Former Portage Terrier goaltender Jason Kasdorf’s dream is one step closer to a life-time dream: playing in the NHL.
The native of Winnipeg recently signed his first NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres earlier this week. It is an entry level deal that will take him to the end of this season, at which point he will become a restricted free agent.
“It’s a dream come true,” Kasdorf told Portage OnLine. “It’s what you work for everday. It’s what you dream about when you are a kid. Just thinking about the NHL it’s what you watch on TV every day. Being at this level it’s amazing just having this opportunity, I want to make the most of it, and learn as much as I can while I am up here.”
With the regular-season fast coming to an end, he is hoping to see some action in the Sabres net.
“They said they would like to get me into a game, which would be really cool. They said there are no guarantees obviously I have to go out practice and do well and earn that game. I guess time will tell.”
Kasdorf was originally a draft of the Winnipeg Jets (157th overall in the 6th round in 2011), but was traded to Buffalo in a multi-player deal which included Evander Kane, Tyler Meyers and Drew Stafford.
Kasdorf played for the Portage Terriers from 2009-2011 and posted a 2.53 GAA and a .912 save percentage in his final season. One of his shining moments was posting a shutout win in game 7 of the ANAVET Cup against LaRonge in 2011.
Kasdorf went on to play in the USHL for the Des Moines Buccaneers for the 2011-12 season and most recently was playing in the NCAA division 1 for the RPI Engineers.
RPI recently lost their quarter final match against Harvard on March 12th, ending their season. With one year left of college eligibility, Kasdorf’s agent presented him with the offer from the Sabres, and he felt that it was the best move for him and his wife.
