Dear Buffalo | A letter from Tage Thompson 

Dear Buffalo,

We’ve spent a lot of time this past month talking about expectations, and how they’re a privilege.

Kevyn and Donny laid it out for us right from the start. People expect success from us now, and that’s a testament to our work ethic and everything we’ve put into getting this organization on track.

I can promise you two things about our group: that nobody has higher expectations than the people inside our room, and that we are embracing our situation.

It’s a privilege to play for a city that loves this sport as much as we do. The sabrehood. We’ve talked about these two games before, but RJ Night and Ryan Miller Night have created a lasting impression on all our minds. Those were two of the loudest buildings I’ve played in. Anywhere.

I think the possibility that we could earn a crowd like that every single night is what gets us the most excited. I can’t overstate how much of an advantage that will be for us. Having 19,070 people behind us can break the will of an opposing team, and it gives us so much energy. 

We feel it coming. Everywhere I go these days, I get stopped by people who say how excited they are for the season and how they can’t wait to watch us. I know everyone here has been starving for a winner, and they feel like the time is now. We love that.

It’s a privilege to grow up with a group of guys and have the opportunity to build something together. Mittsy, Ras, Skinny, Vic – we’ve all been here since 2018. Okie and Gussy have obviously been here longer. And then over the last two years, we’ve just kept adding so many great people who care like we do. I could name every single player in our room and they fit into that category.

We take the responsibility of representing this organization personally. We finished in last place three years ago. Then we got a little better the next year and started to realize what we were capable of. And then last season, to get within one point of the playoffs – it’s a rewarding feeling to reflect on that growth, because it’s something we’ve earned through a lot of hard work.

And we’re not where we want to be yet. Not even close. To fall short last season and then watch Florida make the run it made was difficult. But we learned so much from that experience. We saw how thin margins can be in this league, and how much of a battle it will be every night. There are no easy points. I know that experience will help us when we get into those situations this year.

It’s a privilege to have the organization put its trust into us long-term. To have Cozey, Sammy, Ras, OP, and myself all under contract here for the foreseeable future allows us to focus on our common goal, which is bringing the Stanley Cup to Buffalo. Kevyn and the Pegula family have shown that they believe in the people in this room, and now it’s on us to do it.

Most of all, it’s a privilege to call this city home. That’s what Buffalo has become to me, and to so many of us. My son is being raised here and our next child will be born here. The people here are just so genuine – whether they come up to us at the mall or a restaurant, it’s always in a way that makes my wife and I feel so comfortable. Rachel and I look forward to coming back here every September.

It’s a privilege to want to win for you all. And we hope to do just that. See you tonight, and let’s go Buffalo.

- Tage Thompson