Sabres center Josh Norris returns from injury, matches career-best with 3 points

By Canadian Press on December 1, 2025.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo center Josh Norris matched his career-best single game points total in the Sabres’ 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, making a triumphant return to the lineup after sustaining an upper-body injury in the team’s season opener.

Norris scored two goals and assisted on the opening goal 2:46 into the game. His second goal gave the Sabres a commanding 5-1 lead less than a minute into the third period. It was Norris’ sixth three-point game and his first since Jan. 30 against Washington while playing for Ottawa.

That same game was the last time he also had a goal and an assist in the opening period.

The 26-year-old Norris, a first-round draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2017, has struggled with injuries and appeared in only his fifth game with Buffalo since being acquired in a trade last season. The Sabres are his first new team after spending parts of his first six season with the Senators. They have been waiting for him to take on a larger role, so this game could give him some much-needed momentum.

Norris was injured in the season-opening 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 9.

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The Associated Press