BUFFALO — Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche’s experience belies his age. Less than two months after turning 19, just two years into his major junior career, the goalie has played 101 regular-season games and 30 more in the playoffs.
Since the start of the 2024-25 season, he has played more than any netminder in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
kAm#6>6>36C |6=@496’D ?2>6] %96 4@?DE2?E 24E:@? 96 62C?65 324:7:?2= 2AA62C2?46D 3F@J65 9:D 56G6=@A>6?E[ 96=A:?8 9:> BF:6E=J 6DE23=:D9 9:>D6=7 2D A6C92AD E96 $23C6D’ 36DE 8@2=:6 AC@DA64E]k^Am
kAmw6 925 ?6G6C A=2J65 >@C6 E92? b_ 82>6D 😕 2 D62D@? 367@C6 ;@:?:?8 E96 “|yw{]k^Am
kAm“xE 8:G6D A=6?EJ @7 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 86E 36EE6C 2?5 E@ F?56CDE2?5 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 @7 E96 82>6 2?5 8C@H J@FC 82>6[ E@@[ 2?5 2=D@ E@ >2<6 25;FDE>6?ED[” |6=@496 D2:5 @7 9:D 962GJ H@C<=@25] “u@C >6[ x’G6 366? C62==J 8C2E67F= E@ 36 23=6 E@ A=2J 2D >F49 2D x’G6 366? 5@:?8 E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD[ 2?5 x E9:?< 96=A65 >JD6=7 2?5 >J 82>6 E@ 8C@H 2 =@E >@C6]”k^Am
kAmw:D 6IA=@:ED 2=D@ 96=A65 9:> =2?5 @? %62> r2?252’D C252C] w6 C646?E=J A2CE:4:A2E65 😕 E96 (@C=5 yF?:@C $F>>6C $9@H42D6[ >62?:?8 96’D 😕 E96 >:I E@ C646:G6 2 4@G6E65 C@DE6C DA@E 😕 s646>36C 7@C E96 2??F2= E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm“x 42? 4@>A6E6 H:E9 E96 36DE 7C@> >J 4@F?ECJ[” |6=@496 E@=5 v}} $A@CED] “xE’D 2=H2JD 2? 9@?@C E@ 36 A2CE @7 E92E <:?5 @7 8C@FA @7 8FJD] %96C6’D 2 =@E @7 7:CDE\C@F?56CD @C 7FEFC6 8C62E 8FJD A=2J:?8 😕 E96 }w{]”k^Am
kAmx7 |6=@496[ 2 7@FCE9\C@F?5 A:4< 😕 a_ad[ “eE9 @G6C2==[ 4C24652J[ 96 4@F=5 36 2 DE62= 7@C E96 $23C6D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >62?E:>6[ 367@C6 C6EFC?:?8 E@ 9:D ?6H “|yw{ E62>[ E96 $2:?E y@9? $62 s@8D[ 96 H:== =:<6=J DE2CE @?6 @7 E96 $23C6D’ EH@ !C@DA64ED $9@H42D6 82>6D 282:?DE E96 q@DE@? qCF:?D 2E {tr~| w2C3@C46?E6C] p7E6C 4@?G6?:?8 uC:52J 7@C AC24E:46[ qF772=@ C@@<:6D A=2J $F?52J 2E d A]>] 2?5 |@?52J 2E ?@@?]k^Am
kAm%96 e\7@@E\b[ `hf\A@F?5 |6=@496 EC:6D E@ >@56= 9:D 82>6 27E6C 9:D :5@=[ 7@C>6C |@?EC62= r2?25:6?D 8@2=:6 r2C6J !C:46[ >62?:?8 96 5:DA=2JD 4@>A@DFC6]k^Am
kAm“%96 4@>A@DFC6 E9:?8[ E92E C62==J 9:ED 9@>6 H:E9 >6[” D2:5 zJ=6 |24s@?2=5[ E96 $62 s@8D’ 5:C64E@C @7 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 8@2=:6 4@249] “x E9:?< 96’D 2 8FJ E92E 2E E9:D =6G6=[ 96 8:G6D J@F 2 492?46 E@ H:? 6G6CJ ?:89E[ 2?5 96 92D D@ >F49 6IA6C:6?46 E@ 5C2H @?]”k^Am
kAm|6=@496 92D D9@H42D65 C6>2C<23=6 4@?D:DE6?4J 😕 E96 “|yw{[ A@DE:?8 ?62C=J :56?E:42= ?F>36CD 6249 @7 9:D EH@ 42>A2:8?D]k^Am
kAmw6 H@? bb 82>6D =2DE D62D@?[ E9C66 >@C6 E92? 9:D C@@<:6 J62C] w6 A@DE65 2? ]ghf D2G6 A6C46?E286 😕 a_ad\ae[ E9C66 A@:?ED =@H6C E92? 9:D 7:CDE D62D@?] w:D 8@2=D\282:?DE 2G6C286[ >62?H9:=6[ 5C@AA65 `d A@:?ED E@ a]fd =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm}2EFC2==J[ |6=@496 36=:6G6D 9:D 6IA6C:6?46 92D 96=A65 9:> >2EFC6]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< >2J36 C625D 2?5 9@H E@ A=2J E96 82>6[ 9@H E@ 2AAC@249 E96 82>6[” 96 D2:5 @7 E96 2C62D 96 92D :>AC@G65] “p =@E @7 >6?E2= DEF77 E92E J@F 5@?’E ?646DD2C:=J D66 @? E96 :46]”k^Am
kAm$2:?E y@9?[ H9:49 EC2565 2 D=6H @7 5C27E A:4
kAm“(96? J@F =@@< 2E 2 8@2=:6 2E E92E 286 E92E … 92D `_`\C68F=2C D62D@? 82>6D 2?5 2?@E96C b_ 82>6D @7 A=2J@77 6IA6C:6?46 😕 E92E D9@CE 7C2>6 @7 E:>6[ x E9:?< E92E 😕 :ED6=7 😀 2 9F86 <:?5 @7 2DD6E E@ 82:? 2D 2 E62>[” |24s@?2=5 D2:5] “(6 92G6 2 =@E @7 8@@5[ J@F?8[ D<:==65 A=2J6CD @? @FC E62>[ 2?5 x E9:?< 92G:?8 D@>6@?6 H:E9 $2>’D A65:8C66 😀 8@:?8 E@ 36 9F86[ 6G6? 7@C @FC =6256CD9:A 8C@FA]”k^Am
kAm|6=@496 😀 6IA64E65 E@ A=2J ;FDE @?6 D62D@? 😕 $2:?E y@9?] w6 A=2?D E@ 2EE6?5 }@CE962DE6C? &?:G6CD:EJ 😕 q@DE@? 368:??:?8 😕 E96 a_af\ag D62D@?]k^Am
kAmw6 4@F=5?’E A2DD FA A=2J:?8 😕 E96 }rpp[ 2 ?6H @AE:@? 7@C >2;@C ;F?:@C A=2J6CD E@ 4@?E:?F6 E96:C 56G6=@A>6?E 282:?DE >6?]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8C62E 7@C 6G6CJ@?6[ 6DA64:2==J 8@2=E6?56CD[ 3642FD6 2D H6 @H[ :E E2<6D =@?86C E@ 56G6=@A[” |6=@496 D2:5] “… xE’D 25G2?E286@FD 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 E92E J@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ CFD9 E@ D:8? J@FC 4@?EC24E 2?5 EFC? AC@ 62C=J] *@F 42? W92G6X 2 4@FA=6 >@C6 J62CD E@ 56G6=@A 2?5 <66A 8C@H:?8 J@FC 82>6]”k^Am
kAm•••k^Am
kAm#@496DE6C p>6C:42?D 4@249 |:<6 {6@?6 D2:5 uC:52J 8@2=:6 AC@DA64E %@A:2D {6:?@?6? DF776C65 2 =@H6C\3@5J :?;FCJ 5FC:?8 DF>>6C EC2:?:?8 2?5 H:== “>:DD 2 =:EE=6 E:>6]”k^Am