Assistant Captain Carter Cwiklinski of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Buffalo Jr. Sabres has confirmed his commitment to join the new NCAA Division III program at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, NY beginning with the 2025-26 season.
Cwiklinski, a 19-year-old defenceman from Clarence, NY, is in his second season with the Jr. A Sabres. He’s a product of the Jr. Sabres AAA minor hockey program.
“I am proud and excited to announce my commitment to St John Fisher for next season,” Cwiklinski told the OJHL. “I’d like to thank all of my coaches, teammates, and my family who have helped me get to where I am today. It’s been a long journey with the Jr. Sabres organization and I wouldn’t want to finish my junior career anywhere else.”
Jr. Sabres Head Coach and General Manager Sean Wallace is a fan.
“Carter has been a life-long Jr. Sabre and has been instrumental in our junior team’s success since coming back from the pandemic,” he told the OJHL. “He’s been a leader on and off the ice, plays with a high level of intensity and we look forward to watching him compete at the next level at St John Fisher.
Jr. Sabres teammate Kenneth Brodie will join Cwiklinski on the charter roster of the Cardinals this fall.
St. John Fisher announced a year ago that it would add men’s and women’s hockey teams in 2025, bringing the number of sports competing in the NCAA Division III to 26. The teams will play out of the Rochester Ice Center, in Fairport, NY. Fisher’s club hockey team won the American Division Championship at the AAU College Hockey Tournament in March 2023.
St. John Fisher named Reid Lesswing, who played at Georgetown in the OJHL, as its first head coach last June.
Congratulations to Carter and best of luck in the NCAA!
The OJHL has had more than 80 Canadian Hockey League, U SPORTS and NCAA commitments already this season.
Check out all our current commitments here: https://www.ojhl.ca/committments/
