Sabres Notes: Thompson, Tuch Attend USA Camp, EA Sports Ratings

With the month of September beginning next Monday, Buffalo Sabres training camp is fast approaching. The club will host their Prospect Challenge with youngsters from the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets starting on Thursday, September 11. The NHL is holding media events in Italy to promote the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, and Team Canada and Team USA are holding their orientation camps in preparation for next February.

While no current Sabres are at Canada’s camp in Calgary, AB, Buffalo forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch are in attendance at USA’s camp in Plymouth, Michigan. Tuch in spite of his two-way ability is a long shot, but Thompson, who was a late injury replacement for the Americans at the NHL Four Nations Face-Off last February, finished with last season with 44 goals, and scored the tournament-winning overtime goal at the World Championships. His versatility of being able to play both center and wing may give him the inside track on a roster spot. 

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In news more focused towards gamers, the ratings for EA Sports NHL 26 were revealed in advance of the game’s release next week, and Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin received the highest team rating of 92, good for 22nd overall in the NHL. 

Tage reppin' the red, white and blue 🥶#LetsGoBuffalo | @usahockeypic.twitter.com/JUD6KXcVZJ

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) August 28, 2025

Thompson and Tuch were the only other Buffalo players ranked in the top 100, with Thompson 51st overall at a rating of 89, and Tuch 99th with a rating of 87. Defenseman Owen Power (86), Bowen Byram (85), and center Josh Norris (85) were in the top 200, while new Sabre defenseman Michael Kesselring (84), center Ryan McLeod (84), goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (84), and winger Jason Zucker (83) completed the club’s top 10.  

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