Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
The AHL’s 90th anniversary season begins tonight with an eight-game series.
A league that began on Nov. 7, 1936, with eight teams, now boasts a 32-team membership stretching from San Diego to Quebec. Let’s get this anniversary season going.
A NEW CHAMPION
The Abbotsford Canucks took over summer Calder Cup duties from the Hershey Bears.
After Hershey’s three-peat bid in the Calder Cup fell short, Abbotsford’s five-round postseason assault ended when they won the Calder Cup on a hot, humid night at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. It was the first Calder Cup title for a Vancouver Canucks affiliate. Abbotsford’s first step towards a repeat bid begins on Friday evening when they take on the Henderson Silver Knights. Their home opener is October 24 against the Ontario Reign.
Repeating as Calder Cup champions has proven to be an extremely difficult task. Hershey’s titles in 2023 and 2024, along with championships in 2009 and 2010, are the only times a team has done so since the Springfield Indians prevailed in 1990 and 1991.
STEP BEHIND THE COUCH
As with players, developing coaches is a crucial mandate for NHL organizations.
Todd Nelson‘s double championship tenure at Hershey landed him a role with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant coach. Marco Sturm came back to Boston; the former Bruins player is that team’s new head coach following his stint at Ontario. Neil Graham‘s coaching climb through the Dallas Stars organization now has him with the NHL club as an assistant coach. Aaron Schneekloth also made the jump, from the Colorado Eagles to the Seattle Kraken as an assistant coach Trent Cull (Calgary Wranglers) is now a full-time assistant coach with the Calgary Flames after serving as interim for part of last season.
Greg Cronin (Iowa Wild), Dirk King (Hershey), Mark Letestu (Colorado), Andreas Heer (Ontario), Jared Nightingale (Rockford IceHogs), Toby Petersen (Texas), Johannes Sneeuwden (Lehigh Valley Phantoms), Brett Sutter (Calgary) and Rocky Thompson (Bridgeport Islanders) all take over as head coaches. Ryan Parentinterim head coach with the Utica Comets last season, now holds the full-time title.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
There will be plenty of first-round picks again in the AHL, and the 2023 NHL Draft class is well represented. There’s Tucson Roadrunners moving forward Daniel Maarwho placed 12th overall that year; he goes 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds. The Manitoba Moose get two first-round picks up front Brayden Yager (14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins and acquired via trade) and Colby Barlow (18th overall). Yager captained Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship last season. Right behind Barlow in the first round that year, he was at the front Oliver Moorewhich is at Rockford. The Hartford Wolf Pack Gabe Perreault (22nd) comes in just like the AHL Quentin Muest (26th) with the San Jose Barracuda. The blue line shows Abbotsford’s Tom Willander (11th overall). He joins Tanner Molendijk (24th) of the Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds freshman addition Theo Lindstein (28th).
Several 2023 first-round picks already got a head start in the AHL last season and are back for more seasoning. They are Dalibor Dvorsky (Springfield), David Edstrom (Milwaukee), Honzek himself (Calgary), Bradley Nadeau (Chicago Wolves), and Eduard Sale (Coachella Valley Firebirds).
Say goodbye
Several longtime AHL names ended their playing careers this season.
Three captains from last season belong to that group – Zac Dalpe (Charlotte Dammen), Gabriel Dumont (Syracuse Crunch) and Stefan Matteau (Cleveland Monsters). Dalpe has since joined the Seattle organization as a player development consultant, while Matteau will remain in Cleveland as the Monsters assistant coach. Kyle Clifford concluded his playing career last season with the Toronto Marlies and will remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a developmental capacity. Anthony Angelo (Syracuse), Aaron Dell (San Jose), Joe Gambardella (Utica) and Garret Roe (Hershey) have also played their last games.
At TheAHL.com, writer Patrick Williams has been covering the American Hockey League for two decades. Writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He received the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
#Closing #season