Peca returns to Sabres organization as assistant with Rochester

Michael Peca embodied what it meant to be a Buffalo Sabre during the latter half of the 1990s, captaining a group that embraced its "hardest working team in hockey" moniker as it grinded its way to four straight playoff appearances and one run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The two-time Selke Trophy winner will now be tasked with helping a future generation of Sabres players establish their own identity. Peca was hired Tuesday as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans, where he will join fellow Sabres alumnus Mike Weber on head coach Seth Appert's staff.
Peca replaces Adam Mair, who has been promoted to director of player development. His return to the organization comes following a year spent as a development coach with the Washington Capitals, a role that saw him break down video and run taxi squad practices among other responsibilities.

"I know I was ready for this endeavor and the year in Washington has really opened my eyes to how much I love coaching, how much I love every aspect that comes with coaching and development," Peca said. "It's going to be a great fit."

Peca was revered during his playing days as a lead-by-example player, one whose work ethic and attention to detail made him a fit to play in any situation. The Columbus Blue Jackets saw a chance for those qualities to translate into coaching, offering Peca an assistant job following his retirement in 2009.
Peca declined the opportunity, opting instead to focus on a more stable life for his two children. He moved back to Buffalo and spent nine years with the Junior Sabres, earning recognition as Ontario Junior Hockey League Coach of the Year in 2012-13.
With both children off to college, Peca felt ready to return to the pro game last season. He had spoken with Appert about a potential role in the Buffalo organization prior to joining Washington, conversations that resumed this offseason.
"This job was more exciting to me because I get to work with Seth," Peca said. "I've gotten to know him over the phone over the last year or so and I don't think I've had many more conversations with a hockey mind that really lines up with mine as much as Seth does."
The crop of prospects in Rochester next season could include a pair of 2020 draft picks in forwards Jack Quinn and J-J Peterka along with first-year pros Linus Weissbach and Lukas Rousek, among others. Peca will be able to speak to the importance of habit development as those players seek to carve out roles that can carry them to the next level.
He can also speak to what the Sabres mean to Buffalo like few others can, a message general manager Kevyn Adams has prioritized.
"Their career goal is to play in the National Hockey League," Peca said. "But to understand what it means to be a Buffalo Sabre and to play in the City of Buffalo in front of those fans, it's a gift, it's a privilege and when players understand that, maybe they give a little bit more, they're a little bit more emotional about what their path means to them and that can only mean good things once they get up there."