Nightingale & Brozyna Named First DL Coaches

The Buffalo Jr. Sabres are proud to announce the appointment of Jason Nightingale and Jacob Brozyna as coaches within the organization's Development League program for the 2027-28 season. Nightingale will serve as the organizations 17U Head Coach, while Brozyna will serve as 15U Head Coach.

Both coaches bring a strong passion for player development and a commitment to helping young athletes build the skills, confidence, and habits necessary for long-term success both on and off the ice. Their appointments further strengthen the Buffalo Jr. Sabres' commitment to providing a positive and development-focused environment for players throughout the organization.

Nightingale has spent well over a decade with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. He joined the Sabres in 2013 as a hockey data analyst and later served as the team's Director of Analytics. He worked extensively in integrating quantitative data into the team's player evaluation models. In June 2020, Nightingale was promoted to Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting. In this role, he blends his visual scouting instincts with his background in analytics to scout draft-eligible prospects.

Alongside his NHL duties, Nightingale is highly active in the Western New York youth hockey landscape. Buffalo Jr. Sabres Leadership: He serves as the Development Hockey Director and has coached several of their AAA youth divisions. In October 2026, when the Buffalo Jr. Sabres accepted membership into the newly formed USA Hockey Development League (set to debut in the 2027–2028 season), Nightingale was named the program's General Manager and Director of Player Development. He oversees the program pipelines spanning from 14U up to 18U teams.

Before transitioning to executive work, Nightingale played competitive hockey as a right-wing forward. He played in the NAHL with the Gaylord Grizzlies and the USHL with the Des Moines Buccaneers before playing four seasons of NCAA Division I college hockey at Lake Superior State University (1998–2002). Prior to joining Buffalo, he spent time coaching youth hockey at Culver Military Academy and served as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Notre Dame men's hockey team from 2011 to 2013.

Brozyna is best known for his extensive work development coaching within the Buffalo Jr. Sabres AAA youth hockey organization. He has been a core fixture of Western New York youth hockey for over 15 years.

Brozyna has served as a Head Coach and Assistant Coach for various Buffalo Jr. Sabres tier-1 youth teams spanning across 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, and 18U age groups. His most notable career milestone came during the 2017–2018 season, when he and assistant coach Ryan Zimmerman led the Buffalo Jr. Sabres to the Chipotle-USA Hockey 15-Only National Championship.

In addition to behind-the-bench roles, Brozyna acts as the NYSAHA (New York State Amateur Hockey Association) & USA Hockey Liaison on the Buffalo Junior Sabres Board of Directors. He also contributes as a coach for the Academy of Hockey based out of the LECOM Harborcenter .

Throughout his career, Brozyna has frequently collaborated with notable NHL alumni and prominent local hockey figures involved in the Sabres development system, including Michael Peca, Patrick Kaleta, Kevyn Adams, and John Tucker.

The Buffalo Jr. Sabres will name the rest of the coaching staff for the Development League teams in the coming weeks.