Petersen prepared for journey

When Cal Petersen was growing up in Waterloo, IA, he had NHL dreams. The lofty goal became one step closer to reality when the Buffalo Sabres selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft.

The 6-foot-2 Petersen recently completed his first season of Junior A hockey with his hometown Black Hawks, going 21-11-1 with a 2.97 GAA and .906 save% to earn a spot on the USHL All-Rookie Team. His performance led him to Toronto for the NHL Draft Combine and a stop in Buffalo for a private workout. The Sabres' interest was a mutual proposition given one of the figures who helped model Petersen's game.

"I completely idolized (Ryan) Miller," Petersen told Sabres Prospects this week. "Like a lot of NHL goaltenders, I watch and try to take a couple of things from them stylistically. Miller has definitely been one of the top three growing up. I try to take a couple of pieces of his game and put it into mine. It's pretty cool thinking that in 1999 the Buffalo Sabres also drafted a pretty dang good goaltender in the fifth round."

Petersen will get a chance to show off his quickness and agility when the Sabres hold their annual Development Camp at First Niagara Center July 10-12. From there, it'll be back home to Waterloo for another year before heading to the University of Notre Dame in 2014 on an athletic scholarship.

While the first-rate education will help shape Petersen the man, the Notre Dame hockey program will no doubt help groom Petersen the player. The Irish are set to join Hockey East, which is arguably college hockey's most competitive conference. Combine that with top notch non-conference match-ups thanks to Notre Dame's contract with NBC Sports, and the newest Sabres goalie prospect will be plenty tested as his talent matures.

"I really liked the professionalism that the whole school embodied, and I think the hockey team embodies it the most," stated Petersen. "They have a professional style facility. They treat the players like pros. They have professional level coaches that, in my opinion, are the best in the business. The school doesn't lack in academics or athletics, which was a very good pull for me."

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Petersen knows that he'll be battling for playing time on his way to the NHL. He got a good taste of that concept this season in Waterloo, where he joined forces with fellow draft prospect Eamon McAdam (70th overall, NYI) to backbone the Hawks to a playoff berth. The duo was locked in a timeshare before Petersen pulled away to close the regular season with wins in his final six starts.

"Obviously it was a really unique situation, but I looked at it as an opportunity to be pushed by another highly touted goaltender," said Petersen. "I needed to bring a high level of performance every day to a practice or a game. There wasn't any room for mediocre play."

Having a quality counterpart naturally kept Petersen's compete level high, but the experience also served as a sample of what lays ahead as he carves out his path to success.

"It gave me an early peak into how it'd be in the pros playing with another good goaltender right behind you and not having that luxury of taking a couple of games off or a couple of practices off," said Petersen. "It was an everyday thing and I had to elevate my game for a longer period of time than I had been used to."



While managing his mental focus through every minute of action, Petersen also had to adapt to a variety of game conditions. Waterloo's Young Arena houses the only Olympic-sized rink in the USHL, giving him a chance to log a load of work on the wider ice surface while working against the different angles of NHL-sized rinks on the road.

"I think there are a lot of advantages to it. There's a lot more puck movement on the bigger sheet. More passes cross ice. Guys have a little more room to make plays," explained Petersen. "On the smaller sheet, what I've noticed the most is the quicker, faster plays in tight and a lot more traffic in front of the net. So there were two dynamics when it came to playing at home and then playing on the road. I think it made me a better goaltender seeing those different situations."

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With his college enrollment still a year away and the draft behind him, Petersen is maintaining his edge for the task at hand before returning to Waterloo as the leading man.

"As of right now, I'm preparing for the upcoming development camp. Staying sharp and making sure that my body is in the best shape," said Petersen. "As far as goals for the season, I'll have more of an opportunity to play longer stretches of games and be able carry my team for longer periods of time like I did at the end of the year. I'm looking to be the best goaltender in the league and to carry my team to the Clark Cup. I'm looking to win every game that I can and hopefully steal a few that we shouldn't."

Petersen has been walking the walk this summer, pushing his body on and off the ice to order achieve his aggressive expectations. Part of his progression has been improving his mobility in the crease.

"I'm a big believer in being an extremely good skater. I think that helps with every aspect of the goaltending position," said Petersen. "If you look at the best goaltenders in the NHL, you're looking at also the best skaters out of all the goaltenders in the NHL."

Along with his continued work with Minneapolis-based ProHybrid Training, another resource at Petersen's disposal has been Waterloo's goaltending coach and Buffalo native, Chris Economou. The pair have worked together over the past year-and-a-half to build Petersen's all around skills with a special focus on economy of movement.

"Chris really helped me build on the whole skating part and being able to travel to shots on my feet without doing what most big goaltenders do, which is sliding or dropping early before the shot is released," added Petersen. "He really stressed traveling on my feet and being able to arrive at different situations quicker and more compact, and being a little more faster, sharper, and more efficient with my movement."

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Being a product of a non-traditional hockey market has seen Petersen make plenty of sacrifices to get where he is today. Another new challenge could await him this week when he arrives in Buffalo for his first NHL Development Camp.

"I've heard a couple of rumors about some Navy SEALs and an early morning wake-up call one of those days," explained the stopper. "So I have that hanging over me to look forward to (laughs)."

Early wake up calls or not, the kid from Iowa seems to be impressed with what Buffalo has to offer.

"I really like it. It has that big city feel without the hassle of the big city. I really like cars and I like driving a lot, and you have room to breathe there," said Petersen.

With his career kicking into gear, one thing is clear. Petersen will be on anything but cruise control as he travels the road to the top.

2013 Bounty: Bigger is better on the blue

The below is just a quick summary to get the conversation started. More video and deeper explanations to come throughout the week... 

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Bigger. Stronger. Faster. Meaner.

The Sabres did some early shopping in the beef aisle on Sunday, adding a pair of hulking defenders with 6-foot-4 Rasmus Ristolainen at 8th overall and even larger physical spe
cimen Nikita Zadorov (6'5") with their second pick at the 16th spot. If you like big guys who hit and have a good knack for the offensive side of things, you have no problem at all with how the Sabres opened the 2013 draft.

Let's start with Rasmus Ristolainen. There really isn't much to not like. He's a coveted right-handed shot who has played a tight defensive style on the large European rinks. The North American game should come easy to him when he gets here.


#8 Rasmus Ristolainen - RHD, TPS Turku (SM-Liiga)
6'3" | 203 lbs.
10/27/94

Ristolainen is a confident, consistent right-hander who has already logged two years of professional experience with TPS. A powerful skater with good range, Ristolainen has made a mark with two-way intelligence and an imposing physical style in the mold of Flyers captain Chris Pronger. He makes quick, decisive plays with the puck on his stick, and lines up the big hit without it.

The rugged veteran of two World Junior Championships can also bring the heat on the power play, using a low, hard shot to get pucks through to the net with regularity. There is little doubt that his complete set of tools will quickly translate to NHL success, and he could actually be eyeing immediate North American duty. He has the size and strength to make an impact right away, and since he was selected out of Europe, could play in the AHL if both parties felt that it made sense for his development.

With a talented Finnish winger already on the books (Joel Armia), the Sabres strengthened the future core with his World Junior teammate. Ristolainen makes the future D corps bigger and meaner while giving Sabres assistant coach Teppo Numminen a young countryman to share his 1,372 games of NHL experience with.



#16 Nikita Zadorov - LHD, London Knights (OHL)
6'5.5" | 226 lbs.
4/16/95

A massive skater with upside as huge as his wingspan, Zadorov is a hard-hitting motor with good sense for the offensive game. The bruising Russian gradually worked his way into big minutes on a stacked blue line this past season, posting 25 points (6+19) and a sturdy plus-33 rating for the OHL champion Knights.

Zadorov enjoyed a rise in stock during London’s playoff run, demonstrating poise, toughness and skilled offensive instincts in pressure situations. He'll need to be coached into stronger positional play moving forward (less chasing), but with many questions about his potential answered, the Sabres couldn't pass up the physicality and blistering point shot that Zadorov brings when on patrol.

Where Ristolainen represents a "now" asset, I see Zadorov's value residing in his value down the line. The size and raw talent is firmly in place, but there is much to be gained by returning to London for another deep playoff run and guaranteed place in the 2014 Memorial Cup with the host Knights.



Looking at the rest of the draft, the Sabres were clearly looking to better their overall work ethic. Despite a need for pure scoring down the wings, they didn't go fishing for the one-trick offensive pony. The skaters selected all show three-zone awareness with varying degrees of physcial play as well as a little nastiness.


#35 J.T. Compher - LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
6'0" | 170 lbs.
4/8/95

With a nice balance of grit and skill, the Illinois product gives the Sabres a hard-working role player to fill out their future middle lines. Sabres fans are really going to enjoy watching Compher buzz around the ice, bring pressure on the forecheck, and compete hard in all three zones. Compher's high-energy style makes him a quality agitator, while his skating and skill at reading plays puts him in the right spots offensively.

I was very impressed with his back pressure and smarts away from the puck at the All-American Prospects Game, but Compher also shines with a clear offensive knack. He recorded 15 goals and 42 points in USHL action last season before notching 3+4 while logging over 20 minutes per game at the 2013 IIHF U-18 World Championship. He simply lifts his team when they need it most. Property of the Saginaw Spirit but committed to the University of Michigan (first Sabres prospect at UM since Steve Shields - 1991), Compher will likely play at least two seasons in the B1G before contemplating next steps.



#38 Connor Hurley - LHC, Edina Hornets (MN HS)
6'1" | 175 lbs.
9/15/95

Committed to Notre Dame for 2014, Hurley is a playmaking forward who dominated the Minnesota high school ranks with 43 points in 25 games en route to leading Edina to the state title. Hurley is a natural centerman who plays a power game in the mold of a Rick Nash type. At the NHL Combine, Hurley showed his strength and endurance by finishing seventh in peak power output and fifth in push-ups. Scouts love his hard-driving skating game, and those combine results become all-the-more appealing with Hurley's 9/15/95 birth date making him the youngest player in the draft. He'll play a developmental season with Muskegon (USHL) before heading to South Bend the year after.



#52 Justin Bailey - RW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
6'3" | 183 lbs.
7/1/95

As written in the draft preview, we kind of saw this one coming a mile away. The Sabres were in need of scoring depth down the wings, and here is big local guy with hands who worked hard at the both the NHL and Sabres draft combines. Bailey adjusted well in his first season of major junior, combining a long reach, heavy shot, and powerful skating stride to secure 17 goals for Steve Spott's Rangers.

A learning curve and mid-season spike in production were expected, as was the slight dropoff as the long junior season raged on. Regardless, all the power forward tools are in place, so now it's just a matter of bringing it all together with added strength, conditioning, and consistency. The skill and character foundations are in place. With more ice time in Kitchener and a world junior spot on the line, scouts are expecting Bailey to show a major leap in production next season.


#69 Nicholas Baptiste - RW, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
6'1" | 201 bs.
8/4/95

Terry Pegula was touting hard workers in his most recent interview. That's what they're getting with Baptiste, a versatile forward with good size who can grind on a checking line or step into a more offensive role as needed. Baptiste blends a raging competitive spirit with nice power forward elements. He digs in and takes the puck hard to the crease and can certainly finish plays down low. The Wolves forward rode a solid second half of the OHL year into a strong showing for Canada at the 2013 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he scored three goals and eight points through the seven-game march to gold.





#129 Cal Petersen - G, Waterloo Backhawks (USHL)
6'1" | 175 lbs.
10/19/94

It's easy to think how young American goalies idolize Ryan Miller, and Petersen is no different. A scrappy battler, Peterson played for his hometown Blackhawks in 2012-13, amassing a respectable 21-11-1 record, 2.97 GAA and .906 save%. The grinding competitor is a rare southpaw, giving him an ability to confuse shooters when he squares up with his right-handed catching glove. Off to the University of Notre Dame in 2014, Petersen will have plenty of developmental time to dial-in his aggressiveness while rounding out his technique.

#130 Gustav Possler - LW, MODO (SEL)
6'0" | 183 lbs.
11/11/94

We have a major sleeper alert here with the young opportunistic producer. Possler is an average-sized winger with a well-above average release. More of a finisher than a set-up man, the goal-scoring Swede first popped on the radar with an excellent showing at the 2012 U18s, where he used good speed, hands, and an ability to capitalize off the rush to collect eight points in seven games. He's a right place/right time type of player who buries rebounds as well. Heading into the season, I felt that Possler would garner late-first, early-second round consideration. Really solid potential is in play for a team needing scoring from its natural wings.


#143 Anthony Florentino - RHD, South Kent School Selects Academy (NE HS) 6'1" | 227 lbs.
1/30/95

A mean, hard-hitting defender from the Selects Academy program at the South Kent School, Florentino is just solid all the way around with virtually no weaknesses to his game. He is an excellent skater who locks in defensively while using good vision and a heavy shot to be a consistent offensive catalyst. On top it all is his vocal leadership skills and passion for the game. No one questions Florentino's effort. The fact that he's committed to Nate Leaman's rising program at Providence College makes him even more attractive to the Sabres.


#159 Sean Malone - LHC, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
5'11" | 183 lbs.
4/30/95

The quick and agile Malone broadened his horizons with the United States National Team Development Program in 2012-13, including 13 points (5+8) in 15 games of USHL action, while also gaining valuable international experience. A product of Nichols School, Malone has carved out a reputation as intense competitor at both ends of the ice, combining excellent edge speed and puck control skills with a sound back-checking game. Malone, whose package of skill and character could fill an energy role as a pro, will have his work ethic tested off the ice as well when he enrolls at Harvard University this fall.


#189 Eric Locke - LHC, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
5'10" | 183 lbs.
11/21/93

I saw Locke quite a bit this season while keeping tabs on his Saginaw teammate, 2012 third-rounder Justin Kea. An undersized speedy playmaker who will turn 20-years old this fall, Locke re-emerged on the scouting scene in 2012-13, producing nearly 100 points of offense while showing a clear dedication away from the puck. His combination of energy and offense earned him the Most Improved Player in the OHL's Western Conference coaches poll. His complete game is coming around at just the right time, making him (at the very least) a candidate to be a scorer at the AHL level with plenty of NHL sleeper potential.