BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's a night that won't be forgotten.
March 10, 2022.
Former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel made his return to Buffalo after a bitter stalemate with Buffalo management and subsequent trade.
He was booed throughout the course of a 3-1 Sabres win, and afterwards fired a shot at the Sabre fanbase.
"That's about the loudest I've heard this place ever. Really.. It only took seven years and me leaving for them to get into the game."
Emotions boiling over.
The Sabres of course made Eichel the second overall pick back in 2015... a "generational talent" to build the franchise around. Between Eichel not meshing with multiple coaches, a series of poor decisions made by hockey management and ownership around him, a lack of maturity on Eichel's part and ultimate lack of team success, it was a stalemate over the kind of neck surgery Eichel wanted versus what the team was comfortable with that was the final straw that led to a trade.
Fast forward to Thursday.
It's the first meeting since. Eichel and Vegas arrive atop the league standings with 24 points (12-2-0). Eichel leads the team with 15pts. (6g, 9a).
He says he's been to Buffalo a number of times in between. He says he ate at Gabriel's Gate and visited with Sabres captain Kyle Okposo Tuesday night.
Eichel admits that putting on a uniform and facing his former team in this town is something different. I asked him what he would say to Sabres fans in light of his comments last year, and whatever tension might be lingering in the building tonight.
"They were great to me while I was here. I think the only thing that I would say is I was maybe a little bit surprised. I don't know why. Maybe I shouldn't have been last year. Maybe a little bit surprised by the reception... I'm just like anyone else... I'm a human being. It was emotional for me like it was probably for them. Maybe I was a little bit hurt and that's probably why I said the things I said. You know, listen, it's all in the past now. I'm not going to sit here and say I wish I didn't say... I just don't think there's enough time for that. What happened, happened. It's in the past. I'm just trying to focus on the present. We have a big game tonight. That's what I'm worried about."
The Sabres and Golden Knights face off at 7 p.m. at KeyBank Center.
RELATED VIDEO: