Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Jack Eichel will make his return to Buffalo on Thursday when the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Sabres.
After losing in Philadelphia to the Flyers on Tuesday, Eichel and his teammates practiced on Wednesday in Buffalo. With everything that happened leading up to the trade on Nov. 4, it’s going to be an emotional return.
“It’s definitely strange," Eichel said following practice on Wednesday. "It was a little awkward walking in here and going to the visitor’s room, but it’s just business, as always.”
Eichel spent the first six years of his career in Buffalo. He feels he invested himself into the community and the franchise. The 25-year-old says he doesn’t have bad thoughts at all about his time here.
“No bitterness, no. None whatsoever," Eichel said. "I had a phenomenal time here in Buffalo. Lived out a childhood dream playing, my first NHL game, and the organization and the city was nothing but great to me and my family. So there’s no bitterness in me whatsoever.”
Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman talked to Eichel after the trade, and he said Eichel was fine with general manager Kevyn Adams. Friedman said his sense was Eichel’s issues were with owners Terry and Kim Pegula.
In other interviews, Eichel has said that asking to be traded didn’t go over well, and that he was being held hostage by the team waiting so long to trade him.
“Mr. and Mrs. Pegula were tremendous to me and my family," Eichel said on Wednesday. "They drafted me and gave me a really nice long-term contract, and I had a great relationship with them. Obviously things didn’t end as good as I would’ve liked, but I don’t have any hard feelings towards the Pegulas or anyone.
“At the end of the day, it is a business and they stuck by their doctor’s opinions, and I respect them for that. I hope people can respect me for standing by what I believed in.”
With Eichel asking to be traded and with the Sabres going to grant his wish, it only made sense that once training camp started, Eichel would no longer be captain. He has mentioned twice in interviews that he felt it was taken away due to him disagreeing about his surgery.
“Maybe I just disagreed with how things were handled," Eichel said. "I took a lot of pride in being the captain, and it’s an incredible honor to be named captain of a professional sports team. I carried a lot of pride wearing the 'C' for the organization, and I just disagreed with some things that went on through the process. I don’t think anybody would be happy with having the 'C' taken away from them, and I was no different.”
This team in Buffalo has had many good hockey players in the past 11 years, but the losing has never ended. Eichel, of course, feels it could’ve gone differently.
“Of course, this city and this organization gave me so much, and we had some really good groups in the locker room and a lot of really good people," Eichel said. "There are some amazing people that work for the Sabres organization, and those are the people that you want to have success for.”
Many players that have left the Sabres have been booed by the fans. Brian Campbell begged the fans not to boo him, but they did anyway. Eichel admitted he wonders what Thursday will be like.
“You think about what sort of reception you’re going to get, but I can’t control that," he said. "I feel like I gave everything that I had while I was here, my time in Buffalo, to the organization and to the community. I’m at peace with all that, and whatever the reception is, I’ll be able to handle it.”
Sabres head coach Don Granato knew Eichel when he was just a kid, and, of course, here in Buffalo. Now he has to face him as an opponent at the NHL level.
“He is an elite player and an elite talent within our league. He goes into that category," Granato said of the former Sabres captain on Wednesday. "If you give a good player time and space, they’re going to make a good play on you.”
Eichel’s new head coach with the Golden Knights is Pete DeBoer. He said he’s been very impressed so far with his new player.
“There’s a lot of desire to win, there’s a lot of desire to fit in to what we’re trying to do. Whatever that is at the expense of his personal statistics to win and fit in, and try to pursue a Stanley Cup. So I’ve been really impressed," DeBoer said.
“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s come as advertised. I have no doubt his game translates into playoff success.”
DeBoer has been around the NHL long enough to know how hard it is coming back from a significant injury for the first time.
“It’s tough," DeBoer said. "This is not an easy situation for players. When they’re the face of the franchise, they’re all in. They’re invested. He was invested in Buffalo and this team and this franchise and these fans, so that’s not easy. I know it’s something that’s weighing on him, and we’ve got to work through it together.”
Alex Tuch was one of the players that came back to Buffalo as part of the trade package for Eichel. He says he's known Eichel since we were little kids.
"We’re the same birth year, and it is a little weird being traded for each other, especially when you know a guy. But I’m going to play just as hard against him as I would against anybody," Tuch said. “I played against him at Boston College, Boston University and growing up a little bit, and we played together at the U.S. [National Team Development] Program.”
Tuch already faced his old teammates in Vegas back on Feb. 1. He says it won't be as bad this time.
“Playing at home makes it a little bit easier," Tuch admitted. "Playing in Vegas was a little bit nerve-racking, but a lot of excitement. I love facing the old team there.”
The Sabres are very close to getting many of their injured players back.
Henri Jokiharju, Colin Miller, Zemgus Girgensons and Will Butcher have all been practicing with the team. Granato says we’re likely going to see them soon.
“With all those guys coming back, we’re going to have conversations," he said. "One will be with the medical team to see how they’ve responded, and I think there’s a lot of guys that are really close. As close as tomorrow’s lineup. ... In likelihood, a guy or two will be back in the lineup."
Jokiharju is still on the active roster, but the team will have to make room on the roster for Girgensons, Miller and Butcher.
WEDNESDAY’S LINES:
Forwards:
Skinner – Thompson – Tuch
Asplund – Eakin – Hayden
Olofsson – Mittelstadt – Okposo
Krebs – Cozens – Hinostroza
Girgensons – Jankowski – Bjork
Defense:
Dahlin – Jokiharju
Hagg – Fitzgerald
Samuelsson – Bryson
Butcher – Pysyk
Miller
