"He was pretty happy, pretty emotional," Nolan said. "[Buffalo] has kind of shaped our lives. My brother met his wife down in this area, I have my friends and family in this area. Buffalo's been nothing but good to our family and I guess the third time is the charm for the Nolan family here."
Nolan spends his summers in his hometown of St. Catharines, Ont., less than an hour drive from Buffalo if border traffic is light. The move to Buffalo not only brings him closer to home; it gives him a chance to make more of an impact on the ice.
Nolan became a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014, but he only played in 46 games last season. He admits to not having seen eye-to-eye with management, and both sides knew it was time for a change.
One coach who did believe in him was former Kings assistant Davis Payne, now an assistant on Phil Housley's coaching staff. Nolan suspected that Payne may have had something to do with Buffalo's decision to claim him.
"We talked a lot over the past few years and he knows the kind of player I am and am capable of being," Nolan said. "I think he put in a good word, and that worked out."
Nolan, a 6-foot-3-inch power forward, expects to bring an element of his physicality to the Sabres lineup. He said he believes he has more to give than what was asked of him in Los Angeles last season, and Phil Housley will give him an opportunity to prove it.