“We Throw A Lot At Them This Week” | Adam Mair On Sabres Development Camp | Buffalo Sabres

“We Throw A Lot At Them This Week” | Adam Mair On Sabres Development Camp | Buffalo Sabres

we get to see on ice but what kind of things happen off the ice during this development champers yeah I think you know the biggest thing for these guys is they’re coming in they’re getting familiar with the organization familiar with the staff that’s going to be working with them familiar with the City of Buffalo and it’s all about building relationships and you know with their future teammates you know with the the development staff with the Rochester coaches so you know we’re also exposing them to a lot of our performance staff our nutrition um our mental skills you know getting them around the locker room you know getting immersed in sort of like an N shell environment so we throw a lot at them but you know it’s a good week overall for them what are your first impressions of T just seeing close on the ice yeah well I think he’s very smooth um I think you saw that in the last drill just his ability to evade pressure um he’s got really good hands he’s got Vision he can make plays you know and talking to our Scouts they they think he’s like a natural Center and I think that’s an important thing um you know for a player like that so he’s got those qualities and you know so that’s what that’s my first impression ad we end up looking at a bunch of Junior Sabers guys here yeah whether they’re draft picks or guys you just bring in I mean 10 years later after the academy of hockey what’s like to see a bunch ofun Sab that are real Sab development yeah it’s incredible I mean I think it just speaks to the vision of the of the Pula family and the work that’s gone into you know raising uh hockey and buffalo at the grass uh the Grassroots level um you know and you have a lot of us that worked with those players you know Matt Ellis on the on the saber staff has Tim Kennedy myself um you know even Kevin you know so it’s uh it’s exciting what do you think about the role Patrick CL is serving right now I think it’s great he’s doing a really good job he’s uh you know running that program and and you know he’s got really good ties to the area and um you know he’s a likable person uh you know was always a fan favorite so it’s perfect spot for him what did illustrate to you in his first season in Michigan State just his ability to grow um you know he uh you know he came he came here uh to Michigan State which the program turned over and you know got to give credit to their coaching staff um he got thrust into big minutes um you know throughout the season uh and he showed that he can play a reliable role on a really good NCAA hockey team you know he’s a physical player um he competes hard he defends well but he also he’s got a really understated Puck game and he’s able to move the puck up the ice efficiently so you know a big body rightand shot D that can do that it’s it was impressive this year what he did I know mat boy’s not here because of the Memorial Cup yeah what did you think of the way that he navigated this season he traveled all over played for think five different teams yeah yeah Matt’s an incredible person first of all everything that happens to him he has a positive positive view on it um he’s a hard worker a competitive hockey player you know and and even the way it started for him last year you know it was unfortunate getting injured at at the first uh rookie tournament but he was able to spend time in Buffalo he was able to spend a little time in Rochester played for his country at the World Junior tournament you know he went all the way through won the the Western Hockey League and then went to the Memorial Cup so he was exposed to a lot of hockey but a lot of high level pressure situations and you know he he showed that he can thrive in those areas and you know it’s good for a hockey player one one year where you a guy he gets injured he gets traded he goes to the Juniors he goes to Mo cup a lot of guys aren’t going to be able to handle all that at that age I mean what does that say about sooy just mentally that he’s able to handle all these different things that are thrown at of literally one hockey season if you had written that down in September you would have got to June with all those twists and turns no and I think you know that’s that’s kind of the point I made at first was just the positive outlook that he had has and um you know his ability to battle through and and look at things in a real positive light um like I said he’s competitive he’s a hardworking kid he thrives on adversity um you know so just speaks speaks great volumes for the person that he is how much when you’re dealing with these players throughout seasons will you guys will you see them face to face or do you want I know you want to talk to them you want to help them but or do you want to no we do and you know that’s something that uh our organization takes great pride in is going out visiting these players getting to know them um getting to know their game getting to know know their coaches spending time with them away from the rink getting to know their families um you know it’s about building relationships and you know getting comfortable with them and them getting com comfortable with us so can you um walk us through how you as your your staff works with somebody like proor dep in Russia there’s some limitations there and what do you think just based on what you’ve seen what you’ve heard about uh his progress couple years his time with the organization yeah so we have um a Russian Scout that leazes with um our development staff who connects with procard just like our staff over here in North America does with our players um we’re in constant communication with proar either via Zoom uh via text message um you know I send them of his game uh we connect uh by WhatsApp or or by text message um and then having rousin there in in Russia makes a big difference you know you have someone that that’s connecting with the player in real time um you know so we uh you know there are challenges for sure um but his game’s progressing he is gaining weight he’s looking strong on the ice um he had a really good uh run two years ago into the playoffs so you know a lot of promise there for him do you see him as a power forward type of player he is or what do you project the way that I view him is he can play with skilled players but he can play up and down your lineup um he’s strong he protects the puck extremely well down low he takes pucks to the net he’s a bowl he’s first on the four check um you know so he’s he’s a what I would say would be like a gritty player that compliments has a skill and sense to complement skilled players so nice player you like to a lot do you want to seeun or is it just to meas where they’re at no they come in and we’re able to you know get a gauge on players that we haven’t had here in terms of our performance staff um seeing where their bodies are at seeing the growth that they’ve had off the ice in the waight room um you know the their body fat their their physical scores stuff like that you know so that’s important but really the you know I don’t view it as an as an evaluation camp on the ice you know a lot of these players haven’t even skated you know it’s something I don’t know if everyone knows but um you know so they’re coming over here and really it’s just about getting to know their teammates like I said getting to know us getting more familiar with the organization um and having a good time you know having a good time and and feeling what it’s like to be an NHL hockey player cuz we believe that they all can be what stood out about Brody I know just a couple quick sessions but just what have you noticed about about who sorry bro Zer oh what a competitive player what a shot um you know detailing his game um quick you know so it just you know very likable from from my first impression and I know the scouts really excited when they got to call his name so yeah when you have a guy like that who’s Captain how much do you instantly H in to see how some people how he plays well meeting him at the draft um you know just the character you can tell he looks you in the eye you know for a young player it’s it was impressive um he’s a you know on the ice like I said the detail you can tell he’s been through a a good program you know where he’s he’s getting high level teaching and coaching and you know all that kind of bleeds through and what you see on the ice and off the ice as well Adam I know you uh your focus on development but the play recently in a ro that you’re very familiar with how do you think well I I don’t I don’t want to speak so much on those players it’s not my area but I know that you know Kevin and our Pro Scouts were very excited about who they were able to acquire so um just leave it there what was it like when you got the news that ly was coming back I was excited text him right away you know just said uh you know let’s let’s get her going again like old times so when you when you think of the current players now they don’t know what’s ahead you do do you kind of smirk and say oh training camp will be interesting for them I got to imagine it’s going to be uh a little more challenging for the players yeah is he still the same old he’s great you know he interacts well uh you know he he’s he’s at the meals he’s watching the practices he is the same person for sure you know I’m sure he’s AOL D in Chang as a coach but you know he seems he seems the same to me okay thanks

Buffalo Sabres Director of Player Development, Adam Mair speaks to the media after day two of Development Camp. He talks about his first impressions of the new prospects at camp including first round pick Konsta Helenius. Mair also discusses the importance of having the players in for camp and what they do to develop off the ice.

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