Sabres Prospects Hope to Impress at Development Camp

Buffalo Sabres prospects took to the ice at Niagara University on Wednesday to start a week-long development camp. Fans in attendance had a chance to catch a first glimpse of 2008 first-round draft picks Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis. Also taking part in the camp were Tim Kennedy and Chris Butler, as well as Nathan Gerbe and Andrew Orpik, who were both fresh off a whirlwind day trip to Washington D.C. where they celebrated Boston College's NCAA Championship at the White House on Tuesday.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to put on a Sabres jersey," Myers said. "It's so exciting for me and when they called my name I was just ecstatic about it. I'm very happy to be here."

Sabres' rookies Patrick Kaleta, Andrej Sekera, and Drew Stafford also took part in the camp. "It's a good opportunity for me to work out, be around some of the new guys and hang out with some of my friends, work hard and get a good week of working out in," Stafford said of participating. "I want to get better any way possible. "

Sabres' General Manager Darcy Regier overlooked the practice session from the stands. The two-hour on-ice practice had the group split in half on two different rinks inside Dwyer Arena. The prospects ran through various drills including 1-on-1s, 2-on-1s, 3-on-2s and 2-on-0s. After a ten-minute zamboni break halfway through the session, the two groups came back to the ice and started an up-tempodrill where they simulated an offensive rush up the ice and then a quick turnaround back to defense. At the end of the session, the coaches placed the nets against the boards inside one zone and they played a 3-on-3 from blue line to goal line.

The stands inside the arena were filled with Sabres fans looking to get a taste of hockey in the summer. Many young kids ran around the arena wearing jerseys and t-shirts, hoping to get an autograph from the NHL hopefuls. Many got excited when they spotted Sabretooth walking around the stands and had their pictures taken and notebooks autographed.

"I just want to show that I'm a hard worker on the ice and that I able to have fun and jump into these situations," Myers said. "So far it has been a lot of fun and it's been busy and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week."