American Hockey League

The Seattle Kraken have re-signed goaltender Joey Daccord to a two-year contract. Daccord made 38 appearances in the regular season with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022-23, posting a record of 26-8-3 with three shutouts. He tied for third in the AHL in wins and ranked fifth in both goals-against average (2.38) and save

The Detroit Red Wings have hired Stephane Julien and Brian Lashoff as assistant coaches for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Julien, 49, was named the coach of the year and the general manager of the year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2022-23, leading Sherbrooke to a division title with a record of 50-13-3-2.

📝 by Patrick Williams Fit. It had to be the right fit for Joel Bouchard. A friend of Benoit Groulx’s from their days in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Bouchard is well aware of who he is replacing as head coach of the Syracuse Crunch. But the chance to head up the Tampa Bay

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … The 2022-23 Hershey Bears gathered for one last time at Giant Center on Saturday. And after winning the Calder Cup on the road, they were ready to celebrate with their fans. Mike Vecchione’s championship-winning goal was scored at 1:17 a.m. EDT on Thursday morning. After a cross-country flight

At the age of 41, Carbery is currently the youngest head coach in the NHL. Washington wasn’t the only team considering Carbery as its next head coach; there were a handful of bench boss vacancies around the League, and he reportedly interviewed for at least a couple of them. For each of the last two

Thirty-two National Hockey League teams are preparing to take part in this week’s 2023 NHL Draft, and their top affiliates are ready and waiting for the next wave of young American Hockey League stars to begin their professional careers. In 2022-23, a total of 238 former first- and second-round draft picks played in the American

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired center Andrew Agozzino from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Andrej Sustr. Agozzino spent the 2022-23 season serving as captain of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, recording 26 goals and 35 assists for 61 points in 63 games to lead the team in all three categories. He also

Linus Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy as the National Hockey League’s outstanding goaltender in 2022-23, one of several AHL alumni honored at the NHL Awards ceremony in Nashville on Monday night. Ullmark, who led the NHL in goals-against average (1.89) and save percentage (.938) while posting a 40-6-1 record for the Boston Bruins, played 127

The Vegas Golden Knights have named Ryan Craig head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. Craig, 41, joined the Golden Knights’ staff as an assistant coach in 2017 prior to their inaugural season and spent six seasons with Vegas, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018

The Tampa Bay Lightning have named Joel Bouchard as head coach of the Syracuse Crunch. In addition, Daniel Jacob has been named assistant coach. Bouchard, 49, joins the Crunch with 242 games of experience as an AHL head coach with Laval (2018-21) and San Diego (2021-22), posting a record of 111-100-18-13. He led the Rocket

📝 by Patrick Williams PALM DESERT, Calif. … So many of hockey’s cliches surround the game’s highs and lows. But cliches can also contain truths. Hershey Bears forward Mike Vecchione is one such example. Vecchione went to the AHL All-Star Classic in Laval in February, his first invitation to that event. Certainly a high. A

Rochester Americans assistant coach Michael Peca has been named an assistant coach of the New York Rangers, where he will work with new head coach Peter Laviolette and his staff. Peca spent the last two seasons with the Amerks, overseeing the team’s offense. Rochester made back-to-back postseason appearances, including a trip to the Eastern Conference

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League is holding the 2023 AHL Team Business Meetings presented by Ticket Evolution this week, with more than 250 representatives from the league and its member clubs gathering at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, Ariz. Front-office personnel from throughout the American Hockey League are gathering today

The Washington Capitals have named two-time reigning AHL coach of the year Mitch Love as an assistant coach, joining assistant Scott Allen and goaltending coach Scott Murray on new head coach Spencer Carbery’s staff. Love, 39, joins Washington after spending the previous two seasons as the head coach of the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliates in

📝 by Patrick Williams PALM DESERT, Calif. … Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals, and the Hershey Bears trailed 2-0 late in the second period. Coachella Valley Firebirds goaltender Joey Daccord again looked like his usual stout self. Fans packing Acrisure Arena made it difficult, if not impossible, to hear at times. Then came

PALM DESERT, Calif. (theahl.com) … For the 12th time in their storied history, the Hershey Bears are Calder Cup champions. The Bears extended their league record and captured their first championship since 2010 with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds tonight at Acrisure Arena, winning the Calder Cup Finals series four games

📝 by Patrick Williams PALM DESERT, Calif. … Only one team will lift the Calder Cup tonight. But both the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears will take away memories and relationships made from an eight-month journey that will culminate with Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals. Since October and the first day of

📝 by Patrick Williams PALM DESERT, Calif. … The Firebirds needed a lot more following three consecutive losses in Hershey last week. They got it, and now they will play one last game for the Calder Cup. “I don’t think the hockey in Hershey was our best hockey,” head coach Dan Bylsma acknowledged following his