The 2023-2024 season saw the Buffalo Jr. Sabres make their return to the Ontario Junior Hockey League after a hiatus since their 2019-2020 season was cut short by the pandemic. The entire Jr. Sabres organization was excited for the return to the league as they found solid veteran players to balance out their young roster of 17 rookies.
From the beginning the Jr. Sabres had one goal, to show the league that they deserved their seat at the table back. The entire team from management, the coaches, the players, and the off-ice staff showed their commitment to a successful season from the start of training camp. Everyone in the organization showed up without fail and always gave their all to the team everyday throughout the season.
The season was not without its bumps in the road. The team dealt with injuries, illness, losing streaks, among other hurdles. However, the team persevered throughout it all and didn’t let any of these hurdles break their resolve to be successful.
Through the holiday break, the Jr. Sabres saw point production from almost every player. This included 20 goals from Patrick Cole, their leading scorer, along with 16 assists. Cameron Doran led the Jr. Sabres in points for the first half of the season with 17 goals and 25 assists. The Jr. Sabres found themselves with a 20-13-0-2 record heading into the break putting them in 4th place in the West Conference.
At the break, General Manager and Head Coach Sean Wallace expressed his excitement for the team’s return and stated, “I think our group had some growing pains but is trending the right way.”
The Jr. Sabres continued their work after the break proving how much everyone wanted to be successful. While the second half of the season was not without obstacles the entire team remained committed and continued to give their all to making the season a success. The players were led by the leadership group of Dylan Mcfadden, Gavin Klaassen, and Patrick Cole who were integral in helping steer the ship through the highs and lows of the season.
Patrick Cole would end the regular season as the Jr. Sabres leading scorer with 37 goals. Cole also had 23 assists to also see him leading in points in the regular season with 60 points. Cameron Doran and Dylan Mcfadden would both lead the way in assists with 35. Mcfadden had 58 points on the regular season while Doran would have 56 points in the regular season.
The Jr. Sabres would finish their regular season return to the OJHL with 31-20-0-5 record and fifth place in the West Conference. The entire team was ‘cautiously optimistic’ heading into the season and Wallace expressed his pride in how the team came together and competed. Wallace added, “For the first year back we are very happy with the group.”
The Jr. Sabres would take on the Oakville Blades in the first round of the playoffs. The Jr. Sabres would go down 3-0 in the series against the Blades. Faced with another hurdle in their season the Jr. Sabres would not give up and would fight back to make the series 3-2. Unfortunately, the Blades were able to take the series and knock the Jr. Sabres out of the playoffs, ending their OJHL return season.
Of the season and first round playoff departure Wallace said, “We set the bar high this season so it’s natural to feel disappointed. But when we take a step back we achieved so much this year and that is something to be proud of.” The entire organization looks forward to the 2024-2025 season and continuing growing our success in the league.
THANK YOU:
The Jr. Sabres would like to extend our sincere thanks the entire Ontario Junior Hockey League including Commissioner Marty Savoy, Vice President of Business Operations Rick Morocco, and Vice President, Hockey Operations Chris Vanstone for welcoming us back to the league and allowing us to host the 2023 OJHL Governors’ Showcase. We look forward to our continued time in the league and our partnership to grow elite junior players.
The Jr. Sabres would also like to thank Larry and Jayne Playfair for their unwavering commitment to the organization and their trust in the entire staff. Without them and Jr. Sabres President Pat Kaleta, the Jr. Sabres would not be where we are and have the success that we do.
We would like to also thank all of our players and their families for not only their commitment to the team but their willingness to take the journey with us this season. This includes all of our billet families who housed our out-of-town players this season. Their openness to allowing these players into their homes allowed our team to have the success that we did.
The team’s success would not have been possible without the commitment and leadership of our coaching staff. This includes, Head Coach Sean Wallace, Assistant Coach Dylan Seitz, Assistant Coach Michael Benedict, and Assistant Coach Cody McCormick. Thank you all for giving your time and commitment to the team.
There were countless individuals behind the scenes who helped the team be successful throughout the season and we could not have accomplished what we did without them. They are:
- Athletic Trainer Maegan Briant
- Athletic Trainer Intern Lydia Akaka
- Equipment Manager John Posch
- Game Day Announcer Nick Lampman
- FloHockey Broadcast Team Michael Mroziak and Jeffrey Boyd
- Timekeeper Mark Brennan
- Operations Manager Amanda Brennan
Lastly, a special thank you to all of our fans throughout the season. We look forward to seeing you all next season. Stay tuned for news and updates for the 2024-2025 season.
