American Hockey League

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The final game of the 2022-23 hockey season will be played in Palm Desert, Calif., on Wednesday night, when the Coachella Valley Firebirds take on the Hershey Bears in Game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals. It will be just the 12th Game 7 in Calder Cup Finals history, and the

PALM DESERT, Calif. (theahl.com) … The 2022-23 American Hockey League season is down to one game. Coachella Valley got two goals from Kole Lind and 20 saves plus an assist from Joey Daccord to defeat Hershey, 5-2, in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals at a sold-out Acrisure Arena on Monday night. The AHL

📝 by Patrick Williams PALM DESERT, Calif. … Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. George Burns and Gracie Allen. Dinah Shore and Marilyn Monroe. The Coachella Valley has long been an escape for celebrities attracted to its natural beauty, warm-weather climate and year-round recreation. Now the area’s first high-level professional sports

The Colorado Avalanche have acquired Fredrik Olofsson from the Dallas Stars in exchange for future considerations, and have agreed to terms with the forward on a one-year contract for the 2023-24 season. Olofsson split the 2022-23 season between Dallas and the AHL’s Texas Stars. In 37 games with Texas, he totaled five goals and nine

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … The Hershey Bears are one win away from their 12th Calder Cup championship following a 1-0 overtime Game 5 victory at Giant Center last night. Two wins separate the Coachella Valley Firebirds from hoisting the Calder Cup in their inaugural season. But after dropping three straight one-goal decisions

HERSHEY, Pa. (theahl.com) … Garrett Pilon broke a scoreless tie 10:01 into overtime to give the Hershey Bears their third consecutive one-goal victory and a 3-2 series lead over Coachella Valley in the 2023 Calder Cup Finals. The best-of-seven series resumes Monday in Palm Desert with the Bears one win away from their 12th Calder

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … As the Calder Cup Finals shifted east earlier this week, something for the Hershey Bears had to change — and quickly — if this was going to be a series at all. Two games later, the Bears have rediscovered their scoring touch. Ethen Frank is back on the scoresheet.

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma has not budged from his script. “We set out in this seven-game series to play 420 minutes of hockey,” he said after Game 4, repeating the same sentiment he had after Game 3. “We didn’t expect it to be four games. We expected

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … Jessica Campbell is checking off plenty of firsts this season. First assistant coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. First female assistant coach in the American Hockey League. First AHL season. Campbell, who turns 31 on June 24, has been doing a lot of trailblazing. Last season she became

HERSHEY, Pa. (theahl.com) … The Calder Cup Finals are all even after the Hershey Bears held on for a 3-2 victory over Coachella Valley in Game 4 at a sold-out Giant Center on Thursday night. The best-of-seven series is square at two games apiece as the Bears prepare to host Game 5 on Saturday. Mike

More than 10,000 fans filled the Hershey Bears’ home arena on Tuesday night to watch the oldest American Hockey League franchise take on the newest, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, in the Calder Cup Finals. It was the third consecutive game in the AHL championship series to be sold out and pushed total playoff attendance for

The Chicago Wolves have signed defenseman Matt Donovan and forwards Hank Crone and Timothy Doherty to AHL contracts for the 2023-24 season. Donovan returns to the American Hockey League after spending the 2022-23 season playing in Germany. The two-time AHL All-Star has appeared in 455 games in the AHL with Bridgeport, Rochester and Milwaukee, totaling

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … Not perfect. But better. And enough for now. What the Hershey Bears’ 5-4 overtime win in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals last night lacked in polish, it made up for in execution. The Bears lost a two-goal third-period lead and withstood ferocious overtime pressure from the

HERSHEY, Pa. (theahl.com) … Riley Sutter scored 13:34 into overtime to give the Hershey Bears renewed life in the Calder Cup Finals with a 5-4 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 3 on Tuesday night. After being shut out twice to begin the series, the Bears cut the Firebirds’ lead in the best-of-seven

📝 by Patrick Williams Game 1 – COACHELLA VALLEY 5, Hershey 0Game 2 – COACHELLA VALLEY 4, Hershey 0Game 3 – Tonight at Hershey, 7:00Game 4 – Thursday at Hershey, 7:00*Game 5 – Saturday at Hershey, 7:00*Game 6 – Monday at Coachella Valley, 10:00*Game 7 – June 21 at Coachella Valley, 10:00*if necessary… All times

📝 by Patrick Williams HERSHEY, Pa. … It has already been a dream rookie season for Tye Kartye. Is a Calder Cup ring asking too much? Maybe not. Kartye and the Coachella Valley Firebirds are two wins away from a Calder Cup championship as they prepare for Game 3 against the Hershey Bears on Tuesday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has established a new record for total postseason attendance this spring, with nearly 500,000 fans having already attended games during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Through 80 games, the league’s playoff participants have drawn a total of 498,828 fans, and will surpass half a million fans in a

📝 by Patrick Williams PALM DESERT, Calif. … Kole Lind chuckled. So did teammates Joey Daccord and Andrew Poturalski, seated next to their Coachella Valley Firebirds teammate at the media dais following Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals. Lind had just picked up three assists, taking his Calder Cup Playoff-leading point total to 26