Buffalo Sabres: Taylor Fedun's Story of Perseverance

While signing Taylor Fedun may not seem like much on the surface, his journey to the Buffalo Sabres is a remarkable story of someone who refused to quit on his dream to play in the NHL.

The Buffalo Sabres undoubtedly made the biggest splash in free agency on Friday, with the signing of Kyle Okposo. However, they also made some other moves, including bringing in Taylor Fedun on a two-way contract.

The move was confirmed by John Vogl of The Buffalo News. In the grand scheme of things, the signing of Fedun is about adding depth to the Sabres blue line.

However, the fact the 28-year old is even in a position to come to Western New York, is remarkable in itself. His is a story of someone who battled against the odds, to make his dream of playing in the NHL come true.

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Despite being considered too small to play hockey, Fedun began his journey to the NHL, with three seasons in the AJHL. After this, he went to Princeton University to play Division I hockey for the Tigers.

It was during this time that the Edmonton, Alberta native started to draw attention to himself. After an impressive season in 2010-11, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Edmonton Oilers.

From there, Fedun impressed at the 2011 Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, BC and continued to stand out during the Oilers pre-season games. Unfortunately, with him on the verge of making the opening night roster for the 2011-12 season, disaster struck:

The injury resulted in the 2010-11 All-ECAC Hockey First Team selection missing the entire season. More importantly, it could have cost him his hockey career.

However, Fedun showed tremendous resolve, refusing to give in to what was a serious injury. The following year Todd Nelson, coach for the Oilers AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City, discussed his player’s rehab with Oilers Nation.

Nelson said: “Obviously we’re dealing with a player who went through a lot, and I think he’s made tremendous strides. I think right now he’s a step away from where he was last year before he got injured, but that’s going to come over time.”

When the Ukrainian-Canadian finally made his NHL debut during the 2013-14 campaign, it started in storybook fashion, with two goals in his first two games. Since then, he has made a further 10 appearances at the top level with the Oilers, Sharks and Canucks, and has seven points in total.

Overall, while Fedun will likely never make a consistent impact in the NHL, he is a responsible defenseman, who moves the puck well. More importantly, he has the mental fortitude that the Sabres hope will rub off on the rest of the roster – we wish him the best of luck in Buffalo.

Next: Kyle Okposo signing a significant step for the Sabres

The signing of Fedun is mostly about adding depth to the blue line. However, what are your thoughts on what he brings to Buffalo and what he has been through, to get to this point? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Buffalo Sabres: Taylor Fedun’s Story of Perseverance

By Paul Taylor | Jul 2, 2016

While signing Taylor Fedun may not seem like much on the surface, his journey to the Buffalo Sabres is a remarkable story of someone who refused to quit on his dream to play in the NHL.