Maple Leafs announce Cincinnati Cyclones as new ECHL affiliate

There is a new affiliate for one of the NHL’s Original Six.

On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that the team has signed an affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones.

The agreement will begin with the 2024-25 season. It has not been announced how long the affiliation is under contract.

“We are excited to embark on this new partnership with the Cincinnati Cyclones,” general manager Brad Treliving said in a release. “This is a significant investment for our hockey club as we look to provide our players with the best resources available to support their growth and professional development.”

The new franchise connection was formed because the Maple Leafs’ previous ‘AA’ affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers, ceased operations prior to the end of the 2023-24 season. Toronto has been affiliated with the Maritime franchise since 2018.

The Cyclones, a franchise that has been around since 1990, played the 2023-24 campaign as an independent franchise after six years of affiliation with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans.

“We are thrilled to be associated with an organization with such a storied history as the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Kristin Ropp, the Cyclones general manager. “To partner with an organization that places value in the development of players from the ECHL through the AHL and into the NHL is truly exciting.”

The new agreement hits close to home for Cincinnati head coach and director of hockey operations, Jason Payne.

“Being a Toronto Native, my foundation for the game of hockey was laid in that city,” Payne said. “The sport and Leafs Nation mean so much, to so many. It’s not just a part of life, it’s the way of life. I’m excited about the affiliation between our proud franchise, the Cincinnati Cyclones, and the Original Six Toronto Maple Leafs.”

Since the current rendition of the Cyclones returned to the ECHL in 2006, 28 players have gone on to play in the NHL.