SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … Because the Nationwide Hockey League opens its 2025-26 season, the American Hockey League is proud to have 596 graduates throughout the NHL’s 32 opening-day energetic rosters, making up greater than 82 % of the NHL’s preliminary participant pool to start its marketing campaign.
A lot of final yr’s notable AHL gamers have made the leap to the NHL as the brand new season will get underway, amongst them 2025 AHL All-Stars Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose), Sam Colangelo (Anaheim), Devin Cooley (Calgary), Jeremy Davies (Vegas), Joakim Kemell (Nashville), Olle Lycksell (Ottawa), Logan Mailloux (St. Louis), Simon Nemec (New Jersey), Jani Nyman (Seattle) and Matt Savoie (Edmonton).
Six members of the 2025 Calder Cup champion Abbotsford Canucks will start the season within the NHL, together with Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Aatu Raty with the mother or father Vancouver Canucks; Sammy Blais with the Toronto Maple Leafs; and Jack Butterfield Trophy winner Arturs Silovs with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Twenty-one of the NHL’s 32 head coaches have been AHL bench bosses earlier of their careers. Marco Sturm takes over the bench for the Boston Bruins following three seasons on the helm of the AHL’s Ontario Reign, and Jeff Blashill turns into the sixth energetic NHL head coach to have gained the Calder Cup as he begins on the helm of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Among the many NHL stars who developed their expertise within the American Hockey League are reigning Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets; Artwork Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning; three-time Stanley Cup champion Carter Verhaeghe of the Florida Panthers; and 2024-25 top-10 scorers Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak and Kyle Connor. Final season, a complete of 891 AHL alumni performed within the Nationwide Hockey League – 87.0 % of all NHL gamers – together with 330 who skated in each leagues final yr alone.
In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the highest improvement league for the gamers, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and officers of the Nationwide Hockey League and its 32 groups. The AHL’s ninetieth season begins this Friday, October 10, with each recreation streaming reside on AHLTV on FloHockey.
