Jacksonville Icemen will serve as a “resource for the development” for both the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Jacksonville Icemen just got a little bit… wilder.
The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced on Monday that the Icemen will become the team’s East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) affiliate.
The multi-year agreement will see the Icemen serve as “a resource for the development efforts and personnel needs” of the Wild and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Iowa Wild. This means that players and prospects may be “assigned” to the Icemen to play and develop through the season.
“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.”
Previously, the Icemen were affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and the Rochester Americans (AHL).
“We are excited to enter into this affiliation agreement with the Minnesota Wild and its AHL affiliate the Iowa Wild,” said Joe Ernst, VP of Hockey Operations for Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, owners of the Icemen. “This is a great opportunity to build a collaborative relationship that benefits our teams, our players, and hockey fans in Minnesota, Iowa and Jacksonville.”