Matt Spanger ran down the floor in transition looking for an offensive opportunity against the San Diego Seals on Feb. 15, 2025. When the ball was turned over, the Buffalo Bandits defenseman headed for the bench as he’s done thousands of times before.  

Except this time, Spanger felt a pop in his left leg that sent him barreling to the KeyBank Center floor on what he called “an innocent play.” An MRI the day after the game confirmed what Spanger feared: a torn Achilles tendon.

Spanger’s mind raced as he laid on the trainer’s table understanding the consequential history of Achilles injuries and the impact they’ve inflicted on careers. Once the clouds of doubt dissipated, Spanger knew he wanted to return. In fact, it was the idea of playing again that gave him a sense of hope.  

“You have those thoughts like, ‘Am I going to be able to get back to where I was before? Am I going to be able to play at the same level?’” Spanger said. “And then you have those thoughts immediately after it happens like, ‘Oh no, this is something like that has ended careers before.’ Once I was able to get past those initial thoughts, I always knew I wanted to get back playing again.  

“My family, my wife all supported that; they knew that’s what I wanted to do, what I needed to do. Having that in the back of my mind that I wanted to play again was something that really helped through that long journey of rehab because there’s something to work towards, a goal, a light at the end of the tunnel.” 

Spanger returned to the floor on Feb. 7 against the Wings and has since helped the Bandits return to their championship caliber form.  His return was the culmination of a nearly year-long recovery process, which began when he had surgery in Buffalo three days after his injury.

The 33-year-old was placed in a cast following surgery and was confined to crutches for multiple weeks. Spanger – who was moved to a walking boot shortly after – was surprised by how quickly he was up and moving on his own power.  

Spanger donned the boot for eight weeks and rehab immediately followed at Orillia Sports Medicine in Ontario.  

“It probably took me another couple months to start light jogging again,” Spanger said. “It’s pretty much been three or four times in physio a week for about a year just to make it back and then I was able to get back playing in just under a year, which has tracked pretty well with most people. It was a long year watching guys, having to watch games either in the rink or at home and missing it a lot, whether it’s just missing the game or just missing being around the guys a lot. It was definitely a long year, but honestly, it was worth it. Just thinking about being able to play again was kind of kept me going throughout the whole year.” 

Spanger’s amassed a challenging injury history over the last three seasons. He played in 10 games in 2023-24 before suffering a straining PCL in his knee on Feb. 24, 2024 which forced him to miss the Bandits’ second championship run.  

He returned for the start of the 2024-25 season and played in the first eight games until the torn Achilles sidelined him before he could chase another title with the Bandits.  

Spanger – who was a critical piece of the 2023 championship team and scored a goal in the decisive Game 3 against Colorado – has missed 35 games since February of 2024.  

Spanger said he was pleased with the “holistic approach” the staff at Orillia took with his rehab, which contained a restrengthening of his Achilles, calf and ankle. Spanger built up enough strength over the ensuing months to jog, which turned into sprinting and plyometrics.  

He experienced what’s often common in recovery where daily progress fades and becomes a challenge to keep developing strength and mental confidence in the leg. That’s where Spanger’s wife, Andie, stepped in and provided support. 

“My wife personally, she sees the brunt of it,” Spanger said. “I’m spending three or four nights a week at physio and in the gym. She picked up a lot of the slack even when I was immobile or on crutches, or couldn’t walk very well. … Her support was amazing. And we have a young daughter at home as well, so she’s kind of working overtime. Without her, I probably wouldn’t be able to play again.” 

Spanger said a key component of his rehab was working with his physiotherapists and trainers on how to navigate the potential fearfulness hurdle. Spanger – who had been practicing with the team for an extended period before playing – said he’s been playing with full confidence on the floor but is more mindful about treatment and recovering after games.  

That trust in his leg has been evident as Spanger has five points in six games since sliding back into the lineup. He recorded two assists in the 11-10 overtime win against the Saskatchewan Rush and scored a transition goal in a 14-9 win over the Toronto Rock.  

Spanger was back running in transition 364 days after his injury against the Halifax Thunderbirds and was left alone when he caught a pass from goaltender Matt Vinc beyond the opposite restraining line just mere feet in front of the Halifax net.  

Spanger also buried a critical goal in the Bandits’ one-goal win over the Thunderbirds which gave him a moment of confidence that he could be a force in transition again.  

“Obviously, it feels good to score goals but that was kind of a point where I was really comfortable with my body and what I was able to do,” Spanger said. “Just being able to run up and down the floor again. Scoring was a good touch but me being comfortable being in those fast break situations and trusting my body to get up and down the floor. I think that was even more special in that moment.”

Spanger has spent seven of his nine NLL seasons in Banditland, a place he called “a second home.” He said one of the most emotional moments in the process was running out of the KeyBank Center tunnel for his first game back from injury against Philadelphia and seeing the 19,070 fans in attendance.  

Head coach John Tavares said it’s hard to imagine the “heartache” Spanger endured over the last year but always believed that the veteran defenseman would return to form. “He could have easily said, ‘I’m done, I’m not playing anymore,’” Tavares said.  

Spanger said he hopes to play “for something that’s never been done before” on a Bandits team that’s grown up together in their pursuit of a fourth straight NLL championship. Now that Spanger is back on the floor, he’s glad to get the chance in Banditland again with the belief from Tavares, his teammates and his family.  

“Lacrosse has been one of the biggest parts of my life for as long as I remember and having that taken away from me for a little bit is not a great feeling,” Spanger said.” It’s good to know that the work that you put in over the last year or so has paid off and I’m able to play again. It’s also awesome to know that Chugger [Steve Dietrich] and the rest of the coaches believed in me to get back. They took a chance on me knowing that I was hurt and knowing that it was going to be a long process to get back so definitely rewarding for me.”