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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: IOWA WILD'S GERRY MAYHEW VOTED WINNER OF LES CUNNINGHAM AWARD AS AHL’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that forward Gerry Mayhew of the Iowa Wild has been voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player for the 2019-20 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. Mayhew scored a league-best 39 goals – the most by an AHL skater since 2011-12 – and finished third with 61 points in 49 games, helping Iowa to the best regular-season record in franchise history. Ten of Mayhew’s goals were game-winners and he registered 11 multiple-goal outings, including a natural hat trick in a 3-0 win over San Diego on Feb. 14. Mayhew tied a franchise mark with a 10-game scoring streak from Dec. 12 to Jan. 10 and earned CCM/AHL Player of the Month honors for January after totaling 12 goals and 19 points in 11 contests. Among Mayhew’s 39 tallies were 13 power-play goals and two shorthanded markers, and he also led the Wild in plus/minus rating at plus-16. Iowa was 26-7-1-2 in games when Mayhew registered a point. Mayhew represented Iowa at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic and was voted a Second Team AHL All-Star at left wing for 2019-20. He also made his National Hockey League debut this season, notching two goals in 13 games with Minnesota – including a goal in his first appearance on Oct. 15 in Toronto. A native of Wyandotte, Mich., Mayhew turned pro with Iowa in 2017 after four years at Ferris State University and spent his first two pro seasons on an AHL contract before signing with Minnesota on May 10, 2019. He has skated in 209 regular-season games with Iowa and has compiled 88 goals and 72 assists for 160 points; he added nine goals and two assists in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Wild in 2019. The AHL’s most valuable player award honors the late Les Cunningham, a member of the AHL Hall of Fame who was a five-time league All-Star and three-time Calder Cup champion with the Cleveland Barons. Previous winners of the award include Carl Liscombe (1948, ’49), Johnny Bower (1956, ’57, ’58), Fred Glover (1960, ’62, ’64), Mike Nykoluk (1967), Gilles Villemure (1969, ’70), Doug Gibson (1975, ’77), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Paul Gardner (1985, ’86), Tim Tookey (1987), Jody Gage (1988), John Anderson (1992), Don Biggs (1993), Derek Armstrong (2001), Jason Spezza (2005), Keith Aucoin (2010), Cory Conacher (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Travis Morin (2014), Chris Bourque (2016), Kenny Agostino (2017), Phil Varone (2018) and Daniel Carr (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Read the full article

#AHL #AHLAll-StarClassic #AHLHallofFame #AmericanHockeyLeague #ChrisBourque #CoryConacher #DerekArmstrong #FerrisStateUniversity #GillesVillemure #IowaWild #JasonChaimovitch #JasonSpezza #JohnAnderson #KeithAucoin #KennyAgostino #LesCunninghamAward #NationalHockeyLeague #NHL #TylerJohnson

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: BELLEVILLE SENATORS’ JOSH NORRIS VOTED WINNER OF DUDLEY (RED) GARRETT MEMORIAL AWARD AS AHL’S OUTSTANDING ROOKIE

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Belleville Senators forward Josh Norris has been voted the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding rookie for the 2019-20 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. Norris, who earned spots on the AHL First All-Star Team and the AHL All-Rookie Team for 2019-20, was the league’s top-scoring rookie with 31 goals and 61 points in 56 games for Belleville. He finished tied for third in the overall scoring race, the highest finish by an AHL rookie since Cory Conacher placed second in 2011-12, and paced a Senators offense that led the league in scoring with 3.71 goals per game. Norris had a 13-game scoring streak from Dec. 20 to Jan. 15 – matching the longest by an AHL rookie since 2005 – and was held scoreless in back-to-back games just once from Oct. 19 through the end of the season. A 21-year-old native of Oxford, Mich., Norris also appeared in three games with the Ottawa Senators this season, making his National Hockey League debut on Feb. 22 vs. Montreal. Norris, who played two seasons at the University of Michigan and was a two-time medalist with the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship, was originally a first-round selection (19th overall) by San Jose in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft; he was acquired by the Senators in a trade on Sept. 13, 2018. This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1947, honors the late Dudley (Red) Garrett, a promising young player who lost his life during World War II while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. Garrett split his only pro season, 1942-43, between the AHL’s Providence Reds and the NHL’s New York Rangers. Previous winners of the Garrett Award include Terry Sawchuk (1949), Jim Anderson (1955), Bill Sweeney (1958), Roger Crozier (1964), Gerry Desjardins (1968), Rick Middleton (1974), Darryl Sutter (1980), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Steve Thomas (1985), Ron Hextall (1986), Brett Hull (1987), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Darcy Tucker (1996), Daniel Briere (1998), Darren Haydar (2003), Rene Bourque (2005), Nathan Gerbe (2009), Tyler Ennis (2010), Cory Conacher (2012), Tyler Toffoli (2013), Matt Murray (2015), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Daniel O’Regan (2017) and Mason Appleton (2018) and Alex Barre-Boulet (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The winner of the 2019-20 Les Cunningham Award (most valuable player) will be announced Friday. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: CHARLOTTE CHECKERS’ JAKE BEAN VOTED WINNER OF EDDIE SHORE AWARD AS AHL’S OUTSTANDING DEFENSEMAN

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Jake Bean of the Charlotte Checkers is the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman for the 2019-20 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. The 21-year-old Bean led all AHL defensemen in scoring with 48 points in 59 games for the Checkers this season, collecting 10 goals and 38 assists to finish as the leading scorer on Charlotte’s roster. Bean recorded 21 points on the power play, and his special-teams play helped the Checkers rank third in the league in efficiency both with the man advantage (22.8 percent) and while shorthanded (87.0 percent). A native of Calgary, Alta., Bean was also a First Team AHL All-Star selection and participated in the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic this season, following a debut 2018-19 campaign that saw him capture AHL All-Rookie honors and a Calder Cup championship with Charlotte. He has totaled 23 goals and 69 assists for 92 points in 129 regular-season games over his two AHL seasons. Bean was the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft and skated in two games with the Canes last year. Bean is just the third player ever to earn the Eddie Shore Award before his 22nd birthday, joining Sami Niku (2018) and Craig Levie (1981). This award was first presented by the AHL in 1958-59 in honor of the late Eddie Shore, a member of both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the American Hockey League Hall of Fame who is widely regarded as one of hockey’s greatest defensemen. Shore won a total of seven Calder Cups in his career, including two as the general manager of the Buffalo Bisons and five as the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians. Previous recipients of the Eddie Shore Award include Steve Kraftcheck (1959), Bob McCord (1961, ’67), Al Arbour (1965), Jim Morrison (1966), Noel Price (1970, ’72, ’76), Brian Engblom (1977), Terry Murray (1978, ’79), Dave Farrish (1982), Brad Shaw (1987), Dave Fenyves (1988, ’89), Eric Weinrich (1990), Darren Rumble (1997), John Slaney (2001, ’02), Niklas Kronwall (2005), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Mark Barberio (2012), Justin Schultz (2013), T.J. Brennan (2014, ’16), Sami Niku (2018) and Zach Redmond (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The winner of the 2019-20 Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award (outstanding rookie) will be announced Thursday. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: IOWA WILD’S KAAPO KAHKONEN VOTED WINNER OF BAZ BASTIEN AWARD AS AHL’S OUTSTANDING GOALTENDER

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Kaapo Kahkonen of the Iowa Wild is the winner of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender for the 2019-20 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. Named a 2019-20 First Team AHL All-Star last week, Kahkonen made 34 appearances for the Wild this season, helping the club to the best regular-season record in franchise history. Kahkonen led the AHL in victories (25-6-3) and shutouts (seven) and ranked fourth in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.927) while placing among the top 10 in minutes played and shots faced. The CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February, Kahkonen finished the year with a 10-1-1 record (1.16, .961) and five shutouts in his last 12 starts. A 23-year-old native of Helsinki, Finland, Kahkonen also made his National Hockey League debut this season, going 3-1-1 with a 2.96 GAA and a .913 save percentage in five appearances with the Minnesota Wild. Kahkonen, Minnesota’s fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, shows a record of 42-20-11 with a 2.45 GAA, a .916 save percentage and 13 shutouts in his two seasons with Iowa, and is the first goaltender since Martin Biron (1997-99) to lead the AHL in shutouts in back-to-back seasons. The Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, which was first presented in 1984, honors former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Baz Bastien, who played four seasons in goal with the AHL’s Pittsburgh Hornets (1945-49) before suffering a career-ending eye injury. Bastien would go on to serve as head coach and general manager of the Hornets, leading them to the 1967 Calder Cup championship. Previous winners of the award include Jon Casey (1985), Sam St. Laurent (1986), Mark Laforest (1987, 1991), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Manny Legace (1996), Martin Biron (1999), Dwayne Roloson (2001), Jason LaBarbera (2004, 2007), Ryan Miller (2005), Michael Leighton (2008), Cory Schneider (2009), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Jake Allen (2014), Matt Murray (2015), Peter Budaj (2016), Troy Grosenick (2017), Garret Sparks (2018) and Alex Nedeljkovic (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: 2019-20 AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE FIRST AND SECOND ALL-STAR TEAMS NAMED

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 31 member cities. 2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team G - Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild (34gp, 25-6-3, 2.07gaa, .927sv%, 7so) D - Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (59gp, 10+38=48pts., 3 PPG, 18 PPA) D - Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild (57gp, 5+42=47pts., +8, 3 PPG, 23 PPA) LW - Reid Boucher, Utica Comets (53gp, 34+33=67pts., +8, 9 PPG, 7 GWG) C - Josh Norris, Belleville Senators (56gp, 31+30=61pts., +9, 10 PPG, 4 GWG) RW - Sam Anas, Iowa Wild (63gp, 20+50=70pts., 7 PPG, 35 PPA) 2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team G - Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals (33gp, 21-5-5, 1.92gaa, .933sv%, 2so) D - Jacob MacDonald, Colorado Eagles (56gp, 16+26=42pts., +7, 7 PPG, 14 PPA) D - Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets (57gp, 7+38=45pts., +17, 3 PPG, 17 PPA) LW - Gerry Mayhew, Iowa Wild (49gp, 39+22=61pts., +16, 13 PPG, 10 GWG) C - Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (60gp, 27+29=56pts., +2, 9 PPG, 3 GWG) RW - Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (44gp, 16+38=54pts., +14, 3 PPG, 2 GWG) Each All-Star Team member will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams. Recent First and Second Team AHL All-Star selections include Cory Schneider (2009), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Ben Lovejoy (2009), P.K. Subban (2010), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Kyle Palmieri (2012), Ben Bishop (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Jonathan Marchessault (2013), Justin Schultz (2013), Sami Vatanen (2013), Gustav Nyquist (2013), Brett Connolly (2013), Jake Allen (2014), Mike Hoffman (2014), Petr Mrazek (2014), Colton Sceviour (2014), Matt Murray (2015, 2016), Jacob Markstrom (2015), Jordan Weal (2015), Colin Miller (2015), Brandon Montour (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Travis Boyd (2017), Austin Czarnik (2018), Andreas Johnsson (2018), Mason Appleton (2018) and Carter Verhaeghe (2019). The winner of the 2019-20 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Thursday. 2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team Kaapo Kahkonen, Goaltender (Iowa Wild): Building off a strong first season in North America, Kaapo Kahkonen had a standout campaign again in 2019-20, leading the AHL in victories (25-6-3) and shutouts (seven) and ranking fourth in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.927). Kahkonen, who finished the year 10-1-1 (1.16, .961) with five shutouts in his last 12 starts, also earned a victory in his NHL debut on Nov. 26 at New Jersey and went 3-1-1 (2.96, .913) in five appearances with Minnesota. The 23-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, was the Wild’s fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft. Jake Bean, Defenseman (Charlotte Checkers): Following a debut season that included AHL All-Rookie honors and a Calder Cup championship, second-year pro, Jake Bean led all AHL defensemen in scoring in 2019-20 with 48 points, also good for the Charlotte team lead. Bean recorded 21 points on the power play, and his special-teams play helped the Checkers rank third in the league in efficiency both with the man advantage (22.8 percent) and while shorthanded (87.0 percent). A 21-year-old native of Calgary, Alta., Bean was Carolina’s first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. Brennan Menell, Defenseman (Iowa Wild): A third-year pro, Brennan Menell established a career-high with 47 points in 57 games for Iowa in 2019-20, finishing second among AHL defensemen in scoring and first in assists (42). The 22-year-old native of Woodbury, Minn., is Iowa’s franchise record-holder in nearly all offensive categories for blueliners, with 101 assists and 116 points in 199 games over his AHL career. Menell signed as a free agent with Minnesota on Sept. 26, 2017, and made his NHL debut with the parent Wild this season, appearing in five games. Reid Boucher, Left Wing (Utica Comets): One of the AHL’s most prolific scorers over the last several years, Reid Boucher set career highs in 2019-20 with 34 goals, 33 assists and 67 points in just 53 games with Utica, finishing second in the league in overall scoring and first with an average of 1.26 points per game. Boucher authored a 16-game scoring streak from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31 – the longest in the AHL this year – and went consecutive contests without a point only twice all season. A 26-year-old native of Grand Ledge, Mich., Boucher has appeared in 133 career National Hockey League games with New Jersey, Nashville, and Vancouver. Josh Norris, Center (Belleville Senators): Named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, Josh Norris was the AHL’s top-scoring rookie in 2019-20 with 31 goals and 61 points in 56 games for Belleville, tying for third in the league’s overall scoring race. Norris, whose father Dwayne was a First Team AHL All-Star himself in 1994-95, also made his NHL debut with Ottawa on Feb. 22 and appeared in three games with the parent Senators. The 21-year-old native of Oxford, Mich., was a first-round choice (19th overall) by San Jose in the 2017 NHL Draft and was acquired by Ottawa in a trade on Sept. 13, 2018. Sam Anas, Right Wing (Iowa Wild): A fourth-year pro, Sam Anas won his first AHL scoring title in 2019-20, finishing on top of the league with 50 assists and 70 points in 63 games for Iowa. The 26-year-old native of Potomac, Md., who was also assessed only five minor penalties all season, racked up 42 points on the Wild power play, the most by an AHL skater in the last six years. Anas, Iowa’s franchise leader in assists (175) and points (267), signed as a free agent with Minnesota on April 15, 2016, after three seasons at Quinnipiac University. 2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team Connor Ingram, Goaltender (Milwaukee Admirals): In his first season in the Nashville organization, Connor Ingram ranked third in the AHL in both goals-against average (1.92) and save percentage (.933) while posting a record of 21-5-5 in 33 appearances with Milwaukee. Splitting duties with Troy Grosenick, Ingram earned a share of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award as the Admirals allowed the fewest goals in the league (2.24 per game), and made his second consecutive trip to the AHL All-Star Classic. The 23-year-old native of Imperial, Sask., was acquired by the Predators on June 14, 2019, after being selected by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft. Jacob MacDonald, Defenseman (Colorado Eagles): Jacob MacDonald led all AHL defensemen with 16 goals and finished fourth with 42 points in 56 games for Colorado this season, earning his second postseason All-Star Team selection in three years. A 27-year-old native of Portland, Ore., MacDonald placed second on the Eagles in scoring and scored seven goals on the power play, tied for the most among league blueliners. MacDonald was acquired by Colorado in a trade with Florida on June 29, 2019, and recently signed a two-year extension with the Avalanche through 2021-22. Brogan Rafferty, Defenseman (Utica Comets): Brogan Rafferty had a standout 2019-20 season with Utica, placing third among all AHL defensemen in scoring with 45 points and first among all league rookies with 38 assists. The 24-year-old native of Naperville, Ill., also posted a plus-17 rating in 57 games and contributed 20 points on a Comets power play that ranked fourth in the AHL. Rafferty, who was also voted to the 2019-20 AHL All-Rookie Team, signed as a free agent with Vancouver on April 1, 2019. Gerry Mayhew, Left Wing (Iowa Wild): Gerry Mayhew had a career year in 2019-20, scoring a league-high 39 goals – the most by an AHL player in eight years – and posting 61 points in 49 games with Iowa. Mayhew, who potted a league-leading 10 game-winning goals and registered 11 multiple-goal games, also made his National Hockey League debut in 2019-20, notching two goals in 13 outings with Minnesota. The 27-year-old native of Wyandotte, Mich., signed with the NHL Wild on May 10, 2019, after two seasons playing on an AHL deal. Alex Barre-Boulet, Center (Syracuse Crunch): Named the AHL’s outstanding rookie a year ago, Alex Barre-Boulet returned to Syracuse in 2019-20 and led the Crunch with 27 goals and 56 points in 60 games. Finishing fifth in the AHL in scoring this year, the 22-year-old native of Montmagny, Que., is one of only two players to place among the league’s top 10 point-getters each of the last two seasons. Barre-Boulet, who represented Syracuse at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic, signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent on Mar. 1, 2018. Drake Batherson, Right Wing (Belleville Senators): Drake Batherson was one of the AHL’s top players for the second year in a row in 2019-20, posting 16 goals and 38 assists for 54 points in while skating in just 44 games for Belleville. Batherson finished sixth in the AHL in scoring this season while also appearing in 23 contests for the parent Ottawa Senators, where he chipped in three goals and seven assists. The 22-year-old Batherson, born in Fort Wayne, Ind., and raised in New Minas, N.S., was a fourth-round pick by Ottawa in the 2017 NHL Draft. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: SAN JOSE BARRACUDA'S JOHN McCARTHY VOTED WINNER OF AHL'S FRED T. HUNT MEMORIAL AWARD

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that John McCarthy of the San Jose Barracuda is the 2019-20 winner of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award as the AHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. The captain of the Barracuda since 2016, McCarthy concluded a distinguished 11-year pro career in December after suffering an ischemic stroke due to a previously undetected hole in his heart. Following swift medical attention from the team’s medical staff and physicians at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, McCarthy made a complete recovery and joined the Barracuda coaching staff as an assistant on Dec. 27, allowing him to continue mentoring the San Jose Sharks’ top prospects. McCarthy, 33, played 577 games in the American Hockey League – all but 25 with the Sharks’ affiliates in San Jose (2015-19) and Worcester (2009-15). He totaled 130 goals and 167 assists for 297 points in the AHL and is the Barracuda’s all-time leader in games played (275), goals (62), assists (76) and points (138). McCarthy notched four goals in 18 contests with San Jose in 2019-20. Originally drafted by the Sharks in 2006, McCarthy also had three goals and three assists in 88 career NHL games with San Jose. He was a member of the United States Olympic men’s hockey team in 2018 and co-captained Boston University to an NCAA championship in 2009. This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1978, honors the late Fred T. Hunt, a long-time contributor to the league who won three Calder Cup championships as a player and three more as a general manager during a career spent primarily with the AHL’s Buffalo Bisons and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Previous winners of the award include Ross Yates (1983), Glenn Merkosky (1987, ‘91), Bruce Boudreau (1988), Murray Eaves (‘89, ‘90), John Anderson (1992), Tim Tookey (1993), Ken Gernander (1996, 2004), Randy Cunneyworth (2000), Mike Keane (2007), Bryan Helmer (2011), Jake Dowell (2014), Tom Kostopoulos (2016), Craig Cunningham (2017), Bracken Kearns (2018) and Brett Sutter (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The winner of the 2019-20 Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award (outstanding coach) will be announced on Friday. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: SCOTT HOWSON ELECTED PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors has unanimously elected Scott Howson as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2020. Howson will become the tenth President since the league’s formation in 1936 and will succeed the retiring David Andrews, who will continue as Chairman of the Board of Governors after his 26-year tenure as President and CEO concludes on June 30. A Toronto native, Howson has spent the last 26 years as an executive with the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations, with wide-ranging responsibilities including hockey operations and administration, player development, salary cap compliance, contract negotiations, scouting and evaluation, and business operations. Currently the director of player development for the Oilers, Howson has served in various roles since rejoining Edmonton in 2013, including hockey operations, pro scouting and player personnel responsibilities. He was named general manager of the Blue Jackets in 2007 and spent six seasons in that role, guiding the franchise to its first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2009. Howson first joined the Edmonton organization in 1994 as general manager of their AHL affiliates in Cape Breton and later Hamilton. He was named assistant to the general manager of the Oilers in 2000 and served as assistant GM of the NHL club from 2001-07. Howson’s AHL clubs reached the Calder Cup Finals in 1997 and 2003, and as a member of the AHL Board of Governors, he served on the league’s competition committee from 1996-2002 and on its executive committee from 2003-07. A prolific scorer as a junior player with Kingston (OHL), Howson played five seasons of pro hockey from 1981-86, including 110 games in the AHL with the Springfield Indians and 18 contests with the NHL’s New York Islanders. He skated on championship teams in both the International Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. Howson, 59, holds a bachelor’s degree from York University and is a graduate of York’s Osgoode Hall Law School. He and his wife, Antoinette, have three children: son Max and daughters Rebekah and Joanna. Read the full article

#AmericanHockeyLeague #BoardofGovernors #CalderCup #CentralHockeyLeague #ColumbusBlueJackets #DavidAndrews #EdmontonOilers #InternationalHockeyLeague #JasonChaimovitch #NationalHockeyLeague #NewYorkIslanders #NHL #OHL #ScottHowson #SpringfieldIndians

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CANTLON'S CORNER: DR. JEKYLL AND MR. WOLF PACK

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings CROMWELL, CT - The sprint toward the end of the season normally starts after the AHL All-Star break as well as the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. It increasingly looks like the Hartford Wolf Pack will still be playing hockey when the calendar flips over to April. However, the past performance over two weeks losing four road games in varying different ways does raise some red flags. The "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" routine is coming not only game-to-game but period-to-period over this stretch. Head coach Kris Knoblauch showed his displeasure over the first loss against Wilkes Barre/Scranton in their second shutout of the season 3-0 as they headed out last weekend. His mood improved a little. The games in Utica, two of them and the finale of the road trip in Hershey point to some underlying problems that need to be addressed. The first period of the first game in Utica the team went down 5-0 easily the worst period of the season as "Dr. Jekyll" showed up. Knoblach pulled starter Adam Huska for just the second time this season he was not alone in the first period debacle, but can’t pull all your players off, although it might have been an improvement. “Yes, it was five nothing, but it wasn‘t five nothing, It wasn’t the full indication of how we played,“ remarked Knoblauch. “It wasn’t a good period. We were turning pucks over and give high marks to Utica, they turned our mistakes into goals. We have to balance our play better an show more urgency.” Then "Mr. Hyde" appeared as the Wolf Pack recovered and roared back to tie the game at five starting with Vitali Kravtsov’s second goal just 10 seconds into the second period and Vinni Lettieri’s goal with 14.8 seconds left in regulation to knot the game and put all the momentum on its side. Kravtsov’s play has markedly improved and Knoblauch thinks brighter days are ahead for the Russian rookie. “He is in a really good spot right now. He is cheerful and working hard getting used to the North American rink. He's realizing there is not as much room out there. It's tighter space. The rinks are smaller and he will get hit more often. When you make the turn there isn’t that extra space, it just the boards. He understands it better now (systems and playing style) and is starting to make a positive impact on our lineup. He’s played both the left and the right side. With Fogarty back, he has shifted to the right side.” The Pack gained a point but lost the game in the three-on-three OT with 34 seconds remaining. Knoblauch, in Charlotte two months ago, after 1,625 Wolf Pack franchise games, pulled starting goalies in back-to-back games. He would shorten that time span in doing it again just 11 games later, as he lifted starter Tom McCollum and inserted Huska. Utica’s Jason Bailey, the ex-Sound Tiger recorded his second hat trick in as many games becoming the first player since Mark Mancari, then of the Portland Pirates on January 22-23, 2011 against Providence and Worcester, to record that feat. Bailey earned the AHL/CCM Player of the Week (primary assist goes to AHL VP of Communications Jason Chaimovitch for providing that great stat on Mancari). The Wolf Pack has been outscored 20-12 in this stretch. “We're giving up too many chances. We have to tighten things up right now,” said Knoblauch. Defensive combinations are being contemplated. “We're looking to change things up. We tried several things in practice. For the first time, we have now three lefties and three righty shooting defensemen, but we haven’t made a decision yet. I’ll have to have something ready by 7 pm tomorrow night.” Then in Hershey again the team's lackluster defensive play cost them dearly with the player suffering most being Libor Hajek, in Hartford on a conditioning stint, was a minus-4 in three games. Certainly not the direction the Rangers were hoping for in this rehab stint with the Wolf Pack. “We all have to realize Libor has missed a significant amount of time with injuries, I wouldn’t call them struggles. He is getting back into game shape, getting the feel and flow of a game. Its not an easy thing to do. It’s a progression for him. It’s a matter of getting his timing down and feeling comfortable,” said associate head coach Gord Murphy. All-Star Joey Keane had a tough night in Hershey too, getting beaten on a one-on-one in front of the net that led to a goal. “You don’t want guys running around trying to make hits, bumping into each other either. To put yourself in the proper position, you've got to move your feet and skate on the right side of the puck. We got away from that a little bit. We have had a couple of good days here to get our skating legs back I think it's going to help us this weekend,” commented Murphy. The team defense took it on the chin as the opponents outscored the Wolf Pack 20-12 “We have a good defensive corps to start. We have to work on the fundamentals that were first looking out for our own zone on out, “ remarked Murphy in charge of the defense “ We gotta box people out better, watch their sticks and keeping them (opponents) to the perimeter. Maybe we’re a little fatigued on the road, back-to-back games. We probably sat back more than we should have and weren’t aggressive enough.” Up-front, Letteri, and in Hershey, Boo Nieves, have maintained their point-a-game pace of late, but the secondary scoring has been spotty. Shawn McBride has been the exception picking up his first pro goal against Utica and then picking up an assist in Hershey. The team has also been snakebitten as Nick Jones with an open net in Hershey managed to hit goalie Phoenix Copley in the mask as he was getting back to the net. NOTES: Huska was reassigned to the Maine Mariners (ECHL) after practice to continue getting playing time while Igor Shesterkin and Tom McCollum are in Hartford. He will be return next week when Shesterkin is recalled when the Rangers season starts up again when the NHL All Star break ends. A logical move. In a curious move, Maine goalie Francois Brassard, who played in just seven games, and was a training camp invitee this year, signed to a PTO deal. The Rangers assigned him to Hartford. In addition, they sent forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage back to Maine. Talk continues of a possible deal to be announced when the NHL All-Star break ends involving Alexander Georgiev possibly? The Wolf Pack’s leading scorer Vinni Lettieri (42-18-17-35) was rewarded as the Shesterkin replacement in the AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, CA. “I am obviously very grateful. I appreciate my teammates, the coaching staff, the training, and equipment staff; they all helped me and are part of this too." Knoblauch is his regular season and now All-Star coach. He praised his top point-getter. “He was a possibility of an All-Star, but his play over the last four weeks clearly earned him the honor and unfortunately Igor won’t be going.” Knoblauch was his ever-gracious, self-taking no-victory laps on being named the coach of the Atlantic squad. “The only reason I’m going is because of the guys in that locker room. Joey and Igor were deserving of their selections and we're only limited to two players, but they’re several others in there, in my opinion, who are worthy of being there.” Shesterkin and forward Di Giuseppe were reassigned to the Wolf Pack Wednesday. Di Giuseppe was scratched all four games he could have played since his recall. Meet the new Rangers, same as the old Rangers when it comes to recalls. The Wolf Pack recalled defenseman Jeff Taylor from Maine. He played in three games (now 10 in total) in Maine and scored a goal and an assist after playing just eight of a possible 30 Wolf Pack games. Mason Geersten helped Utica’s Vincent Arseneau earn an unpleasant hat trick. Aresenau, who lost a majority decision in a Hartford scrap two weeks ago to Geersten, got pushed down late in the game last Friday, in Utica. He decided he wanted another crack at Big Gert with nine seconds to go. It was a big mistake getting knocked out with a thunderous right hand from the 6’4 225 lb. Geersten, a defenseman playing left wing. He lost the fight decisively and got an instigator penalty. He was suspended by the AHL for getting the instigator in the last five minutes of a game. See the fight HERE The Islanders sent Bridgeport defenseman Sebastien Aho and sent rearguard Ryan McKinnon to Worcester (ECHL) for the break. Ex-Pack Jordan Owens is playing Canadian senior league hockey with the Brantford Blast (ACH0) that’s Allan Cup Hockey Ontario. Last year he with the Sheffield Steelers (England-EIHL) in Melbourne, Australia (Melbourne Mustangs AIHL) playing hockey. Ex-Pack, Akim Aliu, who made headlines across the US and Canada regarding two months ago about a 10-year-old racially charged pair of incidents with his then, head coach, Bill Peters in Rockford (AHL) in several tweets on Twitter. The firestorm led to the dismissal of Peters by the Calgary Flames. Aliu gave his first full interview with Hockey Night In Canada host, Ron McLean this past weekend. See it HERE. Aliu was signed on Tuesday to a deal to play defense by HC Litvinov (Czech Republic-CEL) for the rest of the season. Ex-Pack, Robin Kovacs, was traded from Lulea HF to Orebro HK (Sweden-SHL) and as expected the team announced, a three-year deal that he was going to get after the season ended. In a sign that we're all getting old, congrats to Easton Armstrong, the second son of the Wolf Pack's original founding member, Derek Armstrong and his wife Shannon. He played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings U-16 team (TIEHL) signed a standard WHL player agreement with the Regina Pats (WHL) who drafted him as their 10th pick 214th overall in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft. He could play this weekend in the two Pats home games, Friday night against the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Sunday afternoon against the Saskatoon Blades. Easton will be wearing jersey #37 as jersey #17, Dad’s old Wolf Pack number is retired (Bill Hicke). The Pats GM and VP of Hockey Ops is the father of Derek’s former coach and Wolf Pack great, John Paddock. Older brother Dawson, who was born in Hartford currently plays with the Utah Outliers (WSHL) with 26 points in 28 games. Derek played junior hockey with the OHL Sudbury Wolves and next weekend will be an honorary captain at the AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, California. He will be joined with former Wolf Pack teammate and former New Haven Nighthawk, goalie Robb Stauber as the other honorary captain. Lukas Sillinger, the middle son of ex-Sound Tiger Mike Sillinger announced his commitment to Bemidji State (NCHC) to join his older brother Owen. Younger brother Cole is with Medicine Hat (WHL) while Dad is a scout with Regina (WHL). Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CANTLON" (SAT) BELLEVILLE WINS IN SHOOTOUT OVER HARTFORD...AGAIN

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Belleville Senators overcame a two-goal deficit and scored twice in the shootout to come away with a 4-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday as part of an XL Center hockey doubleheader. Drake Batherson and Jordan Szwarz were the sole scorers in the shootout as the Pack, once again, failed to register even one goal after the overtime period, where they were out-shot 3-1. Both teams looked tired in the extra frame having expended so much energy in the third period. Belleville capitalized on a late power play. Morgan Klimchuk, who had strong night for the Senators, was able to dish the puck to Vitali Abramov in the slot off a sharp angle. Abramov just wheeled and fired on Pack netminder, Adam Huska, beating him along the ice far side to tie the game at three at 17:22 The Wolf Pack power play was perfect on the evening, but made their first major mistake of the season while with the man-advantage and it cost them dearly on their third opportunity. A breakdown allowed Belleville to cash in on a two-on-one breakout while shorthanded. Joey Keane was the player back on the two-on-one. He let Huska take on the shooter, Jordan Szwarz. Team captain, Steven Fogarty, raced back in an effort to even things up for the home team, but Szwarz launched a perfect shot that went over Huska's glove hand at 4:23. The goal cut the Pack lead to 3-2. “We make a really poor decision (with the puck)," remarked head coach Kris Knoblauch. "We're on the power play with a two-goal lead, and we didn’t deserve to be in the lead, but for our power play tonight.” The Wolf Pack power play, one of the few weak links in the early part of this season, struck for the second time early in the second period and just 12 seconds into the man-advantage. Fogarty won the face- for the Pack getting it over to Joey Keane. He spotted Vinni Lettieri in his favorite spot on the ice and he hit a one-timer that rocketed past goaltender, Marcus Hogberg. The goal was Lettieri's fourth of the season. “We’ve been working on it day-in and day-out. The coaches are working tirelessly with us on it. We haven’t been so successful lately, and hopefully we started a new trend tonight" Lettieri stated. Keane later extended his point scoring streak to four games while Fogarty’s secondary assist upped his point scoring streak to three games, all of which have been multiple point games. Just after Ty Ronning was stopped on a quality scoring chance, the Pack made it a two-goal lead at 16:49. Ville Meskanen fed Sean Day who whistled one off the post. The puck laid in the crease with rookie Lewis Zerter-Gossage there battling and was able to whack it into the net for his first goal of the season. The Senators put a strong push on before the end of the period, but Huska shut the door on Szwarz with 18 seconds to go. The Senators was no time testing Huska early with a breakaway attempt at 1:30. Klimchuk went to the backhand after coming off the left wing, but Huska was there to end the threat. The Pack finally broke through on the power play after rising a streak of 0-21 over a span of six games. It was also the game’s first goal on a Teddy Bear Toss promotion for Toys For Tots. The Pack got a shot from the left wing side by Danny O’Regan with Tim Gettinger in front. Gettinger then outworked two Belleville players and his stick found the loose puck, and put it in the net for his third of the season at 6:32. Fogarty kept his point scoring streak alive with the secondary assist to keep his point scoring streak going. Belleville, like the Wolf Pack, are a refurbished team with quick strike offensive capability. Jack Dougherty sent a perfect head-man pass to Vitali Abramov setting up a breakaway off the left wing side. His shot was stopped but the loose puck was put in by Josh Norris, who paid the price when he was drilled into the net at same moment by Mason Geertsen at 11:45. LINES: Nieves-Fogarty-DiGiuseppe O’Regan-Lettieri-Fontaine Gettinger-Jones-Newell Ronning-Meskanen-Zerter-Gossage LoVerde-Raddysh Day-Ebert Geersten-Keane Huska Shesterkin SCRATCHES: Matt Beleskey (upper body) Jeff Taylor Ryan Dmowski NOTES: The Wolf Pack lost Gabriel Fontaine to an injury in the second period. He will be out at least a week, more likely two, with what is described as an, "upper body injury." It looked like an arm or shoulder issue. Ryan Dmowski will take his place in the lineup tomorrow in Providence. Igor Shesterkin will start in goal tomorrow in Providence at 3 pm against the Bruins Prior to the game, Shesterkin was presented an etched glass award by the AHL's VP of Communications, Jason Chaimovitch, after having been named the "CCM/AHL Goalie of the Month for October." Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 5 years

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CHAIMOVITCH - AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AWARDS EXPANSION MEMBERSHIP TO NHL SEATTLE

2nd NHL franchise to place AHL affiliate in Palm Springs, Calif., in 2021-22 BY: Jason Chaimovitch, AHL SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews announced today that the AHL Board of Governors has awarded an expansion franchise to NHL Seattle and Oak View Group. The AHL’s 32nd team will be located in Palm Springs, Calif., and will begin to play as the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s expansion Seattle franchise in the fall of 2021.

“On behalf of the AHL’s Board of Governors, I am thrilled to welcome the NHL Seattle and OVG ownership teams and the city of Palm Springs as the league’s 32nd franchise,” said Andrews. “Palm Springs has all the makings of an outstanding hockey market, and will further strengthen the growing base of our sport in California.” In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, and broadcasters of every National Hockey League organization. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers. Read the full article

#AmericanHockeyLeague #BoardofGovernors #DavidAndrews #HockeyHallofFame #JasonChaimovitch #NationalHockeyLeague #NHL #Seattle

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CHAIMOVITCH: AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE CANCELS REMAINDER OF 2019-20 SEASON

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League HARTFORD, May 11, 2020 – American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews announced today that the league’s Board of Governors has voted to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 AHL regular season and the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis: “After a lengthy review process, the American Hockey League has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season, is not feasible in light of current conditions. The League’s operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season. We are very grateful to the National Hockey League and its teams for their support and leadership in navigating through the challenges faced over the past two months. The AHL continues to place paramount importance on the health and safety of our players, officials, staff, and fans and all of their families, and we all look forward to returning to our arenas in 2020-21.” The AHL’s standings – sorted by points percentage – and statistics as of March 12, 2020, are considered final and official, and will serve as the basis for determining league awards for the 2019-20 season. Read the full article

#AmericanHockeyLeague #CalderCup #DavidAndrews #JasonChaimovitch #NationalHockeyLeague

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