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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CANTLON'S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES OFF SEASON VOLUME 11

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - With activity in professional hockey picking up momentum almost daily, there is news aplenty starting with the naming of a new AHL team. In a sleekly produced professional presentation, the AHL's newest franchise was launched in a 21st century-style. The Henderson (NV) Silver Knights were officially announced at 7:30 pm PT on May 28th in a one-hour presentation on NBC Affiliate, KSNV-TV. Last season's San Antonio Rampage was purchased in February and then relocated to Henderson, a nearby suburb of Las Vegas. The Silver Knights will play their inaugural 2020-21 season at the Orleans Arena, which is located in the Orleans Hotel and Casino, the one time home of the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers (2003-2014). The Silver Knights will play at the Orleans Arena while the brand new, $80 million, 6,100 seat Lifeguard Arena is completed. On May 19, 2020, the City of Henderson approved a project agreement with SK Arena, LLC (SK Arena), an affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas Golden Knights Owner, Chairman, and CEO, Bill Foley, was clearly jovial while explaining the genesis and meaning of the name, "Silver Knights" and the design points of the team logo. “Today is a momentous day for our organization, the City of Henderson, and the entire Southern Nevada community. After years of planning and preparation, we finally get to welcome the Henderson Silver Knights home." The logo has a great deep meaning for Foley, a US Army veteran. “In medieval civilization, the armored warhorse was synonymous with strength, endurance, and fearlessness during battle. The armored warhorse helped establish knights as the undisputed epitome of the warrior class. The knight on horseback is one of the most intimidating symbols of its time. A truly fearsome opponent, the knight on horseback embraced the mentality of always advancing and never retreating. "The horse played a vital role in a knight’s quest to become elite, assisting in the knight’s training, skill advancement, and overall development. As the primary affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, the Henderson Silver Knights hold an identical position: Assisting in every aspect of the knight’s quest to become an elite warrior.” Foley discussed the benefit of moving their team from the Chicago Wolves to their new location. “Instead of watching our team streaming in Chicago, I can go to Henderson and see them live. Its gonna be a great building in Henderson.” The coaching staff in Chicago was led by head coach, Rocky Thompson, who will still be behind the bench for the Silver Knights, who will play a 68 game schedule in the AHL Pacific Division. Ten of those games will be broadcast live on KSNV-TV next season. Nevada is known as the Silver State and is home to the largest wild horse population in the United States. Both of these facts are referenced on the back of the state quarter. The three primary colors of the Henderson Silver Knights team will be silver, gold, and black. AHL AWARD WINNERS 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. 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 the Senators offense. Norris had a 13-game scoring streak from December 20 to January 15 – matching the longest by an AHL rookie since 2005 – and was held scoreless in back-to-back games just once from October 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 February 22nd against Montreal. Then Jake Bean of the Charlotte Checkers was announced the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman. 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. So far 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 Manitoba (2018) and Craig Levie Nova Scotia (1981). Kaapo Kahkonen of the Iowa Wild was named the winner of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender. 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. He won the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February, the last full month of AHL play. Kahkonen finished the year with a 10-1-1 record (1.16 GAA, .961 save percentage) 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 was Minnesota’s fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 4 years

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CANTLON'S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES VOLUME 7

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Planning for the 2020-2021 AHL season is well underway as is the possible return of the NHL in the summer and a possible late-in-the-year start to the following season are dominant news stories this week. North American players have been signing deals to play next season in Europe. The first few of those, even though this AHL season is still a "suspended" rather than a "canceled" season, but expect that designation could change by week's end or by early next week. Last week, the Hartford Wolf Pack's signings for next season of Vincent LoVerde and Mason Geerstsen to AHL contracts combined with two of the five players confirmed heading across the Atlantic Ocean would certainly make it seem like the towel has been tossed in on 2019-20 season. Nikolai Goldobin of the Utica Comets was the first to announce he was heading back to play with CSKA Moscow (Russia-KHL). On Sunday, Zach Redmond, 31, an assistant captain the last two season with the Rochester Americans, signed a one year deal with EHC Munich (Germany-DEL). His production slipped to 30 points from 50 after having played in 50 games last season with Rochester. A Ferris State college grad, then in the original CCHA, played 373 AHL games with 70 goals, 157 assists for 227 points. Last year he played in his second AHL All-Star game and was named winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman. He was selected to the AHL First Team All-Star with the most goals by an AHL defenseman (21) in 2018-19 including a league-best 10 game-winners. He played 133 NHL games with five different teams garnering 29 assists and 38 points. Redmond played three seasons of junior hockey with Sioux Falls (SD) Stampede (USHL) in 2008-09. Two players are expected to sign in Switzerland are Cory Conacher (Syracuse Crunch) and Philippe Hudon (Laval Rocket). Peter Cehlarik (Providence Bruins) is weighing offers from several Swedish Hockey league teams. The list of US college players signing with North American teams is up to 90, Including Division III players and Euro signings, such as Zach Remers of Buffalo State College (SUNYAC) with Kalmar HC (Sweden Division-1), the total number is 146. Former New Haven Nighthawk, Grant Ledyard, was the head coach this past season with the college club program at the University of Buffalo Bulls (ACHA Division-1) in the NECHL (Northeast College Hockey League). His assistant coach was one of his three sons, Ryall, a graduate of the school. AHL NEWS It would seem to be a forgone conclusion that by mid-to-late May, the AHL season officially will be canceled. The current blueprint that's being worked on is to pivot to next season. Players were paid through what would have been the end of the 2019-20 season. Several independent sources have stated that’s the working AHL philosophy, meaning there will, sadly, be no Calder Cup champion this year. The NHL, on the other hand, seems to be intent on finishing the 2019-20 season that had about 14-15 games left before the Covid-19 pandemic shut it down. They are discussing finishing the regular season and commencing with a summertime Stanley Cup playoffs. Cantlon's Corner has learned that four-to-five cities have been identified with low COVID-19 rates and restrictions that have been or about to be lifted. Those US cities are Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, In Canada, the cities are Edmonton and Toronto. Las Vegas was also under consideration, but the NBA plans on having one of its camps to resume their season there. It’s a numbers game in how many people can be in one facility at any one given time. While logic would say that with the NHL, having a team in Las Vegas with none in the NBA, that the NHL would get first shot at it, that's not where the conversation is at this point in time. The players are being asked what their status is with all of this. The NHL does not want to get into a nitpicking negotiation for the re-opening. However, some players are balking at the idea of returning with the plan of locking down and isolating the players to reduce the chance of an outbreak occurring while the season is resumed. Some players are not happy that they would be taken away from their families for that long of a time. The cost of canceling the remaining NHL season and the playoffs is estimated at $1.1 billion. The losses if they do play are expected to be only $500 million. There is a myriad of tricky issues, one of which is that players with contracts that are set to expire on June 30th. There would likely need an addendum or some other sort of legal instrument that would be approved by both the NHL and NHLPLA to extend the deals till September 1st. Assuming everything is done by August, free agency would begin in September for both the NHL and AHL. At that time, the NHL Draft, potentially virtually as the NFL did, could possibly be held. The discussion also includes starting the 2020-21 NHL and AHL hockey seasons after Thanksgiving with the NHL All-Star Game likely to be scrapped. However, the AHL All Star Classic is set for Laval in late January and still could receive the green light. This all subject to change. CHARLOTTE Relationships change like seasons. Some are equitable, amiable, and a mutually parting of the ways. While others can be more contentious and acrimony ensues. It's safe to safe the odd exit of the Carolina Hurricanes from the Charlotte Checkers as their top farm team, clearly falls in the bitter category. On Tuesday, the Checkers issued a very rare, extraordinarily biting and snarky press release that upstaged the worst kept secret in hockey that is frankly, baffling, The Hurricanes are moving their AHL team to the Chicago Wolves and leaving the Bojangles Coliseum behind. “While we are aware that the Carolina Hurricanes are nearing an affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes have had little dialogue with us regarding this matter. In an era when NHL teams are placing great value on affiliations with closer proximity between the two clubs, we understand the confusion such a move would cause.” Street chatter has the Checkers becoming the affiliate of the Florida Panthers, the only team in the NHL without a clear affiliation with any AHL team. Could this be a sign of a bigger move lurking in the background? NWHL DRAFT Congrats to the Danbury-based Connecticut Whale on their picks in the NWHL Draft. The five-round event for the league’s six teams saw the Whale take Kayla Friesen of Clarkson University in the first round (second overall). Yale University’s Saroya Tinger went fourth overall to the Metropolitan Riveters. The other Whale selections included Victoria Howan (University of New Hampshire) in the second round (seventh overall) and in the third round (13th overall) forward Savannah Rennie (Syracuse University) was selected. In the fourth round, the Whale chose Amanda Conway (Norwich University - 19th overall), and in the fifth and final round, they had two picks taking, with the 25th pick, Nicole Gaigliaro (Adrian College) and their final pick (27th overall), Maddie Bishop (Sacred Heart University). The league expanded to Toronto, a former CWHL (Canada Women’s Hockey League) city for 2020-21. With six teams, the NWHL's status as a minor league operation will help in getting visas for their players from Canada and Europe. The Toronto team will conduct a name the team contest this summer. NEW COLLEGE HOCKEY PROGRAM This came out of left field, but it might fit into a regional puzzle. The Long Island University (LIU) Sharks announced they will launch the 61st NCAA Division I college hockey program. The school, located in Brookville, Long Island (Nassau County) already has a women’s program that won their conference (New England Women’s Hockey Alliance) post-season title in year one. when they knocked off Sacred Heart University (Bridgeport, CT) in the semifinals and St. Anselm (Goffstown, NH) in the final. One NCAA requirement hurdle is now out of the way with a men and women’s program in the same sport. The surprising announcement stated they would start the program as a Division I independent immediately for the 2020-21 season. They’re already in a national search for its first head coach and are paring candidates down to three finalists. The press release didn’t mention a conference it might join, but the AHA (Atlantic Hockey Association) would seem to be the most logical choice as they said they have talked to the AHA, ECACHL and Hockey East. The men’s team, like the women’s team, will be using three rinks to play their home games in. They are The Ice Works in Syosset, the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, and a game or two at the newly renovated, Nassau Coliseum, the home of the NHL New York Islanders who are building a new arena at Belmont Park. Interestingly, the school is 20-25 minutes from Ronkonkoma (Suffolk County) where there is a proposed 7,500 seat arena that has been talked about and whose initial proposal was submitted. A group, JJL Group, of Chicago has hired former Islander and New York Rangers great, Pat LaFontaine, to gain letters of commitment from an AHL team and college program to be the primary tenants in the proposed new arena. The JJL Group was given a second extension by Suffolk County until April to gain the necessary commitments, but with the COVID-19 crisis there has been no word on the project. This announcement might change things, Over the coming weeks more info will be coming on LIU and the arena in Ronkonkoma. AWARD WINNERS The Double AA affiliate of the Wolf Pack, the Maine Mariners announced their team's season awards. Center, Terrence Wallin (Gunnery Prep), was named the Community Leader Award winner. He played 23 games with the Wolf Pack in the 2018-19 season. “Terrence has devoted himself to the community in Portland,” said Maine Head Coach, Riley Armstrong, in the team's press release, “He continues doing work even now with his zoom hockey skills to help develop and grow the game in Maine.” The other winner of note as the team’s Most Improved Player went to Ty Ronning, who finished up the year with the Wolf Pack. “The way Ty approached this season on being sent to Maine was a 180 from last season,” said Armstrong. “His maturity level both on and off the ice was eye-opening for me. The way he played in Maine, he really deserved to be up in Hartford.” Ronning had 11 goals and 26 points in 28 games for the Mariners and had a pair of call ups to the Wolf Pack – first on October 24th, 2019, and again on February 3rd, 2020, after which he stayed in the AHL for the remainder of the season. With the Mariners in 2019-20, Ronning had three multi-goal games, highlighted by his second career hat trick on January 24th, 2020 in an 8-1 home win against the Worcester Railers. Ronning will forever hold unique status in Mariners history for his five-point ECHL debut on November 24th 2018 versus the now-defunct Manchester Monarchs, still a single-game franchise record. USHL DRAFT The USHL draft will be held this coming Monday (Phase 1) and Tuesday, (Phase II). Phase I of the Draft is ten rounds of “Futures” age players only, U-17 players for next year’s season (2004 birth year players only for the 2020 Draft). Phase II of the Draft will take place the following day beginning with round one. This draft is open to players of all ages eligible to play junior hockey and are not currently protected by another USHL team. BEIJING OLYMPICS 2022 The final rankings by the IIHF for 2020 for men’s and women’s hockey were announced and they are the bases for seeding and grouping for the 2022 Beijing Olympics to be held February 4-20 2022 in the capital of Communist China. Group A: Canada (1), USA (6), Germany (7), China (12). Group B: Russia (2), Czech Republic (5), Switzerland (8), Qualifier 3 (11). Group C: Finland (3), Sweden (4), Qualifier 1 (9), Qualifier 2 (10). The Olympic Qualification for the men’s teams has already started in November 2019 and will end with the Final Olympic Qualification scheduled for 27-30 August 2020 in the following groups: Group D: Slovakia, Belarus, Austria, Poland. In Bratislava, Slovakia. Group E: Latvia, France, Italy, Hungary. In Riga, Latvia. Group F: Norway, Denmark, South Korea, Slovenia. In Norway (city TBA). The women’s side has also been set. Sadly, the US and Canada both were placed in Group A derailing a possible Gold Medal game between the two best teams in the tournament. With only two tournaments played this season, the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Ranking also didn’t change much. The top-six countries remained in the same order and will be the ones directly qualified for the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament in Beijing 2022, which will be played in two-tiered groups: Group A: USA (1), Canada (2), Finland (3), Russia (4), Switzerland (5). Group B: Japan (6), Qualifier 1 (7), Qualifier 2 (8), Qualifier 3 (9), China (10). The chance of a US-Japan or Canada-Japan or some other nation Gold Medal guarantees no ratings outside of the US and Canada. A best of three Gold medal series between them would be a ratings winner and help the women’s game on the grandest stage of all. The US and Canada are clearly heads and shoulders above everyone else in women’s ice hockey someday other nations will join them-just not now. The women’s world championships were scheduled to be in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia in March and were among the first international hockey events canceled because of COVID-19 as the US was seeking its fifth straight title. CARLSON ON THE MEND The last six weeks of COVID-19 has demonstrated that nobody is spared from it. One-time New England Whaler, Steve Carlson, 64, the youngest of the Carlson brothers, was released from a Johnstown, PA hospital and has initially tested negative for COVID-19. "Steve is home from a two-day hospital stay. He is continuing to gain strength and is in good spirits. Prognosis looks good with further cardiologist consulting and more testing is needed. He is COVID-19 negative. A special thank you to the doctors, EMT, emergency room, seventh-floor nurses, technicians and security guards at Conemaugh (Memorial Medical Center)," remarked his wife, Vicki Carlson, in a press released late last Friday afternoon. Carlson and his brothers Jack and Jeff, along with Dave Hanson, made brawling an art form. They were the inspiration of one of the all-time greatest hockey and sports movies, Slapshot as the infamous, Hanson brothers. Carlson himself addressed the concern for his well being. "I am grateful and humbled for the outpouring of prayers, concern, and well-wishes. To have friends, fans, and the hockey family, put on the foil during this time, gives me strength. I, and my family, are looking forward to a full recovery," using one of the more memorable quips from the movie in his foil reference. Jack had been recalled to the Minnesota Fighting Saints (WHA) during filming, so he didn’t appear in the movie, so Dave Hanson was his replacement and his name helped create the iconic characters. Steve was not nearly the fighter. His two brothers were never going over the century mark in penalty minutes. He was a more defensive-minded center. In Johnstown, of the old North American Hockey League (NAHL), he led the team in scoring with 88 points. His brothers were on the wings along with Hanson creating controversy whenever they played. They won the NAHL championship. He played one full NHL season with the LA Kings in 1979-80. He played with Edmonton on the last WHA Oilers team with his roommate being a very young, Wayne Gretzky. He played for the harpoon Kelly green uniformed New England Whalers in 1976 and half a season in 1977 each totaling 69 games with 10 goals and 26 points. He was acquired from the Minnesota Fighting Saints, who originally drafted him in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft, as a free agent, when the first edition of the Fighting Saints folded in May 1976. He was reacquired on the WHA Intra-League Draft in 1976 by the reincarnation of the Fighting Saints that were originally supposed to be a WHA team in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then in a cash move, he was traded along with brother Jack, Bill Butters, Mike Antonovich, J.P. Levasseur, and Johnny McKenzie in January 1976 to Edmonton. Nearly a year later, in January 1977, the Oilers traded him, his brother Jack again, along with the legendary Dave Keon, McKenzie and goalie Dave Dryden (the great Ken Dryden's older brother) to the Whalers for future consideration in future Hartford Whalers Dave Debol, winger Danny Arndt and cash. He was claimed off waivers by Edmonton in May 1978 prior to the last WHA season and played the whole season with the Oilers. Carlson’s entrance to the NHL wasn’t simple either. His NHL rights were traded to Detroit for a physical minor-league defenseman, Steve Short on December 6, 1978, by LA-even though he wasn’t in the NHL at the time or drafted by either team. The Kings reclaimed him on waivers from Edmonton prior to the NHL expansion draft on June 9, 1979, the first season after NHL-WHA merger. Carlson had six solid AHL seasons, two with the Springfield Indians, and the last four of his playing career with the Baltimore Skipjacks finished his AHL career with 207 points in 341 games. Former New Haven Nighthawk, Dan McCarthy, who played with him in Baltimore, and a full season with the Birmingham South Stars in the old Central Hockey League, has fond memories of their playing days. “Carly was a great teammate and player. His sense of humor was fantastic. He always had a smile on his face and would pull pranks on players regardless of who they were. Every team needs a Steve Carlson on their team and in the locker room. Hope he gets healthy quickly.” TOM WEBSTER Canlton's Corner received a nice e-mail from former New England Whaler and all-time WHA leading scorer, Andre Lacroix, regarding the passing of Tom Webster last week. “Tommy Webster was a true natural goal scorer. He was a great teammate and he never looked for the glory. He played both ends of the ice as good as anybody. You could always depend on Tommy in a critical situation. The best part about Tommy, he was even a better individual.” Read the full article

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