The Jacksonville Icemen, who are the Buffalo Sabres' ECHL affiliate, enter the final 10-game stretch of the 2025-26 season in a critical position.
If the team fails to make up the points required to get back into the playoff picture, they will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season, when they finished 10 points back of the Atlanta Gladiators for the final playoff spot available through their division.
Here's a few things you need to know to catch up on Jacksonville's season thus far and to get ready for the impending playoff race.
What does Jacksonville's place in the playoff picture look like?
The ECHL's playoff format is based on a divisional format, with the top four teams in each of the four divisions qualifying for the postseason.
The Icemen currently sit in fifth-place in the South Division, with three of the four playoff spots already secured by the Florida Everblades, South Carolina Stingrays, and the Gladiators.
That said, the bad news is threefold: not only are the Ghost Pirates, Icemen, and Greenville Swamp Rabbits separated by just six points, but both Greenville and Savannah have games in hand on Savannah. The Icemen also have no head-to-head matchups left against the Ghost Pirates, meaning that Jacksonville will have to do their part while keeping an eye on what Savannah does.
The good news is that the Icemen currently trail the fourth-place Savannah Ghost Pirates by only four points. They also have three games left against Greenville, all of which will represent opportunities to create some space in the playoff race.
How did the Icemen fare against Savannah and Greenville?
To this point, Jacksonville's performance against Savannah and Greenville has been mixed.
On one hand, the Icemen went 3-5-1 against the Ghost Pirates; considering that the gap between the two teams is four points, an additional two head-to-head victories could easily have given the advantage to Jacksonville. Such a fact is only made more important when considering that three of Jacksonville's five regulation losses to Savannah were by less than two goals.
On the other hand, Jacksonville is 3-1-1 through their first five games against Greenville, which has contributed to their two-point advantage in the standings. That said, if the final playoff spot is to be contested between the two teams, Jacksonville will need to win two of the final three meetings to ensure that they maintain their advantage and that Greenville can only overtake the Icemen through their remaining eight games.
Which players could earn a chance to play in Rochester?
Bennett MacArthur currently leads the Icemen in points with 36 to his name in 42 games, though Adam McMaster trails by just two. While MacArthur has a healthy lead in the assists category, it's McMaster who leads in the goalscoring department with 18. He holds a three goal lead over Craig Martin and a five goal edge over MacArthur.
With regard to Jacksonville's defensemen, it's Taos Jordan who leads the way with 18 points through 57 games played. He also leads Jacksonville defensemen in terms of goals but it's Aidan Fulp, who has 17 points in 22 games and recently earned a promotion to the AHL's Rochester Americans, that holds a slight advantage in assists.
With players like Konsta Helenius set for a full-time promotion to the big time with the Sabres, one could consider MacArthur as a top contender to make Rochester's roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. He's been able to put up points throughout his time with Jacksonville and he is on pace for a 40-point season. A promotion to Rochester could also give him the chance to earn considerable playing time at the AHL level; he previously took the ice for six games with the Syracuse Crunch.