CAN-USA Sports announced Saturday it has sold the Niagara Falls Americans PGCBL franchise to 16 Athletics, which currently runs the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion.
The Niagara Falls Americans will remain in the PGCBL for the 2027 season.
16 Athletics is run by president and Niagara Falls native Jerry Puleo. He is the president of Tropical Heating & Cooling and 16 Athletics.
In September 2014, Jerry founded Tropical Heating & Cooling after leaving a larger HVAC company to pursue his vision of building a customer-focused business. In 2020, inspired by the challenges young athletes faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jerry built a baseball training facility to provide local kids with a place to continue developing their skills. That initiative became the foundation of 16 Athletics, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for young athletes. In 2021, Jerry launched Power City Athletics, the baseball and softball division of 16 Athletics. The organization has since expanded to 21 travel teams, serving hundreds of athletes throughout Western New York. Continued growth led to the opening of Powerhouse SportsCenter in Niagara Falls in 2023, giving the organization a second indoor training facility.
In May, 16 Athletics was awarded an “interim license agreement” to operate the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion while a permanent operator is being sought. Puleo’s company had been running the ice rink, as an “interim vendor” since Oct. 3, when the previous pavilion operator, Niagara Sports Tournaments (NTS), was locked out of the building following a dispute over the non-renewal of its lease.
Robbie Nichols of CAN-USA Sports said, “We have had a great relationship with Jerry Puleo since we started. Jerry cares tremendously about his community and the game of baseball so it was not a tough decision when approached to hand over the franchise to him. We wish nothing but the best for the Americans and can’t wait to see where 16 Athletics takes this brand.”
In 2024 CAN-USA Sports established the Niagara Falls Americans who play at Sal Maglie Stadium.
The Niagara Falls Americans made their first playoff berth during the 2025 season finishing 3rd in the PGCBL West Division. During CAN-USA Sports tenure the Niagara Falls Americans also saw two former players get drafted into the MLB.