Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
American Hockey League expertise will once more head to Switzerland this yr to characterize Canada on the Spengler Cup, the world’s oldest membership match.
Held every December in Davos, a picturesque ski city within the Alps, Swiss staff HC Davos hosts the match for the 96th time starting on Thursday. Every year Hockey Canada additionally sends a staff to the match that all the time contains a heavy presence of AHL names current and previous. Together with HC Davos and Group Canada, this yr’s six-team invitational match may even function European membership groups HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czechia), HC Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland), Kärpät Oulu (Finland) and the Straubing Tigers (Germany).
Canada’s match schedule begins on Boxing Day in opposition to host HC Davos at 2:15 p.m. ET. Followers in Canada can watch the motion on TSN whereas United States viewers can tune in through the match’s YouTube channel.
Calgary Wranglers common supervisor Brad Pascall is again once more for the second yr in a row as Canada’s co-general supervisor, joined by Joe Thornton and Hnat Domenichelli. Veteran NHL head coach Gerard Gallant will probably be behind Canada’s bench.
To be chosen to come back to Davos to put on the Canadian jersey is a much-coveted honor, and 13 gamers – together with three AHL captains – will characterize Canada this yr. Texas Stars fixture Curtis McKenzie, who has reached 20 or extra targets in a season six instances in his AHL profession, will characterize Canada as a professional for the primary time. So will Logan Shaw of the Toronto Marlies. The previous week has been a busy one for Shaw, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Marlies final Friday. Rounding out the trio is Brett Seney from the Rockford IceHogs.
In internet will probably be Colten Ellis of the Springfield Thunderbirds in addition to Dylan Ferguson from the Iowa Wild. Ellis has been wonderful for the Thunderbirds thus far, going 8-5-2 with a 2.80 goals-against common and a .916 save share. Lengthy-time AHL goaltender Antoine Bibeau, who now performs in Finland, will full the goaltending group. He spent elements of 9 seasons within the AHL and performed 225 video games.
The Canadian blue line has a powerful AHL taste with Layton Ahac (Abbotsford), Jonathan Aspirot (Calgary), Madison Bowey (Cleveland), Noel Hoefenmayer (Laval), Mac Hollowell (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), and Colton White (Utica) on the roster.
Canada’s roster additionally options a number of current AHL alumni now enjoying amongst a number of groups in Switzerland’s Nationwide League, together with forwards Daniel Carr, Tanner Fritz, Josh Jooris and Philippe Maillet. Carr was an AHL First All-Star Group member with the Chicago Wolves in 2018-19 and likewise gained the Les Cunningham Award because the AHL’s most useful participant. Ahead Philip-Michael Devos, a 2012 Calder Cup champion with the Norfolk Admirals, can also be on the Canadian roster.
Acquainted AHL names additionally dot the rosters of the opposite groups that will probably be in Davos. The Fribourg-Gotteron roster has T.J. Brennan, who performed 679 AHL video games and twice gained the Eddie Shore Award because the AHL’s high defenseman. Jakub Zboril, a key a part of the Cleveland Monsters going to the Jap Convention Finals final spring, is with Pardubice.
The Spengler Cup just isn’t AHL gamers’ solely vacation spot for worldwide competitors this week. Seven high prospects will go to Ottawa to take part within the prestigious IIHF World Junior Championship. Chicago Wolves forwards Bradly Nadeau (Canada) and Felix Unger Sorum (Sweden) will play for gold, as will Rochester Individuals forwards Konsta Helenius (Finland) and Anton Wahlberg (Sweden).
Czechia will function defenseman Jakub Dvorak (Ontario) and ahead Eduard Sale (Coachella Valley). Ahead Dalibor Dvorsky, Springfield’s main scorer with 11 targets and 21 factors this season, will probably be on Slovakia’s roster.
The 2025 World Junior Championship might be seen on TSN and RDS in Canada, and on NHL Community within the U.S.
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally presently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is an everyday contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
