Icemen switch hockey affiliation from Sabres to NHL’s Minnesota Wild

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Icemen are changing their hockey affiliation, announcing on Monday night that they are moving underneath the Minnesota Wild umbrella.

The new affiliation for the ECHL Icemen will tie them to the NFL’s Wild and the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

The Icemen spent the last three years under the Buffalo Sabres affiliation. Jacksonville’s first affiliation (2017-2021) was with the Winnipeg Jets. The Icemen then went to the New York Rangers affiliation in 2021.

“We are thrilled to announce a new ECHL affiliation agreement with the Jacksonville Icemen,” said Minnesota Wild executive vice president and general manager Bill Guerin. “This affiliation strengthens our commitment to developing players at every level while expanding the reach of our organization to an exciting and growing market.”