Jackson Nieuwendyk didn’t ignore the irony that came with his visit last summer to Canisius College. A hockey recruit with one of the more unique and recognizable names in the sport, he made a recruiting visit to the same city where his father, Joe, won a Stanley Cup.
When he met with Canisius’ coaches in Buffalo, he said he was forewarned that his name might draw some ire among the Buffalo Sabres faithful.
His father was the most valuable player of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final when the Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres.
Barczewski is the Atlantic Hockey Association’s active leader in wins (28), saves (1,784) and games played (68).
“I haven’t heard from many people about it yet,” Jackson Nieuwendyk said, laughing. “But we were talking about that when I was visiting Canisius, and it was brought up and someone said to me, ‘Well, there might be some people that are still sour about that.’ ”
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More than two decades later, Brett Hull’s winning goal in Game 6 of the 1999 final is still a sore point for many Buffalonians, who still believe the tally should have been waved off because Hull’s right foot was in the crease as he beat Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek.
The humorous warning didn’t deter the younger Nieuwendyk, who plans to sign this week with the Griffs as part of their incoming 2023 freshman class.
“It’s a great spot,” said Nieuwendyk, a center who plays for the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League. “I really liked the city of Buffalo and the coaches at Canisius were all really good guys, and they look like they’ll have a really good program there.”
The early signing period for all sports outside of football begins Wednesday, runs through Nov. 16 for basketball, and and runs through Aug. 1, for all other sports. Several local high school athletes are expected to sign with Big 4 programs and beyond, including Hamburg basketball player Clara Strack with Virginia Tech and Grand Island soccer star Ella Rudney with Nebraska.
In women’s basketball, first-year University at Buffalo coach Becky Burke will officially have her first full recruiting class, which will include JaKayla Thompson and Timberlynn Yeast, whom the Louisville Courier-Journal named as two of Kentucky’s top 20 girls basketball prospects this season.
Of the out-of-town athletes who will join Big 4 programs for the 2023-24 school year, few have a more notable name than Nieuwendyk, whose father played for five NHL teams from 1987-2006, won the Stanley Cup three times and won an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 2002.
After he retired in December 2006, Joe Nieuwendyk joined the Florida Panthers’ front office as a consultant, then was assistant to the general manager with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the Stars’ general manager from 2009-13, and was a pro scout and advisor for the Carolina Hurricanes from 2014-18.
Nieuwendyk, though, is also following the path his father took. Joe Nieuwendyk played college hockey at Cornell from 1984-87 and was a two-time All-American at Cornell and a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 1987.
However, Joe Nieuwendyk said, he and his wife, Tina, didn’t pressure Jackson to go in a certain direction in hockey. The Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League drafted Jackson Nieuwendyk in May 2017, and when he visited the WHL team, he thought that was initially where he would next play hockey. After some thought, he knew he needed time to develop, athletically and professionally, and he joined the Vees for the 2021-22 season.
It was 20 years ago Wednesday when the Sabres suffered an indignity unmatched in the annals of the NHL when they lost the 1999 Stanley Cup final on Brett Hull’s goal in triple overtime of Game
“I didn’t grow until my first year at Cornell,” said Joe Nieuwendyk, who grew up in the Toronto suburbs. “We were 17, 18 years old when we got to college back then, and now they’re 20, 21. But Jack knew he needed time to develop. The college hockey route, it gives you the opportunity to pursue something academically and gives you play the chance to play the sport you love. And how wonderful is that, getting four years to play hockey, work on yourself and be with friends?”
Jackson Nieuwendyk describes himself as a two-way center who has quickness and is always on the move.
He scored nine goals and 13 assists in 52 regular season games in 2021-22, and found a spark in the playoffs, as he scored eight goals and six assists in 17 games to help the Vees win the BCHL championship in May. He’s scored seven goals and eight assists in 16 games this season, and sees room for growth in his offensive game.
“We’re a team that scores a lot of goals, so I want to add to my offensive side,” he said. “That’s helped a lot, and so has the winning culture here. They know what it takes to win, and we won 16 in a row in the playoffs.”
Jackson Nieuwendyk’s teammates with the Vees include Joshua Niedermayer, the son of Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer, and Beanie Richter, the son of United States Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Mike Richter.
He’ll join the Golden Griffins as a center and could see some playing time early; of the five fifth-year seniors on the Canisius roster, four are forwards.
LECOM Harborcenter is Canisius’ home rink and is next door to KeyBank Center, the arena where the Stars won the Stanley Cup on June 19, 1999, on that perpetually and hotly debated goal.
Per NHL rules, Hull was in possession of the puck, which caromed off his right foot and onto his stick as Sabres center Brian Holzinger went to defend on the play. In a matter of seconds, Hull scored the game-winning goal in the third overtime of Game 6.
Joe Nieuwendyk still hears about that fateful night for Sabres fans at the former HSBC Arena.
“There are a lot of times I’ll cross the border by car and the border agent will say, ‘No Goal,’ ” he said, laughing. “We have that history, for sure, but I’ve always had a lot of respect for the Buffalo franchise, and they’re up-and-coming again. The timing of everything is really good for Jack, to come up around that.”
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