Cincinnati, OH- The Cincinnati Cyclones have extended their affiliation agreement to be the ECHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and Rochester Americans (AHL). Terms of the new agreement were not announced.
The Cyclones recently completed their third season as Buffalo’s ECHL affiliate as part of the current agreement qualifying for the playoffs in each of those seasons and posting a 128-60-15-4 record during that time.
“The Cyclones have been a valuable part of our organization the last three seasons and we’re pleased to see the relationship continue,” Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams said. “The success the team has experienced in the ECHL speaks for itself and I’m confident Cincinnati will remain an important resource for developing players for Rochester and Buffalo.”
This past season saw the first former Cyclones player reach Buffalo with the February 4, 2020 debut of goaltender Jonas Johansson. The 2019-2020 season saw five players spend time in Rochester and Cincinnati as Forwards Pascal Aquin, Brady Vail, Shaw Boomhower, defenseman Matt Spencer and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played at least one game with each team. Over the three year stint, a total of 20 individual players have played for Rochester and Cincinnati in an individual season.
“The Sabres organization values the minor league system and that is evident in the prospects they provide to the Cyclones,” said Cincinnati Vice President & General Manager Kristin Ropp. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Buffalo and look forward to seeing their scouted talent here in Cincinnati.”
“Buffalo has been a tremendous partner for the Cyclones,” said Cyclones head coach Matt Thomas. “They believe that the development of prospects at our level has a direct correlation to future success. We look forward to continuing our affiliation and creating an opportunity for young prospects to reach their goals.”
