Tyler Ennis

Bio Most Buffalo Sabres fans weren’t aware of the young talent playing for their AHL affiliate for some time. Now, Ennis’ future looks bright after a breakout season in Buffalo. 

Standing at 5’9” and weighing 157 pounds, Ennis is not the biggest skater, but his quick and smart play keeps him ahead of the pack.

“His top-end skill is the best in the AHL,” Buffalo’s head of pro scouting Jon Christiano told The Hockey News. “He has quick hands, quick feet. He makes more NHL plays than any player at that level.”

In the 2007-08 season, Ennis was fourth in the WHL in scoring with 91 points, attracting the attention of the Buffalo Sabres in the process.

The next season, Ennis finished tenth in scoring with 85 in just 61 games. Ennis, a native of Edmonton, was ranked 29th in The Hockey News’ 2010 “Future Watch.”

On Nov. 14, 2009, Ennis laced up his skates for the first time in the NHL against the Philadelphia Flyers. Ennis arrived just minutes before warm-ups, but that didn’t stop the young Sabre from impressing the whole organization.

That night Ennis scored his first NHL goal and Buffalo won the game 3-2. “You dream of playing in the NHL, and that first goal was just indescribable,” Ennis said. “It was really just extreme excitement hopping on the ice for the first time, a pretty awesome feeling.”