Buffalo’s fourth-round selection in 2018, Matej Pekar, is set to join Rochester.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester Americans General Manager Randy Sexton announced today that the Buffalo Sabres have reassigned forward Matej Pekar to the Amerks.
“We’re pleased that Matej will be joining us in Rochester as part of continuing his development process,” said Sexton. “He is coming off a long-term injury, so whether he plays games remains to be seen. More importantly, he’ll have the opportunity to immerse himself in the pro hockey environment, which we believe is a critical component of any young player’s development.”
Pekar, 19, recently completed his first season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), recording 36 points (14+22) in 33 games. The 6-foot-0, 175-pound forward posted nine multi-point games during the 2018-19 campaign, which included five three-point games. He opened the slate with a season-long six-game point streak where he totaled 10 points (5+5) from Sept. 20 to Oct. 6.
Prior to joining the Colts, the Turnov, Czech Republic, native spent the 2017-18 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks (UHSL), where he finished second on the team with 54 points (14+40) in 56 games, earning USHL Rookie of the Year honors. Pekar’s 40 assists, which led all Lumberjacks, ranked fourth in the USHL while his 54 points were tied for 12th-most in the league.
Internationally, Pekar has represented the Czech Republic on multiple occasions, most recently at the 2019 IIHF World U-20 Championship. He was also a member of the 2018 U-18 team and helped the Czechs to a second-place finish at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Pekar was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the fourth round (94th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.