Glotov and Rasmus Asplund. Asplund along with Sean Malone and Alex Nylander, are considered by some to be the potential “dark horses” of camp who could make the team’s opening night roster.
For more on the roster heading into the season, also check out Chad’s pre-camp roster projection.
Sam Reinhart is listed on the Sabres’ training camp roster, but remains an unsigned RFA as camp begins. He did not report to camp on Thursday, which was to be expected, and will hold out on reporting until a new contract has been inked.
Reinhart, however, has been skating in Buffalo recently, including with his teammates (who, okay, aren’t technically his teammates as of right now).
Fans can attend free, open sessions of training camp this weekend. All sessions will be at HARBORCENTER in downtown Buffalo. Take either the Main Street or Washington Street elevators up to Level 7 to enter. While the sessions are free, be prepared to pay a nominal (typically $3) fee to park in the HARBORCENTER ramp if you so desire.
On Friday, players will skate from 9:45 – 10:20 a.m. on the New Wave Energy Rink before moving to the KeyBank Rink from 10:25 – 11:15 a.m. Additional sessions will be held from 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m., again on the New Wave Energy Rink, and 12:25 – 1:15 p.m. on the KeyBank Rink.
The same schedules will be in place for sessions on Saturday.
On Sunday, players will split into two groups for coinciding brief practices on both rinks from 9:45 – 10:15 a.m. A scrimmage will then be held from 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. on the KeyBank Rink, the larger of the two rinks in the complex.
Don’t forget, the Sabres open their preseason schedule Monday in Columbus before hitting the ice at KeyBank Center for the first time on Tuesday, Sept. 18. They’ll face Pittsburgh at 7 p.m.
A home-and-home preseason schedule with Toronto approaches on Sept. 21-22. There’s also the Hockeyville exhibition game in Clinton, NY (near Syracuse) on September 25; that’s considered a home game for the Sabres. There will be a pregame red carpet & pep rally.
They’ll visit Pittsburgh on Sept. 26 before closing out the preseason on Sept. 28 against the Islanders in Oshawa, Ontario.
Tickets for the two Sabres preseason games in Buffalo range from $15 to $45 can be purchased here. Tickets for the game in Oshawa – hosted by the Islanders – range from $65 to $110 and can be purchased here.
Per Syracuse.com, tickets for the Hockeyville game in Clinton were distributed via public drawing. About 400 tickets will be issued to the public, who had to register earlier this week for a chance. The celebration in Clinton also includes a Sept. 24 fundraiser/dinner at Hamilton College featuring Jeremy Roenick; $50 tickets are available through Facebook.