Ontario Junior Hockey League resident writer Ron Valentine is profiling the 2024-25 team captains across The OJ.
BY RON VALENTINE
Nineteen-year old Smithville, ON native DYLAN MCFADDEN returned for the 2024-25 season as captain of the Buffalo Junior Sabres of the OHL’s Western Conference.
McFadden made news during training camp by committing to NCAA Division I Niagara.
He wrote another headline Friday, netting the hat trick in the Jr. Sabres season-opening 4-3 win in Niagara Falls, ON.
Like most players on the club, Dylan worked his way through the Sabres minor hockey system before making his OJHL debut with the Milton Menace in the 2022-23 campaign where he recorded 18 points.
In the 2023-24 season as captain in Buffalo, he had 58 points from the full 56 contests, second only to Patrick Cole who tallied 60. Daryl recorded four two-goal games and scored a team high seven game-winners.
Buffalo head coach Sean Wallace on the club’s No. 71: “We are very excited to have Dylan back in the blue and gold. His consistent work ethic and strong character set the standard for the players. He has a strong support group returning around him that will set high expectations for this season.”
Dylan is pleased to be back and wearing the ‘C’: “We had lots of good things to take away from last season and overall I think that myself and the club had a good year. The loss to Oakville in the playoffs left a sour taste in our mouths, we went down 3-0, came back in the next two but couldn’t get any further. It made us more determined to bounce back this season and to be better overall. After my first season in the League with Milton I felt much more confident last year. Wearing the ‘C’ was an adjustment but I got tons of support and it gradually became more comfortable for me. I think I matured along the way and I’m in a good position now.”
“We have a good returning core of players and some exciting new additions. My personal goal is to improve on my defensive play and become a better all-around player. Good defence creates offence as they always say. We will have at least five players from Ontario on the team this season as Adam Power, a defenceman from Mississauga and Tyler Isherwood from Port Colborne are returning plus Matthew Lee, from St. Catharines, who we picked up from the Trenton Golden Hawks and Jaden Flora, also from St. Catharines, from the GOJHL’s Fort Erie Meteors coming in.”
The Jr. Sabres play in Leamington Thursday and Gerorgetown Saturday. Their home opener goes Sept. 22 against Collingwood.
Follow Ron Valentine on X @ronandlynda
