BUFFALO JR. SABRES SELECTED FOR USA HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE, ACCEPT MEMBERSHIP

BUFFALO JR. SABRES SELECTED FOR USA HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE, ACCEPT MEMBERSHIP
Retaining and advancing Western New York talent while expanding the Jr. Sabres’ national reach

BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo Jr. Sabres announced today that the organization has been selected by USA Hockey and has accepted membership in the new USA Hockey Development League. League play will begin in the 2027-2028 season.

The Development League is USA Hockey’s new national high-performance development framework for the 15U and 17U players, with each member organization fielding a team at both age levels. For the Jr. Sabres, membership is an important step in creating an elite, connected development pathway in Western New York. The program will focus on retaining, developing and advancing the region’s top players while also identifying and attracting high-level players from across the country who can contribute to a nationally competitive development environment in Buffalo.

Pat Kaleta will continue to lead the Buffalo Jr. Sabres as President and Director of Hockey Operations, overseeing the organization’s overall hockey operations and long-term direction.

Jason Nightingale has been named General Manager and Director of Player Development for the Development League program. Reporting to Kaleta, Nightingale will lead the development and implementation of the Development League program and oversee the integration and development pathways across the Jr. Sabres’ 14U, 15U DL, 17U DL and 18U programs.

Michael Benedict will serve as Operations Manager for the Development League program, overseeing scheduling and the operational and administrative components of the program as the Jr. Sabres prepare for the inaugural Development League season.

The Buffalo Jr. Sabres Development League Program will call LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo home. It will operate within the broader Buffalo Jr. Sabres hockey structure, creating greater continuity across age groups and strengthening the pathway from youth hockey to junior, collegiate and professional hockey.

“Being selected for the Development League is an important opportunity for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and for hockey in Western New York,” Kaleta said. “Our goal is to give the best players in our region the opportunity to stay home, compete in a high-performance environment and advance to the next level. Jason knows our players, our families and our organization, and this leadership structure gives us the alignment and accountability needed to build the program the right way from the beginning.”

“Our foundation will always be Western New York,” says Nightingale. “We want the best players from our region to see a clear pathway to stay here, develop and advance. The Development League also gives us an opportunity to welcome high-level players from outside the region who want to be part of what we are building in Buffalo. Our goal is to develop our players and coaches and create alignment across our programs so families can see a clear, connected pathway through the Jr. Sabres.”

Additional information regarding coaching staffs, player identification and Development League programming will be announced in the coming months.