JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Icemen have a new NHL affiliate.
The Icemen announced a new affiliation agreement with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres starting next season.
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“We are really excited about the switch,” said Icemen head coach Nick Luukko.
The Icemen are now also affiliated with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The Sabres are the parent club of the Americans, so the new affiliation with the Icemen will create a direct pipeline between the NHL and ECHL levels of the Sabres’ organization.
Previously the icemen were affiliated with the New York Rangers and the Harford Wolf Pack.
The new affiliation between the Icemen and Sabres is a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Sabres will gain access to a talented pool of players to develop, while the Icemen will benefit from the Sabres’ resources and expertise.
The 2023-24 season will be the first time that the Icemen and Sabres will be affiliated. It will be an exciting season for both organizations, as they look to develop players and build towards future success.
Icemen Owner Andy Kaufman said “We made a huge investment here to develop talent. That is a huge focus of ours but so is winning and we really want to bring a Kelly cup to our hometown of Jacksonville.”
This affliction may help the icemen reach that goal. As a part of their agreement, the Icemen will get one-third of their roster from the partnership. The Icemen expect their starting goalie for next season to come from Buffalo a former ECHL goaltender of the year.