Game of the Week - Hershey Bears vs Manitoba Moose

Things are starting to really trend southwards for HockeyKnight vs the PS4's CPU. Eventually, I will get a win over it - but I need to learn some better defensive tactics. As you can tell in this series, I'm constantly getting scored on. Maybe NHL 17 will be better for me. But as the series comes to a close with the NHL 16 game, I wanted to choose two teams that I haven't used yet online.

The Hershey Bears are a dominant AHL team always in the hunt for the Calder Trophy. I was supposed to go out there maybe once this past season, but it didn't work out. The Manitoba Moose are back into the AHL once again with a new affiliate in the Winnipeg Jets. Not sure if I really like the color redesign to match the Jets colors, but at least they're still around. They have a really fun mascot.Should I just give up on this series against the CPU? Let me know in the comments section below. But if there is a team that you want to see featured in the Game of the Week - leave that in the comments section below!

Game of the Week - "Shark Week"

The first in hopefully a new tradition here at Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic that brings the hockey entertainment 365 days a year. Below is the first video of the "Game of the Week" in which NHL 15 simulates or has "Hockey Knight" playing in the video. I don't know what day of the week that other videos will arrive on time with, but with your help, we can make this a successful run. Keep an eye on this page or the official youtube channel for updates and where the fans will select the match-up of teams.
Since this week is "Shark Week" at another broadcasting company, I'll tie-in to the pop cultural reference. The San Jose Sharks are facing their cross-country AHL affiliate in the Worcester Sharks. I decided to challenge myself and handy-cap my efforts to see if I could lead the AHL Sharks to victory over their major league counterparts.

Did I win? Watch and find out!

AHL Outdoor Classic at Hamilton

With the enormous success of the outdoor hockey game concept, it seems like every team is going outdoors to grow the game in their regional areas. From every level - major juniors to US colleges, to even local high schools here in Pittsburgh have been romanced by the outdoor tradition. Then along comes the giant spectacle of an Outdoor classic that features two American Hockey League rivals the Hamilton Bulldogs and Toronto Marlies. I didn't get to watch this game live, as it was not aired on TV in my area. So, I wrote this a day later having watched the tape delay on the NHL Network (US).

The positives....

Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator

First off, the noticing of the uniforms of the participating Marlies and 'Dogs. It altered the notion that an Outdoor game would be a "turn back the clock" game where each participating team uses a heritage design in their jersey. Unfortunately for the Marlies, their team is only a few years old having been relocated from St. Johns, Newfoundland. In my opinion, I think they could have invoked the heritage of their namesake the OHL's Toronto Marlboros of 1903 (currently existing as the Guelph Storm), but since there is currently a Junior 'A' team using the Malboros name and logo, I'm guessing that's not an option for them. On the other side of the ticket was the home team of Hamilton Bulldogs playing in the historical Ivory Wynn Stadium where the CFL's Hamilton Bulldogs play. I liked their throwback jersey featuring the drawstring tie and red white and khaki color scheme. It lets you know that the Bulldogs are the Canadians affiliate while maintaining their own local Hamilton identity. Compared to the Flames Outdoor classic uniforms of last year, the Hamiltonians actually made me want to search around to see if I could buy a replica jersey.

The second thing was impressive was that the reported 20,000 seats sold in the old Hamilton football stadium. While not exactly the kind of star-powered line-up and backed by a multi-million dollar advertising campaign, the event organizers should consider this a big success.

Some of the negatives,....
Thirdly, based upon the broadcast that I saw, it truly looked second rate to have the Rogers Sportsnet media crew sharing one folding table while talking about the game? They braved the cold air at rinkside huddled together. Could they not do it from the press box? There they would also be aided by additional media needs like monitors for replay. Could Rogers Sportsnet have been going through it "throwback style" as well as minimalists?

Then there was the matter of the game itself. If you were a Toronto fan, you enjoyed the game. But if you are hoping for the Bulldogs to show up on their home ice, there was something missing. Goals. The 7-2 lopsided event had to have quieted the crowd. It wasn't an nail-biting finish in OT or nearly a low scoring close game as the NHL has hosted, but the

So, should this game actually overshadow the other recent outdoor AHL game featuring the Phantoms and Bears at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia? That game went to OT and instead got second billing to the Jan. 2nd Winter Classic. Should the AHL and other leagues around the continent host their own outdoor classic? Will the upsurge in all these new events water down the NHL's mega corporate sponsored telecast once a year spectacle? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section of this website.

AHL Manitoba Moose Relocated and Renamed

Seeing the need to move the AHL farm club out of Manitoba now that it's been granted another NHL franchise, the True North Sports & Entertainment owners have decided to move the familiar AHL franchise to an area that has been long waiting for a professional franchise to return to it's

St. John's once contained the NHL's Maple Leafs as it's area for developing young players, but once the Toronto management abandoned the Eastern coastal ends of Canada, the St. John's Newfoundland hockey fans were sent some major junior hockey to fill the void.

The Moose AHL franchise will once again find itself a new home and been renamed as the St. John's Ice Caps. It's logo will feature a strong looking font word mark "IceCaps" underneath a snowy mountain peak. It's shape is taken directly from the Newfoundland landscape.

I like it as an AHL logo. It's not too cartoon, but it's not holding back by the more businesslike NHL image branding. It would have been nice to bring back some other names used in the area in the past, but those might get confused with other NHL parent clubs as far as affiliations go.

But from the source article that I found (linked at the bottom), some fans have been outspoken and critical about the new name and logo.

A number of fans unhappy with the new moniker were quick to note its similarity to "Iced Capp," a popular drink served at Tim Hortons.

Is that so bad? Really?

Let me know what you think about the new AHL team logo by leaving a comment or two (or even three) in the appropriate places.


[Via: Rogers Sportsnet]

Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins Salutes Pittsburgh Football Success

Dialing up on the recent success of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers by playing in the upcoming Super Bowl, the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins have pandered to their fan base who also follow the Pittsburgh sports franchises.

Via their twitter account, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins have released a "twitpic" of the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza arena floor getting ready for the next game this coming Friday February 4 against the Manitoba Moose. So, the tribute to the Steelers opens themselves up to some criticism. Should they have done this in an area understood as Eagles-territory, on top of that, mix the two sports together?

The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins have been a franchise to try just about anything and everything gimmicky to keep the fan interest. From every holiday celebration to the more honorable breast cancer and public service honor nights, the Penguins fans have supported them for 12 years. If a fan collected all the Jerseys that the AHL Penguins have worn on the ice, there would be a closet full.

So, it's a gimmick thing used to get a little bit of publicity, but I think in most instances, the AHL Penguins have worked to keep up the interest of it's fans.

Hershey Bears Controversial Jersey Design

One of the few things left in professional sports considered "sacred" is the design and logo of the uniforms to which all athletes identify with. Another time-honored tradition is the AHL's 75 year long legacy of developing major league talent in such cities as Hershey, PA.

Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press who is rather outraged about the whole development.
Hershey is not some backwater but one of the pre-eminent spots in the hockey world. As no less than Gordie Howe said, “Everybody who’s anybody in hockey has played in Hershey.”

Indeed it's true. In a time when franchises float around and rise quickly as much as they disappear, the Hershey Bears have long been a standard of how to survive in a non-major market especially in a town where travelers go for chocolate and not hockey.

So, boosting a minor league team's revenue is the always present alternate jersey design. Hoping that the fans will buy them and wear them to the arena. (In this case, the Giant Center.) To honor the achievements of back-to-back AHL Calder Cup championships, the Hershey Bears jersey honoring those wins also feature the logos of the beaten teams Stars and Moose.

I too would have to wag a finger at a stunt that did not signify the expected classiness from a well-run organization as old as the Hershey Bears and their community. The ultimate bragging rights to a championship season is the ring and the inscribed name on the trophy.

[Edit: After a few fans from Hershey have found their way to the blog page that I have sourced, I have learned that the jerseys were actually only worn a few times and auctioned off for charity.]

[Via: Pro hockey Talk @ NBC Sports]

Alternate Hockey Jersey for the Holiday Wish List

A couple more jersey sweaters have been released to the public in hopes that the hockey world will turn it into retail gold. Basically, that is all the third jersey, or alternate jersey as it is sometimes called, really is to the professional sports leagues these days. The minor hockey teams apply this more often, but the lure of the popularity of it makes a strong case for every team do design one.

First up, is the new jersey for the holiday season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This team always look good around the holidays in March as the Red-Black-Gold is replaced by the Irish luck. Christmas time, also brings out the sports and holiday cross-themed merchandise and the Penguins also played with the Red-Green traditional colors. But this year, knowing that the powder blue is oh so hot right now, the Penguins instead made a more subtle winter jersey and went with an all-inclusive snowflake design. One internet commenter suggested that the snowflake had resembled a Star of David. It's a clever look! I am sure that the WBS Penguins are going to auction off the game used jerseys to insure the top dollar price for them. Collectors are sure to put this on the high demand list for it's historical value.

The second sweater to be released to the public is controversial in it's very existence. Where is the 10 Year Patch that the Blue Jackets have this year? Is it on the shoulders? Initial knee-jerk reactions to this one is how that the young lifespan of the Columbus Blue Jackets should produce a throwback style. As the team and city are really proud of it's Civil War heritage, the team derives it's very name from the coats that the Union army wore. I like the colors of the jersey and the silver gray to the stripes aren't often seen in uniforms unless it's a black jersey. Again, the choice to go with a light blue stripe is also a nod to the light blue fad. Now to the crest, I am not that impressed with it. It lacks color, but is really detailed in it's design. It resembles the other circular alternate logo with the Union cap, but not on the same stand-out way. The collar is also a different design - inspired by the union uniforms. The draw strings on the jersey tie it in to the old time hockey fad. It's something that I have acclimated myself to now that I own a jersey with it on. I probably wouldn't buy this since it's the dreaded Reebok EDGE cut, but if Santa were to leave it under the tree, I would wear it.

AHL to Open With 30 Teams for 2010-11 Season

Next season marks the 75th season of the American Hockey League and it seems fitting that it will be the biggest and best season they have ever had. The league has had it's struggles with stability in the past and many hockey markets have been tried, but the league still continues to produce the quality talent in players as well as coaching.

More than 85 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the ninth year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2009-10.

In a recent press release, the AHL seems elated enough to declare this upcoming season to feature 30 teams in active competition - the most the league has ever had at one time. The divisional alignment, an awkwardly and uneven division of 4 groups, will soon settle in to new rivalries as well as continue old ones.

I think the Board of Governors accepted the alignment so that it might be fair to all parties involved. It still looks a little awkward in having a few teams in mismatched divisional alignment. For instance, the Charlotte Checkers are in the East division when in fact they have a better geographic fit on the Atlantic Coast.

According to the press release, they are still going to determine the format for the Calder Cup post-season this summer, but so far the developmental league looks to be pretty strong this year.

[Via: The AHL]

Hershey Bears Win Calder Cup as AHL 2010 Champions

The Hershey Bears have won the AHL championship and earned the right to hoist the Calder Cup trophy over their heads for yet another season. As the NHL fans have soon learned and adapted to the truism that it is extremely difficult to win back to back championships, the Hershey Bears should indeed be given their just due in securing their second Calder Cup in a row.

I didn't get to watch the game, but I did hear a lot of it on satellite radio while commuting in my car. I guess I will have to be satisfied to watching the highlights at the Hershey Bears YouTube channel. I am sorry that I am not able to give you very much reaction to the quality of the game or the series in greater detail.

Hershey dominated the last game of the year by outscoring the new Texas Stars team 4-0.

[Via: Washington Post]

Bonvie Brigade's Last Ride

As the sport of hockey tuns the corner to focus on more skilled players, the older players who were only on the roster for one thing are becoming extinct. Some in the drive-by media call them "thugs" or "goons", but some do have enough personality and charisma to capture the hearts of an entire fan-base.

Dennis Bonvie is the type of player that is always great to have on your team and bane to play against. Bonvie is an enforcer who never could crack a big league lineup and then built a reputation as being one of the most feared fighter in the AHL. He hold the record for most penalty minutes in the AHL. Go ahead and read up on Bonvie at his Wiki page.

This year will be Bonvie's last run in the AHL and the WBS Penguins are saluting their warrior with a special season ticket plan with a set package of giveaways which include "Bonvie Bobble Gloves" (which I am not so sure what that is).

Packages start for as little as $71.25 apiece, which equates to a savings of more than $16.00 off the gate price when buying the five games individually. Additionally, every purchase comes with a free Dennis Bonvie Farewell Tour T-Shirt.

[Via: WBS Penguins Press Release]

Britany Spears Invited to Syracuse

Blessed with incredible beauty, but absolutely no brain to balance things out, Britany Spears hungry for attention decides to shave her hair completely bald. It doesn't take a genius that this bad idea is all one big publicity stunt. I have chosen to post instead a better eye candy picture of Britany instead of her current hideous incarnation. You're welcome, gentlemen... and some ladies who are secure about their sexuality or who are into this sort of thing.

Rule #1 with celebrities: There is no such thing as bad publicity.

This sort of thing is so widely known that even pro sports teams have picked up on the ideas and run with them. Such is the case here as reported by the CP via NHL.com newswire headlines.

And fans of the Syracuse Crunch are also getting a Britney offer: women who shave their head will get into Saturday's game against the visiting Manitoba Moose for free. Howard Dolgon, owner and president of the Crunch, said Tuesday he would be happy to fly Spears in, cover her hotel and meals and give her the best seats in the house at Crunch games.

Great idea for the Crunch to cash in on a current news item and siphon off the attention. It's already proven it has worked now that bloggers and talking heads are reporting this "news". But you won't get the representatives in the front offices to admit what they are doing. Here is the reason they give to entice the "off her rocker pop queen" to snowed under NY state.

The team said the invitation is an effort to "provide tranquillity" for the pop star's "turbulent lifestyle."

"There won't be paparazzi within 100 miles."

And if Syracuse wasn't already a tough enough sell on people who are accustomed to the glitzy life, the media reps with the Crunch take their best stab at the left-coast elitism.

"In addition to being 3,000 miles away from Hollywood, Syracuse is light years away from that pretentious environment," Dolgon said in a statement.

As for Brittany and her loony behavior, I will only say that her look will rebound from the debauched cry for help. I can think of two women who have done similar shocking acts but they did it for on-screen roles. Molly Holly (real name Nora Greenwald), formerly of the WWE, had begun to come into her own sex appeal once her hair grew back.


[Via: NHL.com]

Introducing the Lake Erie Monsters

Adding a new team to the American Hockey League ledger for the 2007-08 season will be the Cleveland based Lake Erie Monsters. They will be playing in the Quicken Loans Arena starting next season and become the Colorado Avalanche's minor league development.

I don't want to run negative, but I wonder why hockey insists on planting the flag of a franchise in an area where it has failed so many times before. Cleveland Barons on 3 different occasions and the IHL had the Lumberjacks as a good development team before it had to fold too. Perhaps marketing the team with the great lakes name is trying to branch out around the neighboring communities.

The one good thing it has got going for them is that the owner of the franchise is also controlling the area's most popular basketball team in the Cleveland Cavaliers. They also have on board as hockey community relations, Jock Callendar, who is very well known in the Lumberjack legacy.

Another thing to think about is the balance that it sets with the AHL and the NHL with having franchises share developmental teams. The Avalanche finally have a system that they can concentrate on developing players like Riku Hahl.

[Via: Lake Erie Monsters Official Site]

Penguins Find New Buyer

It was broadcasted today to KDKA that the Penguins are going to have a press conference tomorrow afternoon to announce that RIM CEO Jim Balsillie will purchase the team for $175 million US dollars. The announcement is expected to be in conjunction with the Penguins season opener against the rival Flyers on Oct. 5th.

Jim Balsillie is mostly known for producing the BlackBerry palm organizing device and is based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Fans are rightfully concerned about the team moving to Hamilton, but Jim Balsillie has stated that he will keep the team in Pittsburgh if there is an arena to play in. The League would still have to approve of the sale and is expected to be finalized in December.

Hamilton is already home to the AHL Bulldogs who play in the Copps Coliseum.

Commenting on the deal, NHL Commish Garry Bettman had this to say:

"Why would we want to leave a hockey hotbed like Pittsburgh?" he said. "The only thing that could drive us out of town would be the inability of those in charge of government entities to provide a new building, as was provided for the Steelers and the Pirates."

Sadly, this is all the help that the NHL has given the Penguins. Lip service!

[Via: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]

Battle of Pennsylvania @ Blogspot: Part 2 !

It was one amazing game put together two storied rivals who absolutely HATE each others guts! Tonight's game would be just another page in that long history.

Before the game even started, Jocelyn Thibault took a shot to the throat in warm-ups and was sent to a local hospital. No word as to the status of his injury, but it is speculated that it is non-threatening. It left only one goaltender to keep the puck out of the net. Marc-Andre Fleury was that man who needed to step up in order for his team to have a chance.

The Flyers were coming off of a disappointing loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning! Ken Hitchcock and the other coaches were instructing that Philly needed to change up their game plan and block even more shots! Philadelphia also went with AHL Phantom sensation Antero Nittymaki in the net tonight.

The game was fast and furious leaving it to be a goaltenders show through two periods. Both Fleury and Nittymaki made save after save frustrating all the goal scorers like Peter Forsberg and Sidney Crosby. But Crosby would certainly get welcomed to the Wachovia Center in typical Flyer fashion.

No stranger to rough defense, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje both harassed Crosby all night. Hatcher hauled down Crosby every chance he got via stick, glove to the face, or slam with the shoulder. Crosby also suffered a split lip requiring stitches. At the end of the second period, Crosby's Penguins were on a powerplay chance. However, Crosby having been pushed around enough fought back long enough to get a Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. That negated the powerplay. During the second intermission, the OLN crew talked to Coach Ed Olczyk about that sudden Crosby outburst.

"It was dealt with," said Olczyk

Crosby would have the last laugh though. He threw a nice pass to Pittsburgh native and teammate Ryan Malone in the opening minutes to the third period. Crosby poked at another chance to put the Penguins up 2-0.

The Flyers weren't about to get shut out on their home ice (darn it). Joni "on the spot" Pitkanen had chipped home two power play goals. The Pens and Flyers both rushed to keep from going into overtime. But the extra session was needed in this case.

Sidney Crosby would take matters into his own hands by taking a long pass with 46.7 seconds left. He went in alone on a breakaway to bury it home along with one amazing victory!

Other Game Notes: Mario Lemieux also did not play due to a stomach flu virus. Turner Stevenson made a "miraculous" comeback from surgery earlier than expected to play in tonight's game.

AHL Welcomes New Cincinnati Team

I just came accross this little bit of news tonight. I had plans to update you on the AHL standings in the beginning of their season. However, I thought you all would get a good laugh out of this bit of news.

If I told you the word "Railraiders" what would you think of?

Okay.... if your next thought is of the new AHL team in Cincinnati, OH. Then you would be correct! That's right folks, since the Ducks flew the Ohio coup this past summer, the name of the new team replacing them is the Cincinnati Railraiders. Yes, that is a good logo. The Hockey Company (a.k.a. Reebok) came up with the logo design.

Compose yourselves.

Okay. So, if you read around their website and it's got a lot of good things to say about the history of the American Railroad and how it pertains to the Ohio region.

"We put a lot of time, thought and energy into our new identity and we are thrilled with the outcome," RailRaiders President and CEO Pete Robinson said. "We wanted a name that was indigenous to Cincinnati and symbolized the elements of speed, power and strength. The city’s history with the train system, Union Terminal, the first U.S. train robbery and the fact hockey had become derailed in the market and our desire to get it back on track made the train concept a natural in our search for a new name."

It looks as if they are going to try to court the Edmonton Oilers or perhaps another team that currently does not have an AHL affiliate. The silver and blue colors would look familiar to that franchise. They have yet to announce their NHL affiliation.

[Via: AHL.com]

Meanwhile, Down on the Farm....

With all the excitement and hoopla of the NHL return, fans and bloggers all have seem to forget the one league that stood as one of the alternatives to the lockout. This is mainly why I've continued this blog. There are many other leagues out there worthy of some attention.

The American Hockey League is the main development league for the National Hockey League. Already steeped in it's 70th season, the AHL has had seen many teams come and go. Let's take a look at what has been going on in the AHL thus far!

The new teams in Toronto, Des Moines, Peoria and Omaha are all affiliated with the NHL parent clubs. The Maple Leafs, Stars, Blues and Flames will have their own nice new franchises to provide a developmental system when they all had franchises located in other places. I wonder what kind of impact the Toronto fans will have on minor league hockey investing in the same community they have their main fans. In Toronto where a sellout is second nature, perhaps more fans can get to see pro hockey games then they could before. The interesting team this year is the Ak-Sar-Ben (Nebraska spelled backwards) Knights. In a non-hockey community, will it survive and thrive like the Carolina Hurricanes have?

AHL.com reports that this past Sunday Nov. 13th game between Iowa and Peoria was delayed in the second intermission because of the ice conditions.

I have yet to see who is the favorite to come out on top of the league and earn themselves a Calder Cup. The Penguins franchise in Wilkes-Barre is one of the more consistent post-season appearances. Perhaps it is likely they will find themselves in the Finals. I also like Hartford Wolfpack and the depth they provide with the NY Rangers.

AHL Rearranges for Anticipated 70th Season

With all of the news getting Hockey fans everywhere excited that a new season may happen, the American Hockey League has released their schedule plans and reorganized their conference and divisional lineups.

You might notice that some of the older teams that were there last year have either folded or entered into another league. The AHL is also going to experiment with a "rivalry promoted" schedule. That means the teams will play heavily their regional rivals and ignore teams in other divisions. For example, WBS Penguins will play their conference rivals 10 times with the exception of Binghampton only 8 times.


East Conference

Atlantic Division

Albany River Rats, Hartford Wolf Pack, Lowell Lock Monsters, Manchester Monarchs, Portland Pirates, Providence Bruins, Springfield Falcons

East Division

Binghamton Senators, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Hershey Bears, Norfolk Admirals, Philadelphia Phantoms, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Western Conference

North Division

Cleveland Barons, Grand Rapids Griffins, Hamilton Bulldogs,Manitoba Moose, Rochester Americans, Syracuse Crunch, Toronto Marlies

West Division

Chicago Wolves, Houston Aeros, Iowa Stars, Milwaukee Admirals,Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, Peoria Rivermen, San Antonio Rampage


[Via: AHL Official Site]

San Antonio Rescued By a Phoenix

The San Antonio Rampage were sold to the Spurs Sports & Entertainment group after the Florida Panthers decided to end their affiliation. The San Antonio Rampage were prepared to fold up for this season and wait for another NHL team to come calling.

However, the Phoenix Coyotes, decided that they would like to have the Rampage as their developmental farm team. Thus, saving the franchise and sparing the fans the heartbreak of not playing this year.

"We are very pleased to be entering into this new affiliation agreement with the San Antonio Rampage," Phoenix general manager Mike Barnett said. "This is an ideal situation for the Phoenix Coyotes and one that we are hopeful will enjoy a long and mutually beneficial existence.

"San Antonio is perfectly located to our parent team in Phoenix, it has an NHL quality arena, and the organization has a wealth of experienced sports executives. We are confident that Rampage fans will come to enjoy, and expect, a highly competitive, aggressive and winning AHL team in 05-06."

[Via: Yahoo! Sports & AHL Official Site]

Calder Cup Champions - Philadelphia Phantoms

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phantoms for winning Hockey's coveted, no, desirable, still no,... umm.. does anybody really care about the award?

Okay, apparently enough of the eastern PA fans cared enough to set a new AHL playoff attendance record at 20,103.

Built as one of the American Hockey Leagues established teams and supplemented with orphaned NHL talent, the Philadelphia Phantoms coasted through the regular season as one of the top teams.

Led by blue chip prospects Patrick Sharp and Jeff Carter the Phantoms swept the Chicago Wolves, a strong Thrashers farm team. Even with the help of young stars Jay Bouwmeester and Stephen Weiss, the Wolves couldn't solve the tourney's MVP Phantoms goalie Antero Niittymaki. Niittymaki is only 25 years old and the 4th consecutive goalie to win the award.

Philadelphia Phantoms Official Site

AHL Playoffs - Championship Round

Tonight, the Calder Cup Finals begin as the Chicago Wolves take on the Philadelphia Phantoms in a best of 7 series. It's been a long but relatively quiet road to the finals. I think I'm the only blogger talking about the AHL. While many still hope that the NHL will come to their senses, the AHL has provided a wealth of hockey talent and entertainment this season. Perhaps there isn't any teams in big enough markets to care about the American Hockey League.

Notes: Rookie sensation Jeff Carter proves to be a future star for the Flyers as he has posted 12 goals and 7 assists in the playoffs. The Wolves look to win their second Calder Cup in 3 years. Since the IHL-AHL merger, only IHL teams have won the Calder Cup. Chicago Wolves were one of those teams picked up in the new AHL.