Buffalo Sabres first round pick Konsta Helenius makes strong first impression

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — You only get one chance at a first impression and Buffalo Sabres forward Konsta Helenius made the most of his. On Thursday, Helenius shined in the final day of Sabres development camp during the 3-on-3 tournament. It's been a whirlwind week and a half for the 18-year-old, but he's loving every second of it.

"Fun week with a lot of great players," Helenius said after development camp came to an end. "It was fun to be on the ice with the other players."

Helenius had the highlight of the day in the first game of the tournament, sealing the win with a pretty move in the shootout. Helenius helped his team (Team Perreault) win every game they played on Thursday and earn the French Connection Prospect Tournament Trophy.

"I think I did a good job," Helenius said. "It was a little bit different than playing with the men in Finland but I like that."

"You can see the skill set," Rochester Americans head coach Michael Leone said. "You know, he's playing with men in the Finnish pro league and had a really good day today. I thought (of) the days I watched he was really good today."

Helenius will now head home after a nine-day stretch that had him traveling from his hometown in Finland, to Las Vegas, and then to Buffalo. He will work with a trainer this summer as he prepares for training camp.

2024 third round pick Brodie Ziemer also had a strong performance in the tournament, capping off a strong week for the 18-year-old Minnesota native.

"Yeah, it was awesome," Ziemer said. "This 3-on-3 tournament was great and obviously the fan support was really special and it was a packed crowd and that made it even better."

Tickets to Thursday's tournament were free and more than 1,200 fans showed up to watch the Sabres. In total, 29 players participated in the four-day long development camp at LECOM HARBORCENTER.