Two days at full strength for practice after a couple of days doing limited work. These are steps forward for West Seneca native Sean Malone after the disappointment of not being healthy enough to make the start of Buffalo Sabres training camp.
"It’s better than rehab skating and good to be around the guys, gear up for the season," the Nichols School product said Thursday in KeyBank Center. "Obviously, a tough bounce for me. Unfortunately, I’ve been used to it and I'm just happy to be out there with the team.”
Malone, 27, wasn't ready to go last week because he had a medical procedure in August for a complication from a shoulder injury he dealt with last year in Rochester. He had surgery for it in January and missed nearly three months of what was his best pro season.
Malone was thus not ready to start camp on time and that took him out of what looked to be a legitimate shot to compete for the role as Buffalo's fourth-line center in the wake of the departure of Cody Eakin.
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"You've got to keep going. There’s no time to feel sorry for yourself or anything like that," Malone said. "I’ve come back before and been good, so I’m just going to keep grinding it out and I just want to focus on starting the season healthy and feeling good going into it.”
"The work to rest ratio is totally different for Craig," coach Don Granato said.
Malone played only 39 games last year in Rochester but posted career highs in goals (20) and points (37) while serving as a mentor to younger Amerks like Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. He became the 59th forward in Rochester history to skate in his 200th game with the franchise.
"Any opportunity you get, you have to run with it," Malone said. "I felt like earlier in my career, I didn’t get a whole lot of opportunity here and credit to the coaching staff in Rochester, I think you saw a lot of guys kind of get opportunities and run with it."
Malone was one of the veteran leaders through the most memorable Rochester season in nearly 20 years. The Amerks advanced to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs before being swept by Laval in three games, with the finale being a triple overtime struggle in Blue Cross Arena.
Malone felt Rochester coach Seth Appert and assistants Michael Peca and Mike Weber brought out his talents, like they did with many players on that team.
"It was awesome, a big reason I wanted to come back," Malone said of Rochester's run. "I had a lot of fun last year, probably the most fun I’ve had playing pro hockey. We had a great group of guys, which made it awesome, and the coaching staff is unbelievable."
Malone was drafted by the Sabres in the sixth round in 2013 and then played four years at Harvard. He has played two NHL games, one for the Sabres in 2017 and one for Nashville in 2021.
Sabres coach Don Granato coached Malone in 2012-13 for the U.S. National Development Team Program and said Malone's name was mulled several times for call-ups last year as the Buffalo lineup started to get shredded by injuries and Covid concerns.
"He continues to make himself a better hockey player and his confidence continues to grow," Granato said. "So it is nice to get him in full practice with lots of returning older guys in there today. Guys in Rochester have such a high respect for him as a player and what he does for them, the organization and teammates. I saw that, too, with him, even as a young kid. Just a good person."
Malone said being an NHL option last year and forging his name back into the conversation this season are huge motivating factors.
Sabres center Brandon Biro scored twice, and goalies Craig Anderson and Malcolm Subban combined to make 20 saves in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
"I was sort of going to be that bubble guy," Malone said. "There were definitely times where 'Apps' (Appert) took me aside and said, ‘You’re right there.’ And then I have surgery, so it is what it is. I’m not feeling sorry for myself by any means. I just want to be the best player I can be and be a leader for those guys down in Rochester and hopefully continue with the same success, advance my game and hopefully be here soon.”