Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - New Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon played with two former Buffalo goaltenders in James Reimer and Dustin Tokarski. Lyon was with Reimer in Detroit just a couple seasons ago, while he played with Tokarski during the 2017-18 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League.
Lyon, of course, did his homework before signing with Buffalo, and credits those two goaltenders in helping him decide this was a fit.
"What actually swayed my decision the most was I had spoken to James Reimer and Dustin Tokarski. They both spoke very highly of it, and they said it’s a great spot to be for a goalie," said Lyon while meeting with members of the Buffalo media via Zoom on Tuesday. "They both really enjoyed their experience, so that was big for me.
Lyon believes the team right now can be a dangerous one offensively.
"I’ve been on the wrong end of that. You might remember a 7-1 beating last season at KeyBank Center. I’m just excited to be there," Lyon said.
Lyon played 30 and 44 games with the Red Wings over the past two seasons, but his career-high in NHL games had been just 15 beforehand when he got red-hot for the Florida Panthers during the 2022-23 season, vaulting them into the playoffs.
The 32-year-old should get a chance to play games in Buffalo.
"I think Buffalo is a good fit for me in how I like to operate. I’m a small town guy, so I’m excited to be here," he said.
Lyon has played 73 of his 113 NHL games in the past two seasons. The 32-year-old admits he regrets not realizing what he needed to do when he was younger.
"Maybe I didn’t do enough early in my career to earn an opportunity, and then I figured things out and matured. And my habits got better, and then I think things started to take off," Lyon acknowledged.
After signing with the Philadelphia Flyers in April of 2016 just after his college season ended at Yale University, Lyon spent plenty of time playing in the AHL.
The breakthrough for him came during his 2021-22 season after he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. There, he went down and played for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL and backstopped them to a Calder Cup championship. Lyon went 18-7-3 there with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
It was the next year in Florida with the Panthers where he led the Panthers to the playoff by one point over the Sabres. Lyon won six-straight games starting on March 29, where his goals-against average was 1.50 and his save percentage was .956.
Lyon says it just went his way at the biggest time of the season.
"I don’t think I realized this at the time, but I was probably a sleeping monster," he said. "Things just clicked for us really well, so maybe I just provided some stability and they latched onto it around me."
Lyon has been through so much already as a professional that he can be a big help for a youngster like Levi. However, he admits he wasn’t always that helpful.
"I’m a big believer that goalies have to support goalies, and there’s a time in my life where I didn’t treat the other goalies that well and it was a mistake," Lyon owned. "You have to support each other, because the reality is in an 82-game season, you need both guys to be going. Those guys are just starting out, and they’ve got a long path ahead of them. The curve is different for everybody. But [Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen] are both so talented and they both move so well.
"I can’t wait to be in the room with them and help them. They’re here to help me, and we’re going to push each other."
In the second-to-last week of the 2022-23 season, Levi was just out of college and starting games down the stretch, trying to get the Sabres into the playoffs. Buffalo was in Sunrise to play the Panthers, and Florida won that game, 2-1, behind Lyon making 39 saves. Levi was strong too, stopping 36 pucks in the losing effort.
Looking back at that game, Lyon says he was trying to match Levi save-for-save.
As for Luukkonen, Lyon feels he still has his best days ahead of him, even at 26-years-old.
"For most guys, you really don’t understand your game that well until you’re between 26 and 29. I didn’t figure it out until a little bit later," he said.
Lyon will most likely be paired with Luukkonen to start the 2025-26 season in Buffalo.