from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

The Buffalo Sabres’ Prospects Challenge began on Friday. It’s one of several pre-training camp tournaments consisting of recent draft picks, young free agents and a bunch of players few have heard of.

Didn’t matter. Scotty Bowman was there watching.

Bowman will return to his winter home in Sarasota next month and attend most of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s home games like he has for years. When they’re on the road, he’ll watch games on TV. When he wants to enjoy the Florida weather, he’ll record games to watch later.

The NHL’s all-time winningest coach, who won three of his record nine Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, 1998 and 2002, turns 90 on Monday but remains energetic and passionate about the game.

“I like to go to the games,” Bowman said. “It keeps you young.

“I don’t know what else I’d do. It keeps you busy, which is good. You don’t sit around.”

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