Niklas Kronwall had so much trouble getting his pro career off the ground, it might not have turned out like it did without the Grand Rapids Griffins. Kronwall, who retired Tuesday after 15 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, used Grand Rapids in his early years as a place to recover from a couple of
American Hockey League
Nick Paul has been called up and sent down more than the big forward wishes to count. He’s hoping the time is right for him to finally stick in the NHL. Paul has played 56 times for the Ottawa Senators since making his debut in February 2016, but that initial 24-game stint remains the longest
The Canucks and Comets have taken measures to ensure that they have sufficient depth on hand to withstand the inevitable injuries that come with playing professional hockey. Vancouver Vancouver has added depth up front with forwards Justin Bailey, Tyler Graovac, and Francis Perron. They have also shored up the backend with the likes of Brogan
BUFFALO — Corey Syvret still gets goosebumps thinking about his NHL debut. The lights in the arena were low, the music was pumping, adrenaline flowing as he took the ice for a moment he had long imagined. Except he wasn’t on the ice to play. He was there to officiate. “It might have been different
TORONTO — The Maple Leafs should have offensive talent and speed to spare this coming season. What they don’t have available in spades are the attributes Ben Harpur has to offer. The 6-foot-6, 222-pound defenceman isn’t flashy, but his size and strength are a rarity not just among the Leafs’ stable of blueliners but in the
The Binghamton Devils have signed defenseman Michael Paliotta to a one-year American Hockey League contract. Paliotta, 26, spent the 2018-19 season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, where he recorded four assists in 32 games. The Westport, Conn., native has accumulated 10 goals and 35 assists in 177 career AHL games with Stockton, Texas, Toronto, Hartford
Ethan Bear believes he’s never been more prepared to make the jump to the NHL. “[I’m] way stronger and faster. I’m thinking quicker,” Bear commented when he was asked about his growth over the past year. Bear, 22, admits he was his own worst enemy when it came to his development. READ MORE: Puljujarvi’s future
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Mike Vellucci has been named general manager of the club. Vellucci, 52, will serve as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s head coach and GM. He takes over general manager duties from Bill Guerin, who joined the Minnesota Wild as their GM last week. Vellucci spent the previous five seasons as
Cody Glass has checked off a lot of things on his bucket list the past few years: getting drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, playing in the Calder Cup Final with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and being one of the top young prospects in the league.
The Washington Capitals have named Scott Allen assistant coach of the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Allen, 53, brings 23 years of coaching experience to Hershey, including 11 in the AHL as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Rampage (2002-04, 14-15), Lowell Lock Monsters (2004-05), Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (2005-07), Quad City Flames (2007-09), Peoria Rivermen (2012-13),
With the 2019 Rookie Showcase on the horizon, Ottawa Senators’ 2016 first round pick Logan Brown hopes a new offseason training regime could help him start the season off with a strong showing in Belleville next weekend. “I worked with a new trainer this offseason so it was my first summer with him and he
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have agreed to terms with forward Colin McDonald on an American Hockey League contract. A three-time AHL All-Star, McDonald recorded 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 69 games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season. McDonald served as captain of the Phantoms for four years (2015-19), and
To make a living as a hockey player you have to be tough. Ice hockey isn’t a sport for the faint of heart or those that can’t overcome the pain that goes into playing such a chaotic, beautiful game. Colorado Eagles forward Cody Bass has built a career off grit and toughness. The Owen Sound,
Mike McKenna isn’t sure where to start on the craziest stories from his long and winding road of a career. “We could be here forever,” he said. “I mean, do you want to talk about me, or do you want to talk about when the bus caught on fire? Or do you want to talk
The Carolina Hurricanes announced that forward Stelio Mattheos will miss the team’s 2019 training camp as he completes treatments for testicular cancer. Mattheos, 20, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June, just two days after helping the Charlotte Checkers capture the Calder Cup as American Hockey League champions. After consultation with physicians, the Winnipeg native
Mike McKenna, the winningest U.S-born goaltender in AHL history, announced his retirement on Tuesday after 14 seasons of pro hockey. McKenna, a 36-year-old native of St. Louis, Mo., won 231 games in the American Hockey League, good for eighth-most overall. He retires with a lifetime record of 231-179-39 in 477 games (9th all-time among AHL
The crossing into Canada was not a problem. Earlier this month, Canadian customs officers barely seemed to notice the old trophy sitting on the front seat next to Donny White, equipment manager for the Charlotte Checkers. Their American counterparts responded differently. White returned early Sunday from Ontario, and he said a customs guy expressed plenty
The Iowa Wild have signed forwards Cody McLeod, Olivier Archambault and Kyle Bauman to American Hockey League contracts. McLeod, 35, has played 776 regular-season games in the National Hockey League over the last 12 seasons with Colorado, Nashville and the New York Rangers, recording 72 goals and 55 assists for 127 points. Before reaching the