Dan Hamilton / USA Today Sports
There are few 19-year-olds with the balance and maturity that Owen Power possesses.
But Owen Power is not your normal teenager. Heck, he’s 6-foot-6 and 214 pounds. And with hundreds of friends and family present, mostly seated around Section 110, Power showed why he has been so highly regarded for many years now.
And really, when you get out of there by two points while shutting down one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL, you can call it a success. He took his solo round to one of the loudest roars you want here from an opposing team’s audience, rookie or not. Power grew up less than 20 minutes away in Mississauga and played his minor hockey with the Mississauga Reps, making his presence known at an early age. So when Power’s NCAA season ended too early last week, there was no better place for him to make his NHL debut.
The arena he grew up visiting against the team he grew up watching.
“I had no doubt that in his mind he has practiced being in (Scotiabank Arena) many times. And he looked like that,” Granato said. “He looked really natural from the puck. He’s a very balanced person.”
Power played on Buffalo’s second pairing alongside Henri Jokiharju and had a respectable debut in a 5-2 victory for Buffalo. The 6-foot-6 defender made a couple of good plays, including interrupting a pass between Auston Matthews and Mark Giordano early in the game.
“He has such a calmness about him, such a presence for him,” coach Don Granato said after the match. “He has the ability to slow down the game around him. I’ve seen that presence in him for so long. I knew he would get a sense of pace right away.”
When power speaks, you notice it. He is eloquent, clever and clearly one who is not fascinated by the limelight. It’s easy to get lost in the moment once you’ve made the big show, especially against one of the biggest hockey markets in the world.
If Power were, you would not know.
“I was pretty calm, there would be some nerves, but not so bad,” Power said after the match, before visiting his supporters.
There was no doubt that Power was ready to play against men. Power was one of Canada’s best players at the World Cup for men in 2021, leading Canada to an unexpected gold after starting slowly. Power played a more in-depth role in the beginning, but forced coach Gerard Gallant to use him more in larger moments. He then played a major role for Canada at the Beijing Winter Olympics before an early exit. Both times, Power showed why he was one of the best prospects in the game, and had he really wanted to, he could have taken the immediate leap to the NHL with Buffalo for his rookie season.
Power would not have played in Beijing if he had been in the NHL. Instead, he would have half an NHL season to spare, which, if you like math, is a much larger sample size against men than what Power had before Tuesday. But instead, Power had to be leading Canada at the Olympics and the short-lived world championship for juniors before embarking on a Frozen Four race with the University of Michigan, which eventually ended prematurely.
Still, no matter how prepared you may be, it can be shocking to meet the top scorer in the league every time you play. But Power thrived, and with 19:50 ice time, including 1:29, while short, he was given these opportunities to learn and adapt in style.
“He’s smooth, clear … there’s no panic in his game. I feel like he’s already been in the league for 10 years,” said striker Alex Tuch.
Power will end the season and likely earn more ice time on a nightly basis over the next seven games. A decision on his participation with Canada’s World Cup team has not been made yet, but it’s hard to imagine Hockey Canada not calling him. And then the real challenge begins in September, as he tries to make a presence at training camp before joining a Calder Trophy match featuring Shane Wright, Kent Johnson, Matty Beniers, Jake Sanderson and Mason McTavish, to name a few.
If all goes according to plan – and that’s something Buffalo fans have been hearing for a few years now – Power and the Sabers will once again be in top contention. The team is far from perfect, highlighted by a 25th place finish. But the team promises, with people like Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens Rasmus Dahlin and Peyton Krebs helping to form the core. The team will get another high choice and another valued lead over time.
But Power is perhaps the best. And his story has only just begun.
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