In early July, after the draft, NHL teams will host a short camp for draftees from the past few years and some undrafted players, to introduce them to the teams ways of practices, training, nutrition, and overall just to introduce them to the team and each other.

Some teams will keep these closed to the public, and others will invite anyone to watch the whole camp or atleast a scrimmage at the end of it.


The past few seasons we’ve seen the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs come to terms with the fact that they need to start over.

Both teams bottomed out in the standings and drafted a potential first line centre of the future. The Buffalo Sabres lost the 2015 NHL Draft lottery, and the chance to draft Connor McDavid. They were "very disappointed" in having to draft Jack Eichel, but they did so, reluctantly.

The Toronto Maple Leafs finished last this past season, and won the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery, and drafted Auston Matthews, who they were extremely happy to select.


Both the Sabres and the Maple Leafs are building their teams up, and are on track to become playoff contenders at the same time.

The Maple Leafs have Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Dmytro Timashov, and Auston Matthews leading the way of the future for Toronto.

Buffalo has Jack Eichel (sadly), Alexander Nylander, Nick Baptiste, and Justin Bailey coming up as future stars.

Nothing will reignite a rivalry like both teams becoming contenders at the same time, and it’s looking like the Sabres and Leafs will do just that.


The first rock I can throw in this renewed rivalry is a petty one, but I’m going to enjoy it.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have taken their development camp on the road, heading to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Camp is closed to the public, sadly.

There will be a team scrimmage open to the public, the Maple Leafs only request for payment is a donation to the local food bank.

The Buffalo Sabres camp is in Buffalo, at the HarbourCentre, part of the development the Sabres helped build on the Buffalo waterfront. The camp portion is open to all.

However, at the end of that camp there will be a 3 on 3 mini tournament and team scrimmage.

According to Melissa Kania, who writes for The Victory Press and covers the Sabres & Jr Sabres, cost of this is $20 per person.

$20.

For a training camp scrimmage.

This is just another instance of the Buffalo Sabres BILLIONAIRE owner Terry Pegula trying to squeeze as much as he can out of his fans.

In June, the Sabres, against the normal practice, charged $30 to come and watch the first round of the NHL draft.

$30 to sit and watch people sit at tables and not hear what they have to say.

$30.


The Toronto Maple Leafs are often called greedy and only focused on the bottom line, but when they can take their development camp to another city and let Leafs fans see their future heroes up close, for FREE, while another team (which is only 20 minutes away from the Leafs camp), charges more than an OHL would charge for tickets, to come and see a glorified practice, I think we know who the real greedy team is.

It’s the Buffalo Sabres.

Shame.

Shame.

Shame.