By Michael Mroziak
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. For Buffalo Jr. Sabres defenseman Brayden Howard, absence from last season’s playoffs made him hungry. After being forced out of the lineup for the 2026 Ontario Junior Hockey League postseason by illness, the Hamburg, New York resident is looking to make up for lost time and opportunity.
“It was right before playoffs, so I haven’t been able to play a playoff game, which sucked,” Howard said. “But I really wanted to get out there. But it just gave me motivation to come back next year and do even more than I did last year and just help the team win anyway.”
He was shelved by a combined case of flu and pneumonia. It was serious enough that attempting to play through it was out of the question. But Howard came back strong in the Jr. Sabres’ spring evaluation and tryout camp.
It came as no surprise to head coach Dylan Seitz.
“I’ve known Brayden for a few years now, just coming through the Junior Sabre program,” said Seitz. “He was definitely hungry all offseason. He had a great offseason coming in, and he’s proved to be a leader on our back end. He’s very calm, cool, collected, and it’s something to help our younger D corps.”
Howard is the only returning defenseman from last year’s lineup. He looks to his own experience as a young defenseman in the OJHL to help an otherwise rookie defensive group get acclimated to older opponents.
“I tell them not to worry,” Howard said. “You have more time than you think in these games, and don’t fear the other team, but respect them.”
Prior to his OJHL debut in the 2025-26 season, Howard skated with the Jr. Sabres’ 14U, 15U and 16U teams in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. Last season, he scored one goal and 14 assists in 48 games. Six games into the 2026-27 season, he had two assists.
“He’s a very polished defenseman, and that jump to Junior-A was an easy transition for him last year,” Seitz said. “Now I think it’s a big step for him this year to really log some minutes for us.”
Howard was named one of the team’s alternate captains before the start of the season.
“It’s definitely an honor, especially just being a second-year guy and getting a little bit of experience from last year,” he said. “Since we’re so young, I like being able to be a leader to all the teammates, especially the D corps. Love being a leader to them, and it’s just a great opportunity.”
*****
Alumni Notes: Ellis joins hockey greats on the Memorial Cup
Former Buffalo Jr. Sabres forward Haeden Ellis spent his summer on the top of the Canadian junior hockey world, as one of the members of the Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers.
Like those who win the Stanley Cup get to do, each player on the Memorial Cup winning team gets a day to take custody of the trophy and celebrate. Ellis’ family had a big party. But first, he brought the cup to LECOM Harborcenter, where he grew up in the game.
“I spent so many years here, met so many amazing people along the way,” he said. “Teammates, coaches, you know. And I attribute a lot of my success to everyone I’ve been around, growing up and being able to share my journey with. So, I felt it was only right to go bring it back to where it all started.”
Ellis appeared in 43 games for the Jr. Sabres in the 2023-24 season, scoring 18 goals and 22 assists. He then led the team in scoring in the 2024 OJHL playoffs, scoring three goals and two assists in six games. The following season, he was in Kitchener, and in the Ontario Hockey League.
While holding the Cup, he took some time to observe some of the names of past champions engraved on the trophy. Some went on to become enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, names including Jean Beliveau, Guy LaFleur, and Bernie Parent. Modern NHL stars including Matthew Tkachuk and Mitch Marner are also past winners.
And now, the name Haeden Ellis joins them on the Memorial Cup.
“You look at the names on there. You see a lot of household NHL names now, and it’s pretty special that your name will be right there with them,” he said.
(photo credit: Buffalo Toronto Public Media, used with permission)
