Halfway through their training camp, the Buffalo Bandits are seeing more open roster spots than in recent years. This shift offers new opportunities for both young players and veterans as the team looks to refresh its lineup.
Bandits General Manager and defensive coordinator Steve Dietrich commented on the increased competition within the squad. “We have a lot of good young kids out here that are going to push a lot of the veterans,” said Dietrich. “You want to have one eye on today, but the other eye on the future. You don’t want to bury yourself with age and get rid of all your youth. And then a year from now, you’re looking for all kinds of youth, so it’s going to be a really competitive camp.”
More than thirty players are participating in fast-paced drills, scrimmages, and preseason games, including a recent match against Calgary that ended in a 13-6 loss for Buffalo.
Head coach John Tavares is focused on assessing players’ decision-making abilities under pressure. “I want to see who the gamers are. What kind of decisions do they make when it really matters? It’s always hard to judge people in practice drills,” Tavares said. “I’m looking forward to selecting our team to get ready for the first night in Buffalo.”
Tavares also noted his satisfaction with both veteran and rookie players arriving prepared for camp, highlighting Lucas Nielsen’s performance after scoring four goals in an intra-squad scrimmage last week. “A spot is open. He had four goals in our intra-squad scrimmage last week. He looks hungry and hopeful that he will continue to do so,” Tavares stated.
Dietrich expressed similar optimism about Nielsen’s development: “We are looking for Lucas to take a step forward. He was around Dhane and those guys, all last year, so he’s probably ready to take another step.” He also mentioned Coltrane Tyson, Jake Rosa, Jaden Kennedy, Liam Keane, and this year’s draft picks as promising talents vying for roster spots.
The coaching staff expects established players like Tahoka Nanticoke and others such as Clay Scanlan and Ryan Benesch to potentially take on expanded roles this season. “Somebody like Tahoka will have to assume a different role, or a bigger role in the offense. We’re hoping for big things from him,” Dietrich added.
Ian MacKay welcomed the increased competition among younger athletes seeking positions: “We have the studs on the team, the Josh’s (Byrne), the Dhane’s (Smith), the Vno’s (Vinc), the Pri’s (Priolo), (and I will add the MacKay’s) but you know the younger guys coming up who are trying to make a name for themselves to vie for a spot on the roster.”
Dhane Smith emphasized how important it is for emerging talent to challenge veterans: “You always want to see these younger players push the older guys like me. It’s weird to say that I’m one of the older guys, but hopefully nobody takes my spot,” Smith said. “But no, I’m super excited about seeing the young talent that we’ve brought in, and again, some familiar faces trying to help them out along the way. We’re excited to see what we’re made of.”
Josh Byrne described training camp as an opportunity for improvement: “At the end of the day, we focus on fundamentals of playing Bandit ball… We weren’t perfect last year, so there is a lot to work on and getting better every session we have.”
The team has two weeks remaining before finalizing its roster by November 24 after additional preseason games and evaluations during their return home to Buffalo.
