Buffalo Sabres: A Shared NHL Journey for Childhood Friends Kleber, Ziemer, and Schultz

The Buffalo Sabres have united three old friends, Adam Kleber, Brodie Ziemer, and Ashton Schultz, who first started playing hockey together in pee-wee leagues in Minnesota over a decade ago.

Adam Kleber, a 6-foot-6 defenseman, was the first of the trio to join the Sabres, having been selected 42nd overall in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Competitive forward Brodie Ziemer followed just one round later at 71st overall, and Ashton Schultz, a smooth-skating forward, completed the trio when Buffalo picked him 167th overall in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

All three had started playing together in a pee-wee squad in small Minnesota cities, Chaska and Victoria, playing for the Machine Orange summer team. Despite their different paths, they all ended up in the same NHL team.

Kleber began his progression through his youth association before joining the Lincoln Stars in the United States Hockey League (USHL) at 16. Following this, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Here, his freshman year was impressive, resulting in his participation in the team that captured gold at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Ziemer, meanwhile, left for Shattuck-St. Mary’s in ninth grade, joined the USA Hockey National Development Team Program, and then moved on to University of Minnesota where his offensive talent shone.

Schultz took a different route, moving directly into the USHL post-high school, flourishing with the Chicago Steel and racking up a 39-point season. He plans to continue in the USHL before committing to the University of North Dakota for the 2026-27 season.

Together, the childhood friends bring varying styles: Kleber with size and defensive presence, Ziemer with grit and goal-scoring ability, and Schultz combines skill with vision. They aim to contribute their diverse and complementary set of skills in the upcoming NHL campaigns.