Mattias Samuelsson (born March 14, 2000) is a SwedishâÂÂAmerican professional ice hockey player who is a defenseman and alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey with Western Michigan University.
Samuelsson was drafted by the Sarnia Sting in the fourth round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League draft, but chose not to play there.
After originally committing to the University of Michigan, Samuelsson de-committed and went to Western Michigan University instead. He played two seasons at Western Michigan, where he recorded 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.
Samuelsson was drafted in the second round, 32nd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres on March 25, 2020.
Samuelsson made his NHL debut with the Sabres on April 18, 2021, in a 4âÂÂ2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On October 12, 2022, he was signed to a seven-year, $30 million contract extension. Samuelsson scored his first NHL goal on November 30, in a 5âÂÂ4 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings.
On February 4, 2024, Samuelsson was ruled out for the rest of the 2023âÂÂ24 season due to an injury sustained in a January 23 game against the Anaheim Ducks. During the season he recorded one goal and six assists for seven points in 41 games.
In 2016, at the second Winter Youth Olympics, Samuelsson captained team USA and won gold in the boys' tournament. Samuelsson played three seasons with 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, and was captain of the team at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Samuelsson's father, Kjell, played 14 seasons as an NHL defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. His mother Vicki is a Pennsylvania native.
He and his siblings were raised in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. At Western Michigan, Samulesson played alongside his older brother Lukas.
Samuelsson grew up modeling his game after that of longtime NHL defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Victor Hedman.