“Very Excited To Get Back In There” | Michael Kesselring After Returning To Practice| Buffalo Sabres
say, but I definitely think at some point this week I’ll be back in. You talked about trying to play through it during camp, being with a new team and all. Have you always been a guy who sort of had to be dragged away from the ice? Uh, maybe a little. Um, I honestly didn’t think it was going to lead to anything worse. I thought it was just a little little thing that was going to dag me and it was going to go away and it just kind of kept getting worse. So, like I said, had to deal with it and and get back fully healthy. It’s a long season. At the end of the day, if I missed whatever eight games or whatever it is now, uh it’s not the end of the world, long season ahead. So, I wanted to feel good for the rest of the year. Nothing compares to being on the ice. What have you learned watching these guys play from upstairs, especially the defense? Yeah, it’s been good. I’m really excited to get in there. Uh just the way our team plays in general with the D have been up in the rush making plays. Um, I think it suits my game really well. And, um, I think whatever lefty I’m going to play with, I can compliment their game, whether it’s Sammy or Bo or Dolls or OP, I think I can contribute to helping them play their game. So, um, very excited to get back in there. And has it been easy enough to get to know the guys off the ice even though you hadn’t been there on the ice with them? Yeah, I was glad. Um, I came a few weeks early. Uh, most of the guys were here already, so it was good to to get to know them then before camp started. Uh, it’s a great group of guys. I’m right in that age range with all of them. Um, except for Zucks. So, uh, it’s been good. Um, and yeah, I’m really excited. The team looks great. I think we’re playing great hockey. I think we, uh, should have won last game, too. The boys play great. Um, a few unlucky bounces, but, um, looks like we’re ready to take another step here. So, Mikey, what’s the biggest psychological challenge that comes with being with the team, but not being able to get on the ice and having to take care of yourself? Yeah. Um it was a first for me. It’s it’s the longest I’ve ever been out for injury. So it was tough sometimes, but at the end of the day, it really wasn’t that long compared to what some guys have to go through. So um I just tried to stay around the rink as much as I could to see the guys and um talking to donor, other guys after games and just checking in with guys and and seeing what they’re thinking about the team and everything. So I think I did a pretty good job staying in the mix a little bit here and then um it was great today to be out with everybody, feel normal. So, it was good. And what does that do for you getting back on the ice today knowing that, you know, the team has been doing well. You’re going to be a welcome addition to the kind of hockey that’s being played. Yeah, it it’s honestly uh it’s been really exciting. I feel like uh I’m getting asked every day when I’m when am I going to be back? And um it’s a good feeling as a player to know that uh the team wants you in, coaches want you in, management wants you in. So, um I’m excited to get in there and and prove that I can help this team and play my game. Um will it maybe take a few games for me to get my legs under myself a little bit, but not an excuse, but just to maybe I’m not going to play a ton of minutes right away and and work my way into it. But practice today, I felt really good and um it was kind of that reactive stuff that I needed to to take the next step with and I felt pretty good in practice today, so it was good. In your rehab, what’s your experience been like with the strength and conditioning staff? I seem to work pretty closely with them few weeks. Yeah, it’s been awesome. Um, I feel really good. Um, even last week when I was skating, other than my little injury, I felt really good on the ice. I feel strong. Uh, I feel like I’m shooting the puck hard. Feel good in the corners. So, um, I’m excited to get out there. I feel like they did a good job with my conditioning. It was kind of tough to condition with what I was dealing with. So, I think we did a good job of keeping it up. And obviously a few games will will get me back to even par, let’s say, but um they’ve been really good. We have Utah coming to town next week. Is that something you have circled to make sure you’re back on the ice by then? Yeah. Yeah. Um you like to think it’s not personal, but I’m very excited to play them, but obviously this week, whoever it is, whether it’s tomorrow or or Boston, um Boston’s always circled on my calendar, too, with all the family in in town. So, we’ll see. But I think uh by the latest uh it’s Washington in the weekend. Yeah. So I think that’ll be the latest for sure, but hoping to get in there earlier. Are you planning on meeting up with some of those Utah guys when they come to town? Yeah, for sure. Um I watch a bunch of their games. I still text a few of those guys all the time. So uh really close, lifelong friends with some of those guys. I’ll go see some of those guys after the season and I wish them the best, but uh not when we play them. So it’ll be good. They’re having a lot of success right now. So, what do you think of the way that they’re playing? Guys like Logan Culie who are really stepping up. Yeah, uh they’re a great team. Their their top two lines are very deadly. Um Decor is playing very solid even without uh Durr in the lineup. Um bottom two lines have looked great. Krower looks great this year. Guys stepping up. Cars looks good. So, um I love those guys. They’re they’re a great team, but I’m definitely excited to get in there against them, too. Is it cool that a Kessle ring hockey club jersey might be kind of an artifact one day? Ah, yeah. It’s cool. Uh I’m uh I’m excited and nervous to go back. Uh the fans were really really good to me last year there and um it was an unbelievable experience. Obviously first year of a franchise, scored the first goal as a D man. Like little things like that that I’ll always carry with me that were uh pretty cool moments last year and those fans are awesome. So um it’ll be pretty cool going back to
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring spoke to the media after practice on October 27, 2025. This was Kesselring’s first full practice with the team after returning from an injury that has kept him out of the start of the season. He talked about how he’s feeling and his excitement to join this defensive core. He also discussed going up against his former team, the Utah Mammoth next week.
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2 comments
Our top 6 D are finally, all big & talented. Excited to see how it turns out
I can't wait to meet u again today at Dave & Adam's with Josh Doan today Michael and I'll be there tomorrow for ur debut of the Bills Night Special vs Blue Jackets!!!