The Buffalo Sabres have been great coming out of the Olympic break. This has solidified that the Sabres are buyers at the trade deadline as they continue to climb the standings. Still, they have yet to play at home since the break, and have not gotten the chance yet to celebrate their Olympians.
The Sabres will celebrate Tage Thompson and Team USA's gold medal ahead of their game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Thompson spoke about the ceremony to the media on Monday, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.
“Jack and Noah will be part of that. Because, like Hughes said, it's about the team, it is not about one individual. You don't get to accomplish what we did by just one person. It takes everybody,” Thompson said. “Not only the players, but the staff included.”
Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin will also take part in the ceremony in Buffalo, as both played for Team USA in the Olympics. This is also what Jack Hughes did with Thompson when he was celebrated in New Jersey.
While bringing out fellow Olympic teammates is not uncommon, it is a little different with Eichel. The Golden Knights forward is a former member of the Sabres, being drafted by the franchise with the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He broke into the NHL with the Sabres in 2015-16 and was with the team until being traded in 2021 to the Golden Knights.
Meanwhile, Thompson joined the franchise via trade from the St. Louis Blues ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, meaning the two players played three seasons together in Buffalo. In their time together, they were on the ice for 69 games together, but Eichel never assisted Thompson on a goal until getting an assist to him at the Olympics.
Eichel left the Sabres in unceremoneous fashion, arguing with the front office and clashing with the medical staff. Eichel even took a jab at Sabres fans when he returned to Buffalo for the first time in 2022, per Jon Scott of WGRZ in Buffalo.
“Yeah, this is about the loudest I've heard this place ever,” Eichel said. “Really. After it took seven years, and me leaving for them to get into the game.”
While Sabres fans jeered their former captain in 2022, Thompson wants that to be part of the past as they celebrate winning gold.
“He put everything he had into this city and he put everything he had into that USA team,” Thompson told the media.
The Sabres are having their most successful season in years. They have not made the playoffs since 2010-11, before both Eichel or Thompson took the ice for the franchise. The Sabres are 35-19-6 on the campaign, placing them in second in the Atlantic Division, and in position to break their playoff drought. Puck drop against the Golden Knights is set for 7 pm ET on Tuesday.
