The Cyclones will be the Marlies’ principal affiliate starting in the 2024–2025 campaign.
The Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have struck an affiliation deal that will start with the 2020–21 campaign.
The Toronto Marlies of the AHL’s primary affiliate and the Maple Leafs’ secondary affiliate, respectively, will now be the Cyclones.
From 2018 until 2024, the Newfoundland Growlers were Toronto’s ECHL affiliate. However, the team abruptly folded just before the season ended.
In 1990, the Cyclones started their ECHL operations. Since then, they have had two ECHL franchises and one IHL franchise. In 1995, the franchise’s current incarnation was founded as the Louisville RiverFrogs. In 2008 and 2010, the team was the Kelly Cup winners.
Players, personnel, and spectators will find it easier to travel to Cincinnati because it is substantially closer to Toronto.
After Newfoundland, Orlando, Reading, Pensacola, and Columbia, this is the sixth city with which the Maple Leafs are affiliated in the ECHL. The previous season, Cincinnati was a member of the New York Rangers’ affiliate.
The Tigers of the Central Hockey League were owned by and associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a single season in 1981–1982, hence the teams had a history together.
The Cincinnati downtown venue for the Cyclones’ games is Heritage Bank Centre.
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