American Hockey League

By Jason Shaya Jun 28, 2022 “If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.” – St. Thomas Aquinas. Ryan Schmelzer was named the team captain of the Utica Comets last season. From that moment on, he took his team into battle each night with

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that Chicago Wolves goaltender Alex Lyon has been suspended for two (2) games as a consequence of his actions following Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals at Springfield on June 25. Lyon will miss the next two games for which he is on an active

📝 by Patrick Williams Lifting the Calder Cup is becoming something of a June tradition for Chicago Wolves captain Andrew Poturalski. Three years ago with the Charlotte Checkers, then the Carolina Hurricanes’ American Hockey League affiliate, Poturalski skated the Calder Cup at Allstate Arena after his team had defeated the Wolves in the Calder Cup

The Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday announced that former American Hockey League goaltender Roberto Luongo is part of the induction class of 2022. Luongo will be enshrined alongside fellow players Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Alfredsson and Riikka Sallinen. Herb Carnegie will also be inducted in the builders’ category. Drafted by the New York

📝 by Patrick Williams A Friday in November might seem like an unlikely time for a team to begin a run to the Calder Cup. But Ryan Warsofsky believes that his club truly started its path on the night after U.S. Thanksgiving in Grand Rapids. On Nov. 26, the Wolves were having a bad night.

The Colorado Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup championship on Sunday evening, with contributions up and down the roster from graduates of the American Hockey League. The Avalanche dethroned the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2-1 win, taking the series four games to two. Jared Bednar became the ninth head coach ever

📝 by Patrick Williams Often Grand Rapids is the American Hockey League city of choice in Ryan Warsofsky’s number-one message. Milwaukee sometimes slips into his most consistent talking point. Last night it was Rockford. Pick a Central Division rival. Time-wise, November is a Warsofsky go-to as well. To stay current, Springfield made it into Warsofsky’s

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (theahl.com) … The Calder Cup has been awarded again, and the Chicago Wolves are back on top of the American Hockey League. The Wolves secured their first Calder Cup championship since 2008 and their third overall tonight with a 4-0 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds at MassMutual Center, winning the Calder Cup Finals

📝 by Patrick Williams By now life has settled into quite a defined pattern for the Springfield Thunderbirds. In the last eight-plus months, 92 games have been crossed off the calendar. Players have practiced more times than they wish to count. Video has been watched, rewound, and then watched one more time. Head coach Drew

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (theahl.com) … Another impressive road effort on Friday night has the Chicago Wolves one win away from a Calder Cup championship. The Wolves scored two power-play goals for the fourth consecutive game and Pyotr Kochetkov turned aside 39 shots in a 4-2 Chicago victory at a sold-out MassMutual Center in Game 4 of

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has selected Gavin Riches, executive vice president of the Colorado Eagles, as the winner of the league’s Ken McKenzie Award for the 2021-22 season. Recognizing the important role played by team management in building a successful franchise, the Ken McKenzie Award is presented annually to an AHL team

📝 by Patrick Williams Like a lot of the American Hockey League’s circle of experienced goaltenders, Alex Lyon understands his mandate. Provide stability in net for the Chicago Wolves. Be a reliable recall option for the Carolina Hurricanes. Mentor and push the up-and-coming prospect, someone like Pyotr Kochetkov, the goaltender who eventually may take on

Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft speaks at a media availability in Edmonton, Monday, May 23, 2022. Woodcroft went from a prominent role behind an NHL bench to riding the buses in the American Hockey League. Now back in the big leagues as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, Woodcroft says he wouldn’t be where

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (theahl.com) … The Chicago Wolves grabbed the lead in the 2022 Calder Cup Finals, shutting down the Springfield Thunderbirds, 4-0, in Game 3 on Wednesday night. With the Wolves up 2-1 in the best-of-seven, the series resumes Friday in Springfield. Pyotr Kochetkov made 36 saves to silence the Thunderbirds, who were playing the

📝 by Patrick Williams Pressure is becoming rather routine for defenseman Matt Kessel and the Springfield Thunderbirds. Springfield endured three overtime games with Laval in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning two of them. They prevailed in a Game 7 against the Rocket, a 4-0 masterpiece to secure their place in the Calder Cup Finals against

The Seattle Kraken have named Dan Bylsma as the first head coach of their new American Hockey League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Bylsma spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers, working with Kraken prospects as part of a shared affiliation with the Florida Panthers. Before joining the Seattle organization,

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League is holding the 2022 AHL Team Business Meetings presented by Ticket Evolution this week, with more than 220 representatives from the league and its member clubs gathering at the Renaissance Hotel and at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. Meeting in person for the first time since 2019, front-office

ROSEMONT, Ill. (theahl.com) … The Chicago Wolves rode a four-goal first period to a 6-2 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds in Game 2 of the 2022 Calder Cup Finals on Monday evening, squaring the AHL’s championship series at one game apiece. After a travel day tomorrow, the best-of-seven series resumes in Springfield with Game 3