BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Lindy Ruff, a Sabres captain of yesteryear, recognized the leadership quality of star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin early in his return to Buffalo. “He does everything right, first and foremost,” the coach said. “His on-ice action has been incredible, and I think he’s a guy that leads in every category, from the way he prepares himself to the way he plays and the fact that he’s a guy who cares about winning hockey games.” Dahlin's status among his Sabres teammates now will be emblazoned on his chest after being named the 21st captain in club history on Thursday. ‘It’s easy to follow a guy like that’: Rasmus Dahlin evolving as Sabres leader “It’s been a joy through these opening weeks of training camp to see Lindy experience firsthand what so many of us in our organization have felt when it comes to Rasmus Dahlin’s work ethic, competitive drive, and devotion to the Buffalo Sabres,” general manager Kevyn Adams said. “Rasmus sets the tone for our team each and every day with how he prepares and competes. He is respected by his teammates and coaches, both for his actions at the rink and his commitment to our Western New York community. “We are so proud to have a player and person of Rasmus’ caliber wear the “C” and lead our team into the future.” Rasmus Dahlin returns to practice as Sabres embark for Europe An alternate captain and Buffalo's All-Star representative for the past three seasons, Dahlin has been "a gamechanger each and every night," said top-line winger Alex Tuch, who will serve as an alternate captain, along with centers Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozen, and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. “His consistency on the compete factor has been incredible ever since I got into town, and I’ve seen it grow and just blossom into the players that he’s become. He’s an incredible player, but he’s also an incredible individual," Tuch said. “To be able to go along into battle beside him has been a great honor, honestly, ever since I got in. And he’s raised my level of compete and he’s made me want to be a better player, and that’s what he does to each and every guy.” *** Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.