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Girgensons Re-Signs In Buffalo |
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Updated:
The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed RFA power forward signed Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year "show me" contract. It's reported to be a $1.15M AAV. Like Marcus Foligno, Girgensons will have a one season opportunity to show GM Tim Murray that he is worthy of a multi-year contract for considerably higher dollars per season.
"Zemgus has grown into a solid two-way player since beginning his career,” said Sabres General Manager Tim Murray. “We hope to see him continue this positive trend and find a consistent role within the club this season as another young player to grow with our group."
Girgensons (6’1”, 203 lbs., 1/5/1994) recorded 18 points (7+11) and 20 penalty minutes in 71 games during 2015-16. Drafted by the Sabres in the first round (14th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, the Riga, Latvia native has registered 70 points (30+40) and 59 penalty minutes in 202 career games from 2013 to 2016.
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Girgensons spent the majority of the summer working out with his teammates in Buffalo. Today, he is back home in his native Latvia. In fact, Zemgus is playing in his hometown of Riga. Has he decided to take his game to Riga of the KHL rather than play for the Buffalo Sabres this season?
No. Girgensons is helping Latvia's men's hockey club to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The 12-team tournament at the Olympics in Korea has nine teams that are automatically qualified for the event. The qualifiers consist of the top-8 teams of the 2015 IIHF Men’s World rankings and host Korea.
After the quarter-finals of the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, the top-8 qualification positions belong to Russia, Sweden, Canada, Finland, USA, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Slovakia.
The three best teams that did not reach a top-8 position earned the right to host one of the three Final Olympic Qualification tournaments that will be held 1-4 September 2016.
Belarus will host Group D with Slovenia, Denmark and a qualifier from the Olympic Pre-Qualification.
Latvia will host Group E with Germany, Austria and Japan.
Group F is hosted by Norway with France, Kazakhstan and Italy.
A record 37 countries applied to play in the 2018 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament.
The three qualifiers will be determined in nine events over four stages.
Girgensons is excited to be back home playing on his home soil in Riga, Latvia.
"It’s definitely awesome to play in front of my hometown crowd. It’s special. I’ve never done it. There’s nothing better than to play at home in front of our fans, who are so passionate and always cheer for us. I expect it to be fun games,” the 22-year-old NHL RFA told the IIHF.
Girgensons played three years of junior hockey in the U.S.
In his last season he captained the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. He went on to play for Ted Nolan at the IIHF World Junior Championships with Latvia in Calgary and Edmonton.
Needing a gritty, two way center, the Buffalo Sabres used a 2012 first-round pick and drafted Zemgus 14th overall.
After one season with the with the AHL affiliate Rochester Americans, Girgensons earned an NHL roster spot and has played there the last three seasons in Buffalo. I that time, he has played for two very different head coached in Nolan and Dan Bylsma.
The young Riga native also represented Latvia at three World Championships and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. That’s where he wants to be again with the small but hockey-crazed Baltic country.
The power forward has played 202 games for the Sabres. In that time, he has scored 30 goals and added 40 assists for 70 points.
His best NHL season was sandwiched in between two so-so campaigns.
“Each season was different. The second season was the best one, the last one was not that good but that’s how hockey goes,” Girgensons said.
“I learned a lot in the last three years. Being 22 I went through a lot, played three full seasons, we had a couple of coaches changed. It’s not a bad thing for a young guy to go through all that kind of stuff so it won’t be a shock when it happens later.”
“I don’t have a contract yet but it’s in discussion. I definitely plan to play there,” he said.
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Planning on watching the World Cup of Hockey?
Here are the numerical rosters for all eight teams competing in the World Cup of Hockey 2016.
The two-week tournament will include eight teams -- Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Europe, Team Finland, Team North America, Team Russia, Team Sweden and Team USA -- and feature more than 170 of the best players in the NHL. All tournament games will be played at Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Thanks, NHL
TEAM CANADA
# | Position | Player (Team)*
31 | Goalie | PRICE, Carey (Montreal Canadiens)
4 | Defenseman | BOUWMEESTER, Jay (St. Louis Blues)
6 | Defenseman | WEBER, Shea 'A' (Montreal Canadiens)
7 | Defenseman | MUZZIN, Jake (Los Angeles Kings)
8 | Defenseman | DOUGHTY, Drew (Los Angeles Kings)
9 | Forward | DUCHENE, Matt (Colorado Avalanche)
15 | Forward | GETZLAF, Ryan (Anaheim Ducks)
16 | Forward | TOEWS, Jonathan 'A' (Chicago Blackhawks)
19 | Forward | SEGUIN, Tyler (Dallas Stars)
20 | Forward | TAVARES, John (New York Islanders)
27 | Defenseman | PIETRANGELO, Alex (St. Louis Blues)
28 | Forward | GIROUX, Claude (Philadelphia Flyers)
37 | Forward | BERGERON, Patrice (Boston Bruins)
39 | Forward | COUTURE, Logan (San Jose Sharks)
44 | Defenseman | VLASIC, Marc-Edouard (San Jose Sharks)
50 | Goalie | CRAWFORD, Corey (Chicago Blackhawks)
63 | Forward | MARCHAND, Brad (Boston Bruins)
70 | Goalie | HOLTBY, Braden (Washington Capitals)
77 | Forward | CARTER, Jeff (Los Angeles Kings)
87 | Forward | CROSBY, Sidney 'C' (Pittsburgh Penguins)
88 | Defenseman | BURNS, Brent (San Jose Sharks)
91 | Forward | STAMKOS, Steven (Tampa Bay Lightning)
97 | Forward | THORNTON, Joe (San Jose Sharks)
TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC
# | Position | Player (Team)*
2 | Defenseman | MICHALEK, Zbynek (Arizona Coyotes)
3 | Defenseman | GUDAS, Radko (Philadelphia Flyers)
6 | Defenseman | KEMPNY, Michal (Chicago Blackhawks)
9 | Forward | MICHALEK, Milan (Toronto Maple Leafs)
11 | Forward | HANZAL, Martin (Arizona Coyotes)
12 | Forward | FAKSA, Radek (Dallas Stars)
14 | Forward | PLEKANEC, Tomas 'C' (Montreal Canadiens)
17 | Forward | SOBOTKA, Vladimir (Avangard Omsk - KHL)
18 | Forward | PALAT, Ondrej (Tampa Bay Lightning)
23 | Forward | JASKIN, Dmitrij (St. Louis Blues)
30 | Goalie | NEUVIRTH, Michal (Philadelphia Flyers)
31 | Goalie | PAVELEC, Ondrej (Winnipeg Jets)
33 | Defenseman | NAKLADAL, Jakub (Unrestricted free agent)
34 | Goalie | MRAZEK, Petr (Detroit Red Wings)
46 | Forward | KREJCI, David (Boston Bruins)
47 | Defenseman | JORDAN, Michal (Unrestricted free agent)
48 | Forward | HERTL, Tomas (San Jose Sharks)
62 | Defenseman | SUSTR, Andrej (Tampa Bay Lightning)
64 | Defenseman | POLAK, Roman (Toronto Maple Leafs)
67 | Forward | FROLIK, Michael (Calgary Flames)
83 | Forward | HEMSKY, Ales (Dallas Stars)
88 | Forward | PASTRNAK, David (Boston Bruins)
93 | Forward | VORACEK, Jakub (Philadelphia Flyers)
TEAM EUROPE
# | Position | Player (Team)*
1 | Goalie | GREISS, Thomas (New York Islanders)
2 | Defenseman | SEKERA, Andrej (Edmonton Oilers)
5 | Defenseman | SBISA, Luca (Vancouver Canucks)
7 | Defenseman | STREIT, Mark (Philadelphia Flyers)
8 | Forward | RIEDER, Tobias (Arizona Coyotes)
10 | Defenseman | EHRHOFF, Christian (Unrestricted free agent)
11 | Forward | KOPITAR, Anze (Los Angeles Kings)
12 | Forward | GABORIK, Marian (Los Angeles Kings)
21 | Forward | TATAR, Tomas (Detroit Red Wings)
22 | Forward | NIEDERREITER, Nino (Minnesota Wild)
26 | Forward | VANEK, Thomas (Detroit Red Wings)
29 | Forward | DRAISAITL, Leon (Edmonton Oilers)
31 | Goalie | ANDERSEN, Frederik (Toronto Maple Leafs)
33 | Defenseman | CHARA, Zdeno (Boston Bruins)
36 | Forward | HANSEN, Jannik (Vancouver Canucks)
41 | Goalie | HALAK, Jaroslav (New York Islanders)
44 | Defenseman | SEIDENBERG, Dennis (Unrestricted free agent)
51 | Forward | NIELSEN, Frans (Detroit Red Wings)
59 | Defenseman | JOSI, Roman (Nashville Predators)
63 | Forward | ZUCCARELLO, Mats (New York Rangers)
78 | Forward | BELLEMARE, Pierre-Edouard | (Philadelphia Flyers)
81 | Forward | HOSSA, Marian (Chicago Blackhawks)
89 | Forward | BOEDKER, Mikkel (San Jose Sharks)
TEAM FINLAND
# | Position | Player (Team)*
2 | Defenseman | JOKIPAKKA, Jyrki (Calgary Flames)
3 | Defenseman | MAATTA, Olli (Pittsburgh Penguins)
7 | Defenseman | LINDELL, Esa (Dallas Stars)
9 | Forward | KOIVU, Mikko 'C' (Minnesota Wild)
12 | Forward | LEHTERA, Jori (St. Louis Blues)
18 | Defenseman | LEPISTO, Sami (Salavat Yulaev Ufa - KHL)
19 | Goalie | KOSKINEN, Mikko (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL)
20 | Forward | AHO, Sebastian (Carolina Hurricanes)
22 | Defenseman | POKKA, Ville (Chicago Blackhawks)
27 | Forward | DONSKOI, Joonas (San Jose Sharks)
28 | Forward | KORPIKOSKI, Lauri (Unrestricted free agent)
29 | Forward | LAINE, Patrik (Winnipeg Jets)
35 | Goalie | RINNE, Pekka (Nashville Predators)
36 | Forward | JOKINEN, Jussi (Florida Panthers)
40 | Goalie | RASK, Tuukka (Boston Bruins)
45 | Defenseman | VATANEN, Sami (Anaheim Ducks)
51 | Forward | FILPPULA, Valtteri (Tampa Bay Lightning)
55 | Defenseman | RISTOLAINEN, Rasmus (Buffalo Sabres)
56 | Forward | HAULA, Erik (Minnesota Wild)
64 | Forward | GRANLUND, Mikael (Minnesota Wild)
71 | Forward | KOMAROV, Leo (Toronto Maple Leafs)
86 | Forward | TERAVAINEN, Teuvo (Carolina Hurricanes)
91 | Forward | BARKOV, Aleksander (Florida Panthers)
TEAM NORTH AMERICA
# | Position | Player (Team)*
3 | Defenseman | JONES, Seth (Columbus Blue Jackets)
4 | Defenseman | PARAYKO, Colton (St. Louis Blues)
5 | Defenseman | EKBLAD, Aaron (Florida Panthers)
8 | Defenseman | TROUBA, Jacob (Winnipeg Jets)
10 | Forward | MILLER, J.T. (New York Rangers)
13 | Forward | GAUDREAU, Johnny (Calgary Flames)
14 | Forward | COUTURIER, Sean (Philadelphia Flyers)
15 | Forward | EICHEL, Jack (Buffalo Sabres)
20 | Forward | SAAD, Brandon (Columbus Blue Jackets)
23 | Forward | MONAHAN, Sean (Calgary Flames)
27 | Defenseman | MURRAY, Ryan (Columbus Blue Jackets)
29 | Forward | MacKINNON, Nathan (Colorado Avalanche)
30 | Goalie | MURRAY, Matt (Pittsburgh Penguins)
34 | Forward | MATTHEWS, Auston (Toronto Maple Leafs)
36 | Goalie | GIBSON, John (Anaheim Ducks)
37 | Goalie | HELLEBUYCK, Connor (Winnipeg Jets)
44 | Defenseman | RIELLY, Morgan (Toronto Maple Leafs)
53 | Defenseman | GOSTISBEHERE, Shayne (Philadelphia Flyers)
55 | Forward | SCHEIFELE, Mark (Winnipeg Jets)
71 | Forward | LARKIN, Dylan (Detroit Red Wings)
72 | Forward | DROUIN, Jonathan (Tampa Bay Lightning)
93 | Forward | NUGENT-HOPKINS, Ryan (Edmonton Oilers)
97 | Forward | McDavid, Connor (Edmonton Oilers)
TEAM RUSSIA
# | Position | Player (Team)*
1 | Goalie | VARLAMOV, Semyon (Colorado Avalanche)
7 | Defenseman | KULIKOV, Dmitry (Buffalo Sabres)
8 | Forward | OVECHKIN, Alex (Washington Capitals)
9 | Defenseman | ORLOV, Dmitry (Washington Capitals)
13 | Forward | DATSYUK, Pavel (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL)
22 | Defenseman | ZAITSEV, Nikita (Toronto Maple Leafs)
27 | Forward | PANARIN, Artemi (Chicago Blackhawks)
41 | Forward | KULEMIN, Nikolay (New York Islanders)
42 | Forward | ANISIMOV, Artem (Chicago Blackhawks)
47 | Defenseman | MARCHENKO, Alexey (Detroit Red Wings)
63 | Forward | DADONOV, Evgenii (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL)
71 | Forward | MALKIN, Evgeni (Pittsburgh Penguins)
72 | Goalie | BOBROVSKY, Sergei (Columbus Blue Jackets)
74 | Defenseman | EMELIN, Alexei (Montreal Canadiens)
77 | Forward | TELEGIN, Ivan (CSKA Moscow - KHL)
79 | Defenseman | MARKOV, Andrei (Montreal Canadiens)
86 | Forward | KUCHEROV, Nikita (Tampa Bay Lightning)
87 | Forward | SHIPACHEV, Vadim (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL)
88 | Goalie | VASILEVSKIY, Andrei (Tampa Bay Lightning)
89 | Defenseman | NESTEROV, Nikita (Tampa Bay Lightning)
90 | Forward | NAMESTNIKOV, Vladislav (Tampa Bay Lightning)
91 | Forward | TARASENKO, Vladimir (St. Louis Blues)
92 | Forward | KUZNETSOV, Evgeny (Washington Capitals)
TEAM SWEDEN
# | Position | Player (Team)*
1 | Goalie | ENROTH, Jhonas (Toronto Maple Leafs)
4 | Defenseman | HJALMARSSON, Niklas (Chicago Blackhawks)
6 | Defenseman | STRALMAN, Anton (Tampa Bay Lightning)
9 | Forward | FORSBERG, Filip (Nashville Predators)
11 | Forward | BACKLUND, Mikael (Calgary Flames)
14 | Defenseman | EKHOLM, Mattias (Nashville Predators)
16 | Forward | KRUGER, Marcus (Chicago Blackhawks)
18 | Forward | SILFVERBERG, Jakob (Anaheim Ducks)
19 | Forward | BACKSTROM, Nicklas (Washington Capitals)
21 | Forward | ERIKSSON, Loui (Vancouver Canucks)
22 | Forward | SEDIN, Daniel (Vancouver Canucks)
23 | Defenseman | EKMAN-LARSSON, Oliver (Arizona Coyotes)
25 | Goalie | MARKSTROM, Jacob (Vancouver Canucks)
30 | Goalie | LUNDQVIST, Henrik (New York Rangers)
33 | Forward | SEDIN, Henrik (Vancouver Canucks)
34 | Forward | SODERBERG, Carl (Colorado Avalanche)
47 | Defenseman | LINDHOLM, Hampus (Anaheim Ducks)
62 | Forward | HAGELIN, Carl (Pittsburgh Penguins)
65 | Defenseman | KARLSSON, Erik (Ottawa Senators)
67 | Forward | RAKELL, Rickard | (Anaheim Ducks)
72 | Forward | HORNQVIST, Patric (Pittsburgh Penguins)
77 | Defenseman | HEDMAN, Victor (Tampa Bay Lightning)
92 | Forward | LANDESKOG, Gabriel (Colorado Avalanche)
Team USA
# | Position | Player (Team)*
2 | Defenseman | NISKANEN, Matt (Washington Capitals)
3 | Defenseman | JOHNSON, Jack (Columbus Blue Jackets)
4 | Defenseman | CARLSON, John (Washington Capitals)
6 | Defenseman | JOHNSON, Erik (Colorado Avalanche)
8 | Forward | PAVELSKI, Joe (San Jose Sharks)
9 | Forward | PARISE, Zach (Minnesota Wild)
16 | Forward | VAN RIEMSDYK, James (Toronto Maple Leafs)
17 | Forward | KESLER, Ryan (Anaheim Ducks)
19 | Forward | DUBINSKY, Brandon (Columbus Blue Jackets)
20 | Defenseman | SUTER, Ryan (Minnesota Wild)
21 | Forward | STEPAN, Derek (New York Rangers)
23 | Forward | PALMIERI, Kyle (New Jersey Devils)
26 | Forward | WHEELER, Blake (Winnipeg Jets)
27 | Defenseman | McDONAGH, Ryan (New York Rangers)
30 | Goalie | BISHOP, Ben (Tampa Bay Lightning)
33 | Defenseman | BYFUGLIEN, Dustin (Winnipeg Jets)
32 | Goalie | QUICK, Jonathan (Los Angeles Kings)
35 | Goalie | SCHNEIDER, Cory (New Jersey Devils)
42 | Forward | BACKES, David | (Boston Bruins)
67 | Forward | PACIORETTY, Max (Montreal Canadiens)
74 | Forward | OSHIE, T.J. (Washington Capitals)
88 | Forward | KANE, Patrick (Chicago Blackhawks)
89 | Forward | ABDELKADER, Justin (Detroit Red Wings)
*Current rosters and prospects
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