Check to head knocks Sabres topline winger JJ Peterka out of game
Oct 05, 2024
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Sabres forward JJ Peterka sustained a concussion from taking a hard hit to the head by Devils defenseman Brendan Dillon during Saturday's game in Prague, Czech Republic.
Buffalo's leading scorer last season with 28 goals, Peterka was knocked down by Dillon's check while skating through the neutral zone in the first period of New Jersey's 3-1 victory. Peterka grabbed the back of his head upon landing, and he was assisted to the bench by Sabres teammates Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, while Alex Tuch instigated a fight with Dillon.
Dillon received a two-minute penalty for interference after officials reviewed video replays and determined that Dillon's check did not merit a major penalty.
Jordan Greenway moved up to take Peterka's right wing spot on Buffalo's top line. Second-line winger Zach Benson was scratched with a lower-body injury that occurred during Friday's 4-1 lead. Rookie Juri Kulich, a Czech Republic native, skated in Benson's place.
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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.