PRAGUE -- Rasmus Dahlin wants to step up as a leader and help the Buffalo Sabres turn themselves around, so the defenseman organized a weeklong training camp for a group of his teammates in late July in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The players would skate, work out and then play "some terrible golf," goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen said with a laugh Wednesday during the European Player Media Tour, a day of interviews and video shoots here to promote the upcoming NHL season.
No, Switzerland is not exactly a tough place to be in the summer.
"Can't complain," forward JJ Peterka said with a smile.
But it says something about Dahlin, the Sabres' chemistry and their hunger to improve.
"What this says most is about 'Dahls,' how much he wants to win, how much he wants to do stuff right and how much he wants to take care of everybody else in the team and make sure that we're in the best shape to start the season," Luukkonen said. "I think it's a lot from him and how well he does things for us [that the players were] able to come there.
"It also shows how good of a group of guys we have. Everybody wants to get better, and everybody's more than happy to see each other in the summer and come to Switzerland to practice. Overall, I think there was a lot of positive things out of it."