Nashville, Tenn. (WGR 550) – When the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft rolled around on Thursday in Nashville, a kid from Clarence Center, New York had his name called by his hometown team.
Gavin McCarthy was taken by the Buffalo Sabres with the 86th overall selection by general manager Kevyn Adams, who he grew up next to as neighbors. The kid couldn’t be happier to be drafted by his childhood team growing up.
"It’s definitely amazing, going home and back to my home rink. I’m super excited for any opportunity I can get there," said McCarthy on Thursday shortly after being drafted.
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McCarty had to wait a bit for his name to be called on Thursday, but is happy that moment finally came for him in Round 3.
"It gets anxious up there, so you just have to stay patient," McCarthy said. "It’s a little stressful, but at the same time, I would’ve been honored to be drafted by anyone."
The Sabres don’t have a lot of young defensemen in the pipeline, and McCarthy is looking forward to being one of them going forward.
"I grew up a Sabres fan and still follow them, so I’m excited to go to camp and earn my spot, and continue to earn my spot for the next couple of years," he said. "That’s the goal to play with some of the guys."
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McCarthy missed time this season with an injury, and it was something he had never dealt with before.
"It was my first major injury, so dealing with that and dealing with being off the ice for so long, and staying occupied and working hard," McCarthy said.
"Coming back from the injury was pretty hard too where I had to build the strength in that leg up. So just learning how to come back from injuries and being the same player when you come back, I learned a ton from that."
It won’t be long for McCarthy to pull a Sabres jersey over his head, as Development Camp starts this Sunday back in Buffalo. The Boston University freshman already can’t wait.
"It think it’ll be really cool being there and being in a Sabres jersey," McCarthy said. "It’s just a 30-minute ride, and it’ll be cool going down there for a different reason. I’ve been down there a million times, but this one definitely is going to be the most fun."
McCarthy admired Jack Eichel growing up, and has also enjoyed watching Rasmus Dahlin in his time with the Sabres.
