Tuch shares excitement about joining Sabres

Alex Tuch stood behind the podium for a press conference, not a quiz show. Yet the newest Buffalo Sabres forward could not help but prove his affinity for the team he grew up watching while meeting with the media inside KeyBank Center on Saturday.
Tuch paused mid-answer to rattle off names of Sabres players from the mid-2000s, from Daniel Briere and Chris Drury to Andrew Peters and Jochen Hecht. He paid homage to Alexander Mogilny, the last Sabres play to wear No. 89 until Tuch makes his debut with the team. He reminisced on growing up next door to Tim Connolly in Syracuse and wearing black and red games to games with his dad.
"I mean, I was a big Sabres fan growing up," Tuch said. "I loved watching those guys."

The Sabres acquired Tuch along with forward Peyton Krebs and draft picks in the deal that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Tuch was a member of the Golden Knights since their inaugural season in 2017-18 when, at age 21, he helped them advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
He admitted it was difficult to say goodbye to the friends he had made during his four seasons in Vegas but told Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams it was a dream come true to play for Buffalo.
"They love their sports here and they love their Buffalo Sabres," he said. "I'm really excited to play for a fanbase like this. I mean, I was very thankful to play in Vegas where they really embraced us, the entire city embraced us. But coming to Buffalo, it's gonna be like none other."

Tuch has not played this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in July. The original timetable for his recovery was six months. He hopes to integrate himself with the Sabres as much as possible in the meantime, be it through attending meetings or interacting with teammates.
When he does take the ice, Tuch says the Sabres are getting a high-energy forward who is willing to move up and down the lineup. He scored 52 points (20+32) in 74 games during the NHL's last full season in 2018-19 and led the Golden Knights in even-strength points per 60 (2.64) during his tenure in Vegas.
"I try to think of myself of a utility guy that brings a lot different things to the rink," he said.
Adams said he sees the 25-year-old Tuch - who is signed through 2025-26 - as a piece of the team's young core moving forward.
"Alex is a very good hockey player, proven in this league," Adams said. "Under contract for this year and the next four years at a young age, and a very productive player. And high character, leader. All the intangibles. Wants to be a part of the solution.
"He was unbelievable in my conversation with him, and how excited he is to be a Buffalo Sabre. He told me this is a dream come true for him. That's exactly the type of person and talent on the ice we need. And exactly the type of personality we need off the ice as we drive our culture forward."