BUFFALO, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - With the preseason getting underway Monday, new Sabres defenseman Olen Zellweger is getting comfortable in Buffalo.
Zellweger joined the Sabres in the offseason and has spent the last couple of weeks getting familiar with the organization, his teammates and the systems the team wants to play. He says coming to Buffalo early has helped him get acclimated.
“Just came a couple weeks early to just kind of settle in and learn the new systems, and get to know the staff and everything like that. So it’s been good. It’ll be preseason coming up here, which is super exciting.”
One of the players Zellweger has spent time playing alongside is Owen Power. The two defensemen were paired together during Saturday’s Return of the Blue & Gold scrimmage at KeyBank Center.
Zellweger says he likes what Power brings to the ice and believes the two can complement each other well.
“I think we’re both pretty good with the puck, pretty smart. He’s a great skater, great in all three zones. So he makes it easy.’’
The defenseman has watched the Sabres before arriving in Buffalo, but says it will take some time before he can really compare the team’s style to what he was used to previously.
“I’m not really too sure yet. Obviously, I’ve watched a bit of the Sabres coming into this, but I won’t really have a full answer for that until I play a couple games and stuff like that.”
So far, though, Zellweger has liked what he has seen from his new teammates during practices and scrimmages.
“It’s been a lot of skill, a lot of smart hockey, a lot of great players on this team. So yeah, it seems pretty good so far.”
Zellweger has also gotten a chance to experience some of what Buffalo has to offer away from the rink.
He attended the Bills game over the weekend and enjoyed getting to experience the atmosphere at Highmark Stadium.
“Stadium’s pretty wild, pretty high end, so it was pretty cool. We had quite the seats there, so that was a really nice treat for sure.”
Now, Zellweger and the Sabres will turn their attention toward the preseason.
The Sabres open their preseason Monday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
Zellewegger and the Sabres gear up for first preseason action against the Penguins.
Zellewegger and the Sabres gear up for first preseason action against the Penguins.
