Nothing can compare to 2021 in the 86-year history of the American Hockey League. A league that worked through World War II, the NHL expansion era in the 1960s and 1970s and a boom period for much of the past 25 years encountered something completely different with the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a tumultuous year
American Hockey League
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Chicago Wolves and the Rockford IceHogs, the following games have been postponed: Fri., Dec. 31 – Chicago at Rockford (AHL Game #432) Sat., Jan. 1 – Rockford at Chicago (AHL Game #438) Sun., Jan. 2 – Grand Rapids
📝 by Patrick Williams Three goaltenders unavailable. Five top defenseman, gone. Four of the team’s top five forwards ― not available. And one win. Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch faced that picture going into a road game Wednesday night against the rival Bridgeport Islanders. They left Webster Bank Arena with a 3-2 win
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Ethan Prow spent much of his 20s toiling in the AHL, posting gaudy numbers and never earning even a cup of coffee in the NHL. In 2018-19, Prow morphed into one of the league’s elite offensive defensemen, registering 18 goals and 50 points. The next year, after changing organizations, he recorded
📝 by Nicole Del Villano | AHL On The Beat Memorable moments have defined some major milestones of Daniil Tarasov’s career since he made the transition from the KHL to North American hockey. From joining the Cleveland Monsters during an abbreviated 2020-21 season to an unforgettable National Hockey League debut, it has been quite the
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Rockford IceHogs, their game scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 30, at Milwaukee (AHL Game #426) has been postponed. The IceHogs organization continues to follow enhanced protocols at the direction of team medical staff and the AHL. A make-up date
📝 by Patrick Williams Rockford IceHogs forward Mike Hardman has long been willing to take a longer path to reach his destination. Go back to 2019. First Matt Boldy went to the Minnesota Wild as the 12th pick in that summer’s National Hockey League Draft. Four spots later, the Colorado Avalanche grabbed Alex Newhook. Boldy
📝 by Stephen Meserve | AHL On The Beat Whatever cliche you want to use ― “gripping the stick too hard” or “overthinking the game” ― it happens to every player at some point. The way that you played the game to get you to where you are just suddenly isn’t there for you anymore.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the San Diego Gulls and San Jose Barracuda, the following games have been postponed: Wed., Dec. 29 – Stockton at San Jose (AHL Game #422) Fri., Dec. 31 – San Diego at Tucson (AHL Game #435) Sun., Jan. 2
📝 by Patrick Williams Mid-December turned out to be a hectic time for some American Hockey League coaches. In Milwaukee, Admirals head coach Karl Taylor and assistant coach Scott Ford earned a promotion to the parent Nashville Predators after COVID-19 protocols roiled that National Hockey League club. On the other side of Lake Michigan, Grand
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Abbotsford Canucks, Charlotte Checkers, Cleveland Monsters, San Diego Gulls and Texas Stars, the following games have been postponed: Wed., Dec. 29 – Cleveland at Lehigh Valley (AHL Game #419) Wed., Dec. 29 – Henderson at San Diego (AHL
📝 by Patrick Williams The chatter started to pick up among the Milwaukee Admirals. Milwaukee’s bus rumbled east toward home in the early-morning hours of Dec. 15 after the Admirals had defeated the Iowa Wild, 6-3. That win, Milwaukee’s third in a row against the rival Wild, had given the resurgent Admirals their fifth consecutive
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Cleveland Monsters, San Diego Gulls, San Jose Barracuda and Utica Comets, the following games have been postponed: Mon., Dec. 27 – Grand Rapids at Cleveland (AHL Game #405) Mon., Dec. 27 – Utica at Rochester (AHL Game #407)
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO Scott Howson announced today that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 AHL All-Star Classic, scheduled for February 6-7 in Laval, Que., will not be held. “The Laval Rocket and Place Bell have done an outstanding job preparing to host our All-Star Classic festivities this
📝 by Zack Fisch | AHL On The Beat Alex Ovechkin isn’t the only one turning heads for the Washington Capitals. While Ovechkin is an ageless goal scoring wonder, the influx of youth in the Capitals lineup has been a major storyline in the club’s first few months of the season. A multitude of injuries
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Syracuse Crunch, their game scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 29 at Laval (AHL Game #418) has been postponed. The Crunch organization continues to follow enhanced protocols at the direction of team medical staff and the AHL. A make-up date
📝 by Patrick Williams Texas Stars captain Curtis McKenzie has packed a lot into 503 professional games across parts of 10 seasons. A Calder Cup championship as a rookie with Texas in 2014. Two more trips to the Calder Cup Finals. The Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the American Hockey League’s top rookie in
📝 by Mark Newman | AHL On The Beat In a quarter of a century of Griffins hockey, fewer than three dozen players have spent at least parts of five seasons in Grand Rapids. If you reduce the ranks to those who have logged five seasons of at least 20 games and who came to