NHL prospect Jeremy Davies is old school.
The Buffalo Sabers sent the left-shot defenseman a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 on July 13, the opening day of free agency. But when Davies received the contract, he didn’t want to sign it electronically. He wanted to print, sign and scan it back to the Sabres.
His only dilemma: He didn’t own a printer.
“We have to go to Staples,” Davies said to his girlfriend, Erin Lynch.
“Let’s go right now,” Lynch responded.
Within half an hour of receiving his contract, Davies and Lynch finalized the deal at a nearby Staples in Pointe Claire, Quebec.
“I’m not the most technologically advanced person, but [the contract] was sent in PDF format and my old school habits led me to believe that the best plan of action was to print, sign and scan it at Staples, which is something I’ve done in the past with things like car insurance and car registration, Davies said.
To capture the moment, Lynch filmed Davies and posted it to TikTok.
“Me and my [boyfriend] frantically running to Staples to sign his NHL contract before they change their minds because we can’t afford a printer,” Lynch joked in the video.
Video: Jeremy Davies signs contract with Sabers in Staples
Lynch’s video garnered nearly 800,000 views and 85,000 likes. It was also shared by multiple sports outlets on Twitter.
“I’ve been more active on TikTok lately, and we’ve been waiting all summer for this, so I pulled out my phone and documented the moment,” Lynch said. “When I looked back at all the clips, I realized I could compile it into a funny TikTok and something that gave us a good laugh.”
Lynch said the TikTok was a lighthearted joke. She and Davies have lived together for a few years and don’t own a printer because of how often they move.
Lynch is from Boston and Davies is from Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. During the summer, they visit Boston for a month before Davies resumes his offseason training in Montreal.
Now, they’re headed to Buffalo as the proud owners of a new printer.
The TikTok caught the attention of Staples Canada, who directly messaged Lynch on Instagram, asking to send her and Davies a printer.
“Hey Erin, my name is John from Staples Canada,” the representative said. “We just watched your TikTok of your boyfriend going to Staples to print and sign his NHL contract. We’d love to send you guys a brand-new printer.”
With the contract signed and a new printer on its way, Davies is focused on training camp
“I’m excited to go to a team that has a lot of young players,” Davies said. “The past couple of years [the Sabres] have been on the upward trend and kind of in a rebuild mode. I’m super excited to add myself to a young group of guys with a lot of skill. … I know it’s going to be a super competitive and fun training camp. I’m really looking forward to making my mark in training camp and showing what I can do. It’s going to be a really fun challenge.”
A seventh-round pick (No. 192) by the Nashville Predators in the 2016 NHL Draft, Davies had two assists in six NHL games last season and 31 points (6 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games for Milwaukee of the American Hockey League. .
Although he is on his way to Buffalo, but the new printer will stay behind.
“The reason we don’t already have a printer is because when we travel our car is full to the brim,” Davies said. “A big, bulky printer would probably not be the smartest [thing to bring along]so I think we will be leaving that somewhere at home, but hopefully I’ll need that printer next summer for my next contract.”
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