Niagara University hockey team honors late teammate during Draft

BUFFALO -- Members of the Niagara University Division 2 club hockey team were having a great time at the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Saturday.

They were sitting in the front row, just feet from the stage, while prospect after prospect learned their NHL future.

But there was someone missing.

In fact, that someone, Bradly Burden, is not only the reason they gathered at KeyBank Center, but why they took the stage in the fourth round to make the Buffalo Sabres’ pick, which was No. 124.

It was just four months ago, on Feb. 24, when Burden, a 22-year-old defenseman on the team and sophomore at the school, was killed in a single-car accident in Niagara Falls.

So when the Purple Eagles took the stage Saturday, they all wore jerseys with No. 20 and Burden's name on the back.

“He was a great, great guy, always had a smile on his face, always laughing, always having a good time,” said teammate Alex Nisevich. “If he was here right now, he’d be happy all the boys were having a good time.”

Nisevich and teammate Matt Croll said the Purple Eagles were invited by the Sabres to make the pick. Burden’s sister, Shannon, announced the selection, which was Olivers Murnieks from Saint John of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

After Murnieks came up front and put on his Sabres jersey, he walked onto the stage to get his photo taken with the group from Niagara.

It was another example of the Purple Eagles and the hockey community coming together after Burden’s death.

They were ranked No. 1 during the season and competed in the ACHA M2 Nationals in St. Louis in March after deciding Brady would want them to continue playing.

“Middle of season, losing a teammate going into nationals, it's something nobody wants to hear,” Croll said. “And to be able to battle through it, it's hard to do, but it was nice of the Sabres to honor him and show the hockey community how you can deal with stuff.”

Nisevich, who is from Indiana and flew in from Chicago to be at the Draft on Saturday, said the experience was “surreal,” but also “bittersweet.”

“It was kind of unexpected,” he said, “But thanks to the Sabres, they pulled through for us.”

And if Bradly were there Saturday?

“He would be smiling, laughing, (and) chuckling around,” Nisevich said.