Buffalo tells audiences about a high school counselor who scoffed at him when he told her he wanted to attend Harvard University. He recalls when an opposing player at a youth hockey game told him during warmups he was "just another Indian."
"I made a commitment there that the next time someone says, 'You're just another Indian' it's out of praise," Buffalo said. "'You're Indigenous? That's so awesome, You're culture's so cool, you're so strong, so resilient.'"
Buffalo played junior hockey in Flin Flon, Manitoba, and Drumheller, Alberta, before moving on to Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 2014. There, he posted a 25-29-5 record in 62 games with 3.04 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and two shutouts from 2014-18.
He was nominated in his senior season for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the player voted the best in NCAA Division I men's hockey, was a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, received Dartmouth's Phelan Award as his team's MVP, and was named to the All-Ivy League second team.
Buffalo said he's proud to be part of a growing group of Indigenous players who achieved success in college hockey and have embarked on professional careers.
"Me going to Dartmouth, Brady Keeper (Florida Panthers defenseman prospect) going to the University of Maine, Zach Whitecloud (Vegas Golden Knights defenseman) going to Bemidji State University, Brigette Lacquette (Canadian women's national team) going to [University of] Minnesota Duluth, we have a whole wave in NCAA hockey. Now it's a thing for young Indigenous players to aspire to."
After Dartmouth, Buffalo played 22 games in the ECHL in 2018-19 for Greenville, Adirondack, Reading, Cincinnati and Wichita before he retired as a player.