Jacksonville Icemen reach new NHL, AHL affiliation agreement

The Jacksonville Icemen have heard the call of the Wild. Coming off their first missed postseason since 2021, the Icemen announced a new affiliation deal with the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild during a May 18 press conference inside the Community First Igloo. The move comes at the end of a three-year connection between the Icemen and the NHL's Buffalo Sabres as well as the Sabres' AHL affiliates, the Rochester Americans.

For Icemen chief executive officer Andy Kaufmann, the reason for the change is simple enough. "You deserve playoff hockey," he told a crowd of fans gathered at the Community First Igloo. "It's coming back.

" Terms and the precise duration of the agreement with the Minnesota organization were not disclosed, although the Icemen described the deal as "multi-year. " Joe Ernst, vice president of hockey operations for Icemen ownership group Zawyer Sports and Entertainment, said that Minnesota's commitment to building a "three-tier attack" — NHL, AHL and ECHL — set them apart from Jacksonville's prior affiliation with the Sabres. "Compared to what we had here before, this is a new beginning for us," Ernst said.

Ernst also said that his connection with Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin and assistant general manager Mike Murray made the switch smooth. That relationship also extends to the bench, where Icemen head coach Sean Teakle has known Iowa Wild general manager Matt Hendricks for years. Hendricks expressed confidence that the combination of Teakle's leadership and the passionate backing of Icemen fans would make Jacksonville an ideal affiliate for Wild prospects.