Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
The AHL’s ninetieth anniversary season begins tonight with an eight-game slate.
A league that opened play Nov. 7, 1936, with eight groups now incorporates a 32-team membership that stretches from San Diego to Quebec. Let’s arrange this anniversary season.
A NEW CHAMPION
The Abbotsford Canucks took over summer season Calder Cup duties from the Hershey Bears.
After Hershey’s Calder Cup three-peat bid fell brief, Abbotsford’s five-round cost by way of the postseason ended with them lifting the Calder Cup on a scorching, humid evening at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. It was the primary Calder Cup title for a Vancouver Canucks affiliate. Abbotsford’s first step towards a repeat bid begins Friday evening on the street once they face the Henderson Silver Knights. Their residence opener is Oct. 24 in opposition to the Ontario Reign.
Repeating as a Calder Cup champion has confirmed to be an especially tough process. Hershey’s titles in 2023 and 2024 together with championships in 2009 and 2010 are the one occasions {that a} staff has performed so for the reason that Springfield Indians prevailed in 1990 and 1991.
STEPPING BEHIND THE BENCH
Simply as with gamers, growing coaches is an important mandate for NHL organizations.
Todd Nelson’s double-championship tenure with Hershey earned him a task with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant coach. Marco Sturm got here again to Boston; the previous Bruins participant is that staff’s new head coach following his stint with Ontario. Neil Graham’s teaching climb by way of the Dallas Stars group now has him with the NHL membership as an assistant coach. Aaron Schneekloth made the leap as effectively, going from the Colorado Eagles to the Seattle Kraken as an assistant coach, whereas Trent Cull (Calgary Wranglers) is now a full-time assistant coach with the Calgary Flames after serving a part of final season in an interim capability.
Greg Cronin (Iowa Wild), Derek King (Hershey), Mark Letestu (Colorado), Andrew Lord (Ontario), Jared Nightingale (Rockford IceHogs), Toby Petersen (Texas), John Snowden (Lehigh Valley Phantoms), Brett Sutter (Calgary) and Rocky Thompson (Bridgeport Islanders) all are taking on as head coaches. Ryan Guardian, an interim head coach with the Utica Comets final season, now has the full-time tag.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP
First-round picks will once more abound within the AHL, and the 2023 NHL Draft class is represented effectively. There’s Tucson Roadrunners ahead Daniil However, who went twelfth total that yr; he goes 6-foot-6 and 232 kilos. The Manitoba Moose could have two first-round picks up entrance in Brayden Yager (14th total by the Pittsburgh Penguins and purchased through commerce) and Colby Barlow (18th total). Yager captained Canada on the IIHF World Junior Championship final season. Proper behind Barlow in that yr’s first-round class was ahead Oliver Moore, who’s with Rockford. The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Gabe Perreault (twenty second) enters the AHL as does Quentin Musty (twenty sixth) with the San Jose Barracuda. The blue line options Abbotsford’s Tom Willander (eleventh total). He joins Tanner Molendyk (twenty fourth) of the Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds first-year addition Theo Lindstein (twenty eighth).
A number of 2023 first-rounders already acquired a head begin final season within the AHL and are again for extra seasoning. They’re Dalibor Dvorský (Springfield), David Edstrom (Milwaukee), Sam Honzek (Calgary), Bradly Nadeau (Chicago Wolves), and Eduard Šalé (Coachella Valley Firebirds).
SAYING GOODBYE
A number of long-time AHL names introduced their enjoying careers to an in depth this offseason.
Three captains from final season are amongst that group – Zac Dalpe (Charlotte Checkers), Gabriel Dumont (Syracuse Crunch) and Stefan Matteau (Cleveland Monsters). Dalpe has since joined the Seattle group as a participant improvement advisor whereas Matteau will stay in Cleveland as a Monsters assistant coach. Kyle Clifford wrapped up his enjoying profession with the Toronto Marlies final season and can stick with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a improvement capability. Anthony Angello (Syracuse), Aaron Dell (San Jose), Joe Gambardella (Utica) and Garrett Roe (Hershey) even have performed their closing video games.
On the American Hockey League beat for twenty years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally at the moment 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.
