Mattias Samuelsson

Mattias Samuelsson (born March 14, 2000) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played collegiately at Western Michigan. Playing career Junior Samuelsson played three seasons in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was captain of the team at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Samuelsson was drafted by the Sarnia Sting in the fourth round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Draft, but chose not to play there. College After originally committing to the University of Michigan, Samuelsson de-committed and went to Western Michigan instead. He played two seasons at Western Michigan, where he scored seven goals and 19 assists. He was an alternate captain for the team in his sophomore year, despite being the youngest player on the team. Professional Samuelsson was drafted in the second round, 32nd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a three-year contract with the Sabres on March 25, 2020. He made his NHL debut with the Sabres on April 18, 2021, in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Personal Samuelsson's father, Kjell, played 14 seasons as an NHL defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. He grew up modeling his game after that of longtime NHL defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Victor Hedman.