‘His own identity’ | Jacob Biron returns to Sabres ice

Jacob Biron is well acquainted with LECOM Harborcenter. The 21-year-old remembers watching Sabres players and prospects practice on one rink and playing for the Junior Sabres on the other.

But the goaltender had never experienced the facility like this. The son of former Sabres goalie and current broadcaster Marty Biron, Jacob was invited to participate in this week’s Development Camp.

“It wasn’t too long ago I was on the other side of the glass watching Development Camp, so to get the call saying, ‘Hey, do you want to come play, put on the jersey for a week?,’ it was a dream come true, an absolute pleasure,” said Jacob, who’s entering his junior year at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

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Jacob was two-and-a-half years old when a February 2007 trade ended his dad’s Sabres tenure, so his memories of Marty, the player, mostly involve the Flyers, Islanders and Rangers. But as he’s grown up in East Aurora and progressed to college hockey, he’s taken full advantage of having an NHL goalie at home.

“It’s a rare luxury that most people don’t have, to have somebody like your dad have done what you’re trying to do, and help you along the way,” Jacob said. “I talk to him every day, pretty much, about hockey. After a game, I’ll call him and be like, ‘Hey, what did you see?’ And he’ll give me little things.”

Does Marty see similarities between his goaltending style and his son’s, having offered so many pointers over the years?

“Everybody’s so much better (now) than we were. You look at the technique. He’s big, way bigger than I was,” said the 48-year-old – he’s 6-foot-2, Jacob 6-foot-4. “We had that old-school style with the two-pad stack and the diving and all of that. He has that to his game, but I think it’s a lot better, so that’s good.”

Sabres director of player development Tim Kennedy, who once coached a young Jacob, spoke this week about the challenge of working with prospects from afar. It takes frequent communication, he explained, to stay on the same page with a player’s team coaches and avoid contradicting one another.

It’s a similar dynamic with the coaching staff at Army, which respects Marty’s expertise from 508 games in net across 16 NHL seasons.

“Everybody picks his brain a little bit when it comes to hockey, because who better to pick the brain of than him?” said Jacob, who has a .920 save percentage in seven college appearances.

Added Marty: “I’m still a resource, but I’m not the coach. I’m not gonna go home today and be like, ‘Hey, let’s review the tape from this 3-on-3.’ No, that’s not what it’s about.”

Fatherly advice has its limits, and Marty never experienced anything like Jacob does at West Point. Just last week, he had field training, which meant five days carrying 80 pounds worth of food, water, weapons and ammunition on his back through the woods. Whereas goaltending stresses the hips and cardio, field training was more a test of perseverance.

Juniors at West Point commit to post-graduation service as army officers. Loopholes exist, and professional athletes often find a way to continue their careers, but Jacob might be beginning an adult life much different from his dad’s. And that’s just fine with the Biron family.

“I think he’s developed himself into his own identity, his own everything,” Marty said. “Obviously, when he’s here, it’s cool, but he’s not wearing 43 or 00 (Marty’s NHL numbers) or whatever. At Army, he’s No. 1. Here, they gave him 35. It’s all good. All my kids (Jacob and three younger daughters), they all have parts of me and their mom, but they all have their own identity, which is awesome.”

Some of the Development Camp roster, like fellow locals Patrick Geary and Gavin McCarthy, know Jacob’s background. Others, like fourth-overall pick Daxon Rudolph, were fascinated to find out. Jacob is still a passionate Sabres fan and enjoyed every second of the 2026 playoff run, even though he could only attend the Game 2 loss to Montreal.

So, while such an upbringing has had its benefits, the confident, well-spoken goalie is intentional about being not just Marty Biron’s son, but Jacob Biron.

“I’m always grateful and thankful for what my dad’s done for me and the road he’s paved,” he said. “But for me, it was really important to earn my way to where I am today. Just putting in that extra hour of work, getting on the ice a little extra time. That’s the mentality I had growing up, and still in college hockey.”