DALLAS -Before the show began and Rasmus Dahlin was called to the stage as the first overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, he was offered a small taste of Buffalo in the stands at American Airlines Center. Fans dressed in Sabres garb, some wearing custom-made jerseys with his name, flocked to his seat to meet him.
Soon the draft began, and a roar let out with the announcement that the Sabres were on the clock. Then came a rendition of the Buffalo Bills shout song, led by superfan Pancho Billa in section 108, followed by a loud chant of "DAH-LIN."
Then, finally, Dahlin was wearing a Sabres jersey of his own, smiling ear-to-ear.
With the draft behind him, Dahlin is eager to call Buffalo home
"It's been a long waiting and you can't really plan anything, but finally today, I can plan my future and I love to call my new town Buffalo," he said.
Dahlin has visited Buffalo on two occasions, first at the World Junior Championship in January and then at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month. It was during the latter visit that he met Sabres brass and dined with ownership, then returned home and praised the city to his parents.
"He's been speaking to people and he understands that the fans are fantastic and it's a real hockey culture in the city," his father, Martin, said. "It's a good atmosphere around the club. It's a perfect fit. He's looking forward to it very much."
Dahlin's first glimpse into the nature of Buffalo sports fandom came during his time at the combine. He was surprised to learn that the people there recognized him before he had even played a game.
"They are great fans," he said. "I heard so many great things about them. Like they love hockey in that city and I can see that, when they come to me, they know me and I don't even play in the NHL. So, they probably love hockey."
Such is the recognition a player will receive when he's been billed as a generational talent. Dahlin has been the consensus top prospect since before the season began, a testament to his one-of-a-kind skillset. He's been mentioned in the same breath as names like Potvin, Karlsson, the McDavid of defensemen.
Those are lofty expectations for any player, let alone an 18-year-old. Dahlin has shrugged them off throughout the process, promising only that he'll work his hardest to help the Sabres win games. His comfort with his work ethic is what allows him to deal with the pressure.
"He's always doing his best," his mother, Asa, said. "If it's not good enough, he's going to try harder the next time. But he's always doing the best he can, so he's very comfortable."
"That's Rasmus as a person," Martin added. "He likes to play hockey. He loves to play hockey. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to wake up in the morning and go to the rink, play hockey, practice hockey and win hockey games. In some way, he's sorting out other things."
Best of all, he's still trying to improve. Jason Botterill spoke highly of the willingness to learn that Dahlin displayed during his meetings with the Sabres at the combine. It showed Friday, too, when he was asked about his excitement toward playing in a fast-paced system under Phil Housley.
"That's a fun style to play, but if he was saying that we are playing a slow game, I would do that, too," he said. "I will do whatever the coach says."
Dahlin's humility off the ice seems ironic, considering his play on the ice is anything but humble. He possesses the puck-handling skill of a centerman, the position he played growing up. He's as likely to undress a defenseman on a drive to the net as he is to lay out a forward at the blue line.
Asked what the one quality they want fans in Buffalo to know about their son, his mother and father answered concurrently: He's competitive.
"He's going to do everything he can for the Sabres to win hockey games, that's for sure," Martin said.
The process of helping the Sabres begins next week at development camp, where Dahlin is sure to get his best taste of Buffalo fandom yet. Fans will spend their summer afternoons packing the stands at Harborcenter, not just because Dahlin is there, but because that's what Buffalonians do.
It's that type of passion that made Botterill choose his words carefully when making the pick that could change the course of the franchise: "On behalf of our great fans in Western New York, the Buffalo Sabres are proud to select Frolunda defenseman Rasmus Dahlin."
"We're well aware we have a lot of work to be done here in Buffalo and it's been tough to be a Buffalo Sabres fan," Botterill said. "But today's not a day to look back on the past. Today is an exciting day for our organization.
" ... I think you've seen it in his quotes, how excited he is to come to the city, be a part of not only Buffalo, be a part of the Sabres organization, be a part of our community. And that gets the Pegulas and that gets me very excited."
