Two uninterrupted summers of training have helped Jack Quinn turn added strength into a productive start for the Buffalo Sabres, with his offseason work stretching from an Ontario gym to ice sessions in Sweden.
The 25-year-old forward had nine goals and seven assists through 17 games in a Nov. 10 feature by Sabres.com reporter Jane McNally. His trainer and Buffalo’s strength staff described a player better equipped to protect the puck, withstand contact and create room for his shot.
Healthy summers restore time lost to injuries
Quinn’s progress followed two offseasons disrupted by injuries. He underwent an Achilles procedure in 2023 and another lower-body surgery less than a year later, limiting the training he could complete during that period.
Quinn told Sabres.com that having two full summers to work on his strength and speed had made a substantial difference. His longtime trainer, Tony Greco, estimated that Quinn had added more than 10 pounds of muscle over those two years.
Greco has worked with Quinn since his Ontario Hockey League days, helping him prepare for the 2020 draft and later assisting with his Achilles rehabilitation. Buffalo selected Quinn eighth overall in that draft.
After Buffalo’s 2026 playoff run, Quinn returned to Greco’s studio in Manotick, Ontario, earlier than the trainer expected. Greco described an athlete eager to resume demanding workouts.
That preparation has carried into the season, according to Jake Nitsche, the Sabres’ head strength and conditioning coach. Nitsche told Sabres.com that Quinn had continued improving in the gym while maintaining the explosiveness that supports his offensive skill.
A program built around hockey movements
Greco’s offseason program runs 10 weeks and is divided into five training blocks designed to build toward NHL training camp. Players lift for about an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with Tuesdays and Thursdays devoted to additional conditioning and movement work.
Those sessions include sprints, lunges and combinations of weighted and bodyweight exercises. Greco emphasizes quick changes of direction and lateral and forward power, aiming to prepare players for the short, forceful movements required during games.
The strength gains have been substantial. Greco reported that Quinn, at 185 pounds, could lift a maximum of 520 pounds with a hex bar. The trainer’s usual benchmark is roughly twice an athlete’s body weight for one to three repetitions.
Nitsche cautioned that lifting alone does not create hockey skill.
“Strength training is not going to make you a better hockey player, but it gives you the tools to maximize what you have from a talent perspective,” Nitsche told Sabres.com.
He said Quinn appeared faster and more stable through contact, allowing him to create space and make better use of his existing abilities.
Training extends beyond the gym
Quinn also sought challenging on-ice work away from home. He stayed with teammate Ryan McLeod during a week at the Muskoka Hockey pro camp, skating alongside players including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, John Tavares and Taylor Hall.
For each of the past two summers, Quinn also traveled to Gothenburg to train with Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. Quinn described those trips as centered on hockey and golf rather than sightseeing.
“His summers (are) all about getting better, and he’ll go across the world if that’s what it takes,” Dahlin told Sabres.com.
Teammates see the work translating
The Nov. 10 feature pointed to Quinn’s puck protection during Buffalo’s Nov. 6 win over Columbus as an example of his improved strength. Before assisting on Josh Doan’s goal, Quinn held the puck through pressure in the corner and moved it toward the net.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson said Quinn presents multiple problems in practice: He can challenge a defender one-on-one, shoot through traffic or move around an opponent. That variety makes it difficult to anticipate his next play.
Samuelsson, a former roommate who also played with Quinn in Rochester, described a teammate who studies games closely and spends extra time refining his shot, skating and strength.
The injuries brought a difficult mental burden as well as time away from the ice, Samuelsson told Sabres.com. Seeing Quinn produce after that recovery made the early results especially meaningful.
For Buffalo’s staff and teammates, the scoring surge reflects years of preparation finally receiving a healthier runway. The early numbers capture one stretch of a season; the strength, habits and ability to handle contact are the gains they see supporting Quinn’s continued development.
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