As the Buffalo Sabres look to turn the page and begin the new era with the return of Lindy Ruff, one player that should have an impact is forward, Alex Tuch. He has been a steady presence for Buffalo on the ice. For the community though, he has made an even greater impact in Western New York as well.
Tuch established the AT9 foundation, which assists children who are struggling with many challenges, mainly focus on children's cancer research. He has been using his platform to impact Western New York since he joined the organization in 2021.
Last season, he donated a suite for 10 home games to multiple charities throughout the year. Also, through his foundation, he hosted a toy drive during the holiday season. "Everything that we were able to do this year from the toy drive to the tickets to the games and stuff, it was really special," said Tuch via NHL.com. His foundation also donated $120,000 to the Upstate Golisano Center for Special Needs in Syracuse, NY.
Later this week, the 22-goal scorer from a year ago, is slated to throw out the first pitch at the Buffalo Bisons baseball game
On September 7th, Tuch will be at Sahlen's Field in Buffalo. His presence and impact has not been lost on the Sabres organization for the fanbase. The Sabres announced him as the nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy last year. The award is presented to one NHL player every year who worked well within their community. It was his second consecutive nomination for the award.
The Sabres fans in addition also named Tuch the recipient of the 2023-24 Rick Martin Memorial Award. It is rewarded by the fanbase to the player who they believe best represents the community both on and off the ice.
As the Sabres gear up for training camp and the preseason, they will be looking to leaders to start the season. The fanbase will also be looking to find a player to capture their imagination as the season gets under way. Tuch, it seems will continue to do both.