For the first time in his NHL career, Casey Mittelstadt entered Buffalo’s KeyBank Center’s away locker room after a morning skate. Mittelstadt, who played 339 games over seven seasons for the Sabres, was traded to the Avalanche on March 6, 2024, in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram.
Heading into his first game in Buffalo since the trade, Mittelstadt said he doesn’t know what his emotions will be like.
“I’m excited to be back,” Mittelstadt said. “I think it should be fun. And, like I said, [I have] a lot of good memories and good friendships here. I think that’s what I’ll cherish the most.”
After the Avs arrived in Buffalo on Monday, Mittelstadt said he went out to dinner with some of his old teammates.
“It’s good to see them,” Mittelstadt said. “It’s been a while. So [it was] nice to catch up with those guys. Obviously, [I] had a lot of really good memories with them. [They’re] lifelong friends, for sure.”
Mittlestadt said he loved his time in Buffalo but said it was probably a good time for a new chapter in his career. He also spoke about his time in Colorado so far and said that while it’s a different group, he blends well.
“The guys have been great,” Mittelstadt said. “Very welcoming. It’s a group of guys that [are] very dialed in and work really hard.”
Joining the Avalanche, Mittelstadt said it was an opportunity for him to grow as a hockey player.
“You get the opportunity to join a really good team,” Mittelstadt said. “And a team that was in the playoffs last year. So for me, that was very exciting. And I think there’s a lot I can learn from the guys here. Obviously, a lot of them have won before, and we have some really talented players.”
On the other side of the trade, this is the first time Byram will play against the Avalanche after playing 146 games with Colorado and helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
“[I had] lots of good times with good people,” Byram said when reflecting on his time in Colorado. “It kind of became my second home. [I] went there as a young kid and feel like I developed into a young man. [There are a lot of] good people in that organization that helped me out and it was a lot of fun. So it’s exciting to get to see everyone.”
