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The dog days of summer are upon us and your favorite NHL players are working out in earnest in preparation for the 2018-19 NHL season.
NHL training camps will open in five weeks.
Many players hit the gym by day then head to the rink at night. In Minnesota, dozens of NHL, AHL and NCAA hockey players are skating in Da Beauty League. In New England, the Foxboro Sport Center hosts NHL, AHL and NCAA players for their summer shinny session.
In Buffalo, The Fattey Hockey League is Buffalo’s elite summer hockey league. The FHL began in 2005 and has grown into the premier, ten team league. Each team plays 10 games. The season began on June 18th.
On Monday night, the FHL playoffs kicked off.
In typical Fattey Hockey League fashion, there were a few dignitaries who were added to rosters at the last moment.
The Buffalo Sabres were well represented on Monday night when Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt strapped on their blades and joined the FHL playoffs. Fans in attendance saw Dahlin and Mittestadt, the two NHL rookie of the year candidates. Mittelstadt has also been skating in Da Beauty League. Former first rounder Zemgus Girgensons joined the fray on Monday night as did LA Kings forward and Buffalo native Alex Iafallo.
Dahlin and Mittelstadt helped power Team Ketchup to the 2-1 series win. Dahlin scored two goals for the victors.
Check out this beauty curl and drag with a side of backy sauce.
Oh my!
Stick tap, @DanHickling @TrainwreckSprts @TedGoldbergTV
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Jack Eichel has had a rather productive summer.
In July, the Boston University product switched his jersey digit from 15 to his favorite number 9.
Today, Jack Eichel is the proud owner of a brand spankin' new piece of real estate on Buffalo's beautiful waterfront.
Remember in 2015 when Jack Eichel lived with former Sabres winger Matt Moulson and his family in suburban Buffalo? The face of the Sabres franchise needed time to learn his way around town while adjusting to the rigors of his rookie season in the NHL. He did so from the comfort of Moulson’s finished basement.
Last summer, Eichel moved out of Moulson’s abode and found a bachelor pad of his own. He moved in with his close friend and linemate Samson Reinhart.
Jack and Samson also commuted to and from work together.
Comes word today from Business First that Eichel has purchased the home of former Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley.
In April 2017, the Pegulas fired Whaley.
Eichel, 21, is moving on up to a deluxe condo in the sky.
Money will not be a factor for Eichel, who last fall signed a gargantuan eight-year, $80 million contract extension. Eichel’s $10 million salary kicks in this season.
Eichel, the second-overall selection of the Buffalo Sabres at the 2015 NHL Draft, is coming off his career-best season in points with 64 and goals with 25 red-light-specials.
In 209 career games played the last three seasons, Eichel has scored 73 goals and 104 assists for 177 points from the center ice seat on Buffalo’s top forward trio. Of Eichel’s 64 points last season, 27 were goals or primary assists recorded during 5-on-5 play (excludes 6-on-5 situations). Eichel’s feat topped his previous career-best total from his 81-game rookie season (24) by three in 14 fewer games.
Eichel became the ninth unique player in Buffalo Sabres franchise history to lead the team or tie for the team lead in goals, assists and points. He was the first to do so since 2012-13 (Thomas Vanek) and at 21 years of age, he was the youngest player to do so since
Pierre Turgeon in 1989-90.
Eichel became just the fourth player in franchise history to score 20 or more goals in each of his first three NHL seasons, joining Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Thomas Vanek.
Eichel joined
Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Phil Housley and Christian Ruuttu as the only Buffalo Sabres players to record at least 50 points in each of their first three NHL seasons.
Eichel set a new career high with .96 points per game last season. It was the team’s highest points-per-game mark among players with at least 10 games played since Thomas Vanek logged 1.08 points per game in 38 games in 2012-13.
His .58 assist per game ranked as the team’s best rate (minimum 10 games) since Derek Roy had .71 assists per game in 35 games in 2010-11.
Eichel is now the proud owner of a spacious, luxurious 3,451 square foot, tri-level townhouse, which comes complete with four-bedrooms and is located strategically near Eichel’s office adjacent to Lake Erie and the Erie Basin Marina. The sale price was $985,000, per the Office of the Erie County Clerk. Whaley purchased the townhouse for $752,000 in 2016.
I think it would be a nice gesture for the veteran Eichel to open up his front door so that he can billet a Sabres rookie. I nominate Eichel to invite fellow American sniping center Casey Mittelstadt to move in with him this season. I would have nominated Eichel to play landlord to first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, 18, however, the sensational Swede will be living with his mother in Buffalo.
Pay it forward, Jack!
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