BUFFALO — In late July, Sabres center Josh Norris texted his teammate Zach Benson and asked what it would take for him to give up No. 9.
Benson said he thought Norris, who wore No. 13 in his first three games with the Sabres before a torn oblique muscle ended his season, was joking.
kAm“x 4@F=5?’E E6== :7 96 H2D D6C:@FD @C ?@E[” q6?D@? D2:5 $2EFC52J 27E6C E9C@H:?8 @FE E96 7:CDE A:E49 367@C6 E96 q:D@?D 82>6 282:?DE E96 $JC24FD6 |6ED 2E $29=6? u:6=5] “x D2:5[ ‘{2F89 @FE =@F5]’ ”k^Am
kAmqFE }@CC:D H2D D6C:@FD] w6 2D<65 q6?D@? H92E :E H@F=5 E2<6 E@ ACJ 2H2J E96 ?F>36C 96 DA@CE65 H:E9 E96 ~EE2H2 $6?2E@CD 2?5 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:49:82?]k^Am
kAm“%96? H6 ;FDE 5:D4FDD65 E9:?8D[” q6?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm}@CC:D >6?E:@?65 2 H2E49[ 3FE q6?D@? 5@6D?’E =:<6 H62C:?8 @?6] &=E:>2E6=J[ E96J 564:565 😕 6I492?86 7@C }@] h[ q6?D@? H@F=5 C646:G6 EH@ 56D:8?6C 328D – “$@>6 xE2=:2? =62E96C[” 96 D2:5 — 2 562= 96 D2:5 E96J’C6 “3@E9 92AAJ H:E9]”k^Am
kAm“!C6EEJ 4C2KJ J@F D6== 9@4<6J ?F>36CD[” D2:5 q6?D@?[ H9@ 36=:6G6D 96 H:== 36 8:G6? {@F:D ‘F:EE@? :E6>D]k^Am
kAmq6?D@? H:== ?@H 36 DA@CE:?8 }@] e[ 9:D C68F=2C ?F>36C F?E:= 96 C624965 ;F?:@C 9@4<6J] %96 ?F>36C[ @7 4@FCD6[ 😀 FDF2==J H@C? 3J 2 5676?D6>2?] w6 H:== 364@>6 E96 7:CDE 7@CH2C5 😕 7C2?49:D6 9:DE@CJ E@ H62C :E]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 2=H2JD }@] e[” 96 D2:5 @7 9:D ?F>36C 8C@H:?8 FA] “%96? x 8@E E@ ;F?:@C 2?5 @?6 @7 @FC s\>6? 925 }@] e[ D@ x ;FDE D2:5[ ‘p== C:89E[ x’== 7=:A :E FAD:56 5@H?]’k^Am
kAm“xE EC62E65 >6 AC6EEJ H6== 2?5 x H2?E65 E@ <66A CF??:?8 H:E9 :E] qFE[ @3G:@FD=J[ :E’D EC62E65 }@CCJ AC6EEJ H6==[ E@@]”k^Am
kAmq6?D@?[ H9@ EFC?65 a_ @? |2J `a[ D@F?5D 6I4:E65 E@ 368:? 9:D E9:C5 }w{ D62D@? =2E6C E9:D >@?E9]k^Am
kAm%H@ J62CD 28@[ 32C6=J E9C66 >@?E9D 27E6C 36:?8 5C27E65 `bE9 @G6C2==[ 96 :>AC6DD65 E96 $23C6D D@ >F49 E96J <6AE 9:> :?DE625 @7 C6EFC?:?8 9:> E@ E96 ;F?:@C (6DE6C? w@4<6J {628F6] }@H[ 96 92D A=2J65 `ce }w{ 82>6D]k^Am
kAm“s67:?:E6=J 4C2KJ[” 96 D2:5 @7 9:D E6?FC6 😕 qF772=@] “x >62?[ x 5@?’E C62==J E9:?< 23@FE :E =:<6 E92E] x >62?[ >J 8C2?5A2C6?ED H:== 2=H2JD D2J E92E E@ >6]”k^Am
kAmq6?D@?[ H9@ D4@C65 a` 8@2=D 2?5 dg A@:?ED 😕 9:D 7:CDE EH@ J62CD[ 62C?65 >@C6 ECFDE 7C@> $23C6D 4@249 {:?5J #F77 2D =2DE D62D@? AC@8C6DD65] w6 DA6?E E96 7:?2= H66AD@? @? E96 E@A =:?6]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< {:?5J’D[ @3G:@FD=J[ 2 A96?@>6?2= 4@249[ 96=A65 >6 2 E@?[” q6?D@? D2:5] “p =@E @7 =62C?:?8 =6DD@?D 2=@?8 E96 H2J] … x 76=E x =62C?65 2 =@E =2DE J62C] x >62?[ WxX A=2J65 @? E96 7:CDE =:?6[ A=2J65 @? E96 D64@?5 =:?6[ A=2J65 @? E96 E9:C5 =:?6[ A=2J65 @? E96 7@FCE9 =:?6] $@ <:?5 @7 D2H 6G6CJE9:?8]”k^Am
kAmq6?D@? @HD 96 2?5 E96 $23C6D[ H9@ @H? 2? }w{\C64@C5 `c\J62C A=2J@77 5C@F89E[ >FDE D9@H42D6 >@C6 4@?D:DE6?4J]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 $23C6D 925 D:>A=J 8@?6 23@FE ]d__ 5FC:?8 E96:C `b\82>6 =@D:?8 DEC62< =2DE D62D@?[ E96J =:<6=J H@F=5’G6 366? 😕 E96 A@DED62D@? 492D6]k^Am
kAm“%92E CF:?D 2 D62D@?[” q6?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm}2EFC2==J[ 96 D2:5 “E96 8@2= 😀 A=2J@77D” E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 DE:== >2J 36 J@F?86C[ 3FE H6’C6 2== >2EFC6[” 96 D2:5] “(6 92G6 2 =@E @7 G6E6C2?D] %92E DEF77 42?’E 92AA6? E9:D J62C]”k^Am
kAmp 7F== EC2:?:?8 42>A D9@F=5 96=A E96 $23C6D] {2DE J62C[ #F77’D 7:CDE D62D@? 324< 😕 qF772=@[ E96 E62> =@DE G2=F23=6 AC24E:46 E:>6 H96? :E 56A2CE65 7@C :ED D62D@?\@A6?:?8 tFC@A62? EC:A 😕 =2E6 $6AE6>36C]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 =@E 36EE6C[” q6?D@? D2:5 @7 92G:?8 2 C68F=2C 42>A] “xE H2D AC6EEJ 492@E:4 =2DE J62C[ x 76=E =:<6]”k^Am
kAmq6?D@? D2:5 96 DA6?E >F49 @7 E96 @77D62D@? H@C<:?8 @FE 😕 ‘2?4@FG6C 2=@?8D:56 r@??@C q652C5 2?5 z6?E y@9?D@?[ EH@ 3F55:?8 }w{ DE2CD] %96 J@F?8DE6CD DH:E4965 E96:C @77\:46 EC2:?:?8 E@ 7@4FD @? 255:?8 >@C6 DA665]k^Am
kAmx?DE625 @7 4@>>FE:?8 7C@> r9:==:H24<[ qC:E:D9[ r@=F>3:2[ q6?D@? DE2J65 😕 ‘2?4@FG6C[ >62?:?8 96 925 2 `_\>:?FE6 5C:G6 E@ E96 C:?<]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 😀 >J 7:CDE J62C =:G:?8 😕 ‘2?4@FG6C[” 96 D2:5] “x FDF2==J >256 2? 9@FC 2?5 cd W>:?FE6X EC6< 6G6CJ 52J] xE’D <:?5 @7 ?:46 E@ ;FDE 36 23=6 E@ 5C:G6 `_ >:?FE6D E@ E96 8J>[ `_ >:?FE6D E@ E96 C:?< 2?5 `_ >:?FE6D 9@>6 2?5 4CFD9 2 ?2A]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m•••k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu@FC 7:CDE\C@F?5 A:42? #25:> |CE<2[ E96 ?:?E9 @G6C2== D6=64E:@? E9:D J62C[ 2?5 46?E6C }@29 ~DE=F?5[ H9@ 7:?:D965 =2DE D62D@? 😕 E96 }w{[ 9:89=:89E E96 ae\>2? !C@DA64ED r92==6?86 C@DE6C E96 qF772=@ $23C6D C6=62D65 %F6D52J]k^Am
kAmu@CH2C5D z@?DE2 w6=6?:FD 2?5 xD2< #@D6?[ H9@ 92D A=2J65 `d 82>6D 7@C E96 $23C6D @G6C E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D[ 2C6 E96 @E96C qF772=@ 7:CDE\C@F?56CD H9@ H:== 36 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 😕 E96 C@@<:6 42>A E@FC?2>6?E E92E CF?D 7C@> uC:52J E@ |@?52J 😕 {tr~| w2C3@C46?E6C]k^Am
kAm~DE=F?5[ E96 `eE9 A:4< 😕 a_aa[ A=2J65 9:D 7:CDE 6:89E }w{ 82>6D 😕 pAC:=]k^Am
kAm%96 C@DE6C 762EFC6D `c 7@CH2C5D[ 6:89E 5676?D6>6? 2?5 7@FC 8@2=:6D] %6? A=2J6CD A=2J65 7@C E96 #@496DE6C p>6C:42?D =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAm$23C6D C@@<:6D 2C6 D4965F=65 E@ AC24E:46 E9:D 27E6C?@@?] %96J @A6? E96 E@FC?2>6?E uC:52J 282:?DE E96 }6H y6CD6J s6G:=D]k^Am