Johnny Kovacevic admits it was a crushing blow. He was 17 and after completing his second training camp with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League, he was cut. The defenceman had been drafted by the IceDogs in 2013 and expectations were high. “I just didn’t make it to be quite honest,” Kovacevic said.
American Hockey League
The Iowa Wild have re-signed defenseman Keaton Thompson to a one-year AHL contract for the 2020-21 season. Thompson, 24, appeared in 45 games for Iowa in 2019-20, collecting two goals and 12 assists along with a plus-14 rating, good for second on the team in plus/minus. A native of Devils Lake, N.D., Thompson has played
The Colorado Eagles have signed defenseman Keaton Middleton to an AHL contract for the 2020-21 season. Middleton, 22, tallied four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 41 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda last season. He totaled 10 goals and 16 assists with a plus-18 rating in 102 games over two campaigns
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed forwards Nick Schilkey and Zach Nastasiuk to American Hockey League contracts for the 2020-21 season. Schilkey and Nastasiuk both played for Penguins head coach Mike Vellucci in Charlotte, winning a Calder Cup championship in 2019. Schilkey, 26, played 49 games for the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2019-20, registering nine
“The first month was kind of hard to do much; couldn’t really leave the house. So [I did] just a little stuff at home. When I was able to get out a little bit and the town where I live opened up a bit, I started to branch out and do a little bit more
The Laval Rocket have agreed to terms with forward Sam Vigneault and defenseman Corey Schueneman on one-year AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season. Vigneault, 24, enters his fourth pro campaign after scoring a career-high 11 goals and finishing with 16 points in 57 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters in 2019-20. The native of Baie-Comeau,
It’s no secret that the 2019-20 Ontario Reign were substantially better than their predecessor, and a large reason for the jump were the improvements, development and overall production of their returning prospects. Veterans are extremely important to the on-ice success of an AHL team, and the Reign were no exception, but we’ll cover that later.
The Arizona Coyotes have re-signed defenseman Dysin Mayo to a one-year, two-way contract. Mayo, 23, notched four goals and eight assists in 58 games with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners in 2019-20, his fourth pro season. He also posted a plus-24 rating, tying him for fifth in the league in plus/minus. A native of Victoria, B.C.,
NHL.com’s Q&A feature called “Five Questions With …” runs every Tuesday. We talk to key figures in the game and ask them questions to gain insight into their lives, careers and latest news. The latest edition features Dave Andrews, who is retiring Tuesday after 26 years as president and CEO of the American Hockey League.
Golden Knights prospect Keegan Kolesar logged thousands of air miles on a sudden December trip just to be an insurance policy. The right wing was called up from the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves on Dec. 28 before a game in Iowa. He flew to Las Vegas, warmed up in case a banged-up skater couldn’t
Cory Schneider, the Devils veteran goaltender, saw several ups and downs during the 2019-20 season. He started the year in New Jersey splitting time with Mackenzie Blackwood in net, but after some struggles, he was sent to the Devils affiliate in Binghamton. Schneider went back and forth between the Devils and their AHL affiliate twice,
The Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced that former American Hockey League goaltender Ken Holland is part of the induction class of 2020. Holland will be enshrined in the builders’ category, joining players Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre and Doug Wilson. Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1975, Holland played
Charlotte Checkers COO Tera Black, center, looks on during the team’s Calder Cup banner-raising ceremony prior to the team’s 2019-20 home opener on Oct. 11. (Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Checkers) While major sports leagues around the world are trying to find ways to hold games and events in front of limited or even no
The St. Louis Blues announced today that Chris Thorburn has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey following a 16-year career that included 251 games in the American Hockey League. Thorburn spent the majority of his final season in 2018-19 with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. He was recalled by St. Louis at the end
Kurtis Gabriel has an internal policy. He won’t ever advise anyone to come out of the closet. That decision, he says, is always going to be their own. But what Gabriel has done, a number of times now through Instagram, is provide a sounding board for people who are struggling with the ramifications of telling
The Toronto Marlies have re-signed forward Hudson Elynuik to a one-year AHL contract. Elynuik, 22, recorded five goals and eight assists in 53 games with the Marlies in 2019-20, his first full season in the AHL. He scored twice, including his first career game-winner, in Toronto’s 5-2 victory over Syracuse on Mar. 6. A third-round
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … As part of the month-long 2020 AHL Team Business Spring Series, the American Hockey League today announced the winners of several awards recognizing the business successes of team staffs in the past year. The 2020 AHL Team Business Spring Series, running May 19 through June 19, is a program of online presentations
The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Kristian Reichel to a two-year, entry-level contract. Reichel, 22, spent the last two seasons playing on an AHL contract with the Manitoba Moose. In 2019-20, he collected 12 goals and five assists for 17 points in 39 games. A native of Litvinov, Czech Republic, Reichel has totaled 14 goals