By Michael Mroziak
For Matthew Sweetland, his next destination in his hockey development journey isn’t a question of ‘if’ or ‘where,’ but rather it’s a question of when.
Selected at #221 in 2025 by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL Futures Draft, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres defenseman has his ‘if’ and ‘where’ answered. But it was Sweetland who decided how to answer ‘when.’ As the 2026-2027 Ontario Junior Hockey League season got underway, he confirmed his commitment to Des Moines, signing a Standard Player Development Agreement which takes effect in the 2027-2028 season.
For Sweetland, a 2009 birth year player who jumped to the Junior-A level directly from the Jr. Sabres’ 16U team, one more season in Buffalo made the most sense.
“I decided to stay back because I would get more playing time where I can develop my game more rather than going up there now, being the seventh D, not being in the lineup,” he said.
His head coach, Dylan Seitz, agrees with the move.
“I think he had a really good summer where going into training camp with them was an option, where he could have probably fought for maybe a 30-man roster spot,” Seitz said. “I think he took a look at it as, oh, this is going to be a good year for me to develop. Come here, get game reps, learn a lot in this league, and then really take the next jump to Tier 1 junior hockey next year.”
Seitz has followed Sweetland’s development for several seasons and has been impressed by the player’s work ethic.
“Every day, he never wants to get off the ice. Usually, first one out there, last one off, and it’s really paying dividends in his career, and it’s just a start for him,” he said.
In the meantime, Sweetland looks ahead to a season as a Jr. Sabre, and already likes what he sees with Des Moines.
“The organization as a whole is great. When I went up there last year, the guys were very welcoming to me. They made me feel feel like at home,” he said “What they’re pushing towards now is a team that has great chemistry together.”
And he follows them from afar, looking forward to joining the Buccaneers in the future. But first, he has enjoyed his bond with his Jr. Sabres teammates.
ALUMNI NOTES – Banas enjoys fast start with IceDogs following OHL trade
Former Jr Sabres forward Joseph Banas didn’t need long to score for his new Ontario Hockey League team. Just two games after being traded from Brantford to Niagara, Banas scored a goal for the IceDogs in their eventual 4-2 win over Barrie, Oct. 10.
Banas was acquired after playing five games for the Bulldogs to start the 2026-2027 OHL season. Banas also made 12 appearances for Brantford last season, in between games for the Jr. Sabres.
