“We believe strongly in development through the Ontario Junior Hockey League”
Joey Banas of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Buffalo Jr. Sabres has signed a Standard Players Agreement with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League that will commence with the 2026-27 season, the Bulldogs announced Monday.
The 17-year-old has 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 20 games, good for the tops of all rookies and fifth overall in the OJHL scoring race. He had a goal and two assists in the Jr. Sabres’ 5-0 win in Georgetown Saturday.
Undrafted across the OHL, Banas was a free agent.
“…we’re thrilled to continue watching his progress with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and plan to use him as an affiliate player immediately.”
“We believe strongly in development through the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Joey is an American player who we feel slipped through the cracks of the draft,” said Brantford Bulldogs General Manager Spencer Hyman. “He’s scoring at an exceptional rate and plays the game the right way in all three zones. We’re very excited to sign him and believe he’ll step into our lineup next season and make a major impact. In the meantime, we’re thrilled to continue watching his progress with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and plan to use him as an affiliate player immediately.”
Banas, of Clarence Center, NY, is a product of the Jr. Sabres AAA youth hockey program. He skated the last two seasons with Salisbury School in the U.S. High School Prep ranks while playing with Avon Regals and Northern Connecticut Nor’Easters U16 AAA programs before signing with the OJHL Sabres.
“Playing in the OJHL has been a great experience,” Banas told the OJHL. “The league is competitive and I play with a talented group of players that work hard and support each other on and off the ice. Our team is well coached and we have amazing facilities to play and train in. Our team is going to continue to work hard to make the playoffs and our goal is to win the Buckland Cup.”
“Signing in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs organization is a dream come true. I was very impressed with the coaching staff and facilities. The fan support at a game we attended was amazing. The community is very supportive of the team. The organization felt like a family environment that would be a perfect fit for me to grow and develop as a person and a hockey player. I am very grateful for this opportunity.”
Banas was selected last week to play in the new OJHL Zach Hyman Prospects Series, which begins Tuesday night in Trenton. Banas and his Team West Black squad are scheduled to play their first game in the series in Milton on Nov. 17.
“We are very excited for Joey to have signed with Brantford for the 2026-27 season,” Sean Wallace, Head Coach and General Manager of the OJHL’s Jr. Sabres, told the OJHL. “Having known Joey since 10U, his passion for the game, and his willingness to compete remain unmatched. Joey is a great teammate who brings out the best from his peers. We look forward to seeing his continued success this year and beyond. “
The Jr. Sabres are home to Haliburton County on Wednesday and Leamington Sunday.
Congratulations to Joey and best of luck in the OJHL and OHL!
About the OJHL – “League of Choice”
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 24 member clubs. A proud member of the CJHL and Ontario Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1993-94. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including U SPORTS, the NCAA, CHL, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL had more than 135 commitments in 2024-25, including 54 to NCAA Division 1 and 29 to the Ontario Hockey League. In addition, the OJHL had 39 OHL Affiliate Players who played 152 OHL games. Thirty OJHL alumni were on NHL rosters at the start of the 2025-26 season.
Check out all our current commitments here: https://www.ojhl.ca/committments/
