Catching Up With Doug Bodger of the 90's Sabres (S7 E21)

February 5, 2026·1 hr 5 min·5 clips

Doug Bodger, the fifth-leading scorer among defensemen in Sabres history, returns to discuss the team's surprising turnaround.

The episode opens with hosts Brendan and Taylor welcoming Doug Bodger for what they believe is his fifth appearance on the show. Bodger, living in Vancouver, says he watches Sabres games when they air at four o'clock local time and has followed their recent surge, including narrow results against Florida and Tampa Bay. He praises their transition speed and goaltending. The conversation moves to the Sabres' struggling power play, where Bodger draws on his experience under coach John Tortorella in Buffalo, describing how Tortorella built in a structure but told the unit — which included Pat LaFontaine, Alexander Mogilny, Dave Andreychuk, and Dale Hawerchuk — to read what the defense gave them rather than execute a fixed script. Bodger attributes current power play inconsistency to the inherent streakiness of the system, not personnel failure. He discusses Lindy Ruff's return as head coach and characterizes him as old-school, calm, and focused on getting players to trust themselves and play free rather than overloading them with systems. Bodger talks about the current Sabres' resurgence and their ability to come back from deficits, connecting it to a broader principle that team confidence is built through making plays, not through encouragement. He shares a similar experience from his early Pittsburgh years alongside Lemieux when the Penguins could not hold leads. The hosts ask about the Sabres' young defensive corps: Bodger is enthusiastic about Rasmus Dahlin's skating and rush-joining, notes Mattias Samuelson's breakout season, and gives a measured assessment of Owen Power as a steady, skating defenseman who may not be the power-play force originally anticipated. He reflects on how young defensemen need time to develop and how patience from coaches and organizations matters. On Alexander Mogilny's Hall of Fame induction, Bodger says he was not surprised Mogilny did not attend — describing it as 'true Mogilny fashion' — and says Mogilny's 76-goal season came from a combination of hands, speed, a distinctive backhand move through the goalie's legs, and a quick release that defenders could predict but not stop. He credits Mogilny's Soviet hockey background for his skill set and says he remains a talking point in Vancouver, where Mogilny also played.

As heard by us

Doug Bodger's Sabres history powers a grounded conversation about development and role fit.

The episode works best when Doug Bodger leans on long memory and keeps the talk practical. His take on the Sabres, especially around young defensemen and what a role can realistically ask of them, keeps the conversation anchored in hockey rather than nostalgia.

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Why you'd press play

Doug Bodger weighs the Sabres' past, present, and young defensemen.

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