'It's very special' | Sabres embracing small-town feel of Kraft Hockeyville preseason game

ST. THOMAS, Ont. – Jacob Bryson was ushered to the front of the bus when the Buffalo Sabres pulled up to Joe Thornton Community Centre on Wednesday morning.

The Sabres flew into Bryson’s hometown of London, Ontario before making the half-hour drive south to St. Thomas, where an excited crowd awaited their arrival. Bryson and his teammates went down the line and signed various autographs – on faces, jacket sleeves, and even a few Maple Leafs jerseys.

“Obviously, it’s my hometown or close to it, so I led the charge today,” Bryson said. “It’s very special. This will be one of the games I remember in my career, for sure.”

St. Thomas will play host to the Sabres and Maple Leafs for the NHL’s annual Kraft Hockeyville game on Wednesday night. Sportsnet’s feed of the game will air in the Buffalo broadcast market on MSG with puck drop scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

West Lorne, Ontario was voted as the 2023 winner of Kraft Hockeyville, an annual competition held by the NHL that awards $250,000 in arena upgrades and a preseason game to a Canadian hockey community.

While renovations were given to West Lorne Arena, the town’s 377-seat ice rink, the game will be played at the 2,200-seat Joe Thornton Community Centre, 35 miles south of West Lorne. Bryson grew up practicing in the two-rink facility during his minor hockey career.

Bryson saw himself in the children lined up outside the facility on Wednesday. The sight brought back memories of his childhood rooting for the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights.

“I was in the same position,” he said. “It’s always fun to give back to them. You know how excited they are to be here and watch an NHL game and pregame skate. It’s fun for them.”

Dylan Cozens walked through the crowd and was reminded of a charity game featuring NHL players that was played in his hometown of Whitehorse, Yukon when he was 10 years old. He met some of the pros that day, including future Sabres teammate Craig Anderson.

“We know how much it means to these kids,” Cozens said. “We’re happy to be here and excited to have a good game.”

Here are five things to know about the Sabres’ third preseason game.

1. The lineup

Cozens, Henri Jokiharju, Victor Olofsson, and Owen Power are among the Sabres veterans making their preseason debuts tonight.

Here’s how the team lined up during the morning skate:

13 Lukas Rousek - 24 Dylan Cozens - 71 Victor Olofsson

81 Brett Murray - 19 Peyton Krebs - 42 Brendan Warren

57 Michael Mersch - 17 Tyson Jost - 65 Linus Weissbach

67 Graham Slaggert - 8 Justin Richards - 52 Aleksandr Kisakov

25 Owen Power - 10 Henri Jokiharju

33 Ryan Johnson - 78 Jacob Bryson

4 Jeremy Davies - 74 Norwin Panocha

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

32 Michael Houser

2. UPL gets the start

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start in goal and is expected to play two periods before giving way to backup Michael Houser, who played his junior hockey for the London Knights.

The start will be Luukkonen’s first of the preseason. Eric Comrie and Devon Levi each started and played two periods in Buffalo’s prior two exhibition games.

3. Competition on defense

Bryson is one of eight defensemen on Buffalo’s roster who played regular NHL minutes last season, along with Power, Jokiharju, Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Riley Stillman, Kale Clague, Erik Johnson, and Connor Clifton. He was asked about the competition on the blue line after the morning skate.

“We’ve got eight really good D here and there are a lot of young guys who are very good too,” Bryson said. “… Competition’s always good. It raises the compete a little bit, and I think that’s what Kevyn (Adams) and Donny (Granato) want in our camp. I think it’s good.”

4. Panocha’s debut

The Sabres will also have a pair of defense prospects in the lineup in Ryan Johnson – who played Sunday in Washington – and 2023 seventh-round pick Norwin Panocha, who will make his preseason debut.

Granato was asked about the impression Panocha has made to date through the Prospects Challenge and one week of training camp.

“He’s got an infectious personality,” Granato said. “A way of carrying himself that guys just love being around him. They’ve enjoyed him in practice and they’ll be excited to see him in a game. He’s a guy you root for, again [because] of his personality. Funny kid and very appreciative.

“He’s expressed his appreciation for even just practicing with guys, and it brings a smile to your face. This is a good opportunity for all of our young players, Norwin specifically tonight, to get experience to then take back with them to junior hockey, hopefully elevate their own internal expectation.”

5. Scouting the Leafs

Toronto’s roster also features a mix of veteran players and prospects. The NHL regulars expected to play include captain John Tavares and offseason acquisitions Max Domi and John Klingberg.

View the Maple Leafs roster in its entirety in the tweet below.