IL1 Buffalo Bisons

NHL's Top Prospects Take BP with the Bisons

Published on June 22, 2016 under International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


NHL Prospect Auston Matthews Taking Batting Practice with the Buffalo Bisons
NHL Prospect Auston Matthews Taking Batting Practice with the Buffalo Bisons
(Buffalo Bisons)

Auston Matthews takes a swing during batting practice at Coca-Cola Field on Wednesday.

Six of the NHL's top prospects took the field in Buffalo on Wednesday, hoping to take a ball for a ride over the outfield wall while enjoying themselves in the days leading up to the draft.

Although none of the future NHLers were able to accomplish the feat, Scottsdale, AZ. native, Auston Matthews, did manage to land a ball on the track in right field.

"A got a hold of couple, but it's pretty far out there," said Matthews, whose father played baseball through college.

"It's tough."

As tough as it was, Finnish prospects, Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine and Olli Juolevi, impressed their North American colleagues, despite having never played baseball before.

"I was curious to see how they did. They actually got a couple of pretty good swings in there," noted London Knights' forward Matthew Tkachuk.

The son of U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, Keith Tkachuk, was also appreciative of the chance to meet with Bisons and take batting practise, as it provided a bit of a respite from some nervous tension leading up the draft.

"When you're hitting up there, you're not thinking about what could potentially be a crazy night on Friday. I think that's why they have these events for us. It's kind of nice to just lay back and enjoy Buffalo."

"It's lots of fun," chimed in Juolevi, who played defense behind Tkachuk on the Memorial Cup-winning Knights.

"It's a pretty cool sport. It's actually so hard. It's unbelievable what these guys can do here, especially with what the pitchers can throw them."

As for the guys here, Dalton Pompey was among those in the Herd who came out for autographs. As a native Mississauga, Ontario, and a lifelong fan of Toronto's hockey team, the Bisons' outfielder has also been keeping a close eye on the events leading up to Friday's selections.

"I'm going to be watching for sure. It's a big deal that the Leafs have the first pick. With them rebuilding it seems the sky's the limit with that team. So hopefully one of these guys can be part of that," said Pompey.

The prospect most likely to help Pompey's Maple Leafs work their way back to the postseason is Matthews. The 6-foot-2 center, who most recently put up nine points in 10 games for the U.S. squad at the IIHF World Championships, said that he is also doing his best to stay in the moment.

"It's awesome just to be out here and try another sport. I'm trying to just enjoy the week. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm just trying to take it all in."

The group as a whole spent Wednesay afternoon exchanging smiles and quips while tossing a ball around and taking cuts in the cage. Though they will soon be pitted against each other again, the young stars are enjoying the chance to get to know each other.

"It's good to be with them," said Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

"I'd never met them until about a month ago. They're really great guys and it's really fun to do this with them."

The prospects will take in Wednesday's game against the Louisville Bats (and watch Matthews throw out the opening pitch) before taking a 'Maid of the Mist' trip around Niagara Falls and a tour of the Erie Basin Marina on Thursday. They're also set to visit with patients at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in the afternoon.

As for finding out which teams these soon-to-be pros will play for, the NHL draft gets underway on Friday at 7 p.m.

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Images from this story

NHL Prospect Auston Matthews Taking Batting Practice with the Buffalo Bisons
NHL Prospect Auston Matthews Taking Batting Practice with the Buffalo Bisons
   



International League Stories from June 22, 2016


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