Hollidaysburg's Sam Lafferty offers veteran presence for Sabres

Having turned 29 in March, Sam Lafferty is hardly an old man.

An electron microscope would be required to find any kind of wrinkles on his face, and a playoff beard is probably more of a hope than a forecast for him.

But with the Buffalo Sabres, the Hollidaysburg native might as well be receiving junk mail from AARP. A free-agent signing this past offseason, Lafferty is the second-oldest member of a team that seems to be perpetually rebuilding.

“It’s honestly a little bit weird,” Lafferty guffawed after the Sabres’ optional morning skate Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena. “(I’ve) kind of adjusted to it now, but, at first, it’s just like, ‘Did this just happen overnight? What’s going on here?’ But, no, obviously, the summer, choosing Buffalo, knew the situation and knew this was a young, up-and-coming team with a ton of potential. So that’s what I was really excited about and knew I could be a big piece of helping that.”

So far this season, Lafferty’s assistance to the Sabres has been limited to three games, no points and one shot. A pair of offensive zone penalties in his most recent contest led to a healthy scratch during a 5-2 home win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

But having been a scratch for countless games in his nomadic six-year career, the former Penguins forward is experienced enough to know that is simply part of the business.

“It was just we’re looking to get a win there, a real important game,” said Lafferty, who carries a salary cap hit of $2 million. “Coach went with the lineup he thought had the best chance to do it and told me I was coming back in for this game.”

Lafferty was back in the lineup for Wednesday’s contest against the Penguins and opened as the right wing on the Sabres’ fourth line.

A fourth-round draft pick (No. 113 overall) in 2014 by the Penguins, he suited up for the NHL club in 94 games over the course of three seasons.

Each and every game he plays in Pittsburgh as a visitor remains profound.

“Still get a smile on my face, excited thinking about where I grew up and my connection as a fan for this team,” said Lafferty, who skated at the Galactic Ice rink in Altoona in his youth. “Just getting to suit up for them, I just look back on it with a ton of good memories, a ton of fun times with the team here.”

He also had plenty of positive recollections as a spectator across the street where the Civic Arena once stood.

“Grew up going to games at the Igloo,” Lafferty said. “Mostly remember that building, a lot of good times as a kid. Obviously, that was a pretty sweet barn, pretty electric place to play, watch a game, in my case. Yeah, I just remember a lot of the big games I was at over the years at that place. I just remember your feet kind of sticking to the floor in the stands from all the caked-on beer. Just had an aura about it. It was an awesome place.”

The idea of a Western Pennsylvanian playing in the NHL is still awesome given how rare it has been, even with a surge in draftees from this region in recent years. Forwards Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes, 2022), Brandon Svoboda (San Jose Sharks, 2023) and Christian Humphreys (Colorado Avalanche, 2024) have been selected by NHL clubs the past three seasons.

Lafferty has not been oblivious to that development and even noted, without solicitation, that forward L.J. Mooney of West Mifflin could be a relatively high draft pick in 2025.

“It’s great to see,” Lafferty said. “It just speaks to how much the game has grown in this area. The (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Hockey) is one of the prominent programs. Before, when I was younger, you, obviously, had the Hornets. A lot of kids would go to Ohio or Detroit to play (Tier 1 youth hockey). But I don’t think that’s the case anymore. It’s great to see.

“Just kind of inspires the next generation.”

In the meantime, Lafferty is doing what he can to aid the next generation of the Buffalo Sabres.

“He offers a lot of speed, tenacity getting in there first,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We know he can be the type of player that backs teams off, use his speed and be the first guy in there on the forecheck a lot of times.”

As a “graybeard” of the Sabres at 29, Lafferty has a firm grasp of what he is as an NHLer and what he has to offer this team.

“My strengths are my strengths, my skating and energy, physicality,” Lafferty said. “But just having that versatility to play in different situations, (it’s a) long season, teams need different things at different times.

“Obviously, much younger team. It’s the first time in my career I’ve felt like an older guy on the team, so it’s been different but it’s been a lot of fun.”