Springfield, Mass. … As the National Hockey League opens its 2025-26 season, the American Hockey League is proud to have it 596 graduates About the NHL’s 32 opening day active rosters, which make up more than 82 percent of the NHL’s initial player pool to begin its campaign.
Many of last year’s notable AHL players have made the jump to the NHL as the new season gets underway, including 2025 AHL All-Stars Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose), Sam Colangelo (Anaheim), Devin Cooley (Calgary), Jeremy Davies (Vegas), Joakim Kemell (Nashville), Olle Lyckell (Ottawa), Logan Mailloux (St. Louis), Simon Nemec (New Jersey), Jani Nyman (Seattle) and Matt Savoy (Edmonton).
Six members of the 2025 Calder Cup champion Abbotsford Canucks begin the season in the NHL, including Arshdeep Bains,, Linus Karlsson,, Jonathan Lekkerimaki And Episode AAT with parent Vancouver Canucks; Sammy Blais with the Toronto Maple Leafs; and Jack Butterfield Trophy winner Arthur Silov with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Twenty-one of the NHL’s 32 head coaches were AHL Bench bosses earlier in their careers. Marco Sturm takes over the bench for the Boston Bruins after three seasons at the helm of the Ahl’s Ontario Reign, and Jeff Blashill becomes the sixth active NHL head coach to win the Calder Cup when he takes the helm of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Among the NHL stars who developed their skills in the American Hockey League, Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winners reign supreme Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg jets; Art Ross Trophy Winner Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning; three-time Stanley Cup champion Carter Verhaeghe of the Florida Panthers; and 2024-25 top-10 scorers Leon Draisaitl,, David Pastrnak And Kyle Connor. Last season, A total of 891 AHL alumni played in the National Hockey League – 87.0 percent of all NHL players – inclusive 330 who only skated in both competitions last year.
In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the Top Development League for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and officials of the National Hockey League and its 32 teams. The AHL’s 90th season kicks off this Friday, October 10, with every game streaming live Ahltv on flohockey.
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