2024 Sabres Development Camp | Michael Leone| 07.04.24
appreciate it what have you two days here what what have you seen from the guys so far what have you liked uh it’s been a great two days uh really fast really competitive a lot of skill um really good to meet the players and some of the guys I knew a little bit from International tournaments and then just watching on video um actually one of the players we drafted in green Baye so it’s good to see him face to face but it’s been a really good good two days went fast and just really excited to be here and that I was able to come is there anyone here you coach you uh no a couple International tournaments um Gavin McCarthy um Drake Rashard and then vasil was going to play in Green Bay this year we drafted him um so it’s was good to see him a lot of Zoom calls with him over the last uh 3 four months so other than that a couple in international tournaments um but no one that I’ve coached like somebody that you had some I don’t know some instruction for for The Scouting staff to give kind of give it um a a little bit um so we had a player last year uh Julian luds who played in the same organization in Red Bull over there so we um got on Vil around uh December but talk to Buffalo a little bit about him of just what I saw and his game and um you know his development path for the next step um hopefully plays in Green Bay then College route what do you see in this game because he’s one of those guys they drafted no one knows a lot about yeah no he you know it’s really interesting he plays in a league where it’s almost like a minor Pro kind of and he was a young player playing with a lot of older players I think he’s really competitive I think he has a high hockey IQ really good skill I think the the pace of play is probably something that he’s going to have to get adjusted to playing in North American style um smaller rinks but I think he’s going to be a really good player really good Junior player and college player we always focus on the first round pick at these things what was your impression today of Millennia seeing him in game situation yeah you know he’s um you know I was fortunate to be at the national program some really talented kids I would put them in that category of his Poise with the puck um you know his deception uh he’s got a low Setter of gravity makes a lot of plays uh um had a really good day it’s good to be around him had dinner with him last night with our group so really nice kid really excited that he’s in our organization but you could see the the skill set in um you know he’s played with men in the the Finish pro league and had a really good day today I thought the days that I watched he was he was really good today we have no idea obviously what’s going to transp here going forward what would it be like have him on your Club in October yeah you know you never know what those things how they happen obviously you know coming to the organization you know a little bit about the prospects but obviously there’s a there’s a lot in Rochester but to work with um a really talented player like himself would be great you know Jake Rashard a little bit how have you seen him develop over the last couple years yeah you know seeing him in person his body you know he’s uh you know you go to college the the training is a little different obviously the junior schedule you’re able to put in work in the in the summertime with your college team uh he looks great I think his his skating has taken a step too and obviously you see today the puck skills and the deception and um he’s really good Around the Net and you know I I I think he’s taken a big step in his in his game in his uh development process it’s a three on three tournament and then you see a practice it’s like two and a half hours actually on the ice what do you look for like what can you yeah good question I I think you just look for kids uh to be you know engage competitive I think that’s the biggest thing a lot of uh the the practice that we ran there’s a lot of smaller year games uh short number of groups when we go both ends but you’re just looking for kids to uh a lot of energy a lot of passion you know those are the biggest things obviously it’s a short amount of time but just to show that last few weeks been for going on for you just yeah no I I I’m excited to go home and just spend some time with my wife and our newborn uh but it’s been uh you know probably the best month of I’ve had in my life I mean I you know uh it’s been unbelievable uh really fortunate to be in this organization and given the opportunity um obviously with the new born it’s I I was I was hopeful to to get to the camp the back end I’m glad I got to um come and meet everyone and uh I’m excited to go home though today and see the family just uh enjoy the holiday weekend and relax how real is this like you’re you’re in Pro Hockey actually yeah it’s uh it’s surreal um you know when I was going through the interview process it was always um I’ve been fortunate to uh play for a lot of great coaches um and I wanted to take this path you never know when you’re going to get your opportunity and it was surreal putting the the Sabers logo on and you know looking at your your stall before you’re about to get on the ice but it’s always been my dream to be in an NHL organization and it’s real and I’m I’m grateful for the opportunity and really excited uh to get started Victor nor is a guy you’re going to having Rochester this year what do you like from from having just couple couple days here but what do you like well yeah you see the the the skill set uh his deception the way he could skate um looks like a player that makes players around him better but I like the the things I noticed were his you know his competitiveness like his ability to stop on Puck and track and you know get under people’s sticks and it was really good to meet him spend some time with them today and excited to coach him what did you see withen start I mean two guys they don’t know each other till this week and they had a lot of chemistry yeah no they looked really good today obviously making a lot of plays you know sometimes kids get out there with C players and there’s chemistry there and they had a really good day when was your baby born uh last uh Thursday 11 11: p.m so uh we had a little baby girl Ivy so thank you thank you very much not a lot of sleep what has that process been like like I assume your family’s still back in Green Bay uh no they actually uh my family actually stays in Detroit I have two step kids they go to a uh little private school there it’s a good setup so I actually was in Green Bay by myself it’ll probably be the same in in Rochester um obviously great support system at home my wife allows me to coach and live my dream so uh um that’s that’s probably what will happen how’s it been juggling preparing for the new edition and also you know trying lot of video work I assume trying yeah it was it was you know we were still you know transitioning I was you know we had the draft in in Green Bay so I was B busy and wanted to help them um ended up hiring my assistant coach and then I remember throughout the process I was just waiting for the call and a lot of pacing around walking around the block with my wife uh wondering what was going to happen but it all worked out and it’s uh like I said I’m just excited to go home and relax and be with the family yeah thank
