Skills Competition

All AHL all-stars paused to take a photo before the Skills Competition. (Photo courtesy of Brad Repplinger / AHL)

On Feb. 10, the festivities began with the Skills Competition.

Before the competition took place, IceHog all-stars took time to take answers from the media.

“Should be fun … compete … meet new guys … fun to do it with Lardis and Seens (Seney),” Korchinski said. “It’s going to be a blast playing for the home crowd.”

“I’m happy to be here,” Lardis said. “To be an all-star and to be in Rockford, pretty lucky to have it here.”

“Easy decision to join,” Seney said. “Seeing all the effort … gives people from other teams an inside look at how professional and how well-run Rockford is.”

Following player introductions and the national anthems, with the United States anthem being performed by legendary Chicago Blackhawks anthem singer Wayne Messmer, the festivities began with the puck control relay.

Two Hogs participated in this event in Seney and Lardis. In his attempt, Seney had unfortunately (and hilariously) ran into a camera man, causing him to lose his race. The hometown crowd let the cameraman know their displeasure with his interference with a chorus of boos.

However, Lardis did win his race, with some cheating. Lardis did acknowledge his cheating, but stated confidently after the Skills Competition, “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”

Although Lardis won his race, the Eastern Conference won three out of four races, giving them the early lead.

Korchinski and Seney later participated in the rapid fire challenge, being stonewalled by their opponent goaltenders.

Nick Lardis participating in the accuracy shooting challenge. (Photo courtesy of the AHL)

After the rapid fire challenge, Lardis participated in the accuracy shooting challenge, falling one shot short of a perfect round.

In the final competition, all three Hog all-stars competed in the breakaway relay challenge, going 0 for 3.

IceHogs all-stars Nick Lardis, Brett Seney and Kevin Korchinski at the Skills Competition. (Photo courtesy of the AHL)

Skills Competition results

Puck control relay: East wins 3-1

Fastest skater: Konsta Helenius (ROC) 13.770 seconds

Rapid fire: East

Hardest shot: Arthur Kaliyev (BEL) 104.0 miles per hour

Accuracy shooting: Jagger Firkus (CV)

Pass and score: West 6, East 5

Breakaway relay: West 6, East 5

Final results: East Wins 18-15

All-Star Challenge

Nick Lardis opened up the All-Star Challenge with a highlight-reel goal. (Photo courtesy of the AHL)

After a full day of events, including community outreach, a hall-of-fame ceremony and a press conference with the President and CEO of the AHL, Scott Howson, the All-Star Challenge somehow eclipsed the previous night’s competition.

The challenge began with player introductions, with the hometown Hogs receiving loud ovations. The loudest ovation was reserved for the anthem singer, Blackhawks anthem singer Jim Cornelison. The roar made its way to the BMO Center, with the Rockford crowd cheering throughout the entire anthem.

Following the anthems, the round robin competition began between the Central Division and the Atlantic Division. Each game consisted of two four-minute periods of 3-on-3 hockey. The Central Division decided to start the game with an opening line of Seney-Lardis-Korchinski, which received another roar from the home crowd.

The first game ended in an overtime loss for the Central, however, Lardis scored the first goal of the entire challenge, and scored in the shootout. Both goals fired up a very partisan crowd.

With the round robin standings based on games won, and goal differential, it came down to the final game of the round robin between the Central Division and the Pacific Division. Needing to win by four goals to advance to the championship, the Central pulled their goaltender twice while up 2-0 in an attempt to secure their spot. By some miracle, and a little encouragement from the hometown crowd, the Central scored twice. Winning 4-0, the championship would be determined in a final game between the Central and the Pacific.

The rematch would go in the Pacific’s favor, winning 3-1. Colorado Eagles all-star Jayson Megna won the BMO Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Challenge, preventing Korchinski from going back-to-back.

Game results

Game 1 — Central Division 1, Atlantic Division 1 (SO)
Game 2 — Pacific Division 4, North Division 1
Game 3 — Pacific Division 3, Atlantic Division 2
Game 4 — North Division 3, Central Division 2
Game 5 — Atlantic Division 4, North Division 0
Game 6 — Central Division 4, Pacific Division 0
Championship — Pacific Division 3, Central Division 1

Final thoughts

Brett Seney and Nick Lardis celebrate on the ice with their Central Division teammates following a goal. (Photo courtesy of Kirsten Stickney / AHL)

The success of the All-Star Classic could be felt from everyone. From the Rockford crowd chanting “ref you suck” twice on Wednesday night, to AHL President and CEO Howson heaping immense praise on the organization and city during his press conference, the Classic put the spotlight on Rockford, and they delivered.

“I loved the crowd, I love it here,” Korchinski said when asked about the crowd. “It’s very cool having it here.”

“Honestly, expected from these fans,” Lardis stated about Rockford’s faithful. “The support they’ve given us … it has been a lot of fun, the whole week, the whole year, it’s been unbelievable.”

If these festivities have proven anything, it is that the IceHogs organization, in every aspect, is first-class. The question is not “if” the All-Star Classic will return to the Screw City, but how soon can it return.

Season resumption

Despite the fun times the All-Star Classic presents, there is still a regular season to finish.

“Have fun tonight and right back in tomorrow,” Lardis said when asked postgame about the season. “Try to make a playoff push here; our team’s been struggling a little bit, there’s no excuse right now, it’s kinda go-time for our team to get as many points as we can.”

Go time for the IceHogs resumes on Saturday at home against the Milwaukee Admirals at 7 p.m CST.

The post Rockin’ with Rockford: All-Star Classic a resounding success appeared first on The Rink.

What went right?

Jason Polin

Polin opened the scoring for the Eagles tonight on the power play with a one timer in the slot. “Obviously it’s nice to see the puck and then see the red light, but it’s a great pass by Tynan,” Polin said. “Anyway, I can help the team win. It’s what I want to do, and unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way I wanted tonight, but we’ll bounce back.” Polin also drew several penalties with his aggressive play. This put the Eagles on the power play and shifted the game their way.

Jason Polin rips his first goal of the year with a dandy from the slot on the PP. Assists from Olausson and Tynan. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Klxp282eHv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 13, 2024

Jayson Megna

The Eagles brought Megna back to Colorado this year after playing for the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. He showed exactly why the team named him captain in these last two games. Megna has led through leadership and example. He has been one of the few players on the forecheck and creating chances shorthanded. In two games, Megna has secured two assists with hard work.

What went wrong?

Power play

Last night, I said that the power play was showing they had some chemistry already. The unfortunate part is that they cannot convert on their chances. Over the first two games, the power play unit has only converted twice in 14 chances. It is a young season, they still have a lot of time to figure it out, but the Eagles had a conversion problem last season too.

Great fight here in the 3rd between Onyebuchi and Middleton. Onyebuchi actually stops the fight after Middleton's face gets cut. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qGqJYKFND7

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 13, 2024

Conclusion

Over two games, the Eagles have shown that they are a much faster team than last season. They still have some grit with players like Matt Stienburg and Keaton Middleton as well. So this will be an interesting season to watch as we get to see GM Kevin MacDonald’s work all come to fruition and institute the Colorado Avalanche system. The Eagles will not play again until next Friday against the Abbotsford Canucks at Blue Arena in Loveland.

Interviews

The post Special teams play vital role in Eagles’ first loss appeared first on The Rink.

Penalty kill

The penalty kill was on point tonight. Despite a discipline problem, with seven penalties in the game for the Eagles, the kill unit did their job. There were several times that Eagles forwards caught the Roadrunners off guard and rushed up the puck. Ondrej Pavel, Jayson Megna and Matt Stienburg all had breakaway chances. Stienburg converted on the shorthanded rush. “He handled probably the bulk of the penalty kill for us,” said head coach Aaron Scheekloth. “He made a lot of strong reads, and just like on his goal at the end of his shift, he sees Megna create a lot of time and space in the slot, and he finds just enough legs to get there and get good poise on the collection, and finds open spot. I thought he was strong.” Tucson would only finish the night one for seven on a great night of killing.

They just had to break the ice! Matt Stienburg rips his first for the year and shorthanded!!!!! Assists come from captain Megna! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Pc4VCnuaZA

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2024

Power play

The power play unit was strong even though it converted once in seven chances themselves. There was confidence in moving the puck and they did it with ease. Jacob MacDonald would score the first goal of the year on a power play for the Eagles. There was an unfortunate play in the third that Jean-Luc Foudy took a hard crosscheck during a power play. He did not return to the game. After the game, I saw Foudy walking around in the hall with no limp.

In triumphant return, Jacob MacDonald breaks the shutout and gets the 1st Eagles' goal of the year on the PP. Assists came from Phillips and Tynan. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ft55SlgA4m

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2024

Conclusion

There were few things that went wrong for the Eagles’ home opener tonight. I could say that it went almost as planned. The Eagles won 3–1 and saw a fast team hit the ice with only a week and half of practice under their belt. Compared to last season, this team is much faster, going in line with what the Colorado Avalanche has built in the NHL. This team will be fun to watch this season. They play again on Saturday night against the Tucson Roadrunners in Loveland at 7 PM.

Matthew Phillips scores down low with the assist coming from Nikita Prishchepov, his first pro point! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ppwGOK7KDZ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2024

Interviews

The post Eagles win home opener appeared first on The Rink.

MacDonald returns home

Jacob MacDonald did a stint with the Colorado Avalanche and Eagles from 2019 to 2022 before being traded to the San Jose Sharks. MacDonald became a fan favorite in Loveland, wearing the captain’s “C” for a season. When he was given the opportunity to sign as a free agent with Colorado “when I found out I had an option to come back, my wife and I spent the summers here,” MacDonald said. “So this is home for us. And had an option: come back and stay at home. It was a pretty easy decision.”

MacDonald and the organization

MacDonald knew he was part of a rebuild in San Jose, but to have the chance to sign with a winning organization was too hard to pass up. “Hopefully that was beneficial to some of those younger guys there,” said MacDonald. “But yeah, like for me personally, I wanted to be in an organization that’s pushing for wins and winning hockey games at every level. So for me to go along with coming home, it’s kind of a check.”

Prishchepov continues to impress

Nikita Prishchepov was the Avalanche seventh round draft pick from this summer. He came to the development camp and rookie camp and stood out in a good way. So far, he does not have a contract, but he is hanging on, fighting for a chance to earn one just like Ivan Ivan last year. “Prishchepov has kind of elevated himself into a position where he got some games at rookie camp and had a strong performance there,” head coach Aaron Sneekloth said. “Then he took the next step at Avs camp and got some exhibition games. And now he’s joining us at camp.” So he has caught the eye of the coaching staff.

Olausson (closest) and Prishchepov (both in white) are paired together for the moment. Prishchepov has had a little trouble keeping the puck on his stick but showing some speed. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NcGrgycQNz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 2, 2024

Conclusion

Nothing is for sure with making a team, or staying on it for that matter. But MacDonald and Prishchepov are doing everything they can to stick around and make an impact. MacDonald will probably be part of the leadership group just like he was before. Prishchepov is a story that I will continue to follow. But the kid has looked good so far and could earn his place here in Loveland this year.

The post MacDonald could not pass up chance to come back to Colorado appeared first on The Rink.

Sean Behrens (#GoAvsGo) with a thunderous open-ice hit on Macklin Celebrini pic.twitter.com/8MMFekaXQG

— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) April 11, 2024

Avalanche defensive depth

The Avalanche are going to be deep in the defensive position this season. The offseason signings of Jacob MacDonald, Calvin de Haan, Oliver Kylington, Calle Rosén and Erik Brännström definitely helped with that. Not to mention, Behrens was going to be in competition for the last spot if none of these signings happened with Sam Malinski. The former Cornell captain may have had the upper hand simply in the one year of experience that he has in the NHL (23 games with the Avalanche).

AND THE PIOS CONNECT!

Tic-Tac-Goal by Sean Behrens to give DU a 3-0 advantage.#GoPios pic.twitter.com/HWdc7Lj8qN

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) March 3, 2024

Adjusting to the professional season

One thing is for sure, the professional season is far different from the college season. To start, players play about twice as many games (40–45 games compared to 70–80). Playing every other night compared to twice a week can take a toll on your body. Especially someone as small as Behrens’ size (5’ 10″ and 176 lbs). Samuel Girard, who is roughly the same size, has said that he will lose up to 20 pounds in one season, making him even smaller. Behrens will have to figure out how to maintain his weight and keep it on for the entire 76-82 game season.

Sean Behrens with the assist on the OT winner for DU! #GoAvsGo #GoPios pic.twitter.com/z6uwvXHz8f

— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) April 12, 2024

Gaining experience

With a three-year entry-level contract, Behrens will have time to gain experience in the AHL and make the change. Peter McNab always said that it took about 200–300 games to really start getting the defensive game at the pro level. With three years of NCAA hockey under his belt, the hope is that Behrens will need less than that.

As discussed on @fanhockeylife, Sean Behrens is one of the most unheralded pieces of the stacked University of Denver Pioneers. He has 23 points in 30 games. The Avs have themselves another solid defender. pic.twitter.com/uPrYeT8FAn

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor – Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) February 19, 2024

Conclusion

With such a deep defensive core and time to develop him, there is no need to rush Behrens. The one year at the AHL level will only do good for him. His style suits the Avalanche and he dropped into the Eagles with no problem. Watching him play those two games with the Eagles, he adjusted quickly, but Behrens admitted that the speed of the AHL was a shock at first. Hopefully, the Avalanche won’t get desperate enough that they have to go that deep in the defensive prospect pool. Behrens should play to impress, but without the worry of trying to make the NHL roster this season. Behrens should take this coming season as a learning experience and bulk up his body as well as add to his already massive skill set.

The post Can Behrens make the jump to the NHL this season? appeared first on The Rink.

The Avalanche have a rather bare cupboard with prospects, ranking as the 26th best pool of talent in The NHL, but we break them down into three tiers:

“2024 Call-ups”- these are players who are first in line to see NHL action this season, be that because of injury or to earning a place in the middle-six from a strong training camp.

“Starting Eagles”- these players can expect to gain seasoning and pro-experience in Loveland at the AHL level this season, but could become an option if the injury bug bites in Denver, or a trade makes room for depth.

“Long shots” are the players who will only step on the Ball Arena ice if the roster is decimated or the prospects in tiers above them experience setbacks.

This article will detail the highest tier of Avalanche prospects who you should see alongside Cale Makar in Denver this season.

Without further ado, let’s dig into the players I expect to see lacing up in the pros this year.

2024 Call-ups

Calum Ritchie (FWD), Drafted in 2023, 1st round, 27th overall

All the major buzz around up-and-coming Avalanche skaters starts with the unreal production of late first-round pick Calum Ritchie. Last year for the Oshawa Generals, Ritchie produced 80 points in just 50 games, including 28 goals, and added 30 additional points in 21 playoff games. Many NHL scouts mentioned Ritchie might have been an early pick if not for the injury that robbed him of his draft window, and those scouts look very smart right about now.

Ritchie has been working in Denver all summer, and his elite-hands and separation ability on the offensive project favorably into becoming a top-six forward for the Avalanche. Will it be this year? General Manager Chris MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar have a long track-record of being very conservative with young talent. The organization prefers veteran players with lower ceilings to potential stars with lower floors. The specifics of Ritchie’s eligibility complicate things further, particularly because the CHL-NHL transfer agreement prevents him from being assigned to the Colorado Eagles at this stage. It’s NHL or back to juniors in Oshawa for Ritchie.

The @Oshawa_Generals FINALLY solve Sam Hillebrandt @Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie finds the back of the net in Barrie, deflecting Luca D'Amato's shot to open the scoring in Game 6 #OHLPlayoffs | #OSHvsBAR | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/RxesKiyGCd

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 7, 2024

Ritchie has made it clear he intends to battle for a roster spot in this year’s camp. If he looks as good in pre-season as he has lately, then I expect a team missing Gabriel Landeskog will have no choice but to give the kid a shot.

Nikolai Kovalenko (RW/LW) Drafted in 2018, 6th round, 171st overall

Nikolai Kovalenko is on this list as a formality.

Kovalenko got limited opportunity in two playoff games after not playing in the regular season for Colorado once. The expectation is that Kovalenko will be a regular presence in the lineup out of training camp and could be as high as the second line, depending on his production. Despite only being 5’10” Kovalenko has a bulldog reputation for throwing big checks and battling for loose pucks. The organization hopes that he has the upside of a younger Artturi Lehkonen this year with the potential to be a Logan O’Connor replacement should he price himself out of the Avalanche cap situation when his contract expires at season’s end.

Kovalenko’s first with the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/5gKs3MkBJN

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) April 21, 2024

Jean-Luc Foudy (C/RW) Drafted in 2020, 3rd round, 75th overall

This is the make or break year for Jean-Luc Foudy as an NHL starter. We have seen limited samples of Foudy in the past two seasons because of injury and the upside is plain to see. His skating is nothing less than elite, and he has an impressive work-ethic that should slot him in perfectly into a locker-room tone set by Nathan MacKinnon. The problem for Foudy, and why we haven’t seen him yet, is twofold.

First, and most importantly, Foudy just hasn’t stayed healthy. Foudy only played 26 games with the Eagles (four with the Avalanche) in the last season following his second major injury in a young career. Being able to keep his body healthy for an 82 game season isn’t entirely in his control, but be it is a matter of luck or conditioning. Health has been a major factor in his slower development.

The second is his hands. Hand-eye coordination is among the most desirable skills in hockey, particularly if we are talking about a top-six offensive skater. Foudy has no trouble carrying the puck because of his skating ability, but the shot and playmaking from the center hasn’t always been there consistently. Fourteen points in 26 games, just four goals, is decent production as part of a rehab stint in the AHL. But that isn’t the developmental production that gets you a call-up on a team as deep as the Avalanche.

Foudy has two real pathways this year that could be successful. He either has a strong camp and earns his way onto the starting roster, then starts strong to keep his spot as Landeskog, Lehkonen, and others return from injury. Or, he continues to show promising but not quite ready production and is among the obvious pieces the Avalanche look to move for a veteran impact player at the trade deadline while they chase another cup.

Jean-Luc Foudy scores his first NHL goal, pushing Colorado's lead to 5!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/IzOHAQeXKJ

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 7, 2024

The third option, of course, is that he continues to be a good for the Eagles, but is never a great Avalanche. I hope it’s one of the first two.

Honorable mention: Justus Annunen (G) Drafted 2018 3rd round 64th overall

Some still consider Justus Annunen a prospect, but given that during the off-season he signed a one-way contract extension and is cut out as the back-up if not 1B tandem starter for the Avalanche this year. Annunen is a NHLer, and judging by last year the best goalie on the Avalanche NHL roster.

That is it for the top tier! Next week, we will have the “Starting Eagles” tier headlined by Oskar Olausson, Sam Malinski, and Ivan Ivan.

The post Avalanche prospects you will see in 2024 Part 1 appeared first on The Rink.

O’Connor and injury

Last season was the fewest games that O’Connor had played since his first year on the Avalanche. O’Connor and the team decided it was best to get the surgery and have the entire summer to heal. “I was skating mid-June,” he said, “so it gave me lots of runway before this season to sort of ramp it up and be feeling good come camp.” A lot of players begin skating in July, so he is already ahead of the game.

Roaring 20s

O’Connor hopes to be reunited on the “Roaring 20s,” line along with Miles Wood and Ross Colton, who he found instant chemistry with last year. “I would definitely like to if that’s the case,” O’Connor said. “I think with all of us, we’re comfortable playing with whoever, though, obviously at the start of the year a lot of things can change, and guys can be in and out, or coming back from injuries from last year or whatnot. So I think we’re comfortable with that. I think Bedsy knows he has that line to go to if need be. And if that’s the start of the season, great if it’s 10 or 20, games in. So be it. I think just see where things shake up and go from there. But I definitely enjoy playing with them.”

Cal Ritchie

O’Connor had the pleasure of skating at the DU Pro Camp last week with some other teammates like Behrens, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and the new NHL hopeful, Cal Ritchie. “He’s a really talented player,” O’Connor said. “He’s a lot more mature and bought in professionally than I’d say most guys his age are. I feel like he knows what he needs to do off the ice. Training wise, acting like a pro, recovery wise, nutrition wise, he’s bought into all those things, so that’s great to see. And then his talent level just shows through right away. He’s very skilled with good decision making, great release. So it’s been cool to watch him and sort of trying to help him out along the way.”

Behrens

Sean Behrens had a whirlwind end of the season last year. He won his second national championship, signed his first entry-level contract and reported to the Colorado Eagles all within a week. Behrens has his sights set on wearing an Avalanche sweater, not just an Eagles’ one. As in the way that he has approached this season, it hasn’t been much different from the past.” It’s been a lot the same,” Behrens said. “I think, even though it’s a new challenge and it’s a different opportunity. I think what I’ve done the last couple summers to get ready for the season with Matt Shaw and at DU has helped me a lot. And I think that helped me start off the season really well. So I think just kind of it’s been the same summer, and it’s just a different challenge coming up for the season now.”

Being mature enough

One thing that was very refreshing when speaking to Behrens was hearing how mature he was for a 21-year-old man. It seems like a lot of kids now want to rush their way into the pros where Behrens had the sense to know that he needed more time in college. The extra experience of 44 games helped him build up an already great game. “I think after my sophomore year I wasn’t really content with where my college career was at, so I thought that was a huge part of why I wanted to come back,” Behrens said. “And I think also, you look at it from a maturity standpoint, like this year, I took a lot of steps maturing, becoming a more rounded person off the ice with nutrition and habits and stuff like that. And I thought without this year I would have been a step behind at the next level in that area.”

Conclusion

Getting both Logan O’Connor and Sean Behrens back in the organization will inject the both teams with some much needed energy. The Avalanche have sorely missed O’Connor’s forechecking ability, along with his speed. Having another option for a puck moving defenseman with Behrens will open up a lot of options for the Eagles and hopefully the Avalanche. Both players have great hockey sense every fan cannot wait for them to come back.

Logan O’Connor interview

Sean Behrens interview

The post O’Connor and Behrens both eager to get back appeared first on The Rink.

Bryan Yoon

Bryan Yoon, who is a native of Parker, Colorado, was most recently with the Hartford Wolfpack (NYR) of the AHL. Yoon has deep roots in the state, attending Colorado College from 2018 to 2023, leading the Tigers as captain of his last season. Yoon received an invitation to the Colorado Avalanche development camp in the summer of 2023 and secured a contract with the Grizzlies. He received an invitation to the Eagles training camp, but they released him early on. Later in the season, the Grizzlies loaned Yoon to the Wolfpack, where he played 18 games and earned a AHL contract for the rest of the year.

Yoon shows some sparks of offense when given the opportunity, but is primarily a stay-at-home-defenseman. Considering the depth of the Eagles at defense, they will probably send Yoon to the Grizzlies immediately. If there are injuries to Avalanche or Eagles players, he may be first on the list.

BRYAN YOON JUST SCORED HIS FIRST PRO GOAL!!!! #OnTheHunt pic.twitter.com/DyVoEZjjYT

— Utah Grizzlies (@UtahGrizzlies) December 2, 2023

Tye Felhaber

Tye Felhaber is a Pembroke, Ontario native and has been in the ECHL and AHL since he turned 18 seven years ago. Felhaber spent the entire season with the Milwaukee Admirals (NSH), playing 50 games and tallying 23 points (10–13). He was sent to the Admirals the season before on a loan from the ECHL Fort Wayne Komets (EDM) and gained a foothold in the lineup. He is a goal-scoring forward with a high-end shot and excellent skills to match. Felhaber projects as a solid top nine forward who can bring additional value as a trigger man on the power play. Expect him to be a bottom-six forward for the Eagles.

TYE FELHABER pic.twitter.com/EnHjNg2s12

— Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 26, 2023

Keaton Mastrodonato

Keaton Mastrodonato is a native Powell River, British Columbia, and has spent his professional career with the Dallas Stars organization. Mastrodonato started with the Texas Stars after playing at Canisius College for four years. Mastrodonato started his professional career with the Dallas Stars organization, playing for the Texas Stars before being loaned to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, where he has been since. While in Idaho, Mastrodonato racked up 42 points (24–18) in just 48 games. He will provide speed and a quick wrist shot to the bottom-three for the Eagles and a lot of points for the Grizzlies.

YOUR NEW PROGRAM RECORD HOLDER FOR CAREER SHORTHANDED GOALS, KEATON MASTRODONATO!

5-3 #Griffs pic.twitter.com/0lgcAbRQQB

— Canisius Hockey (@GriffsHockey) February 18, 2023

Conclusion

At this point in the season, both the Avalanche and the Eagles are signing depth players. These will all be players that can jump from one league to another and can play a distinct style of game in both. So do not expect many big names to come out in the coming weeks. Yoon is one player that I have had my eye on for a year or two now, so it will be exciting to see what he can bring to the table if given a chance.

The post Eagles sign three more depth players appeared first on The Rink.

In a video posted to social media Wednesday, July 31st, at 9:12AM Eagles owner Martin Lind announced major plans for what will be, in his words, “A new epicenter of awesome in northern Colorado!”

The complex will feature a new arena for the Colorado Eagles, as well as three sheets of ice for youth hockey. The district will include, per Lind, entertainment districts, plazas, hotels, a notable expansion from the single arena space and events center The Ranch provides the team.

See the video for yourself here:

We have some major news, Eagles Country! pic.twitter.com/qZpo92y1iS

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) July 31, 2024

Here are some answers to other burning questions Eagles’ fans have.

Why are the Eagles building a new arena?

Since 2003, the Eagles have been calling “The Ranch” their home, which was founded by Ralph Backstrom, a 6-time Stanley Cup winner. Blue Arena, built on the fairgrounds, seats 7,200, making it the 5th smallest arena in the AHL. The Eagles currently rank 15th in total attendance among AHL teams, however, are second only to the Utica Comets (who have the smallest arena at 3,860) seats in capacity attendance. What does this mean? That Colorado Eagles games average 98.8% attendance with more games being sold out than any other AHL team.

The new arena proposal in Greeley will see an 8,600 seat capacity adding hotels and amenities that will allow it to rival other dedicated AHL entertainment complexes such as the Tucson Events Center (current home of the Tucson Roadrunners).

How close are they to opening the doors?

Although many are excited about the new arena for the Eagles, there is no official date for when construction will begin. On July 30th, the City of Greeley gave approval to the memorandum of understanding between them and The Water Valley Company (The Eagles’ holding company). This set research forwards on the site which The-Rink has discovered appears to include land recently purchased by Martin Lind north of the JBS Meat Wholesale near highway 85 pictured below.

Land purchased by Martin Lind in Greeley

According to Greeley’s City Management, the completion of the results of the initial research surveys by the city should take eight to 10 weeks.

Are there any other major features of the complex besides the arena?

Two words: Water Park. As Lind stated in his video announcement, he and The Water Valley Company have tied Colorado and water together. The details of the project given the working name “Greeley West Side” include construction of a major water park to service the thrill seekers and sunbathers in Northern Colorado. Given the project is situated an hour north of  “Water World” (which was recently voted the second best outdoor water park in America by Newsweek), the prospect of a Greeley water park showcases the level of ambition and funding behind Greeley West Side and Lind.

From all sources, the city, and the team, there is nothing but enthusiasm and support for the project. Recent arena troubles for hockey teams in neighboring Arizona and rival Calgary are not concerns for Project West Side. The state, city, and most importantly funding are all deeply invested in re-invigorating Northern Colorado with a new hockey complex and much more in the coming years.

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His past

Scheel spent three years at the University of North Dakota, where he would help lead the team in success through the NCHC Championship. During his college years, Scheel had a combined record of 52–18–5 with seven shutouts. His impressive 20–4–1 with a 1.74 GAA, .931 save percentage would lead UND to the Quarterfinal round of the 2021 Frozen Four, where he lost to Minnesota-Duluth in five overtimes. This would help Scheel secure his spot on the NCHC All-Star Team and the title of NCHC Goaltender of the Year.

Going pro

Coming out of college undrafted, Scheel was free to sign with any club he chose to. The Dallas Stars were his choice, and he would spend most of the year with their ECHL affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads. While in Idaho, he would secure the honor of Goaltender of the Week three times. His 1.97 GAA would be the best in the league and his .932 save percentage. Scheel’ success would run out in the Kelly Cup Finals as the Steelheads fell to the Florida Everblades (STL) four games to none.

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Scheel spent the entirety of last season with the AHL Chicago Wolves. As the team struggled to put any momentum together, his numbers struggled as well. The Wolves did not have any affiliation with an NHL club, so they were completely on their own for the year to put a roster together. Chicago would finish last in the Central Division and have since signed an agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes.

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Conclusion

Adam Scheel shows a lot of quickness in the crease. He is still learning the position at the pro level and has seen some success in the ECHL. Hopefully, this will carry over to the Utah Grizzlies and, when needed, the Eagles. But Colorado now has a goalie problem. They have two goalies on the roster that are on two-way contracts with Trent Miner and Kevin Mandolese. They also have two AHL contracts with Jake Barczewski and now Scheel. Healthy competition is not a bad thing, but overstock can be.

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Stanley Cup Champion Dan Hinote has been named associate head coach of the Colorado Eagles.

Happy to have you back in the organization, Dan!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/b3DXpGwc9Z

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 17, 2024

Hinote’s playing days

Hinote has a strong background in hockey. The Avalanche originally drafted him in 1996 (167th overall). After playing for West Point and then the Oshawa Generals, Hinote joined the Hershey (Colorado’s AHL affiliate at the time) in 1998. It was not until October 5, 1998 when Hinote made his NHL debut against the Predators. Hinote would help win a Stanley Cup in 2001 and leave the team for MODO during the 2004 lockout. Hinote would return to the Avalanche for one season and play his final three seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.

Dan Hinote Sean Avery • Mar 20, 2006https://t.co/OjW2urZakt pic.twitter.com/MWhwbvVHTw

— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) September 28, 2022

Since Hinote stopped playing

Since Hinote has retired from playing the game of hockey, he has spent time as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Predators. Hinote would spend time as a pro scout and associate coach, developing players in the U.S. National Development Program.

“Dan has a diverse background in professional hockey, including a decade as a player in the NHL and nearly a decade as a coach in the NHL,” said Avalanche Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald. “He is a strong teacher of the game and relates well to younger players with his experience playing in college hockey, at the major junior level as well as his time as a coach with Team USA’s Under 17 and 18 teams. We are excited to have Dan back with the Avalanche organization and look forward to having him behind the Eagles bench this season.”

Conclusion

Dan Hinote will bring all kinds of experience with him to the bench. While in Nashville, he helped build the penalty kill and will help make that even better in Loveland. With his scouting and development experience, he will help to guide the team in Northern Colorado. They will need calm and collected voices from both Hinote and Schneekloth to start strongly this year.

The post Hinote returns to Avalanche organization as Eagles’ coach appeared first on The Rink.

A look ahead

The Eagles will play 11 teams in total this season, all teams that they met last season. The Eagles will meet every team on the road as well. There will be 36 home games and 36 road games, totaling 72 games throughout the season. There will only be two teams that the Eagles meet that are not in the Pacific Division. These teams are the Texas Stars (DAL) and the Grand Rapids Griffins (DET).

As usual, Colorado will have a weekend heavy schedule when at home, with Friday and Saturday seeing the most games.

Home dates by day:

— Tuesday–4

— Wednesday–4

— Friday–12

— Saturday–14

— Sunday–2

The Eagles have released their 2024-25 schedule #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WXPRykU0GG

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 11, 2024

Opponents

Tucson (Utah) will be the opening weekend opponent this season. In their four meetings last season, the rivals took the Eagles down three times and only lost once. The Western Conference Champion Coachella Valley Firebirds will come to town four times and meet again on the road four more times. The Eagles once again split an eight game series against Abbotsford, the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season.

— Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)

— Texas Stars (DAL)

— San Diego Gulls (ANA)

— Bakersfield Condors (EDM)

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA)

— Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)

— San Jose Barracuda (SJS)

— Abbotsford Canucks (VAN)

— Calgary Wranglers (CGY)

— Ontario Reign (LAK)

— Tucson Roadrunners (Utah)

The genuine test will be their longest stretch of six games in 10 days on the road in March.

Conclusion

With a very similar schedule to last season, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles perform. They will come into the year with a VERY different roster than last season. The backup goalie situation is still quite unsure, but Trent Miner gained a lot of confidence with Justus Annunen getting injured for six weeks last season. Either way, look forward to a season packed full of coverage from The-Rink Colorado team!

you can download and sync your calendar here.

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WELCOME BACK MEGS

We are thrilled to have our former captain, Jayson Megna back in Colorado after signing a two-year AHL contract with the Eagles! pic.twitter.com/WdyiVTDqPh

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) July 9, 2024

Waivers and claimed

The Avalanche had planned for Megna to be one of the main bubble players during the fall of 2022. He was fighting for a spot on the roster from day one of training camp. The speedy center got recalled just a couple of games into the season and stuck around. From the middle of October to the beginning of December, he was a regular in the lineup. When the Avalanche felt they needed to send Megna down, they placed him on waivers. Unfortunately for Eagles’ fans, the Anaheim Ducks could not pass up the opportunity. Megna was a mainstay in Anaheim, playing 41 games for them that season.

Jayson Megna with 2 1 and the OT winner featured here: pic.twitter.com/RsMgQvaypM

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) April 3, 2022

Last season

Despite playing his second most NHL games in a season, Megna could only gain a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins. As for the NHL, it was a disappointing year, with Boston only playing him in one game. He played with Providence, Boston’s AHL affiliate, for the rest of the season. Megna would play 69 (of 72) regular season games, tallying 56 points (19–37).

JAYSON MEGNA #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ZqJr7QjoIB

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 26, 2019

Conclusion

Megna will bring many things to the Eagles this year. He will bring speed down the middle and the ability to win key faceoffs. The University of Nebraska-Omaha attendee can play on both the power play and the penalty kill as well. Do not overlook him as an important player, considering his 204 NHL games and 484 AHL games of experience. Megna may only have 33 (12–21) NHL points, but the experience of what it takes to get to the show is priceless. With many youthful faces around the Eagles, he will have the responsibility to step up as a leader this year.

The post Former captain Jayson Megna returns to Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

Erik Brännström

Erik Brännström is a defenseman that was drafted in the first round (15th overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. He spent one season in their system with the Chicago Wolves and has been with the Ottawa organization ever since then. This last season, he saw a career high in games (76) with the Ottawa Senators and career highs in both goals (three) and assists (17) for the NHL. Brännström is a puck moving defenseman with an excellent skating ability. He can quarterback the power play if needed, but I doubt the Avalanche will use him in this role.4

Erik Brannstrom, signed 1x$0.9M by COL, is a puck-moving defenceman. A strong and ambitious break-out passer and puck carrier who drove play very well in a third pair role, but small and a bit turnover prone. Should be a good spot to see what he's capable of. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/5xyBO7EuPc

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 2, 2024

There are downsides to the Swede. I hear he is soft and not very physical. This is one thing that Colorado has had an issue with in the third pair for some time now. He has issues boxing out the opponents, thus keeping the front of the net clear. This will be a project for the Avalanche. So fans will have to be patient.

Erik Brannstrom lowers the BOOM

Love to see that from the little guy. pic.twitter.com/1xTCqMK61Q

— Martian (@LalimesMartian) February 28, 2023

Wyatt Aamodt re-signs

Defenseman Wyatt Aamodt, who was a restricted free agent due to have arbitration rights, has re-signed with the Avalanche. He has spent two full seasons with the Colorado Eagles and has become an essential part of their penalty kill. Known as “Ammo” around the locker room, Aamodt will let the opponents know he is there with board shaking hits. Aamodt reminds me a lot of how Jacob MacDonald plays, just with a lot more grit to his game. He played several games at forward for the Eagles this season and was very effective in the role for them. He will continue to play on the second or first pair for the Eagles this season.

Ivan plays with the defense before dropping the puck to Hunt and then Wyatt Aamodt buries it as he crashes the net. Tied at 4. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/OLhb4ifYH7

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) December 17, 2023

Departures

— Spencer Smallman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals

— Corey Schueneman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues

You can keep up with all the player movement for the Eagles here.

Conclusion

Once again, the Avalanche took care of what they needed to do today. By signing Brännström, they can keep Sam Malinski in Loveland to develop a little more. Colorado also gets a defenseman that is a little more offensive and can play their type of game. By re-signing Aamodt, they avoided arbitration and kept a key penalty killer in the system. Aamodt has yet to play a game for the Avalanche, but I can see it happening soon.

The post Brännström signs with Avalanche, Aamodt re-signs appeared first on The Rink.

Alexandar Georgiev

Alexandar Georgiev will enter the final year of his three-year contract with the Avalanche this coming season. He saw a career high 63 regular season games and 11 playoff games. During this time, Georgiev would put together a 38–18–5 record in the regular season, his second best season to date. This last season would see his lowest save percentage (.897) of his young career in the NHL, with a debate that fatigue or the defense was the issue. His numbers are comparable to when he was with the New York Rangers, as Georgiev has played four more games with Rangers (129). Unless something goes wrong, Georgiev will carry another heavy workload next season.

Oh my Alexandar Georgiev!#GoAvsGo | #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/EffocnQpuf

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 10, 2024

Justus Annunen

Justus Annunen is the first homegrown goaltender for the Avalanche since Adam Werner (drafted 2016 and played two games in 2019). With the injury to Pavel Franzouz, Annunen unexpectedly spent most of the year as a backup in Denver. Annunen played a career high 14 games for the Avalanche and had two shutouts. He impressed management so much that he earned a one-way contract in March. He would even win the hearts of fans as he made spectacular saves and the chant of “JUICE” would live on. Annunen will probably get 15–20 starts next season.

A moment he'll never forget!

Justus Annunen records his first career @pepsi shutout in a big 5-0 win for the @Avalanche. pic.twitter.com/bKpBMTYp9E

— NHL (@NHL) March 1, 2024

Trent Miner

Trent Miner is working on becoming the next homegrown goaltender after Annunen. Drafted in 2019, a year after Annunen, Miner has been waiting for an opportunity to jump to the Eagles and the AHL. Annunen, going down to injury for six weeks, gave the chance, along with a poor showing by Holm. Miner won the crease in Loveland, along with a new contract. He kept the Eagles in games as his confidence grew with coaching from former Avalanche Peter Budaj. Miner saw career highs in every category with the Eagles and as things look toward the future, he will be the starter in Loveland next season.

Awesome work on one end by Miner followed by a RILEY TUFTE goal! Brad hunt and Tanner Kero add even more points tonight. Eagles have scored 4 unanswered!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HJalYxPOkb

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Jake Barczewski

Jake Barczewski is a goaltender that is on an AHL contract for the Eagles, but is currently Colorado’s fourth option. Barczewski most recently led the University of Michigan to the Frozen Four but fell to Boston College. As the starter for the Wolverines, Barczewski would hold a 20–14–3 record and 2.84 goals allowed average. He made his professional debut on April 20, 2024 against the Ontario Reign and get rattled in a 7–3 loss. If the Avalanche cannot sign a backup for Miner, he will be the only option, otherwise Barczewski will head to Utah as the starter.

With 43 seconds left.

Jake Barczewski came with with a huge save! pic.twitter.com/Tq6mmYtQxc

— ashlyn ◡̈ (@AshlynKonieczka) March 30, 2024

Options

Matt Villalta

A goaltender that has been at the top of the ranks in the AHL the past couple of seasons, Matt Villalta is due to be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer. He most recently played for the Tucson Roadrunners and made his well deserved NHL debut with Arizona Coyotes. This last season, Villalta would be part of the reason the Roadrunners jumped five positions in one season. Villalta would finish first in the AHL with 31 wins and a .911 save percentage. The Avalanche could sign him for under one million and have a great one-two punch in Loveland. Furthermore, he is used to a heavy workload and could be a backup in Denver if need be.

Check out this Save by Matt Villalta in the @banner_bank save of the month! pic.twitter.com/Abda6pMmRm

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) December 3, 2021

Oscar Dansk

Oscar Dansk was a thorn in the side of the Eagles this year as he had a .97 goals allowed average in three games. He is an agile goaltender that is quick to the post and has a ton of experience in the AHL. When Jacob Markstrom got injured and Dustin Wolf was sent to the Flames, the Calgary Wranglers gave Dansk significant starting time. He would be an excellent pickup by Colorado to have as a fourth option and would cost less than one million.

Wolves goaltender Oscar Dansk with an absolute robbery on Brett Pedersen. #MBMoose pic.twitter.com/39JpFzSmv4

— Jacob Stoller (@JLStoller) February 8, 2020

Conclusion

Villalta and Dansk are just a couple of suggestions that the Avalanche could get on the cheap this offseason. Either way, Colorado has a goaltender depth problem, and it needs to be solved quickly. If Georgiev or Annunen were to go down to injury, the domino effect would be problematic. This was clear at the end of the season when Annunen fell ill and the team had to recall Prosvetov. When Miner got injured with a lower-body injury, the Eagles had to rely on Arvid Holm for a back-to-back game. Holm had not played in over a month. A cheap fourth option and even a fifth option would solidify the depth and prevent issues in the future. As things are, they cannot go into the start of the season with their options this thin.

The post Goalie situation is thin for Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

We have re-signed Trent Miner to a one-year contract.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/3dtyOaLj8H

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 21, 2024

Miner’s career year

Miner put forward career numbers in every category for his AHL play this season. He posted a 9–6–1–1 record in 18 games. His 2.10 goals allowed average was the best of all the goaltenders that played for the Colorado Eagles this past season. Miner’s .930 save percentage was also top on the team.

Trent Miner #GoAvsGo
1 year / 2-way extension

NHL: $775,000
Minor: $100,000https://t.co/UaJLV2yO6V

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 22, 2024

Earlier in the season, Justus Annunen went down to a lower body injury. This opened up an opportunity for Miner to battle with Arvid Holm for the crease. As Holm’s numbers slipped, stepped in and seized the chance to grab the starting crease. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth was getting to a point that Miner was going to get the net without hesitation every night. This even would happen on back-to-back games.

With a restricted free agent status coming up in July, Miner all but guaranteed himself an offer for next year.

Awesome work on one end by Miner followed by a RILEY TUFTE goal! Brad hunt and Tanner Kero add even more points tonight. Eagles have scored 4 unanswered!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HJalYxPOkb

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

A lower-body injury that Miner suffered on March 20th would unfortunately take him out for the rest of the season. He would return to the bench for the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, but not see any game action.

Conclusion

Miner has become a goalie that the Eagles came to depend on this last season. With the poor performance of Holm, he stepped up when they needed him and earned his contract. He may have been rough around the edges to start the year, but goalie coach Peter Budaj quickly fixed that. We have seen a similar improvement with Annunen once Budaj could work with him as well. Miner could see his first NHL game this season and it has been a long time coming.

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Player Name Link= either puckpedia.com or eliteprospects.com

Any other link= original announcement of the contract signing or announcement of movement

Arrivals – Forwards

— Jere Innala — Signed a one-year, entry-level contract on June 13, 2024.

— Chase Bradley — Signed a two-year, entry-level contract on July 1, 2024.

— T.J. Tynan — Signed a one-year contract through 2024–25 on July 1, 2024. 

— Jayson Megna — Signed a two-year, one-way AHL contract on July 9, 2024 through the 2025–26 season. 

— Matthew Phillips — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche worth $775,000 at the NHL level on August 9, 1024.

Forwards

— Oskar Olausson — Second year of three-year, entry-level contract started in 2022-23.

— Nikolai Kovalenko —  Second year of two-year, entry-level contract started in 2023-24.

— Jean-Luc Foudy — Third year of three-year, entry-level contract started in 2021-22.

— Ondrej Pavel —  Second year of two-year, entry-level contract started in 2023-24.

— Matt Steinburg —  Second year of two-year, entry-level contract started in 2023-24.

— Ivan Ivan —  First year of  two-year entry-level contract signed on March 5, 2024.

— Chris Wagner —  One-year, two-way contract signed on April 3, 2024.

— Chad Hillebrand — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will have an AHL contract for 2024-25.

— Jason Polin — Avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, two way contract on July 5, 2024. 

— Tye Felhaber — Signed a one-year AHL contract on August 12, 2024.

—  Keaton Mastrodonato — Signed a one-year AHL contract on August 12, 2024.

— Briley Wood — Had signed an amateur tryout agreement on April 16, 2024. It was announced that he had an AHL contract on September 18, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

— Neil Shea — It was announced that he had signed an AHL contract on September 18, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

—  Nikita Prishchepov — Signed a three-year entry-level contract on October 6, 2024. 

—   Mark Senden —  Signed a two-way AHL contract and was reported to be on the Eagles’ roster on October 2, 2024. The terms are unclear.

Free agents – Forwards

— Dalton Smith — Will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. 

— Peter Holland — Will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. 

Departures – Forwards

— Henry Bowlby — contract mutually terminated to join Rögle BK of the SHL on November 9, 2023.

— Ben Meyers — Traded to the Anaheim Ducks on March 8, 2024.

— Brett Stapley — Has agreed to a contract with HK Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Extraliga on May 29, 2024.

— Brandon Cutler — Has signed a contract with EC Kassel Huskies of the DEL2 in Germany on June 17, 2024. 

— Maros Jedlicka —  Had signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Colorado Eagles on April 18, 2024 and did not play any games while in Loveland. Jedlika chose to return to his junior organization on June 18, 2024 and play for HC Kometa Brno of the Tipsport Extraliga in Czechia.

— D.J. Busdeker — Signed a contract with the Augsburg Panthers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany on June 26, 2024. 

— Alex Beaucage —  He was not given a qualified offer by the Colorado Avalanche. Beaucage signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract with the Laval Rocket (MTL) on July 9, 2024. 

— Riley Tufte —  Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins organization on July 1, 2024.

— Spencer Smallman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, 2024.

— Cédric Paré — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2, 2024. 

— Cal Burke — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 2, 2024.

— Tanner Kero — Signed a one-year contract with HV71 of the SHL in Sweden on July 5, 2024. 

— Fredrik Olofsson — signed a two-year contract with EV Zug of the National League in Switzerland on July 8, 2024.

— Ryan Sandelin — Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract with the Iowa Wild (MIN) on July 11, 2024.

Arrivals- Defenseman

— Jacob MacDonald — Returns to the organization on a two-year, two-way contract signed on July 1, 2024. 

— Calle Rosen — Returns to the organization for one-year, two-way contract that was signed on July 1, 2024.

— Bryan Yoon — Signed a one-year AHL contract on August 12, 2024.

—  Devante Stephens — It was announced that he had signed an AHL contract on September 18, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

— Connor Mayer — It was announced that he had signed an AHL contract on September 12, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

Defensemen

— Garrett Pyke — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will start a two-year AHL contract through 2025-26.

— Sean Behrens — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will start a three-year entry-level contract in 2024-25.

— Keaton Middleton — Final year of a two-year, two-way contract signed on February 25, 2023.

— Jack Ahcan — Final year of a two-year, two-way contract signed on July 1, 2023.

— Sam Malinski — Final year of a two-year, two-way contract signed on March 30, 2023.

— Saige Weinstein — Will start a three-year entry-level contract that was signed on October 6, 2023.

— Wyatt Aamodt — Avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche on July 2, 2024. 

—  Derek Daschke — Signed a two-way AHL contract and was reported to be on the Eagles’ roster on October 2, 2024. The terms are unclear.

Departures – Defenseman

— Graham Sward— Had signed an amateur tryout agreement on April 16, 2024. The Avalanche lost rights to Sward on June 1st because he was not signed to an entry-level contract. Sward is now considered a free agent and able to sign with any team he chooses to.

— Josh Wesley —  Signed with HC Pustertal of the ICEHL in Italy on June 25, 2024.

— Gianni Fairbrother — He was not given a qualified offer by the Colorado Avalanche and hit the free market on July 1st. He signed a one-year contract with the Utah Grizzlies on September 3, 2024.  

— Nate Clurman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization on July 1, 2024. 

— Corey Schueneman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 2, 2024.

— Kyle Mayhew — Signed a one-year contract with the Fort Wayne Komets (EDM) of the ECHL on July 16, 2024.

— Brad Hunt —  Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hershey Bears (WSH) on August 2, 2024. 

— Michael Underwood —Signed a one-year ECHL contract with the Savannah Ghost Pirates on September 26, 2024. 

Goaltenders

— Trent Miner — Signed a one-year, two-way contract for the year 2024-25 on May 21, 2024.

— Jake Barczewski — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will start a one-year AHL contract through 2024-25.

Additions – Goaltenders

— Kevin Mandolese — The Avalanche acquired his RFA rights on July 15, 2024. He officially signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche on July 16, 2024.

— Adam Scheel —  Signed a one-year AHL contract on July 30, 2024.

Departures – Goaltenders

— Arvid Holm — Has signed a three-year contract with Rögle BK of the SHL in Europe as of May 10, 2024. He was previously a Group 6 unrestricted free agent.

— Garrett Metcalf — forced into retirement due to health concerns after signing a one-year AHL contract on July 26, 2023.

— Ivan Prosvetov — Signed a three-year contract with CSKA of the KHL on August 1, 2024. 

Additions – Coaching Staff

— Dan Hinote — Joins the Avalanche organization again as an Associate Head Coach, taking Steve Konowalchuk’s place, on July 17, 2024. 

— Matt Zaba — Joins the organization as the new goaltending coach to replace Peter Budaj on August 7, 2024.

— Kim Weiss — After serving as a guest coach throughout the season and Development Camp, the organization has hired her to replace Hunter Diehl on August 7, 2024.

Departures – Coaching Staff

— Steve Konowalchuk — Associate head coach of the Eagles has been hired as head coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) as of May 20, 2024. 

— Peter Budaj — the goaltending coach left for an opportunity to join coach Greg Cronin in Anaheim with the Ducks on July 10, 2024. 

— Hunter Diehl — Has left the Eagles after accepting a new role as Director of Hockey Operations at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on July 22, 2024.

Updated October 7, 2024 12:37 PM MT

The post Colorado Eagles offseason player tracker: 2024 appeared first on The Rink.

The Abbotsford Canucks posed a challenge for the Eagles in their upcoming match. In the regular season, the Eagles were 4–2–2–0. They had already faced a 4–2 playoff loss on April 24.

The game was a series of “almost” for the first two periods of play. After the Abbotsford Canucks found the back of the net at the 14-minute mark of the first period, it was going to be a challenge for the Eagles to equalize. Colorado put up 26 shots in the first 40 minutes of play yet came up empty.

Here's a peek at the goal that put the Eagles trailing by one. #EaglesCountry #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/O1JWJK3VmP

— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) April 28, 2024

Despite goaltender Ivan Prosvetov coming up big to keep the team within reach, opposing netminder Zach Sawchenko kept the onslaught of shots at bay. Prosvetov’s coolness in the net was encouraging to see. With a locked in goaltender, the team could go to work offensively.

Colorado’s frustration shined in several situations, forcing Prosvetov to bail them out. The second frame was full of pushing and shoving, nearly costing them a goal with a loose puck in play.

No matter what the Eagles did, the end seemed inevitable. Prosvetov’s penalty for interference allowed the Eagles to exploit the mistake. After 57 minutes of play, Sam Malinski accomplished what seemed like the impossible and found the back of the net.

Sam Malinski on the power play ties the game in the ELIMINATION GAME. His first of the playoffs!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/EZSEEaD0Ao

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 28, 2024

It took 42 shots, but the Eagles forced their second straight overtime game. Holding strong for nine minutes, the Eagles took it. After several battles in front of the net, Sawchenko proved to be the star of the show.

Canucks player Chase Wouters got the go-ahead goal for Abbotsford with puck luck to finish it. Wouters had a lucky deflection off of his stick and closed out the game and the Colorado Eagles season ends with a 2–1 loss.

WHO OTHER THAN THE CAPTAIN

Have a look at the goal that lauched us right into the the Pacific Division Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/UH1ylksX0M

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 29, 2024

“It’s probably the worst way you can lose and probably the best way you can win,” defenseman Brad Hunt said. “I mean, It’s a roller coaster and we’re at the bottom.”

The key word in the last bout against Abbotsford was “almost.” In several scenarios, the Eagles almost put the puck in the back of the net. It was truly a game of chances and near misses.

Despite a season ending performance, head coach Aaron Schneekloth had insight and pride from the team’s performance.

“I mean, you get into an elimination game and overtime, and somebody’s got to be the hero, or you have a whole team full of disappointed players,” he said. “Look at the division we play in. All of those teams are capable of making a deep playoff run, and we were one of them. It’s unfortunate that two of these games go into overtime and we lose the second one.”

Abbotsford will now move onto the second round and take on the Ontario Reign.

The post Colorado Eagles season ends in emotional overtime loss appeared first on The Rink.

EAGLES WIN EAGLES WIN EAGLES WIN! Brad Hunt throws it from the blue-line for the game winner with the assist by Chris Wagner! Foudy with the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Q9DykbvUNK

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

Takeaways

— The Eagles started the game strong and continued the pressure through the entire game. Colorado did not take a period or two to get their feet going like they did in game one. From the moment the puck dropped, they played fast. The Eagles continued their forecheck, and that has made them successful all season long. In the neutral zone, Cal Burke created a turnover, and from the slot, Nikolai Kovalenko showcased his talent with a snapshot. The Eagles used everything that made them successful through the entire season and it guided them to victory.

Cal Burke steals the puck and runs into the zone with a nice backhand shot for his second of the playoffs. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/at03wxJYRO

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

“I thought we were skating pressuring, creating some fantastic offensive plays,” said head coach Aaron Scneekloth. “We made some nice plays getting out of [the zone to] create some odd man rushes. To start it wasn’t exactly the start we wanted, of course, we would have liked to have held on and not put the stress on ourselves into overtime, but that’s playoffs.”

KOVALENKO GOAL ALERT! Brad Hunt with some pressure in the zone and drops it to Kovalenko for the goal. Burke with the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/DnIllomvZh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

— The defense needed to tighten up in a lot of situations. The Canucks crawled their way back from a 4–1 deficit to tie the game in the third. They were having issues clearing the puck and keeping traffic away from Ivan Prosvetov. The tying goal by Akito Hirose left him wide open in the high-danger zone and available for his own rebound. On the bright side, the defense did shut down the slot. Sheldon Dries has killed the Eagles from there all year long, including last game.

Hirose there to clean up the loose puck as Prosvetov attempts to dive back and cover the puck. Tied at 4. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/MUlZaeMy0U

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

Sean Behrens

Sean Behrens has now played in his second pro game in the organization. His first game against Ontario was a 7–3 blowout loss, but there were positives. He got his first pro point as an assist and the nerves out of the way. The difference in how Behrens was skating from the first to the second was like night and day. He became more mobile and confident in the action. To see his progress in just half of a game was outstanding. I can’t wait to see when he gets a chance for a few games consistently.

“I thought I was a little bit slow the first period of that first game but I think as the game went on, I did a good job adjusting and started moving my feet a little bit more,” said Behrens. “And you know, I feel like I’m more likely gonna adjust and keep up with the pace and be able to find success.”

Conclusion

The Eagles used every tool in their toolbox tonight. They were heavy on the forecheck, heavy along the boards, and pushed the play into the zone. These factors, combined with their speed, led to their success in the overtime win. If they can keep up this type of play and tighten up the defense, they will move onto the next round. Colorado plays again on Sunday afternoon in Loveland to wrap up the series. This time it will be do or die.

Interviews

The post Eagles avoid elimination with OT win against Abbotsford appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles could not get any sustained pressure in the Canucks’ zone. They had their moments, but Colorado did not have a time where they had to make any changes on the fly. When they were fully engaged, several players had difficulty maintaining control of the puck. The forecheck (except for one play) in the offensive zone was almost non-existent as well.

An odd man rush by the Canucks leads to a fantastic save by Prosvetov #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/GRFmA0QvS6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

“It looked like we were a little nervous,” said head coach Aaron Scneekloth. “I felt like, didn’t see big pockets of our structure and our pace and our skating. It looked like we were on our heels a bit, trying to make perfect plays. And I gotta give a lot of credit to habits for putting a lot of pressure on us forces into making some decisions we usually can handle and make some mistakes, few individual errors and coverage and Instructure that gave them some big opportunities.”

Former Avs/Eagles forward Sheldon Dries strikes from the slot to take the lead for Abbotsford #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0dousrYH5Q

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

— The power play converted on its first attempt and went silent afterwards. The first power play that Colorado had in the game started out very slow. It even was getting some screams from the fans as passes were not connecting. With under ten seconds left, Cal Burke could finish the attempt. After that, their second, third and fourth power plays were in shambles. They could not enter the zone and passes did not connect. Only a few shots made it to the net to cause a problem for Abbotsford.

Cal Burke

— Cal Burke has been a bright light at the end of the season despite everything that he has gone through. Burke had to leave the team several times because his mother had passed away from cancer. Despite this, he has always had a smile on his face in the hallways and talks. In his last ten games, Burke has 11 points (four goals and seven assists). He has brought a spark to the offense that has been necessary.

What started as a slow PP turned out great with a Cal Burke goal. Assisted by Ahcan and Malinski #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/TnvM8mEWMn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

“He’s been outstanding,” said Schneekloth. “I mean, for the adversity that he’s gone through this year, to stay focused and keep his mind right when he shows up to the rink is credit to who he is as a person. How serious he takes his game and how he wants to maximize his performance every single night. He’s the guy that lays it out on the ice every single shift.”

Tanner Kero with some relentless pressure to steal the puck and get it in front to Ivan Ivan for the equalizer. Wyatt Aamodt with the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zYLMQx6rH6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now face elimination with the loss in a best of three series. They will have to put their nerves aside and meet the Canucks every step of the way on Friday night. If they do not, their season is over. The Eagles need more sustained pressure in the zone and to play a heavier game as well. Coach Schneekloth should have nothing to be ashamed of this season. He stepped into a role, knowing the challenges, and took them head on. He led Colorado to a fourth place finish in the division and kept the playoff streak alive.

Interviews

The post Eagles lose game one, face elimination appeared first on The Rink.

In today’s matinee, the Eagles scored in every period to gain home ice for the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Eagles defeated the Reign 6–3 and will face the Abbotsford Canucks at home next week starting on Wednesday.

First period

“We handled some of their pressures a lot better tonight than we did last night,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “The big thing is, we’re disciplined.”

A minute into the first, the Eagles proved they were here to fight for home ice. Eagles’ Jack Ahcan notched his sixth goal of the season from behind the goal line. Peter Holland and Corey Schueneman assisted Ahcan.

Jack Ahcan opens the scoring from below the goal line with the help of Holland and Schueneman #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/BBKpBP1Rag

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

From the right-wing circle, Francesco Pinelli put his one-timer shot just behind Ivan Prosvetov. Alex Turcotte, who achieved a hat trick in last night’s contest, and Taylor Ward assisted him.

Pinelli ties it up!#ReignTrain | #ONTvsCOL pic.twitter.com/2ezgZGUabN

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) April 21, 2024

Nikolai Kovalenko picked up his first goal as an Eagle not long after giving Colorado a 2–1 lead. Wrapping around the goal, Tanner Kero gave him the assist.

KOVALENKO GOAL ALERT!!!! Kero wraps around and throws it to Kovalenko in front for a dirty goal and the lead!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/dbVXLCsQbo

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

Just minutes later and in a completely different game from last night, Riley Tufte scored his first goal of the night. He had help from Ahcan and Cal Burke on the delayed penalty.

“We felt we could put any line out there against anyone tonight. [The] players had the urgency to get a second boost of confidence,” Schneekloth said.

Tufte from the corner nails it in for the two goal lead and its a completely different game than last night!!! Ahcan and Burke with the assists #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/FoKIGQZgsH

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

With a one-man advantage, Tufte was able to gain another goal, bringing his season total to 23. Kovalenko picked up his second assist as an Eagle, after attaining one last night. Sam Malinski also received credit for an assist.

Malinski gets the puck down to Kovalenko and then Tufte finishes the job for his second of the game on the PP. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HnKqwihS7A

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

“I think everyone was pretty dialed tonight,” Tufte says. “Just knowing what’s at stake. We get to stay at home for a week instead of going away for a week.”

Second period

Peter Holland secured his 14th goal of the regular season from a rebound on the remaining power play 36 seconds in. Malinski and Jean-Luc Foudy both collected a point on the play.

Holland strikes again for the second day in a row with the help from Malinski and Foudy #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/6LpPAPRSmj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

The second frame continued with minimal stoppage. Until Jacob Doty from Ontario slammed a wrist shot past Prosvetov from Steven Santini and Nikita Pavlychev.

A career high for Dotes with his 7th of the season!!#ReignTrain | #ONTvsCOL pic.twitter.com/9QsolKRugw

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) April 21, 2024

To round out the period for the Reign, Martin Chromiak made it 5–3. Former Eagle Charles Hudon, who had been out for three weeks with an upper-body injury, assisted Martin Chromiak in making it 5–3. Santini also picked up another assist.

We don't know how it happened, we just know it did!! Chromiak goal!#ReignTrain | #ONTvsCOL pic.twitter.com/q4nuPN8ot1

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) April 21, 2024

Third period

To continue the quick period opening trend, Spencer Smallman lit the lamp 1:41 into the final period. Burke and Schueneman both picked up another assist.

SMALLY COMIN IN STRONG pic.twitter.com/xdkNXEsN0R

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 21, 2024

Takeaways

The 2024 Calder Cup schedule has been set. With this win, the Colorado Eagles will host the Abbotsford Canucks at Blue Arena on Wednesday and Friday. The series is the best two of three. So, the Eagles will host a third game on Sunday afternoon if necessary.

When asked about the one word the team would take into the playoffs, Schneekloth said, “Quickness. I feel like when we’re playing quick in all three zones, we’re playing our best and you’re gonna have to play quick against this Abbotsford team.”

Here is the Calder Cup playoff bracket.
Eagles vs. Canucks schedule
1 – Wed., Apr. 24 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 7:05
2 – Fri., Apr. 26 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 7:05
*3 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 3:05
All times are mountain gm 3 if necessary @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/tn0jTOFicP

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 22, 2024

The post Eagles acquire home ice advantage with 6-3 win over Reign appeared first on The Rink.

A fantastic save by Barczewski but Middleton slashes on the play #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/gWavpJ6AuL

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

Takeaways

— Nikolai Kovalenko is getting more comfortable on North American ice and at altitude. He was taking a lot longer shifts tonight compared to the previous two games, showing that he was building a tolerance. Kovalenko was more than willing to dig into the corners and make plays along the walls as well. This tells me he is adjusting to the smaller ice surface (200×85 compared to 200×100). Previous games, Kovalenko was staying towards the center of the ice, away from the walls.

“It’s hard for me first when I come,” Kovalenko said. “So every time it was just like I just started training. I feel like I am in no condition, like I was on vacation for two months and I feel like, what the hell? But I keep training every time in the gym with the trainer and I will be better at every game.”

— Behrens was understandably hesitant during the first period of the game. But as time passed, you could see that he was getting more comfortable. He was playing in a new system and with a new defensive partner (Jack Ahcan), so I can’t blame him. Behrens may not want to admit it, but for the first period, there is no trust until you get to know your partner. Once that happened, he started throwing shots towards the net and even drove the net.

One of the best shots the defense has so far in the game and it comes from Sean Behrens #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/OQkq6NCxsP

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

Holland breaks the shutout but most importantly…. Sean Behrens gets his first pro point on the play!!!!! Foudy with secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zztgGVoop6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

— Discipline killed the Eagles. Although they were weak calls in the first period, Ontario scored on two out of three of the power plays. The Reign would convert two more throughout the night as the penalty kill unit suffered. Not being penalized could have improved the Eagles’ chances of success.

Turcs x2!#ReignTrain | #ONTvsCOL pic.twitter.com/pHG5GwH2ML

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) April 21, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles are now in a desperate state. They play their last game tomorrow and Abbotsford won tonight. As the standings sit at this moment, they are out-of-home ice. They MUST win in order to gain it back, or they will play the first round on the road. The veterans that are left need to take charge of the young players in the room and calm them down. Tomorrow at 3pm, they must win against Ontario one last time, it is a do-or-die situation.

The post Behrens makes pro debut in Eagles’ loss appeared first on The Rink.

Chris Wagner finishes the play after a pass from Peter Holland and Jason Polin to put the Eagles back up by 2 #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/7qCBE4a9iJ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

Takeaways

— I am sure you all want to know about Nikolai Kovalenko. Tonight, he was not as much of a factor. He was playing on the tail end of back-to-back and at altitude. His positioning is solid, he just lacks some defense. He seems to float into the defensive zone a lot and fail to backcheck. It is understandable that he was tired tonight. He hasn’t played games since March 7th. His KHL team got knocked out of the playoffs when he got injured.

Kovalenko is unfazed by a Gull coming straight at him in the open ice #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/OsNLJ6zymB

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

“I thought he created a little bit more last night,” said head coach Aaron Schneekloth. “Obviously a little bit tighter checking game tonight a little more physical on their part. They didn’t seem to have a lot of open space that they had, but I liked his tenacity. You know he had a real good, real good shot and follow up on his rebound that he almost connected on he has got a good stick. It was good for him to experience back-to-back and fight through one of these games.”

— The forechecking game for the Eagles was non-existent for the first part of the game. Last night, the Eagles were laying the forecheck on the Gulls nonstop. Tonight it did not start until later in the second. That is when the game turned around for Colorado and they could push the play more into the offensive zone. The forecheck would directly lead to a goal by defenseman Corey Schuenenman after Ryan Sandelin pushed the play hard into the boards. It made an enormous difference in the game for Colorado.

Ryan Sandelin forces a turnover at the wall for Spencer Smallman to pick up and toss to the blue-line for Corey Schueneman. Eagles go ahead 2-1 #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/pJ0s0BvOo1

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

— Keaton Middleton has been a genuine leader on and off the ice this season. Several players, Sam Malinski included, have praised his leadership abilities. Tonight, Middleton scored his first career short-handed goal in the AHL and did not even know it. You can always see him directing traffic for the forwards and teaching the younger defenseman what to do. He wears the ”A” with pride on his chest.

“I don’t do anything different. I just kind of always been like that. I’m just who I am. I’m a vocal guy, and just how it’s always gonna be,” Middleton said.

This was Keaton Middleton's first career short handed goal #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/iTElDBhwP4

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

Conclusion

The Colorado Eagles go into this weekend two points over the Abbotsford Canucks and with home ice. If Abbotsford loses just one game, and same with Bakersfield, Colorado clinches home ice for the first round. Abbotsford, against whom the Eagles have a 4-2-2 record this season, seems to be the likely first round opponent. The last two games against them got pretty rough, so it could be a long two or three games. The Eagles will look to take care of their side of things again on Saturday night against the Ontario Reign in Loveland.

Interviews

The post Eagles one step closer to home ice in playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Nikolai Kovalenko is wearing number 51 for sure and will be playing LW on the first line centered by Olofsson and Foudy on the RW. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/jeoxc9vkJZ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

Takeaways

— Kovalenko is vicious around the net. Given the opportunity, he loves to go right for a screen around the net. The defense would, of course, beat him up, but Kovalenko was good at taking the punishment. His speed through the zone is getting there, since he looks like he is still adjusting to the altitude. Kovalenko’s hands are fast and deceptive. The Russian-American can slip a puck between his legs with ease. And last but not least, his vision is impeccable. He sees a play coming before it there.

Kovalenko with some hard work into the zone and gains his first assist in North America!!!! Fouldy finishes up with the goal and Olofsson with the primary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/j7kW8oabqp

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

A nifty move by Kovalenko to get around the man as he enters the zone and open up some space #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/6TVzd7h04u

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

“He was tenacious on the forecheck and he had a great stick,” said head coach Aaron Scneekloth. “I thought he worked in space really well and created a lot of offense. I kept his game pretty simple but took advantage of some opportunities when he saw them and made a lot of really nice plays offensively for us.”

— The Eagles snapped a zero for 26 slump on the power play. Tonight, they took advantage of the one opportunity they were given by moving the puck well. They had a few shots and finally converted as Cal Burke slammed his second of the night in. Tonight they looked as if they went back to the basics and it worked.

Cal Burke hammers the shot and breaks the PP drought after the set up Cedric Paré #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/N3VJBU4vrv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

— Arvid Holm was stellar in only his third start in the AHL since January 20th. Holm unfortunately lost the goalie battle with Trent Miner when Justus Annunen went down to injury, but took advantage tonight. The Swedish goaltender earned his first shutout of the season to help the Eagles crawl back to fourth place in the Pacific Division.

Conclusion

With the win, the Eagles slid back into the fourth spot in the division and back into a home ice position. As of right now, they have designated Loveland as the location for all three games of a best of three. If Colorado can beat San Diego again tomorrow, that will only help their case. Maybe the Colorado Avalanche could recall Kovalenko, but I think giving him one more game would be the best option. Colorado holds their own fate in their hands as they play the Gulls tomorrow night at 7pm.

Interviews

The post Kovalenko makes North American debut with Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Defense was tighter and played more to their position tonight. Despite the loss of Sam Malinski to an upper-body injury last night, the defense overall were giving up fewer chances. They were forcing the Roadrunners out past the faceoff dots and taking away quality shots. This made the job for Ivan Prosvetov a lot easier than he could shut down the posts. And because of this, Prosvetov looked calmer in the net compared to last night, where he looked panicked.

Prosvetov with a miraculous save to keep the Roadrunners scoreless! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NRd1ObQC1Q

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 14, 2024

— The Eagles have now scored one or fewer goals in 20 of 68 of their games this season. It is not just the power play that is a problem; it is even strength, too. Colorado cannot consistently put the puck into the net. You can say that injuries have been an enormous factor to this. Jean-Luc Foudy missed over half of the season with multiple injuries. Right as he was getting hot, Oskar Olausson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that sidelined him. Joel Kiviranta had a hot stick and then Artturi Lehkonen got hurt and the Eagles have not seen him since. Their big guns can’t get into a rhythm, unfortunately.

Corey Schueneman with the one timer to tie it back up! Cal Burke with the setup after running around the back of the net. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/TuSEy6BGZO

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 14, 2024

— The team’s failure to follow up with shots to the net could also be attributed to the lack of offense. In both last night’s game and tonight, Matthew Villalta was horrible at holding onto the puck. He was constantly giving secondary chances that the Eagles were not taking advantage of. Colorado was not following their own shots to the net and getting the secondary chances.

We'll give it a ten from Ben #LetsGoTucson https://t.co/mNNWSxAnws pic.twitter.com/69RauygaAQ

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) April 14, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now are on a gradual slide in the wrong direction. They have lost four of their last six games, all have been key games to keeping the playoff position. With only four games remaining in the schedule, Colorado MUST win all of them in order to get home ice back. That success may depend on how quickly Malinski, Matthew Stienburg, Jason Polin and Tanner Kero all can come back to the lineup. The Eagles will come home to Loveland on Tuesday to play the San Diego Gulls and hopefully pull a win out.

The post Eagles fall short once again; losing home ice appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Sam Malinski did not play beyond the first period in the game. This will be a significant loss on the blue line for the Eagles and possibly for the Colorado Avalanche as well. About halfway through the first frame, Malinski laid a massive hit in the corner. He seemed fine after that, but never returned to the game after the intermission. Malinski provides a spark on the backend and the power play despite his rookie status. He has five goals and 20 assists in 45 games played with the Eagles this season.

Sam Malinski just sent him to another world….#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/KbzeaphAgn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 13, 2024

— The power play continues to suffer. As the Eagles could not convert the three opportunities they had tonight, it would have made the difference in the game. The power play has been a topic of conversation. Colorado has not converted in their last 25 chances in the eight games. Even strength scoring has been falling short with a 5–3–1–1 record in their last ten games.

Cal Burke drives the puck into the zone and throws it over to Corey Schueneman and a tap pass for Ryan Sandelin to push into the back of the net. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/76gjFkVPL0

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 13, 2024

The physical game tonight highlighted the absence of Matthew Stienburg and Jason Polin. Both the forwards, who did not play because of upper-body injuries, play a very physical brand of hockey. Polin can spark the offense into the zone and Stienburg is a third line grinder. Both know how to lay a shoulder into a man and let someone know they are there to take the puck away.

Jason Polin is a MENACE #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/oDqv7U0jaw

— x – Barstool Denver (@BarstoolDenver) September 16, 2023

Matt Stienburg lays a man over the boards and into the benches. He immediately gets jumped by 2 Canucks as a result. Ends in a Eagles PP. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/SSQwn5vuww

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

Conclusion

With the loss, Colorado now falls to fifth in the standings and will start the playoffs on the road. In the Pacific Division, the home team’s arena hosts the entire first round. There is no travel. So if the Eagles lose that advantage, this will be huge. Injuries are piling up at the worst possible time. Starting goalie Trent Miner has no expected return date and Dalton Smith (another grinder) is expecting a baby. Tanner Kero, a top-six forward, is out with an upper-body injury and has no expected return date either. The Eagles will battle the Roadrunners again tomorrow night at 8pm.

The post Malinski potentially hurt in Eagles loss appeared first on The Rink.

While facing the Henderson Silver Knights (VGK), the team faced a loss on April 6, yet were tenacious against Henderson in the following game.

The Eagles sat fourth in the Pacific Division, a mere two points behind the Tucson Roadrunners (ARI).

The good

Colorado suffered a staggering 4–1 loss against Henderson and nearly had a copycat game.

Fortunately for them, Callahan Burke put the team on the board with a 2–1 lead, and the game appeared to be headed in the Eagles favor.

Burke puts us up early pic.twitter.com/KQX1kufMXU

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 7, 2024

Quick jumps to the net are vital in the playoffs. Being dialed in from the first moment to the last is what will make or break in a game.

The Eagles had a three-goal comeback in the third period, finalizing the score 4–2 at the very last moment. Spencer Smallman opened the period with a goal, helped by Sam Malinski and Jean-Luc Foudy at the four-minute mark.

Smallman ties things up with his 2nd goal in as many games! pic.twitter.com/y1HFpyD5FS

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 7, 2024

Nearly four minutes later, Malinski and Matthew Stienburg fed Fredrik Olofsson to overcome the 2–2 tie.

Stienburg is credited with the assist.

The Eagles need to hold on to the 3-2 lead for 8:59 to take home two points. #EaglesCountry #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/IL5aKm3uOQ

— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) April 7, 2024

Finally, Riley Tufte scored his 20th goal of the season on an empty net, finalizing the victory.

Tufts hits the empty net for his 20th of the season! pic.twitter.com/JAbw342c6Y

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 7, 2024

The team played with a sense of urgency throughout the third period. Rather than accepting defeat as they did on Saturday, the team came together and pulled out three unanswered goals.

The team put 31 shots on the net, with the majority being in the second period. This shows the ability to bring the puck deep, only to be stopped by an impressive performance from Henderson’s Jesper Vikman.

With the two collected points against Henderson, they have a solid chance of rising in the standings, which will directly affect their postseason situation.

Aside from their three-goal run, it was a full team effort. Eight players had direct credit for the netted goals. The depth and offensive drive from the roster is an invaluable asset as they finish the rest of the season.

The team also successfully killed seven penalties.

The next two games are against the Tucson Roadrunners, who sit directly above them in the standings. Bringing home four points will not only help them rise in the standings, but take a lead over their opponent.

The bad

The game was incredibly physical, which is not always a bad thing.

Throughout the season, Colorado has struggled with penalties. Many times, spending a significant amount of time in the box has had a direct impact on the game.

The Eagles had seven penalties against the Silver Knights, leaving the fate of game changing goals up to their penalty kill units. Three of the penalties were for roughing. Luckily, the status of their special teams is highly favorable, helping them find victory.

In the second period, Colorado allowed two goals on eight shots from the Silver Knights. One of the opposing goals hit the crossbar and exited before he was aware it went in. The second goal was a cross-slot pass, and the defense could not knock the puck away.

This is the goal that was under review for obvious reasons… https://t.co/klAi22pv4y

— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) April 7, 2024

Despite being awarded three power plays, the Eagles could not convert on any of them. Being able to convert on the man advantage is crucial to winning games.

Takeaways

Colorado is in a comfortable spot. Their tenacity and penalty kill prevailed to take the victory away from the Silver Knights.

Bringing pucks to the net and using the entire roster to light the lamp is a difference maker, especially in games they need to win.

The team will continue their road trip to Tucson before returning for their last home stand of the season. They will host the San Diego Gulls (ANA) and the Ontario Reign (LAK) to close out their regular season.

All six of the upcoming games will be the determining factor in the final standings.

The post Eagles overcome two-goal deficit against Silver Knights appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles played outstanding as a team for the first ten minutes of the game. Then things fell apart. Jean-Luc Foudy sent the puck over to Sam Malinski, who then rifled it on the net, leaving a rebound. Spencer Smallman picked the loose puck up and the Eagles were ahead 1–0. At the ten-minute mark, Colorado led in shots on goal 11–4 and continued to apply pressure. Then the Silver Knight’s first goal came as a complete fluke, and it all fell apart from there.

Holland wins the draw while Foudy and Malinski work the puck towards the net. Spencer Smallman finishes the job. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WzCNWjomya

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 6, 2024

This has to be one of the craziest goals I have ever seen #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Z4eHyyTunu

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 6, 2024

— The blue liners had issues holding the line this afternoon, and it showed. Just three minutes after the fluke goal, a missed pass at the point led to a breakaway by Byron Froese and an easy backhand shot over a diving Ivan Prasvetov. There were many chances for the Silver Knights throughout the game like this, but this one put them ahead. The Eagles never scored after that.

backhand Byron breakaway pic.twitter.com/gJmYyBbvw1

— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) April 6, 2024

— Colorado had four chances on the power play and could not convert on any of the chances. Not that they didn’t have any opportunities. The puck just never saw the back of the net. In the first power play, Colorado did not get a shot on net until there were 15 seconds left in their chance. The second time around, their puck movement improved dramatically, but they only had two shots on goal.

Conclusion

The Colorado Eagles did not look like themselves after the first goal by the Silver Knights today. Something that was out of the ordinary hit a young team and did not know how to handle it. Colorado needs to get their even strength scoring back as three of their last four losses. They have only scored one goal each. Foudy coming back to the team should help, but the Colorado Avalanche having suffered some injuries on Friday, he could see a recall soon. The Eagles will be right back at it tomorrow afternoon as they wrap up the season series against the Silver Knights at 2 p.m.

The post Silver Knights spoil Eagles’ playoff positioning appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles finally broke a 0 for 13 stretch on the power play. During two of the three games which this took place, Colorado could only score short handed goals against Abbotsford. They finally broke through with some even strength goals last night, but the overwhelming force of the Stars was too much.

Brad Hunt with a clapper to break the PP streak and take the lead! Ivan Ivan and Cedric Paré with the assists on the play. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Hg6KwUCJ6r

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 4, 2024

— Jason Polin has heated up at the right time. With two goals in the last two nights, Polin has started the scoring on both nights against the Stars. With all the injuries and call-ups, Polin, a Hobey Baker Finalist last season, is expected to step up. Tanner Kero is out with an injury and Jean-Luc Foudy is with the Colorado Avalanche, so there is a sizeable gap in offensive production. Not to mention, Oskar Olausson will be out for the year. Polin has been showing more confidence with every passing game, even more so after his first call up to the Avalanche in January.

Matt Stienburg drops it down to Nate Clurman who avoids the poke check to get the puck in front for Jason Polin and the finish. Polin with his 2nd goal in as many days. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/lZhjneEJBg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 4, 2024

— Keaton Middleton has quietly been having a career year. Scoring the third goal of the night and what turned out to be the game winning goal, he is one shy of his career best. Middleton set the career high in his first year with the San Jose Barracuda in 2018-19. Since Middleton has joined the Avalanche organization, he has become a steadfast leader on the blue line for the Eagles. Players have said that he is one of the most vocal players on the ice and it shows in how he directs traffic.

Cal Burke runs down to the corner and sets Keaton Middleton up for a one-timer from the top of the faceoff circle. Schueneman with the secondary assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Nsz4BPH71L

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 4, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles clearly needed a boost in the right direction tonight. They got it from every aspect on the ice, from special teams to goaltending. If it weren’t for Ivan Prosvetov, the Eagles wouldn’t have won this game. He saved 29 of 31 shots on goal and the Stars threw everything they could at him. Colorado will continue their road trip on Saturday against the Henderson Silver Knights in another must win for important points.

The post Polin heats up as Eagles snap losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

The Stars, despite being 23rd in the league, have the highest rank on the power play with a 22.7% success rate. The Eagles sit at 30th with 16.3%.

First period

Fortunately, the Colorado Eagles had their first power play only five minutes into the first frame. However, the 16.3% could not activate. Only seconds into the power play, the Stars got a breakaway chance. Nothing came of that chance.

Jason Polin, from the Eagles, scored tonight’s first goal of the game late in the first period. He put one on the far side of Stars rookie goaltender, Ben Kraws.

This was Polin’s third goal of the season and his first goal since January 30 against the Ontario Reign. Fredrik Olofsson assisted Polin (5) and Sam Malinski (16) on the play.

Pols puts us on the board first pic.twitter.com/ZTWrriiKZW

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 3, 2024

Almost two minutes later, the Stars responded. Fredrik Karlstrom notched his twentieth goal of the season against Arvid Holm. Karlstrom has accumulated 43 points on the season, placing him fifth among the Stars. Matej Blumel assisted him (29) and Michael Karow (13).

Number 20 on the year for Freddy pic.twitter.com/O60OcvQDFZ

— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) April 3, 2024

The first ended with shots in favor of the Eagles, 12–9.

Second period

Halfway through the second, the Stars pull ahead with a goal from Nicholas Caamano. This marks his tenth of the season. Karow, who notches his second assist of the night, and Kyle McDonald (11), assisted him.

"Never give up"

– Nick Caamano (probably) pic.twitter.com/XKq07aSxU8

— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) April 3, 2024

Peter Holland tied the game at two with help from Corey Schueneman and Olofsson.

Holland gets things tied up in the 2nd pic.twitter.com/G2TvwVhM1k

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 3, 2024

The Eagles got two separate power plays but could pull nothing off. They finished the second, 0–3 on the power play and 1–0 on the penalty kill.

Third period

Caamano lit the lamp early in the third. He scored his second with assists from Matthew Seminoff (11) and Luke Krys (1).

The Eagles headed to the box for another penalty. This season, the Eagles have successfully killed penalties with a rate of 85.2% and are ranked second in the league.

With a goal scored by Jack Ahcan, the game became tied for the third time at three. Brad Hunt (31) and D.J. Busdeker (5) both got credit for assists on Ahcan’s goal.

Jacko puts us right back in this one! pic.twitter.com/cV2jd5S8ZR

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 3, 2024

With 4:28 left, Aamodt headed to the box for a slashing penalty, and this is where the momentum shifted. Caamano scored his third goal of the night from Alex Petrovic (16) and Karow (15).

Hoping to tie the game for the fourth time, the team pulled Holm, and the Stars seized an opportunity on an empty net. Caamano took it and tallied his fourth goal.

Takeaways

With 27 shots on goal tonight, the Eagles look to play the Stars once more tomorrow at 6 p.m. Tonight’s game started a six-game road trip for the Eagles where they’re looking to pickup points before playoffs.

The post Eagles fall to Stars 5–3 in power play showdown appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The shorthanded goal has become the name of the game for the Eagles. With a penalty kill that is 85.25 percent successful, the Eagles pushed the play into the other end against Abbotsford. Ondrej Pavel scored one last night and now Tanner Kero adds another to his list. Of Kero’s 13 goals this season, three have come on the penalty kill. Kero, unfortunately, did not play the final ten minutes of the game because of an unknown injury.

The Eagles strike back with another shorty (had one last night). Tanner Kero charges full force to push the puck in after getting the pass from Jack Ahcan #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/L5esGtFJT1

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

— Matt Stienburg became an agitator out on the ice tonight. He was taking every opportunity to play his style of hockey and let the Canucks know when he was on the ice. During the second period, Stienburg laid a man over the boards onto the bench and stood there waiting for the chaos to come to him. His job has become to not score goals, but to get under the skin of the opponents.

Matt Stienburg lays a man over the boards and into the benches. He immediately gets jumped by 2 Canucks as a result. Ends in a Eagles PP. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/SSQwn5vuww

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

Brad Hunt got in a fight #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/okJERrCZDd

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

— As the penalty kill has had success in scoring the last two games, the power play has not. Combined, the power play has gone 0 for 10. They have been moving the puck well while in the zone, but sometimes it is a matter of getting there that has been the problem. Once the Eagles are in a suitable position, they have been passing the puck excessively, trying to find the right moment to take a shot.

“It’s a lot of games, so you kind of have to learn how to play when you’re tired,” said Sam Malinski. “You’re not always gonna have fresh legs. So sometimes you just gotta play. Stay between the dots and make it a little bit easier on yourself.”

Conclusion

The Eagles played some high octane hockey despite having nine days off before the weekend set. It looked as if they started strongly, but the defense struggled a bit once it got in their zone. Easy shots were making their way through, but this could have been because Wyatt Aamodt was getting some much needed rest. We can probably expect him back in the lineup on Tuesday when Colorado hits the road to Texas. Offensively, Colorado needs to get shots closer to the net to avoid traffic in front of the net. If they can solve these factors, the Stars should not be an issue.

The post Physicality continues as Eagles drop second straight appeared first on The Rink.

The Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Avalanche, had the opportunity to clinch a bid to postseason if they did things right. To do so, they needed to pick up a point against the Abbotsford Canucks or put their faith in the Tucson Roadrunners losing to the San Diego Gulls.

The Eagles had a record of 4–1–1–0 record for the 2023-24 season, so the chances of the team securing at least one point were in their favor.

After a very physical and hard-fought game, Colorado fell to the Canucks in overtime with a 2–1 score at the 1:30 mark.

Even though the home team didn’t secure a victory, they still clinched a spot in the race for the Calder Cup.

and with that overtime point- PLAYOFFS. CLINCHED. pic.twitter.com/rbhZkWkxuP

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 30, 2024

The good

Even after being on a nine day break, the Eagles came out of the gate fast, but the Canucks matched pace with them. After being stuck in a toe-to-toe battle during the first period, Ondrej Pavel turned the course of the game in a positive direction while Colorado was working on a penalty kill.

With Chris Wagner in the box for holding and the Canucks holding a 16.9% success rate with the man advantage, Pavel took the puck into the offensive zone and put Colorado ahead by one at the 12-minute mark.

Ondrej Pavel pushed hard on the forecheck and steals the puck right off of the stick and snaps in a shorty! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/XDSw0vje4L pic.twitter.com/RXcSVeHhTw

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 30, 2024

The relentless offensive drive was prevalent in this game and Colorado far outshot the Canucks. In the first period, both teams had six shots, but the Eagles took the lead with 8–2 in the second period and 11–5 in the third period.

Despite the outcome, not giving up in the face of a competitive goalie will be key in the quickly approaching postseason.

The bad

Like most losses the Eagles have this season, penalties are a huge contributor. They racked up six penalties for 12 minutes in the box.

Three penalties were for roughing, which Riley Tufte seems to take part in often.

However, the physicality of the game as a good warm-up for what is coming in the playoffs.

“I think every team in our division is really good,” he said. “So they’re always going to be tight games. You know, there being so many games left, they’re gonna try to get amped up for playoffs. I think everything’s gonna be like that. So, you’ve got to find a way to win those games. And I think overall we played really well.”

To go on a successful playoff run, the Eagles will need to work on not letting their opponents convert on the shots they take. Colorado had 11 more shots on the net, yet still fell 2–1.

While the first goal wasn’t a direct consequence of Ivan Prosvetov’s goaltending, the puck went right between his legs for the overtime winner.

and just like that…

JETT WOO CALLS GAME pic.twitter.com/ZwCCySFKvs

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) March 30, 2024

Once the Eagles tighten up their playing and stay out of the box, the success will continue to follow.

What’s next?

Colorado will take on the Abbotsford Canucks for the last time tomorrow, March 30.

With a win, they will be able to jump to second place in the conference. The team is now competing for the home ice advantage, which, according to Head Coach Aaron Schneekloth, makes a night and day difference.

“It’s huge,” he said. “I mean, look at our home record. The support we get here, the energy [the fans] provide us every single night, the revenue would help with the organization. It’s a big deal playing on home ice in the playoffs. Our fans deserve to see extra games and the players deserve to step on the ice in front of the greatest fans in the world.”

The final 11 games are going to be vital for the standings. The Eagles have been in a constant battle between the Roadrunners and the Ontario Reign for the second place seed.

Interviews

Head Coach Aaron Schneekloth

Forward Riley Tufte

The post Colorado Eagles clinch bid to Calder Cup playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Last night’s win came with the help of Fredrik Olofsson, who acquired two goals and one assist.

“You always want to be a part of a team and contribute, whether it’s offensively, defensively. You just want to feel you have a role on the team,” Olofsson said.

First period

The first period of game two against the Milwaukee Admirals wasn’t looking good either way. The Eagles played sloppy but were able to keep it in their zone long enough for shots from Corey Schueneman and Keaton Middleton.

Despite a no-goal first period, the Eagles still had some close calls that had Admirals’ goaltender, Yaroslav Askarov, looking over his shoulder. Shots came from Ivan Ivan and Jason Polin, who had a great pass from Schueneman that bounced off Askarov. Spencer Smallman also had a shot over Askarov’s left shoulder.

Second period

Some unforced errors early in the second from the Eagles allowed the Admirals to add to their already five shots on goal. Along with unforced errors came the handful of penalties from both teams.

Sam Malinski and Admirals’ Navrin Mutter entered the box only three minutes in. Just a minute later, Jean-Luc Foudy was called for hooking, allowing the Admirals a 4–on–3. Nothing came of this advantage.

The Eagles got on the board first with their first power play of the night. Foudy with a one-timer from Ivan and Riley Tufte gave the Eagles much-needed momentum.

Fouds on the power play for the lead! pic.twitter.com/4rIQUWfhR0

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 21, 2024

Following a delayed penalty from Peter Holland, the Admirals were able to get one in front, past Trent Miner. The Admirals’ goal was scored by Wade Allison, Juuso Parssinen, and Joakim Kemell assisted him.

The period ended with the Admirals leading in shots, 22–14.

ALLISON!#MILhockey pic.twitter.com/4afrkM3uHH

— x – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 21, 2024

Third period

Another two penalties kicked off the last period. Tufte and Ozzy Wiesblatt served two minutes each for roughing. Three more penalties were served throughout the remaining 19 minutes of play, two by Milwaukee and one by Colorado.

Late in the third, Wagner slammed a pass from Cal Burke, putting the Eagles up 2–1. This is Wagner’s fourth goal this season.

WAGNER GOAALLLLLL pic.twitter.com/4ty6TOoKkt

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 21, 2024

Miner finished the night with 24 saves on 25 shots, giving him a record of 9–6–1.

Takeaways

The Colorado Eagles will continue their home stand in nine days on Friday, March 29th. They will host the Abbotsford Canucks.

“We’re gonna give the guys a couple days off, get some rest. Enjoy the break, have a nice reset, because we know what’s going to be a sprint to the finish line,” coach Aaron Schneekloth said.

Interviews

The post Wagner secures 2–1 win over Admirals late in the third appeared first on The Rink.

Adding even more pressure, this was a big game for Milwaukee. The Admirals only needed to notch one more victory to clinch a playoff spot, so they were hungry for a win.

Much to their disappointment, the Eagles came to the game looking for a win. In their last 10 games, they were sporting a record of 6–3–0–1.

First period

While beginning the period looking a little scrambled, it didn’t take long for Colorado to get settled and go to work.

Fredrik Olofsson kicked the offense off at the six-minute mark, notching his first goal in an Eagles uniform.

With Colorado holding on to the lead, Milwaukee started a full-scale offensive attack on Trent Miner. The Admirals put 11 pucks on the net in eight minutes without the Eagles putting up a single one.

The tides turned after Admiral Zach L’Heureux took a penalty for high-sticking. Just under a minute into the man-advantage, Riley Tufte would net his 19th goal of the season and the second in two games.

TUFTE POWER PLAY pic.twitter.com/kU5anxK3ZM

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 20, 2024

Second period

The Eagles hit the ice in the middle frame, still looking strong. Milwaukee was an unrelenting force in Colorado’s zone but could not find a way past Miner, who looked relaxed in the crease for the entire game.

Sam Malinski cashed in on a one timer through traffic and gave the Eagles a 3–0 lead.

MALINSKI KEEPS IT GOING pic.twitter.com/uTEQlGua1X

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 20, 2024

For the first two frames, it was clear this game was a full team effort. There was not a single player in a blue sweater who fell short of expectations.

With such an offensive showing, the Admirals were bound to score at some point, and they found an opportunity on a breakaway, narrowing the margin to two.

shoutout to Tommer fr#MILhockey pic.twitter.com/VWSMZ9sdda

— x – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 20, 2024

Third period

The Eagles spent the first part of the third period in the defensive zone, trying to keep Milwaukee at bay. The roster hadn’t even recorded a shot on the net before Corey Schueneman took a seat in the box for tripping.

Tanner Kero later joined him at the eight-minute mark, providing a dangerous 5-on-3 situation for 1:45.

Not only did Colorado execute a beautiful penalty kill, but they also made something out of nothing once again.

Upon Kero’s release from the box, the Eagles wasted no time and headed into the offensive zone. Kero fed Olofsson, and they restored the three-goal lead.

CAN WE GET A LITTLE COMMOTION FOR OLOFSSON? pic.twitter.com/9XfPWOggeW

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 20, 2024

As true underdogs, the Eagles walked away with a 4–1 victory.

Takeaways

The Eagles came into this game as the underdog. The Admirals are first in the Central Division and second in the Western Conference, yet Colorado dominated and made something happen when there was very little given to them.

This mindset and willingness to work is invaluable in the postseason, especially when the team is being outshot by a significant margin. Throughout the game, the Eagles were outshot 13–9, 17–7, and 10–4.

Colorado and Milwaukee will face off for the last time tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.

The post Eagles notch victory over the Admirals appeared first on The Rink.

Peter Holland with the tap in down low. Spencer Smallman sets up Jean-Luc Foudy for the pass down low and Holland for the finish. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/dpmw53ykjY

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

Takeaways

— The Eagles had a lot more energy tonight. After the first five minutes of last night’s contest, the Eagles fell flat and could not keep up with the Wranglers. Tonight, they were skating hard from the get go, checking hard into the boards and driving to the net.

Why not a little fighting the night before St. Patty's Day? Matt Stienburg drops the mitts with Brett Sutter after a hit on the boards. Each got 5 for fighting. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qKehtLTYQz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

“There was a lot to play for tonight not only for us as a group where we are in the standings and what we want to accomplish but a huge night for the organization to play with a lot of pride for Cooper Logan,” said head coach Aaron Schneekloth. “We’re so grateful to help contribute to make somebody’s life better. Motivation for our team to see that situation alone.”

— Sam Malinski had a point for the first time in five games. After noticing that he has been less aggressive lately offensively on the puck, Malinski had a nice redirect to help with Jack Ahcan’s goal. My theory was that it was being paired with a slower skater.

“I think Sam’s game is effective, and he’s dynamic when he’s assertive with the puck, sometimes you overlook the fact that it’s his first year pro,” said Schneekloth. “He’s made some incredible strides for him to come up and play a bunch of games with the Avalanche and then come down to us. It’s a different pace, and it’s a little more chaotic and he still has things to work on as a young defenseman. But his offense and his play shines when he’s driving his feet up the ice and he’s being assertive with the puck.”

The redirects of all redirects! Sam Malinski throws to the front of the net for Jack Ahcan to redirect it right into the back of the net. Ivan Ivan with secondary assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qlHttdFYmh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

— Trent Miner came into the net and held firm to secure another win. Miner continues to shine in net, setting career highs in every category. He saved 27 of 28 shots tonight and looks more comfortable with every opportunity that he gets to play. Miner will be a restricted free agent this summer along with Arvid Holm, but Miner is proving he will beat Holm out for the job.

Riley Tufte totally redeems himself with the insurance goal to make it 3-1! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WDfI1WYAc3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

Conclusion

If the Eagles can play a game like they did tonight, they will have a lot of success. Their power play continues to struggle with no goals in 27 chances in ten games. During their four game skid, the Eagles could not score more than one goal every game. So they need to find other ways to score. The next two games will not be a simple task. The Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) will come to town on Tuesday, a team they have yet to bet this year.

Interviews

The post Eagles win Pot of Gold game and snap losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

Ondrej Pavel gets the puck down low and finishes with a NASTY wrap around for his 5th of the year. Game tied at 1. Schueneman and Hunt with the assists. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/frRUamwVt8

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 16, 2024

Takeaways

— Sam Malinski has been less aggressive offensively. In the previous four games, Malinski is minus two and has no points. He appears to not be driving into the offensive zone like he previously had earlier in the season. This could be because of a lack of confidence or his defensive pairing. The coach has often paired Malinski with Keaton Middleton in the last few games, a defenseman who is bigger and slower. Middleton cannot cover the middle on an odd man rush as easily as Brad Hunt, for example. So if Malinski were to pinch the play down and fail, Middleton can’t cover it.

Noticing that Sam Malinski has not been as aggressive lately. Not sure if the send down shot his confidence or the pairing has to do w it. He is paired w Keaton Middleton, a bigger slower skating dman #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 16, 2024

— The power play unit has struggled once again. The last time they scored a power play goal was on February 18th against the Bakersfield Condors. Since that time, Colorado has gone 0/23 in nine games and now has lost four games in a row.

— The Eagles as a team lacked energy. The entire team was too sluggish throughout the game. Chris Wagner mentioned he felt the game got off on the wrong foot, but they recovered a bit. But when rushing into the zone after a loose puck, there looked like there very little motivation.

— Spencer Smallman has transformed into a versatile player capable of being used in every situation from even strength to the power play. The team can use Spencer Smallman in every situation from even strength to the power play.

Spencer Smallman gets a slight breakaway and hooked in the process, resulting in a penalty shot. Smallman shoots wide and we sit at 1-0 Wranglers. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HmIWDyMSKV

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 16, 2024

“He’s been a big impact player for us,” beach coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “He’s so versatile. We can put them up on the first line, the fourth line, depending on who’s available for us, and he drives the puck. It’s got a great stick. He’s got great instincts out there. Obviously tonight showed his speed on that penalty shot and he’s an experienced guy that knows what it takes to win at this level.”

Now in his second year with the organization, Smallman feels the coach’s approach everything the right way.

“They give us great information,” Smallman said. “Great pre scouts on the other team. They’re great at reviewing our own video on what we got to get better at. So just taking in all the good stuff that they tell us. And as well as reading off your line mates.”

Conclusion

The Eagles will have to push themselves for the regulation win on Saturday night against the Wranglers. Colorado stands only four points ahead of them in the standings in third place, and one point behind Tucson. With 15 games left in the season, they have to secure 17 points to make the playoffs for sure. But if they play a game like they did tonight, it will be a tough road ahead. Their next game will be at Blue Arena on Saturday against Calgary.

Interviews

The post Eagles fall in shootout for fourth straight loss appeared first on The Rink.

After being traded to Anaheim earlier this week, the team missed key player Ben Meyers on the ice. The Eagles are also on the tail end of a six-game road trip, all while fighting to keep their second place standing.

A win would mean everything, especially at this point in the season. A victory situates the team comfortably at 71 points and trailing the Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA) by seven points. Third place team Tucson Roadrunners (ARI) trail the Eagles by a mere four points.

The good

It goes without saying the Eagles struggled in their loss. After only trailing by one after the first frame, a second goal only 18 seconds into the period wasn’t encouraging.

On the board thanks to Peter Holland! pic.twitter.com/AMcsSKXQKp

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 10, 2024

However, Colorado never slowed down and became complacent, a very positive trait with playoffs just around the corner. The team appeared to be on the cusp of a goal for the first 40 minutes, but simply could not get through Condor Olivier Rodrigue to light the lamp.

Though it took 50 minutes of play, Riley Tufte and Peter Holland prevented a shutout. A dish from Tufte off the bobble of the Condors allowed Holland the room to find the back of the net and cut the margin down to five.

The bad

Unfortunately for Colorado, there was more to correct than to celebrate. The matchups between the Eagles and Condors have never been easy, frequently splitting the series.

Goaltender Ivan Prosvetov has been an enormous asset to the Eagles, sporting an 8–2–0–2 record with a save percentage of 0.935. Despite such a positive impact on the team, he allowed three goals on 16 shots, two of which were in the second period.

Wright on the money @therealgasc | #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/8tLmCJdT5M

— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) March 10, 2024

The Eagles excelled in drawing penalties but couldn’t convert on any of them. Heading into post season, power plays can make or break a game. Colorado was rewarded with a four-minute advantage in the second frame, but Tanner Kero‘s double minor cut it short.

His time in the box was a direct cause of the third goal against the Eagles.

Getting it going early! #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/NMLo38rX8i

— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) March 10, 2024

The Condors opened up the third period with another goal, increasing the margin to four. Lighting the lamp for the fourth time was the beginning of the end for the team, and the spiral was a collective effort.

Pedey doubling down. #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/ZhrABfc2Uu

— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) March 10, 2024

In a minute and a half, Bakersfield netted goals five and six, all while keeping the Eagles off of the scoreboard.

What now?

The team still has 16 games to solidify their standing in the rankings. After working out some of their issues and readjusting to the absence of Meyers, the future is bright for the team.

The Eagles will have time to reset and return to their home arena to face the Calgary Wranglers (CGY) on Friday, March 15 at 7:05 p.m.

The post Eagles shortcomings highlighted in 6–1 loss appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Wranglers made the game a very physical game compared to Friday. Eagles players were taking hits and stumbling off of the ice in droves. Spencer Smallman took a nasty hit early in the first and would head straight to the bench. Cedric Pare was hit late in the first, but later returned in the second to assist on Riley Tufte’s goal.

Tufts right off the faceoff pic.twitter.com/vmKmyF8mqJ

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 3, 2024

— In a game on Friday that only saw two penalties total, Colorado had six penalties alone. Discipline became an issue that players were getting caught for trips, cross-checks and fighting. Calgary was obviously getting to the Eagles, and it showed on the scoresheet with their four power play opportunities. Ivan Ivan received two holding penalties in the corner, both occurring in the first period.

No goals yet but Smitty with some action pic.twitter.com/S4UASPhHaB

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 3, 2024

Peter. Holland. pic.twitter.com/oOl8VYqdfk

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 3, 2024

— Colorado needed to simplify the game. When they were odd man rushes, the Eagles were over passing the puck. It led to the plays breaking up and the puck flying off of the stick of the shooter. The Eagles had even less high danger chances because of the over passing, but it would tire out the defense.

Conclusion

The Eagles have only won one game in the Scotiabank Saddledome, so Friday may have been the exception. With the loss, Coachella Valley now has a four point lead in the Pacific Division. They may gain even more ground with a game they play against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday. Expecting Ivan Prosvetov to continue at the pace that he was (8-0-0, 1.25 GAA and .959 SV%) was unrealistic. Prosvetov had been playing very well, but the first loss had to come, eventually. Colorado will be back at it on Friday in Bakersfield for a two-game series and then home for six games.

No.18 for No.18! pic.twitter.com/HBRTyNO6Bt

— x – Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 3, 2024

The post Prosvetov loses first, Eagles’ win streak ends appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Turnovers killed the Eagles throughout the entire game. Turnovers led to two of Calgary’s goals in the first period and multiple chances throughout the game. Because of the turnovers, the Eagles could not clear the puck out of their own zone and made more work for the goalie.

JONESY! pic.twitter.com/RNBc20GmbT

— x – Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 2, 2024

— Throughout the game, the absence of Cal Burke in the lineup was noticeable to the team. Unfortunately, Burke is out with an upper-body injury after flying into the boards in the last game. The team has classified him as day-to-day for the moment. When he is in the lineup, he is excellent at leading the breakout out of the defensive zone with a pass to the wingers.

— Tanner Kero was a man on a mission tonight scoring his first career AHL four point night. He broke open the scoring for the Eagles with an unassisted shorthanded goal in the second period. He later tipped in Brad Hunt’s pass to put Colorado down by only one goal and then added two assists to the mix.

Tanner Kero with the SHORTY! Kero now has goals in the last 4 of 5 games, and the Eagles are down
4-1 #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/XdJMqopExj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Tanner Kero tips in his seond of the night and third point! Brad Hunt with his best Sam Girard impression to set the shot up! Olofsson has the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/5n8jBGfjRR

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

— Ivan Provestov got off to a poor start, allowing four goals in the first period on 11 shots on goal. On most of the goals, there was not much he could have done, but you could tell it was just not his night. At the intermission, Trent Miner would come into the game and stop all 13 shots he faced. By holding the Eagles in the game, Miner’s performance showcased that he should be offered a new contract at the end of the year.

BENNY MEYERS WITH 43 SECONDS LEFT! Jack Ahcan sends it up to Cedric Paré for the drop pass to Meyers. Meyers shoots and the Eagles complete the comeback win! They have now won 8 in a row!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0QfjiHmUc9

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles showed grit and determination with tonight’s victory. Or as head coach Aaron Schneekloth would say, “they showed a lot of compete in their game.” For any team to fight back from four goals down, no matter the league, is impressive. Kero is hitting his stride in the season at the right time. He has had eight points in his last five games. With the win, Colorado maintains their position in second place in the Pacific Division with 19 games left. They will face off against the Calgary Wranglers again on Sunday at noon before heading to Bakersfield the following weekend.

The post Kero shines as Eagles score five unanswered in Calgary appeared first on The Rink.

Keaton Middleton totally redeems himself with his 4th of the year after coming out of the box. Riley Tufte with the pressure in front gets the assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/YsvXhDe1gq

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

Takeaways

— Early in the game, Colorado struggled to clear the defensive zone. After the goal just 51 seconds into the game, the Eagles could not clear the puck. The defensive core was trying to flip the puck out of the zone rather than carry it out. This caused a lot of turnovers and the Canucks took advantage by peppering Miner with shots. In the first period Colorado allowed 20 shots on goal, but reduced it to ten the following frame by carrying the puck out.

— Trent Miner looked out of sorts early in the game, allowing a goal just 51 seconds into the first period. But as the game went along, he became stronger on the posts and quicker laterally. There were several breakaways, including one in the third period, that completely shut the shooter down. Miner would take the Eagles to overtime and save 40 of the 43 shots on goal, or a .930 save percentage. Miner now has a 4–6–1–1 record in the AHL this season.

— Tanner Kero has been on fire lately. He has three goals in four games and has become a key to the penalty kill.

Tanner Kero whips the puck to the back of the net for his 9th of the year. Olofsson gets another assist with Dalton Smith helping out as well. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/7yHWgCGoET

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

— The addition of Fredrik Olofsson in the last two games has made an offensive impact. He already has two assists in his two games. The coaching staff assigned him to a line with his former Texas Stars teammates, Riley Tufte and Kero. So the need for him to build the chemistry has taken very little time.

— Jean-Luc Foudy has been back from injury for four games and seen the scoresheet twice already. His defensive pressure tonight forced a turnover for Cal Burke to drop the puck back to him and flip into the goal. There were a lot of good things coming from Foudy in the last two games that have led to production.

Jean-Luc Foudy and his hard work pays off! Cal Burke drops a pass back to Foudy and he buries his second of the season! Burke has points in his last 5 of 7 games. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0Pi8mdmD6V

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

PARÉ FOR THE GAME WINNER! Malinski carries it in and tosses it to Meyers and then to an open Cedric Paré. Eagles have won a season high 7 games in a row. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/8Jy4f1qPQr

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles are now on the longest winning streak of the season at seven games. With the victory, they still trail Coachella Valley by just two points in the Pacific Division. They are playing with a lot of confidence with the goaltending they have behind them right now as well. Their next opponent, the Calgary Wranglers, will be the hardest games of the road trip. Having a 0–3–1 record against the division rival will only give the Eagles motivation going into Friday and Sunday. If Ivan Prosvetov is facing off against Dustin Wolf, will be a battle that you won’t want to miss.

The post Miner digs deep as Eagles defeat Canucks in OT appeared first on The Rink.

Since then, Colorado has only lost one game and continues to rise in the AHL standings. With a 5–2 win to kick off a string of away games, the team sits only two points behind the top spot, currently occupied by the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken).

First period

Despite having the perfect stage to make ground in the division, the roster got off to a slow start in the first frame. The Canucks out skated them for the first half of the period, forcing the Eagles to spend more time in their zone and only had limited opportunities to find the back of the net.

In the second half of the period, the visiting team picked up the pace and registered shots. Keaton Middleton slowed down the positive progress by air mailing a puck over the glass and taking a seat for delay of game.

Historically, the Eagles have been consistently strong on the penalty kill, and the roster looked put together. However, the Canucks got a lucky bounce and took the lead for the first and only time.

With Middleton out of the box and the Eagles at full strength, the fight was on. There were only four minutes remaining, and the team didn’t get discouraged by the sudden deficit.

As the clock ticked down for the first frame and only a few seconds remained, the likelihood of evening the score wasn’t looking likely.

Riley Tufte, recently on a prolonged dry spell, lights the lamp with only four seconds to go in the period. Fredrik Olofsson assisted his goal, marking his first goal in an Eagles uniform.

Tufts coming up clutch pic.twitter.com/rUCIvyEd0i

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 28, 2024

Even with the last moment neutralization, the Canucks still had 17 shots to Colorado’s 10.

Second period

Rolling into the second period with momentum, the Eagles dominated the ice and made up ground offensively.

Ivan Ivan is the first skater to be rewarded for his hard work. At the five-minute mark, he picks up a rebound from Callahan Burke and Jean-Luc Foudy and gives the Eagles a one-point lead. Ivan has been consistently hot, picking up his third point in four games.

Ivan stays hot pic.twitter.com/hUEcAkjxVO

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 28, 2024

Ben Meyers keeps the offensive pressure rolling and scores his tenth goal of the season with help from Peter Holland.

What a move from Meyers pic.twitter.com/uiueCgE82T

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 28, 2024

Right at the buzzer, Ivan scored another goal, but the officials waved it off. The team would maintain the two-goal advantage in the third period.

Third period

After an eventful second period, things were looking good for Colorado. Consistent pressure and energy yielded an optimistic energy on the ice.

Despite being behind by two, the Canucks were unrelenting. They seemed to go shot-for-shot with the Eagles.

Canucks skater Cole McWard picks up his fourth goal of the season and cuts down the lead to one.

With the game coming down to the wire and a boarding call on Olofsson, things were getting dangerous. Abbotsford favored an extra skater and pulled their goalie, creating a 6-on-4 situation.

Colorado fended off the overwhelming situation, largely because of goaltender Ivan Prosvetov. Since being sent down to the Eagles, he is 8–0–0–0 and provides stability and strength between the posts.

Abbotsford opted to not put their netminder back on the ice, which ended up being to the benefit of the Eagles. Tanner Kero takes advantage of the unoccupied goal, once again putting the team ahead by two.

Ya love to see it pic.twitter.com/euB8SZh9S0

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 28, 2024

Still unfinished and determined to score his second of the night, Ivan once again scores a buzzer beater and solidifies a 5–2 final score.

Make that two for Ivan! pic.twitter.com/WTX3sEqpiQ

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 28, 2024

Takeaways

— Prosvetov is one of the most valuable additions to the team. The goalie remains undefeated and is a grounding force in the net. His consistently strong goaltending is invaluable to the team, especially at this point in the season.

— Several Eagles players are heating up, and just in the knick of time. Kero has two goals in three games, and several teammates join him. Ivan has notched four points in just as many games, and Cedric Paré has five points since Feb. 17.

— Colorado is staying hot and is on a six-game win streak for the second time this season, providing further proof this team is a force to be reckoned with. The roster will face off against the Canucks for the last game of the series tomorrow, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.

The post Eagles victory gains ground in Pacific Division appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Ivan Prosvetov has been a significant change for the Eagles during the last month. Since Prosvetov joined the Eagles on February 4th, Colorado has gone 7-2. Those two losses are coming from Trent Miner, who has played outstanding this year himself. In the AHL this season, Prosvetov has played seven games and had seven wins. Two of them were shutouts. He has a 1.14 GAA and .961 save percentage.

Prosvetov with his 2nd straight shutout, 7th win and the Eagles now have won 5 in a row! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/JexgpBptkd

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

Let's just say Prosvetov is on his game tonight….#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/MgNgXvi3yj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

“He’s been sent here to get some playing time,” said head coach Aaron Scheekloth. “And he’s taken full advantage of it, showcasing the qualities and strengths that he has in his game and he’s helping us win some hockey games. And he was outstanding, I’d say tonight, especially the last five minutes where we were kind of under a lot of pressure and they had a lot of time with the goalie. He was there to give our group a lot of confidence.”

— The Eagles now have won five straight games, one short of their season long six games. The earlier streak was January 20 to February 2, and they rocketed up from seventh place to fourth. Colorado, as of right now, holds the second place spot in the Pacific Division with Abbotsford ahead for the next two games.

Riley Tufte sends a pass to the top of the slot for Keaton Middleton to drop down and finish. Eagles up 2-0. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zNmU7ywVkn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

— The Colorado Avalanche announced it today that Oskar Olausson will undergo shoulder surgery on Monday. It unfortunately will end his season.

“It’s disappointing where we feel for Oskar, obviously,” Schneekloth said. “We felt we had his offensive production and power play production on the rise and he was playing really good hockey before that injury. And nobody wants to hear that kind of news, but he’s gonna have a road to recovery and be ready for next season and he’s got a great, great attitude and great medical staff. We’re working with him, so he’ll come back stronger and ready. It’s disappointing. You never want to see a player.”

A shot-pass from Brad Hunt sets up Matt Stienburg for the redirect to the net to put the Eagles up 1-0. Secondary assist from Dalton Smith #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/rmKfubBh3g

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

Conclusion

As the Eagles are hitting their second longest stride of the year, they will hit the toughest part of the schedule. Two games in Abbotsford, where they hold a 2–1–1 record against the Canucks. The games have so far this season have been battling right down to the last minute. Then it will be on to Calgary to meet the Wranglers, who they have yet to win a game against in four matchups. Assuming that Prosvetov stays with the Eagles, these games could be close. Meanwhile, Justus Annunen has gotten a couple of games with the big club, but is mostly riding the bench.

Head Coach Aaron Schneekloth interview

The post Prosvetov earns second shutout, Eagles win fifth in a row appeared first on The Rink.

Heading into this match, the Henderson Silver Knights and the Eagles have squared off four times, with the Eagles tallying three wins.

Colorado added another win to their record and now stands 4–0–1–0 in their 2023-24 head-to-head total. They swept their last series against Henderson.

First period

The first three minutes of the game are where Paré thrives. In the last three games, he has netted four goals, with three being in the first few minutes of the match.

This game was no different. With help from Corey Schueneman and Jack Ahcan, Colorado snatched the lead early in the game and never looked back.

Pare puts us on the board early!! pic.twitter.com/LaHmLOw5vC

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 24, 2024

Even with the lead, the offensive attack never stopped. Tanner Kero and Callahan Burke were both dialed in and waiting to strike. They had four and five shots on the goal, respectively.

During the entire period, the Silver Knights only threw the puck at Prosvetov five times, whereas Colorado met goalie Jiri Patera 11 times.

The home team successfully killed two penalties in the first period, contributing to their overall penalty kill percentage of 84.5 percent.

Second period

Burke’s offensive efforts paid off less than two minutes into the second period, putting Colorado ahead by two goals.

Burke gives the Eagles a two-goal lead early in the 2nd! pic.twitter.com/Ml72vA6iyF

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 24, 2024

Henderson still could not generate any momentum and once again fell short. They put up six shots on goal but spent most of the period chasing down the performing players on the Eagles.

By the middle of the period, Colorado had put 20 shots on net while the Silver Knights struggled to put up the seven they had gained.

Third period

The last frame was when the Eagles sealed the fate of Henderson. Patera simply could not keep up with the pressure of the home team, allowing two more goals in for the period.

Kero accounted for one of them, capitalizing on a feed from Riley Tufte.

Kero is our Hero! 3-0 pic.twitter.com/1Pp4OTBZFi

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 24, 2024

“I think he’s playing his best hockey that he’s played for us all season long and it couldn’t come at a better time,” Schneekloth said. “He’s taken on a huge role in our penalty kill. We’ve done an outstanding job with that. And then, you know, getting tucked in with Smallman on his line… it’s a solid line that can not only provide and generate some offense, but they do a really good job against the other other teams top line and making sure that they have to work for ice time.”

Clearly, the team still had gas in the tank and Paré lit the lamp for the second time with just over four minutes to go.

Pare does it again!! 4-0 pic.twitter.com/fGg91zYYGM

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 24, 2024

“We’re playing with good guys and the team is scoring goals,” he said. “So I think it’s easy to get points. [I] don’t focus on it, it just started. Just be consistent and get involved in the game every night.”

Takeaways

Since the addition of Prosvetov, the team has been in a considerably better position. He is not only getting the development and playing time he needs but also benefitting the team and paving the way to a successful playoff run.

“He’s been outstanding for us,” Schneekloth said. “Not only making routine saves, but he’s making timely saves that are keeping the opposition at bay and not giving them life. He’s been great on the penalty kill and teams playing confidently in front of him.”

With only 23 regular season games left in the season, it’s time for Schneekloth to look at the standings. After securing a victory tonight, Colorado has tied with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes) for second place. Sitting ahead of them are the Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken).

The most crucial part of the rest of the season is getting the rest of the offense scoring consistently. Tufte has been in a scoring drought despite leading the team in goals for over half of the season. Jason Polin hasn’t lit the lamp since Jan. 30 against the Ontario Reign, and Ben Meyers hasn’t scored since Jan. 21 against the San Jose Barracuda.

If the team maintains their determination and commitment to succeed in the postseason, the Eagles are likely to secure victory along the way.

Aaron Schneekloth interview

Cedric Paré interrview

The post Prosvetov undefeated after shutout against the Silver Knights appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Brad Hunt has been a genuine leader on the team as of late. In just the last four games, he has had six points, three of which were in tonight’s victory. Hunt led all skaters with one goal and two assists. He never takes credit for any of the plays that he makes, saying that “it is a team sport and we are all having fun out there.” Hunt is one defenseman that can play in all situations in the AHL, using his powerful slap shot to clear the shooting lane. After tonight, Hunt leads the team in points 14 goals and 24 assists.

Cedric Pare with some heavy pressure to force a turnover as Peter Holland picks up the puck. Pare sends the puck across the slot over to Brad Hunt for his 14th of the year. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/LvWjDvYpZg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

— After missing 10 games because of an injury, Ben Meyers had an immediate impact with his return. Just 49 seconds into the game Meyers helped assist on Cedric Pare’s opening goal. Meyers set up the lead pass for Pare to take off into the zone and set the tone for the entire game. Later, he assisted on another goal by forechecking into the zone and throwing the puck into the center for Peter Holland to score.

For the second straight night, Cedric Pare opens the scoring for the Eagles. Ben Meyers with the only assist after missing 10 games due to injury. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NaS8LoMAFN

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

Peter Holland now with a goal and an assist for the night as he is left all alone in the slot. Ben Meyers collects his 2nd assist of the night and Wyatt Aamodt joined the party. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/rFQFdx3UTM

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

— The only thing that was a problem tonight was the Eagles’ discipline. They gave the Condors six power play opportunities throughout the game. A lot of the penalties were because tempers were getting heated. It was the sixth meeting of the season after all. But the players need to keep that under control. They killed off all the penalties, putting themselves at third in the league at 84.5 percent.

Conclusion

As of tonight, the Eagles are in third place in the Pacific Division and only two points out of second place. They have gone on a wild run lately, going 13–3 in the last 16 games. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth has credited their special teams to all of their recent success and the health of the players. As long as the Eagles can get a trickle of healthy players coming into the team, they will only get better. Colorado has a few days off to rest; they don’t play again until Friday at home against the Henderson Silver Knights. By that point, the Eagles could have one or two more players back in the lineup.

Standings for the Eagles before tonight's contest against Bakersfield. Tucson and Calgary both won last night so standings pretty much stayed the same. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/CJLt9LivZY

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

The post Hunt stays hot while Eagles sweep road trip appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Peter Holland has now played seven games since returning from injury and has five points. That may not seem like much, but he has been a constant offensive threat. He draws the defense towards him, making it so another player is open. Holland has so much experience that he is hardly ever out of position as well. He ended the night with three assists.

Goal has been updated to Brad Hunt coming from Keaton Middleton and Peter Holland #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/80TtY8xDRM

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

— Pare has become a dominant force on the Eagles’ offense. Pare scored the first goal of the night for Colorado to set the pace for the team in the game. So far this season he has 24 points, surpassing his AHL career high last season of 21. And Pare has done it in one less game than last season. Colorado still has 25 more games to play this season, where Pare will probably get about 14 more points,

Just 1:05 into the game, Cedric Paré picks up the lose puck to open scoring with the assists coming from Matt Stienburg and Peter Holland. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/BnYNCcC0jv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

— Riley Tufte scored his first goal since January 21st. He has openly admitted that he has been getting a little frustrated with his lack of production, but has been useful in other ways. Tufte still ranks second on the team in points with 14 goals and 15 assists. But Tufte can power his way to the net, similar to how Valeri Nichushkin can. By doing this, Tufte creates chaos in front of the net and throws the defense off.

Riley Tufte redeems himself with a PP goal right after he exits the box. His 14th goal of the year and 29th point of the season. Holland tallies his 2nd assist of the night and Malinski gets on the board. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/bvspHXCMEJ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now sit in third place in the Pacific Division and five points out of first place. Their penalty kill ranks ninth in the league, killing 83.9 percent of their penalties. It has been a shining beacon all season for the Eagles when the power play was suffering. Depth scoring has become a key for the team with so many injuries, Pare has stepped up and rookie Ivan Ivan has been producing more than expected. Colorado looks to take their two winning streak to Bakersfield tomorrow night. It will be the third time that they have played each other in eight days and hope to keep a seven point lead in the standings.

The post Holland key in Eagles’ win over Firebirds appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Ivan Ivan has been on a roll lately. Currently sitting in fifth place on the team in points is the rookie, with 23. Tonight, after taking a nasty elbow to the head in the first period, he came back to score his ninth goal of the year. Ivan’ skills have noticeably improved as he has grown more comfortable with the pro game.

Brad Hunt runs around the zone and sets Josh Wesley up for the one timer. Ivan Ivan picks up the rebound for his 9th of the year #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ideXz4PzBs

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 15, 2024

“I’m always staying after practice,” Ivan said. “I spend 20-30 minutes working on my skills. But, I’m trying to work on stuff like skating. It was always my main thing. So I still gotta get better at that and stick with it. It’s kind of my fear. So I’m just trying to work on everything. Basically trying to get a drill with everything. That’s [what I] gotta keep doing.”

“Yeah, he’s coming into his own,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “He’s getting real comfortable in the hard areas. You see him go after retrievals in the offensive zone and protect the puck and he’s powerful when he escapes and so you know, he’s trending in the right direction. His growth has been exponential this season. And he’s been a really good player for us.”

— Ivan Prosvetov, once again, secured a win for the Eagles. Prosvetov’s three games with the Eagles resulted in three wins. The team won all three games when they desperately needed the points. While Justus Annunen has been in Denver, Prosvetov has been holding down the fort in Loveland. He has 1.54 GAA and .957 save percentage so far while in the AHL this season.

Cory Schueneman redeems himself after a drop pass from Sam Malinski and the Eagles take the lead! Chris Wagner gets the secondary assist.#Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/YgXAKr5iFP

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 15, 2024

— The Eagles persevered, despite not scoring in the first half. They have been pushing the play forward the entire game without stopping. Colorado, even when down a goal or two, keeps the same pressure up on their opponents.

Eagles health updates
Wagner and Wesley IN
Aamodt UBI
Clurman UBI
Pavel recovery from flu
Olausson day-to-day UBI
Meyers about a week UBI
Foudy week-to-week UBI
Fairbrother long term LBI
Beaucage, Busdeker, Holm healthy scratch#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/S0gixO43zh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 15, 2024

Conclusion

There is a long list of injuries that Colorado has at the moment. Normally, you would think that it slows them down. It has done quite the opposite. The Eagles are 8–2 in their last 10 games. They are holding pace with the top teams in the league, like the Hershey Bears and the Milwaukee Admirals. Every player is taking hold of the opportunity to step up and help the team win. They are currently in fourth place and will head out west on Saturday to take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who are first in the division. On Sunday, Colorado plays Bakersfield once again and then heads home.

Ivan Ivan interview

Coach Schneekloth interview

The post Ivan scores to help secure Eagles’ win over Condors appeared first on The Rink.

The lineup settled into a home stand last night, dropping the Abbotsford Canucks 3–1. Ivan Prosvetov got comfortable in the net for his Eagles debut last night. He found himself in the crease for the second game in the series.

First period

Colorado showed aggression from the start, swarming the Canucks’ net and throwing anything at it.

Jack Ahcan got caught up with an Abbotsford player and headed to the box for tripping at the 4:31 mark. The Eagles sport the sixth most effective penalty kill in the league at 84.3% and had no problem shutting down their opponent.

Tanner Kero put the Eagles on the board just over 10 minutes into the frame by netting his sixth goal in the season. The goal is his second goal in back-to-back games. Ryan Sandelin tallied his third assist of the season, while Cedric Pare contributed with the secondary assist, bringing his total to 15 for the year.

Kero puts us on the board first! pic.twitter.com/9mV4Z8T7p8

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 11, 2024

Second period

Even though Colorado had a successful first period, there were costly mistakes in the middle frame.

In the second period alone, the Eagles committed eight penalties, for a grand total of 19 minutes. Three belonged to Chris Wagner and two to Keaton Middleton.

Wags droppin the gloves tonight pic.twitter.com/8yMUgQDyNi

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 11, 2024

Two of the team’s infractions were within twenty seconds of each other, placing the team on a dangerous 5-on-3 situation.

Canucks player Vasily Podkolzin took advantage of the situation and leveled the score at one. For the first sixteen minutes of the period, it looked like Abbotsford simply outplayed the home team in the second period.

PODZ BOMBS

Jett Woo sets up Vasily Podkolzin for the one-timer to notch his 14th goal of the season, as well as the @Panago_Pizza Delivery of the Game pic.twitter.com/EXY0vC12tm

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) February 11, 2024

But the tides would turn in 18 seconds. D.J. Busdeker finds the back of the net for the third time for the season and the first since November. Tanner Kero picked up his second point of the game with the assist.

On the next shot, Ryan Sandelin picks up his own goal. With it comes assists for Riley Tufte and Ivan Ivan.

BUZZY FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/apUQGrlKhN

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 11, 2024

Sandelin with his fourth of the year! pic.twitter.com/Hz3gxzviKx

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 11, 2024

Faced with a dramatic and aggressive period, Colorado fights off 14 of the 15 shots from the Canucks. The Eagles put up 10 of their own, being rewarded on two.

Third period

On the heels of an unbelievably passionate period, Abbotsford gives the Eagles a power play five minutes into the frame.

Despite more pushing and shoving in the period, the only additional penalty assigned was a call on the Canucks for too many men on the ice.

With a mere one second on the clock, the Canucks add one more goal to their scorecard. Abbotsford collected 14 shots to Colorado’s 11 in the final 20 minutes. The Canucks had 40 total attempts, seven more than the Eagles.

Colorado secures a 3–2 victory, bringing their total points to 53.

The Eagles will continue their home stand against the Bakersfield Condors on Feb. 13 and 14. In their last series against the Condors, Colorado walked away 1–1.

Analysis

— Compared to the way the season started, Colorado has improved significantly. While the team was winning games, the performances were spotty at best and lacking consistency. Their recently broken six game winning streak proves something clicked on the ice.

— While it may not have been apparent in this game, the Eagles have had a serious problem with penalties. Clocking 19 minutes’ worth of penalties in the middle frame could have been disastrous. The strength of Prosvetov in the net may have made the difference.

— Colorado continues to climb in the standings and tonight’s win puts them in the third-place spot. With just about half of the season left, the Eagles have a very good chance of improving even more.

The post Eagles sweep Abbotsford, carry positive trend forward appeared first on The Rink.

Before the contest, the team was a mere two points behind the fourth-place Abbotsford Canucks, who the Eagles hosted in Loveland tonight. A win would guarantee a move up, while a loss would leave them only one point ahead of the Ontario Reign, who they beat on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3.

First period

After being sent down to the Eagles on Sunday, Ivan Prosvetov made his debut in the net. However, it wasn’t his appearance that brought energy to the team early in the game.

Keaton Middleton and Abbotsford’s Jermaine Loewen drop the gloves, and both earn five minutes in the box for fighting.

18 seconds in and we got some action pic.twitter.com/KMRF256lZJ

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 10, 2024

The Eagles received their first power play for tripping, though could not convert. With both teams holding strong and displaying incredible energy, the first period ended scoreless and tied up in shots on goal.

Second period

The Eagles dominated the second period, and the score book proves it. Two minutes into the period, Chris Wagner netted a goal to put the team on the board. Brad Hunt and Corey Schueneman both picked up assists.

Wags puts us on the board first pic.twitter.com/AhzIBKg4Xx

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 10, 2024

Carrying a one goal lead, the Eagles continued to display energy and determination. Prosvetov found his time to shine and had several incredible saves to keep Colorado ahead of the Canucks.

Go off Prosvetov pic.twitter.com/MWS6JYHRzZ

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 10, 2024

Abbotsford put up several good attempts, though the Eagles netminder held strong and kept them off the scoreboard.

Tanner Kero cashed in on a power play with two minutes remaining in the period, increasing the margin to two. Cedric Pare and Jack Ahcan both added a point to their assist column.

PP keeps buzzinnnnn pic.twitter.com/uT8kk27wpg

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 10, 2024

The roster outshot the Canucks 12-9 for the period and ended the frame securely in the lead.

Third period

Abbotsford interrupted Colorado’s momentum at the 1:45 mark in the third period. Canucks player Chase Wouters found a way past Prosvetov and brought his team back into the game.

Despite this, Colorado held onto its lead and closed in on the victory. Spencer Smallman sealed the deal with just over two minutes to go. Pare, who picked up his second helper of the night, assisted his goal.

SMALLY SCORES, SMALLY SCORES pic.twitter.com/3s1yD1goqe

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) February 10, 2024

The Eagles closed out the night with a 3–1 victory and secured the fourth place slot in the division. They will face Abbotsford again tomorrow, Feb. 9 at 7:05 p.m.

Analysis

­— Receiving Prosvetov from the Avalanche is a huge addition to the roster. He will complement Trent Miner and add to a solid goalie lineup going into the second half of the season.

— It is clear the injury bug has worked its way through the team. Jean-Luc Foudy and Ben Meyers are both notable absences. Oskar Olausson becuase of an upper-body injury and Ondrej Pavel missed the game because of illness both are listed as day to day.

— Unsurprisingly, Colorado’s penalty kill was difficult to beat. The team fended off all four of the Canucks’ power play opportunities.

The post Eagles rise in rankings, add to goalie tandem appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Discipline became an issue in the first period. The Eagles had four penalties in the first period alone, making it difficult to gain any momentum until the second period. One penalty was a roughing penalty from Riley Tufte, but the other three put them on the kill.

Tufte lays down the hit and has no issue throwing down the mitts too #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/KlEpBQ2jpT

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 4, 2024

— Fatigue became a factor later in the game. This was the fifth game on the road trip, with two in Henderson and two in Ontario. This game was also in the second half of a back-to-back, but that is typical for the AHL. The Eagles, who have suffered from several injuries on the trip, showed a little fatigue in the second and third periods.

— Trent Miner held the Eagles in the game. Now playing in his 12th AHL game of the season, he has doubled his career appearances in the league. He has also officially played more games in the AHL than in the ECHL for the first time in his career. Tonight, he showed his confidence has grown with the experience. His lateral movement was excellent, showing that his time with coach Peter Budaj is paying off. Miner had a 2.05 goals allowed average and .920 save percentage for the night.

— Dalton Smith scored the only goal. After only playing six games last season because of a shoulder injury, Smith has not had many chances to score. As head coach Aaron Schneekloth has said, “he knows his role on our team,” Smith is more of a grinder than a playmaker. But Smith sure looked like a playmaker with the help of Jack Ahcan, Spencer Smallman and Ondrej Pavel.

Dalton Smith scores his first goal in almost a year! Ondrej Pavel, with constant pressure, forces a turnover with help from Spencer Smallman. Jack Ahcan gets the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo       #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/kQDjfylzsz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 4, 2024

Conclusion

The “team is really clicking,” as Cal Burke said tonight before the game and this road trip showed that. The Eagles are coming home with eight out of possible 10 points. They jumped from seventh place to third, in a matter of five games. Miner can probably expect more work with Justus Annunen being recalled to the Colorado Avalanche. The Eagles will come home on Friday to play their division rival the Abbotsford Canucks, hoping to gain even more in the standings.

The post Eagles fall to Gulls, end winning streak appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles forecheck smothered the Reign in the first period. For much of the first period, the Eagles pressed forward and would not let up much. They were doing it so much that the Reign had two power play chances and still were getting chased into their own zone.

A great example of the type of player that Ondrej Pavel is. Always on the forecheck and very aggressive on the PK. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/GrHMbHSZSg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

— Sam Malinski brought his NHL experience with him. Having played 22 games for the Colorado Avalanche this season, Malinski is showing more quickness on the puck and confidence in the zone. He is taking the shots more often with his head up, waiting for the zone to be clear or passing the puck off. Malinski is also attacking the zone more aggressively, reading the play faster, which helped him drop into the zone and score his goal.

Tanner Kero with a hard forecheck to steal it away. Oskar Olausson slows the pass down for Sam Malinski to rocket one home for a 2 goal lead. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/mXYIrxWqjI

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

— Jean-Luc Foudy, who is now in the regular lineup, is looking better with each game. In just his sixth game back-and-forth game in a row, had his first multi-point game of the season. Foudy’s assist came from a feed up to Malinski at the point and then a Brad Hunt goal. The goal came with some work in low. After the shot from Hunt and a rebound attempt by Cal Burke, Foudy snapped it into a nearly open net.

Foudy feeds Malinski and sends it over to Hunt for a slapper and the 3 goal lead. Foudy now with a 3 game point streak. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ao8j3Rbx6e

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

Jean-Luc Foudy nails his first of the year on the PP with the help of Burke down low and Hunt up high. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/e4nGxmG9z3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

— Chris Wagner, also in his sixth game back, caught fire with his first two goals with the Eagles. Not just a scorer, but a leader with impact.

Spencer Smallman sends the pass across the slot over to Chris Wagner for his first of the year and first as an Eagle. Keaton Middleton with the secondary assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/AOeYlu8mT3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

Conclusion

Colorado is now within one point of fifth place in the Pacific Division. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth now has clarified that they do not want to settle for seventh. With just two points behind, they are close to catching up with the Abbotsford Canucks in fourth place. Everyone is getting hot at the right time and getting healthy. Peter Holland, who has not played since the end of November, may even play on Friday. The power play has gained some real momentum, scoring at least once in their last eight contests. The Eagles will look for their sixth straight win on Friday night against the Ontario Reign.

The post Malinski and multi-point night extends Eagles’ win streak appeared first on The Rink.

Tonight, the Eagles could secure their seat in the standings after passing the Henderson Silver Knights with last night’s victory.

First period

Last night, the only goals the Eagles scored during regulation were in the first period. Colorado was constantly buzzing around the cage, taking any chance they could get.

Tonight, it was slow going. The lineup could not put any shots on the goal for the first five minutes.

The Silver Knights also stayed off the scoreboard, but only because the posts were playing into Colorado’s favor.

Henderson outshot the Eagles 12–11, and the game remained scoreless.

Second period

Cedric Paré jumped on the puck early. Only 24 seconds after the start of the period, he beat goalie Isaiah Saville and gave the team a one-goal lead.

Pare puts us on the board first pic.twitter.com/u4QYAJOVnm

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 28, 2024

64 seconds later, that lead was gone. With Keaton Middleton in the box for hooking, Silver Knight Adam Cracknell closed the margin.

ADAM “NETFRONT GOAL” CRACKNELL!!! pic.twitter.com/gPUbmqLpuy

— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) January 28, 2024

The Eagles would not find success until their own power play, where Cal Burke scored his eighth goal of the season. Brad Hunt and Sam Malinski both picked up an assist.

Burke on the PP for the lead! pic.twitter.com/zxQgs8JlI4

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 28, 2024

At the 17-minute mark, Henderson would once again equalize the game, resulting in a 2–2 tie at the end of the period.

The Eagles outshot the Silver Knights 17–5, while still allowing two goals for the period.

Alexa, play Bennie and the Jets (Live at The Dollar Loan Center)!!!! pic.twitter.com/v0fHAyzTPj

— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) January 28, 2024

Third period

After putting their best foot forward during the second period, the third period was looking promising.

Henderson was unable to put the puck near the net until the 4:40 mark, while the Eagles had already put up six. Ivan Ivan finds luck at the 5:24 mark, bringing the score to 3–2. The assist was credited to Burke, giving him his second point of the evening.

Ivan Ivan for the lead! pic.twitter.com/iKcLHNYxMO

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 28, 2024

For ten minutes, Colorado held on to their lead. Silver Knight Dyson Mayo found an opening unassisted, bringing the score to a tie once again.

DYSIN MAAYY-O!!! pic.twitter.com/BhX7h6XlFn

— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) January 28, 2024

The Eagles once again outshot their opponent, bringing the final tally to 16–6 before heading to overtime.

Overtime and shootout

In overtime, the Eagles kept control of the puck for most of the time. While only putting up three shots, the team was always on the offensive end of the ice but seemed to want to wait for the perfect opportunity instead of taking any shot possible.

Eventually, overtime wasn’t enough, and the two lineups moved to a shootout.

Henderson missed their first shot wide of the net. Ivan Ivan skated first for Colorado, but was batted away by Saville. Justus Annunen allowed the Silver Knights to score with their second skater, but Oskar Olausson kept the team in the game.

Down to the wire, Annunen fended off the final skater, allowing Burke to drive home the final goal. The Eagles picked up all four possible points and sit securely in sixth place. They are two points behind the Abbotsford Canucks.

SHOOTOUT WINNER pic.twitter.com/GlkvFFYGL9

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 28, 2024

Analysis

The games against the Silver Knights have shown grit and determination. With much of the roster back, chemistry will need time to balance. Given how much pressure Colorado applied, it is a good time for all the pieces to come together.

Jean-Luc Foudy is on a two-game point streak after an assist in last night’s matchup and adding another in tonight’s. Burke is on a two-goal streak since his return to the lineup and has three points in the last two games.

Going forward, the Eagles must kick things into high gear. Though now on a four-game win streak, it is imperative they keep the trend going.

The team will hit the road on Tuesday, Jan. 30 against the Ontario Reign. Last matchup, Colorado fell 4–3 in a shootout.

The post Eagles triumph in shootout, extend win streak to four games appeared first on The Rink.

The Silver Knights lead the Eagles in the standings by a mere one point. A victory boosts Colorado to sixth place in the Pacific Division.

Ahead of the game, Jean-Luc Foudy and Chris Wagner had been alternating games so they were both able to ease back into things after both suffering injuries. Cal Burke returned from bereavement leave, and Sam Malinski is expected to take the ice tomorrow after being reassigned by the Avalanche.

First period

Both teams were keeping up with each other for the first five minutes of the frame. The Eagles trailed in shots 4–3 before drawing a penalty.

Oskar Olausson wasted no time, finding the back of the net only 18 seconds into the power play. Brad Hunt and Foudy provided the assist, with Foudy earning his first point of the season.

Olausson on the PP puts us on the board first pic.twitter.com/MosjiN9UC6

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 27, 2024

Only four minutes later, Burke would increase the lead to two, helped by Jason Polin and Ivan Ivan. The goal would mark his seventh of the season.

Burke makes it a two-goal lead! pic.twitter.com/mHX5D2rM69

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 27, 2024

Goalie Justus Annunen shut down all eight of Henderson’s attempts, helped by a locked in defensive squad.

Second period

The Silver Knights controlled the puck for much of the second period, outshooting the Eagles 14–­12. When presented with a power play opportunity, it didn’t come as a surprise when the team’s hard work was rewarded. At the six-minute mark, Henderson narrowed the gap between the two teams to just one goal.

Colorado seemed to spend most of the period playing catch-up, trying to earn back the margin. Colorado’s effort of throwing shots on the net didn’t result in any goals, forcing the team to work harder in the last frame.

Over the last several games, Matthew Stienburg has found himself at the center of a lot of scuffles. Tonight, he dropped his gloves and went toe-to-toe with Henderson’s Daniel D’Amato. They both earned a five-minute fighting penalty with a mere seven seconds to go in the period.

Third period

With momentum going in the right direction, the Silver Knights seemed to put more effort into their performance than before.

Three minutes into the last frame, Adam Cracknell scored his second goal of the game to tie it at two.

STOP: CELLY TIME!!!! pic.twitter.com/cuo0IeuAr5

— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) January 27, 2024

The remaining 17 minutes was a battle, yet neither team could add a goal to the board in regulation, and the game went to overtime.

Apparently, all Olausson needed was an additional 29 seconds. He scored his second goal of the game as an overtime winner, his second in three games.

OT winners becoming a thing for Olausson pic.twitter.com/XrsR07jBV4

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 27, 2024

The team ultimately won 3–2 and walked away with two points and moved to the sixth place slot in the division.

Takeaways

The return of so many players, including Foudy, Burke, and the expected arrival of Malinski in tomorrow’s game, has clearly affected the Eagles. With the team now at full strength just past the halfway point of the season, they are expected to improve their standing before playoffs.

Last time the Eagles squared up with Henderson, they went 1–1–0, so it is safe to say tomorrow’s game won’t be an easy win. The puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The post Olausson’s overtime winner boosts Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

AND THATS THE GAME! Paré wins the faceoff and Ahcan sends the puck up to Oskar Olausson to finish it off 6-5! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/eXxWQULTp2

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 21, 2024

Takeaways

— Goaltending has struggled as of late. The coaching staff pulled Trent Miner about halfway through the game on Saturday and replaced him with Arvid Holm. Miner was not seeing the puck very well and had allowed a couple of bloop goals. Justus Annunen even misplayed a puck himself early in the game on Sunday to give San Jose an early lead.

“They scored three quick ones,” coach Aaron Scheekloth said. “You don’t want the game to get out of reach. So it’s kind of reset for the group and to ensure alertness on the bench as well for players wanting to tighten things up. Miner has been great. He’s been working hard. He’s been earning his ice time and had an off night. So that’s what happens at every level. It’s unfortunate, I know. He’s gonna want some of those goals back and Holm came in and finished the job.”

Danil Gushchin dumps a shot on net and it pokes right through Miner's 5 hole #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NtBdOo0TRg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 21, 2024

— The power play has clicked in all ways for the Eagles. They went one for two on Sunday and two for four on Saturday. With a conversion rate of 50 percent, the goals have rolled in for them and the team has grown more confident. Many of the players are showing their excitement in the hallways as they walk out of the locker room with big smiles.

“We just took the pressure off ourselves,” forward Ryan Sandelin said. “Sometimes you go to those three games and you’re kind of squeezing the stick a little bit. I know everybody was frustrated, but sometimes it’s just about sticking with it.”

Well that didn't take long, the Eagles strike back with two quick goals. Jason Polin with his 1st of the year, assisted by Paré, and an unassisted goal Ben Meyers. Now 2-1 Eagles #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zW46fXGSmk

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 21, 2024

— The penalty kill has been excellent recently. The Eagles now have killed 16 penalties in the last four games in a row. Their success rate in penalty kills is 84.6 percent, placing them 5th in the league. Special teams have been the key for them all season.

Conclusion

The Eagles may be in the middle of the pack, but coach Schneekloth is doing something special here in Loveland. He is building a team and they believe in a new system, and it is working. Games have tilted in their direction as both the power play and penalty kill have become more aggressive. The right players like Olausson, Jason Polin, Brad Hunt and Riley Tufte are all getting on track. With this, the Eagles have found success. They will look to take the success on the road to battle the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday and Saturday.

The post Olausson and Ivan spark Eagles to weekend sweep at home appeared first on The Rink.

Brad Hunt and Riley Tufte both scored their first goals in 2024, and it seemed to open up a world of opportunity for the rest of the team. Though ultimately dropping the game 4–2 and splitting the series, several Eagles players revived their goal production.

First period

The game was expected to be intense, and the obvious emotion was seen only two minutes into the game.

Dalton Smith and Condors player Ben Gleason were both given five minutes for fighting after Smith sent him into the boards, giving the Condors an early power play. Last night, Bakersfield failed to convert on any of the extra man opportunities, and that problem continued.

Early chaos pic.twitter.com/Q5ukWyf2R3

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 18, 2024

After being sent to the box for tripping, Cedric Paré assisted the Eagles’ first goal upon his release. Tanner Kero scored his fourth goal of the season with Paré’s help, and Ondrej Pavel was credited with the secondary assist. Kero’s goal is his first since Dec. 16 against the Ontario Reign.

Kero puts us on the board! pic.twitter.com/0kAhoJFZgh

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 18, 2024

The lead was short-lived as the Condors flew down the rink and scored their own goal only nineteen seconds after Colorado.

The Eagles didn’t need to worry for long. At the seventeen-minute mark, Spencer Smallman caught a rebound from Chris Wagner and scored while sliding on his back. His last goal was netted on Dec. 30 against the Iowa Wild.

SMALLMAN GOALLLLLLL pic.twitter.com/zyAoNQCQUX

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 18, 2024

Second period

When leading after the first period, the Eagles were undefeated.

Colorado had only found itself in the box one time for interference, which was a tremendous improvement from the first period. Over halfway through the second frame, the lead appeared to hold. The Eagles set the stage to dominate the game, but the Condors were determined not to let that happen.

At the 13 minute mark, the Condors took the lead for the first time. The Eagles needed to bounce back if they were going to stay in the game. Once trailing after the second frame, the team was 0-11-0-0.

First lead of the night! #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/xA1yRxQRUv

— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) January 18, 2024

Even when gifted a late power play in the second period, the lineup could not convert and ended the period trailing by one.

Third period

Once Bakersfield took the lead, there was no looking back. Though the Eagles tried to push through to the end and generate a goal, they couldn’t find a way to get there.

While the game was still close, Miner was called off the ice in favor of an extra attacker. With only 48 seconds remaining on the clock, the Condors took advantage of an open net and brought the final score to 4–2.

Colorado could only take eight shots in the final frame but outshot its opponent 34–23.

Takeaways

Colorado frequently seems to have trouble staying out of the box. On several occasions, the team has held the lead until they are repeatedly spending time on the penalty kill. It’s hard to score goals when shorthanded!

In this series, the team struggled to find the back of the net late in the game. How vital it is to offensively attack an opponent goes without saying, but when coupled with the penalties, it is a recipe for disaster.

A contributor to some struggles the team is experiencing is the roster changes because of call-ups, reassignments, and injuries. Sam Malinski and Jason Polin have both spent significant time with the Colorado Avalanche, leaving holes in the lineup and forcing lines to be adjusted. Wyatt Aamodt suffered an upper-body injury last night, forcing Josh Wesley to be recalled from the Utah Grizzlies.

The Eagles will continue their home stand on Saturday, Jan. 20 against the San Jose Barracuda.

The post Condors triumph as Eagles struggle to find the net in third period appeared first on The Rink.

The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with an overtime winner on Jan. 13, but the slump the team was in was at risk of picking back up against the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday, especially with so many of the regular roster playing with the Colorado Avalanche.

First period

The Eagles started the game hot by throwing shots on the net and were rewarded with an early goal from defenseman Brad Hunt. The goal came as no surprise since he had been spending a lot of time in the offensive zone and putting the puck near the net, and the power play was the perfect opportunity to score.

Hunt puts us on the board first! pic.twitter.com/sYZnoGy9WH

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 17, 2024

Hunt said his goal was not only a result of his own efforts on the net, but he could score because of Tufte’s position in the slot.

Just a few minutes later, Tufte added to the lead and scored his first goal of 2024. The two goals were scored before the Condors had even had an opportunity on the net.

Tufts = no quit pic.twitter.com/SEVEkyrwL9

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 17, 2024

Though, 14 minutes has a lot of potential for either team to take advantage of mistakes. Just past the 18-minute mark, the Condors narrowed the margin to one goal.

Is Lane Pederson secretly Patrick Mahomes? #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/upWBHvJLSg

— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) January 17, 2024

Second period

Colorado maintained its lead through the middle frame. The team outshot Bakersfield 10 to nine, though neither team could net a goal.

At the end of the period, Spencer Smallman and Bakersfield’s Dino Kambeitz were both issued five minutes for fighting, leaving both teams shorthanded to begin the last frame.

Smallman droppin the gloves pic.twitter.com/gDNt636xX8

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 17, 2024

Third period

After a scoreless second frame, the Eagles were sitting in a good spot. But the team would need to keep up the tight defense if they wanted to secure the first win of the two-game series and goaltender Trent Miner would need to stay strong in the net.

The team ultimately walked away with a 2–1 victory despite only outshooting their opponent in one out of the three frames.

In the end, it is no surprise. Colorado had a 7–0–0 record when leading after the first period, and they have now added one more victory to that statistic.

With the playoffs on the horizon, there is still time to adjust and get into the mindset of a possible post-season appearance. Even in the face of adversity, Hunt knows where the team needs to be at the end of the season.

“I think we can learn from the past, but not focus on it,” he said. “We need to look to the future and take it game by game.”

Takeaways

The Colorado Avalanche recalled goalie Justus Annunen for their road trip, giving space for Miner between the pipes against the Condors. He successfully fended off 30 out of 31 shots and has proved himself to be a reliable goaltender.

Colorado converted on their only power play, contributing to their season power play percentage of 15.5%. Taking advantage of the power play early into the game set the team up for a successful showing.

Top scorers Hunt and Tufte broke their scoring drought, but Jack Ahcan hasn’t seen success since Nov. 25 against the Texas Stars, where he collected two goals. Without three of the top five scorers producing goals, it is easy to see why the lineup had a hard time finding a victory.

The Eagles will face off against the Condors again Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7:05 p.m.

The post Tufte and Hunt end their scoring drought against Condors appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Jan. 12 — Rockford 2, Grand Rapids 0

Rockford goaltender Mitchell Weeks continued his excellent start to the season, stopping all 22 shots in a 2–0 victory for the visiting Rockford IceHogs. With his first career AHL shutout, Weeks is off to a 3–0–0 start and a .923 save percentage on the early season. The undrafted 22-year-old has been a pleasant surprise in Rockford.

In one of the most lopsided AHL periods one will watch, Rockford outshot the Griffins 22–4 in the first frame of action but could not find the back of the net behind Sebastian Cossa. Cossa stood on his head as the defense in front of him took the form of Swiss cheese and took three minor penalties.

Ironically enough, at the 20-second mark of the second period, Rockford forward Mike Hardman beat Cossa for the first of the game and eighth of the season. The goal, assisted by Dave Gust, put Rockford ahead and would be all Weeks would need. Hardman did an excellent job on the forecheck, forcing the Griffins to turn over the puck, and was rewarded with the goal.

We’re off to a fast start pic.twitter.com/bzZMZOYZn3

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 13, 2024

Rockford’s second goal came with an empty net at the 18:48 mark of the third period when forward Brett Seney scored his ninth of the season. Cossa played an excellent game in net for the Griffins, surrendering only the goal to Hardman while stopping 33 IceHog shots on the night.

Saturday, Jan. 13 — Rockford 3, Grand Rapids 2 (overtime)

Rockford ran it back the following night with an excellent game to take the back end of the two-game series. In a close, tight-knit affair, the IceHogs finished off the Griffins in style with a 3–2 victory in overtime.

In the first period of action, defenseman Austin Strand scored his second goal of the season after Griffins goaltender Michael Hutchinson gave up a rebound that found the stick of forward Michal Teply in front and fed a streaking Strand for the goal.

Lamp: lit pic.twitter.com/X44J4JRce7

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 14, 2024

Grand Rapids would score the only goal of the second period when right winger Dominik Shine buried a shot behind Rockford goaltender Drew Commesso.

With the score tied 1–1 after two periods, Grand Rapids would take their only lead of the weekend after forward Tim Gettinger scored on the power play. Rockford would not waste any time tying the game a few minutes later when Seney scored his second of the weekend to tie the game at 2–2 with less than five minutes left in regulation. The end-to-end rush by Jalen Luypen was a thing of beauty before finding Seney racing toward the net.

“WOOOOOOOOOW” –@KaleHowarth15 pic.twitter.com/ecKWHjE4lL

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 14, 2024

In overtime, veteran Anders Bjork buried the game winner after a nice puck possession play by Gust and finding a wide-open Bjork for the game winner and the 10th of the season.

A beautiful goal for a beautiful OT win pic.twitter.com/BfLZTAlYY5

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 14, 2024

Commesso stopped 22 shots in the his seventh victory this season. The rookie stands with an .894 save percentage this season with a 7–8–2–1 record.

High on the Hog

— Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro was selected to participate in the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. The fourth-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft leads all Rockford defensemen in goals and points and has been a whale of a difficult player to play against in his own zone using his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame to his advantage.

— Mitchell Weeks recorded his first career AHL shutout on Friday night and is off to an unexpected hot start in net. The recent call-up from the Indy Fuel has been a nice addition to a Rockford three-headed tandem in net alongside Drew Commesso and Jaxson Stauber.

— Brett Seney scored twice this weekend, albeit one was an empty-net goal, but has reached double digits in goals for the fourth time in his AHL career. The undersized forward is a sneaky playmaker who has a decent scoring touch that will be needed as Rockford pushes through the dog days of winter toward a playoff birth.

Upcoming week

After playing five of the past six games on the road, the 15–14–3–1 IceHogs will play host to their Interstate 90 rivals, as the Chicago Wolves come to BMO Center on Friday for a 7 p.m. CST puck drop. On Saturday, the Iowa Wild come skating into Rockford for another 7 p.m. CST start.

The post Weeks, Seney impress in sweep of Grand Rapids appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

— Chris Wagner made his Eagles’ debut after missing 32 games with a lower-body injury suffered in the offseason. He made his presence known with some hits along the boards and has been described as a “heavy hitter” by General Manager Kevin MacDonald.” Wagner brings over 720 games of professional experience to the team and even said of himself, “I guess I am the old man now.” Wagner is no stranger to Colorado as he has played 26 games for the Avalanche in 2015-16. This time around, though, he had the choice to sign here rather than get picked on waivers.

“Just first, like my relationship with C Mac from years ago, we had a couple of good discussions about opportunities up top and then playing here,” said Wagner. “And another thing was the distance between the AHL team and the NHL team being only an hour away, the city and people. Loveland, Windsor, and Fort Collins are really nice areas.”

— Meyers finished the game with a goal and an assist tonight. The goal was when it mattered, though. He has been playing on the top line and really been driving the offense when he is on the ice. Meyers will lead the drive out of the defensive zone with a pass and then speed up the ice for the pass. When Meyers is with the Eagles, he really stands out as the offensive force that the Colorado Avalanche expects him to be.

MEYERS WINS IT IN OT!!!!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/iyW2UdSXTz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 14, 2024

— There was more visible communication among the defense. As the plays developed in the Eagles zone, you could see the defensemen making motions to cover a man. Sticks were going up and pointing in directions that the other player needed to cover. You could even hear them yelling at each other. Communication is key.

— Ryan Sandelin exploded offensively with a goal and an assist. Now with three goals and one assist on the season, tonight was his first professional multi-point night. This was all on Hockey Fights Cancer Night and his mother in the crowd, a cancer survivor herself.

Ryan Sandelin answers back to tie the game at one as he rushes into the zone and snaps it past the goalie. Keaton Middleton with the assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/aOgw9tCCET

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 14, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles played with a renewed vigor tonight after three consecutive shutouts. Tonight, they scored their first goal in nine periods and fought back to an overtime win. Not only did they score some goals, but they got one on the power play as well. Two things that they have been struggling with. The Eagles will not have long to celebrate, as they play again on Tuesday against the Bakersfield Condors in Loveland.

The post Meyers snaps Eagles’ three game losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

Foudy

Jean-Luc Foudy is back to his usual routine! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/gZBqHVgzak

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 13, 2024

— Foudy made his long-awaited season debut for the Eagles after missing 31 games this season. Last season, after playing just 46 games with the Eagles, Foudy had set career highs in goals scored and in assists. He also saw his first recall to the Colorado Avalanche and played nine games for the club. Tonight, he looked as though he had not missed a beat. His speed was all there as he attacked players in the offensive zone and along the boards. If this was a preview of what we have to look forward to, I can not wait.

“I am just excited to be back playing hockey,” Foudy said. “It’s been a long road. Just happy to be back playing hockey. Having Wags injured as well. Just having another guy, same situation. Usually being able to skate together. Just have another guy going through the process is always nice. He was also injured.”

“I think it was pretty obvious tonight,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “His possession game was outstanding, especially for not playing in for an extended period. So his competence is only going to grow, the more he plays. He’s going to help in that scoring department not only when the puck is on his stick, but his vision and his ability to find an open man in the offensive zone is going to create a lot of chances for us. I’m just excited that he’s back in the lineup. I thought he was outstanding tonight.”

The Game

— Justus Annunen was the main reason the Firebirds had only scored two goals. Annunen played in just his sixth game back after returning from a lower-body injury. He maintained a .941 save percentage through the game and kept the Eagles in it the entire time. There were several times he had to stop odd man rushes and did it with ease.

A shorthanded chance for the Eagles leads to a 3 on 2 for the Firebirds and two amazing stops by Annunen. Tufte doesn't appreciate the extra pressure. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4ElZ2KojSW

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 13, 2024

— The offense continued multiple times to make passes to the slot without looking to see if anyone was there. The winger would rush down the boards and then pass to the center without looking first. This led to missed chances and turnovers in the offensive zone.

Conclusion

The Eagles lead the league in shots on goal but are 28th in goals scored. They are seeing opportunities there, but cannot take advantage of them. If Colorado can convert even a fraction of those shots, it could make a tremendous difference for them. The Eagles may be without Cal Burke once again as he has left the team for personal reasons. Unfortunately, we don’t know when he will return. Burke adds speed and a way to escape for the defense, which they had trouble with tonight. The Eagles will be back at it on Saturday night against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Loveland.

The post Foudy return does not spark the Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Jan. 5 — Texas 4, Rockford 1

The Rockford IceHogs skated into Texas a little sluggish and dropped a hard fought affair 4–1 to the host Texas Stars. Texas jumped on top of Rockford at the 11:48 mark of the first period when forward Matej Blumel scored his 14th goal of the season behind IceHogs goaltender Drew Commesso.

Rockford would tie the game early in the second period after Antti Saarela buried his fourth behind Stars netminder Remi Poirier. The goal was assisted by Jalen Luypen.

Bar pic.twitter.com/WHMQNFkyzN

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 6, 2024

The final period would be a mess for the visiting team as Texas scored three straight goals and finished off the contest with a 4–1 victory.

Saturday, Jan. 6 — Rockford 5, Texas 3

Game two of the back-to-back was a great bounce back for the IceHogs even though Texas led after the first period of play 2–1. In the period, Texas scored first with a nice goal by Derrick Pouliot that beat Mitchell Weeks to take an early lead. Rockford answered at the 7:12 mark when Logan Nijhoff scored his fourth goal of the season behind Poirier, who was playing both ends of the series in net for Texas. Rockford took a 3–2 lead after Mike Hardman and Anders Bjork scored early in the first half of the second frame. Bjork’s goal was shorthanded after a mess of a second period that included 11 penalties total, six against the IceHogs.

Super chill goal, no big deal pic.twitter.com/BMesG8FAQr

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 7, 2024

After a late-period goal by Texas tied the score at 3–3 after two periods of action, Rockford would finish the scoring in the third period with two goals, started by Jackson Cates scoring off the rush after a nice cross-ice pass from Marcel Marcel. The goal was Cates’ fourth of the season.

A moment for Mr. Jackson Cates please pic.twitter.com/JtkAEOZZKU

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 7, 2024

Bjork would finish off the scoring when he netted his sixth at the 15:12 mark to seal the deal on the victory. The 28-save night for Weeks gives the 22-year old two victories in two chances this season.

High on the Hog

— Bjork scored twice and was the No. 1 star of the game on Saturday. The Mequon, Wisconsin, native continues to show a nice offensive touch at the AHL with 19 points in 23 games with Rockford this season. With the injury mess going on in Chicago, Bjork should not go too far from his phone, as he could get an NHL contract and call-up to the parent club.

— Weeks has been a nice surprise with two victories in two contests, giving up three goals in each contest. Weeks is showing early on that he can make some big saves as he continues to gain confidence as a prospect who does not get talked about much. It will be interesting to see how the three-headed monster in Rockford is used as Commesso, Weeks and Jaxson Stauber can all win on any given night.

Upcoming week

Rockford plays two more road games on Friday and Saturday as the Grand Rapids Griffins welcome the IceHogs in the Van Andel Arena. Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m. CST puck drops.

The post Rockford splits with Texas on the road appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

— Wyatt Aamodt, who normally plays as a defenseman, played the entire road trip as a forward. He was impressive with his speed and willingness to go to the net. In the four games, he finished with five shots on the net, 14 penalty minutes and broke even on plus/minus. Aamodt never hesitated to go to the corners for the puck and had a brilliant play with Ondrej Pavel that almost resulted in a goal. To be honest, if a forward is out, keep Aamodt in the lineup as a winger.

Ondrej Pavel makes a beautiful pass across the slot to Wyatt Aamodt (playing as a forward) but Askarov is able to get over in time. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Cbm5NMtA5a

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 7, 2024

— The power play is back to its old ways. The Eagles failed to convert on the power play the entire series against Milwaukee in six chances. Colorado only converted on two out of 14 chances in the four games on the entire road trip. This adds up to a 14.2 percent success rate on the road trip. Not to say that the chances are not there, the Eagles are just not finishing.

— The best scoring chance other than Aamodt’s missed shot came from Jack Ahcan. He snapped a shot right over Askarov into the corner of the net, but the goal was immediately waved off. This could have formed some momentum for the Eagles, but there was not even a review of the shot.

Jack Ahcan looks like he gets a shot through but the goal is immediately waived off. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/O5BBDslZVA

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 7, 2024

— For the third game in a row, Riley Tufte has failed to register a point. He has only one goal and one assist in the last eight games for the Eagles. The offense has been struggling with him not being able to produce lately, even though he still leads the team in points.

Conclusion

The Eagles walk away from the road trip with a 2–1–1 record and five out of eight points. Until tonight, the team’s chemistry was noticeable, but then everything went wrong. The bright side is that players are getting healthy. Jean-Luc Foudy traveled on his first road trip all year. Chris Wagner is making progress towards playing after an offseason injury as well. Justus Annunen showed a lot of confidence in the net until tonight, but some goals were not his doing. The Eagles will next be in action on January 12 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Loveland.

The post Aamodt looks good in Eagles’ shutout loss appeared first on The Rink.

Saturday, Dec. 30 — Milwaukee 5, Rockford 4 (shootout)

The Rockford IceHogs took the short trek across the Wisconsin border for the first of a back-to-back against the Milwaukee Admirals at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers Arena. The Admirals skated away with the 5–4 victory after the game ended in three rounds in the shootout.

Rockford scored first at the 10:35 mark of the first period when forward Michal Teply scored his fourth goal of the season only to be equaled 20 seconds later when Milwaukee center Jasper Weatherby beat Jaxson Stauber to tie the game and would be the first of four straight goals for the home team as the Admirals would lead 4–1 after two periods of action.

The no-quit IceHogs scored three straight in the third period to tie the game at the end of intermission. Defenseman Nolan Allan scored his first goal of the season at the 1:28 mark beating Admirals goaltender Troy Grosenick.

We’re so proud pic.twitter.com/ZHTFeo5gyK

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) December 31, 2023

Forward Antti Saarela scored his third of the season to cut the Admirals lead to one goal at the 8:35 mark of the third period before Logan Nijhoff fired home his third on the power play at the 15:50 mark to eventually send the game into overtime.

Holy! Guacamole! pic.twitter.com/VRNC5j1bSC

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) December 31, 2023

Rockford made the overtime interesting with back-to-back tripping penalties by Brett Seney and Allan, but Milwaukee would not capitalize on the mistakes.

In the shootout, Teply buried home Rockford’s first attempt, but that would not be enough, as Anders Bjork and Dave Gust were stoned by Grosenick as Jordan Gross and Egor Afanasyev beat Stauber in their chances, giving Milwaukee the 5–4 victory.

Sunday, Dec. 31 — Rockford 4, Milwaukee 3

Here is a nice look at the lineup for Rockford in their 4–3 victory on New Year’s Eve.

Last lines of 2023 pic.twitter.com/I0DNwgX8zq

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) December 31, 2023

Rockford returned home and jumped on the Admirals early in the contest when Seney, who would be sent up to Chicago after the game, scored his eight goal of the season at the 5:20 mark of the opening frame. The goal, assisted by Gust and Bjork, was on the power play after an interference call on Egor Afanasyev and a high-sticking infraction on Reid Schaefer 23 seconds apart.

Starting with a BANG pic.twitter.com/79R8ET4Xdg

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) December 31, 2023

In the middle frame, each team scored twice, as Milwaukee tied the contest when Anthony Angello buried home his third of the season behind Rockford goaltender Mitchell Weeks. Rockford scored to take the lead at the 11:46 mark, only to be matched by defenseman Marc Del Gaizo a few minutes later.

Forward Ryder Rolston scored the IceHogs’ second power play goal of the game at the 18:34 mark to give the home team a 3–2 advantage after two periods of action.

In what can only be described as an ugly third period, both teams ended up with four penalties each, including a tilt between Milwaukee’s Jake Livingstone and Rockford’s Jalen Luypen, and both found the back of the net one time as Gust fired home the game winner behind Admiral netminder Gustavs Davis Grigals at the 14:58 mark before both teams went home to celebrate the New Year.

Gusty has plans tonight pic.twitter.com/llZgz0zwip

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 1, 2024

High on the Hog

— Rockford is currently tied for third in the Central Division with a 12–13–3–1 for 28 points. The IceHogs were a defenseman carousel in December, as the parent Blackhawks recalled Wyatt Kaiser, Filip Roos and Isaak Phillips all at one point in the month of December.

— Dave Gust continues to be a fan favorite as he leads the IceHogs in goals, assists and points in his 26 games played this season in Rockford. The Orland Park, Illinois, native could be the next in line as a forward call-up to Chicago as the Blackhawks see a rash of injuries and poor play amongst their forwards.

— Chicago fans are getting a first-hand look at why rushing a goaltender is a poor idea. Drew Commesso showed signs of struggling in the month of December and ended up watching both games agains the Admirals as he sets himself up for the new year. Commesso has shown signs of athleticism and compete level that wins at the next level. However, as a 21-year-old still learning the pro game, his struggles are in front of AHL fans each night and not NHL fans each night. The psyche of a goaltender can be quite fickle for even the best. The star still shines bright on Commesso as Blackhawks fans continue to watch Arvid Soderblom burst right before their eyes.

Upcoming week

Rockford travels to the Lone Star State to take on the Texas Stars on back-to-back nights starting Friday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Arena. Both contests are scheduled for a 7 p.m. CST puck drop.

The post Rockford splits with Milwaukee to bring in the new year appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

— Cal Burke is heating up and getting back in a groove. By scoring goals in consecutive games, he has affected how the opponent approaches the zone. Burke is a two-way center that loves to forecheck, backcheck and give you 100 percent on every shift. He has averaged four shots on goal in the last six games to help boost the offense since returning on December 16th.

Cal Burke snaps his 5th of the season in for the 5-2 lead for the Eagles. Right off of the faceoff, Kero and Hunt with the assists #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/nyIjJhm7OD

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) December 31, 2023

Cal Burke with his 2nd goal of the night and 3rd point. Jack Ahcan provides the cross slot pass and his 2nd assist of the night. Eagles up 6-2 #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/EWedBB6AQL

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) December 31, 2023

— Sam Malinski showed off the experience he gained from his recall to the Colorado Avalanche. So far this season, Malinski has played 14 games with the Avalanche where he had one goal and four assists. He showed his experience on the first penalty kill of the game tonight with his aggressiveness on the puck carrier. He was smoother in his skating and more confident in his attacks. The NHL had a significant positive impact on Malinski, clear in the first period alone.

— Annunen played his third game in a row and since coming back from injury. He struggled in the first game against Calgary, playing only 32 minutes, but has since performed consistently. He has allowed only four goals in 51 shots, which has given the Eagles a fighting chance. As the game went along tonight, he showed more mobility and confidence in the movement towards the puck.

— The power play unit in tonight’s victory was doing a lot of things right. They were moving the puck and doing it to the right places. Skaters were taking shots on the net at will, taking advantage of the inexperienced Hunter Jones in net. Colorado was following their shots up with secondary rebound shots, getting even more chances. There is a spark there, and we saw it come alive tonight.

Brad Hunt with a hard slapper from the blue line that works its way through the crowd. Assists come from Burke and Kero and the Eagles are up 1-0. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/xrK8lw3bvn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) December 31, 2023

Conclusion

The Eagles showed a lot of confidence in their puck movement with the momentum of a victory behind them on Thursday. Having another puck carrying defenseman helped their exits out of their own zone a lot with Malinski. Their lack of discipline at the end of the game resulted in six penalties in the third alone, which could have cost them. But they could weather the storm with two players ejected from the game. This team is showing some chemistry under Aaron Schneekloth and it is exciting. The Eagles’ next game will be on Friday, January 5th in Milwaukee against the Admirals.

Matt Stienburg drops the gloves with Adam Raska after an open ice hit. The result would be Stienburg getting 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting and 10 for misconduct #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/c1XqVFkQYQ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) December 31, 2023

The post Burke heats up in victory over Wild appeared first on The Rink.

Wednesday, Nov. 22 — Rockford 6, Manitoba 2

The Rockford IceHogs jumped out to a dominating 6–0 lead and never looked back on their way to a 6–2 victory over the visiting Manitoba Moose. Rockford scored three goals each in the first two periods, five of them while 5-on-5 hockey.

Cole Guttman got the scoring started after defeating former Blackhawks goaltender Collin Delia midway through the first period of action. Only 19 seconds later, David Gust beat Delia with his fourth goal of the season as Manitoba’s heads were left spinning.

Sheeeeeesh pic.twitter.com/Q0eMBNH2zF

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 23, 2023

With five minutes left in the opening frame, Ryder Rolston scored his third goal of the season on the power play to give the IceHogs a 3–0 lead at the end of the period.

Hogs are bringing the heat pic.twitter.com/NvjrlxqSFu

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 23, 2023

Gust scored his second of the game at the 1:19 mark of the second period to continue the onslaught on Delia. Andrew Perrot and Colton Dach assisted on the play.

'Tis the season for Gusty goals pic.twitter.com/XlPZSW74b4

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 23, 2023

Rolston would not let Gust upstage him when he fired home his second of the game at the 2:27 mark. The goal looked to be a great opportunity to switch up for the Moose in net but head coach Mark Morrison stuck with Delia as he would give up all six goals on 25 IceHogs shots for the game.

Rolly be gobblin' up these goals pic.twitter.com/X93AN6Avuq

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 23, 2023

Brett Seney would end the scoring for the IceHogs on the evening with his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Perrot and Guttman.

Jaxson Stauber stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced on the evening on his way to his fourth victory on the season.

Friday, Nov. 24 — Rockford 2, Milwaukee 1 in overtime

Gust and Colton Dach would each score to give the IceHogs a 2–1 victory in overtime at home against the Milwaukee Admirals. Dach’s fifth goal of the season gave Rockford the lead at the 0:29 mark of the third period and was the first tally of the game for either team. Milwaukee would tie the game at the 11:45 mark when Keaton Thompson scored his first of the season after beating Drew Commesso. Gust’s goal in overtime at the 3:55 mark would end the game when Milwaukee netminder Yaroslav Askarov surrendered the goal.

Commesso would continue his hot streak stopping 32 shots for the victory.

We're feeling a little under the weather, good thing the Dach-ter is in pic.twitter.com/02ahU5KjFu

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 25, 2023

We'll be watching this one on repeat all night long pic.twitter.com/WYgSOqrOCS

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 25, 2023

Saturday, Nov. 25 — Milwaukee 3, Rockford 2 in overtime

Milwaukee would fight back and earn their overtime victory the next night in Wisconsin with a 3–2 victory. Each team looked sluggish after a long, tough game the evening before.

Just called up from the Indy Fuel, Ryan Gagnier scored his first AHL goal at the 12:37 mark of the second period. Gagnier’s goal on Troy Grosenick was assisted by Louis Crevier and Marcel Marcel.

First AHL goals just never get old pic.twitter.com/CK7X7JJPXi

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 26, 2023

Milwaukee would tie the game up after a Bryce Kindopp tripping penalty a minute later to tie the game at 1–1 after two periods of action.

Zach Jordan scored his first goal of the season after his shot beat a floundering Grosenick in net.

Nothing but good vibes and smiles over here pic.twitter.com/y8TjmpLlNQ

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 26, 2023

Milwaukee would finish off the night with a goal in the third period and one in overtime for their 3–2 victory. Stauber would stop 29 shots in the overtime loss.

High on the hog

• On Nov. 23, the Chicago Blackhawks called up Guttman and Joey Anderson to the parent club. Both forwards were off to a great start in Rockford and the call-ups were definitely earned. In the NHL, both can be seen as a fill-in for bottom-six roles, with Anderson always playing at a breakneck speed.
• Commesso continued his hot start, and not to sound like a broken record, is showing an excellent adjustment to the professional game. Commesso’s athletic ability is sneaky good and his positioning has grown substantially since my viewing in the USHL prior to being drafted. Blackhawks fans should be very excited about his hot start.
• Rockford is currently in second place in the Central Division with 20 points, only trailing the Texas Stars by one point. With a 9–5–2 record, the Hogs are showing fans a great product on the ice.

Upcoming week

Rockford hits the ice in Manitoba for a Friday-Sunday matchup with the division rival Moose. Friday’s puck drop is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m. CST followed by Sunday’s start of 2 p.m. CST.

The post IceHogs take five points over three games for second straight week appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Nov. 17 — Milwaukee 5, Rockford 4 (OT)

The Rockford IceHogs scored with 11 seconds remaining in regulation when Joey Anderson beat Troy Grosenick to tie the game at 4–4 and force overtime in Rockford. Anderson’s sixth goal this season would get the IceHogs a point but Milwaukee’s Cal O’Reilly beat IceHog goaltender Drew Commesso at the 2:20 mark in overtime.

Rockford fell behind 2–0 after one period of action only to tie the game at 2–2 when Antti Saarela and Anders Bjork each scored in the middle frame. Bjork’s tally came on the power play late at the 16:04 mark.

Just gonna slide in behind ya and clean that up pic.twitter.com/bV0cadzBiT

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 18, 2023

BURIED. IT. pic.twitter.com/vIUGDCprEN

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 18, 2023

Milwaukee would take back the lead early in the third period, but that lead would be short-lived after Colton Dach buried his first professional goal to tie the game at 3–3. After Milwaukee took back the lead, the aforementioned Anderson goal sent the teams into overtime.

Commesso stopped 19 of the 24 shots he faced in the overtime loss.

Saturday, Nov. 18 — Rockford 4, Iowa 3 (SO)

Dach would conitnue his hot weekend with a hat trick, scoring the only three regulation goals for the visiting IceHogs. The second-round pick was a force to be reckoned with and carried the IceHogs on his back for the entire game. Dach scored one goal each period, giving him a total of four goals on the season.

BURIED. IT. pic.twitter.com/vIUGDCprEN

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 18, 2023

The unstoppable Colton Dach pic.twitter.com/fnbKOl3BUR

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 19, 2023

First pro hat trick, nbd

pic.twitter.com/H6D0F97zrg

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 19, 2023

In the shootout, Cole Guttman and Dach would beat Wild netminder Zane McIntyre to secore the 4–3 victory, snapping the IceHogs’ four-game losing streak.

If you need us, we'll be watching this on a loop until further notice pic.twitter.com/kYhGztGkUN

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 19, 2023

Sunday, Nov. 19 — Rockford 3, Iowa 1

Rockford would jump out to an early lead when Bjork scored his fourth goal of the season at the 16-second mark of the opening period. Bjork won the opening face-off and found himself at the right circle and fired a shot behind McIntyre for the early 1–0 lead.

Mind blowing pic.twitter.com/xYFEwnYfKz

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 19, 2023

Anderson continued to show his scoring touch with his seventh goal of the season on the power play early in the second period to give the visiting IceHogs a 2–0 lead before the Wild’s David Spacek scored midway through the third to cut the Rockford lead to 2–1 before winger Bryce Kindopp scored into an empty net for his second goal this season and topping off the Rockford 3–1 victory.

High on the hog

• Colton Dach scored his first professional goal on Friday and followed up with a hat track on Saturday. The brother of former first-round pick Kirby Dach has the size and nose for the net that can raise havoc on the ice for opposing teams. Dach’s development in Rockford as a 20-year-old is one to keep an eye on as he learns the professional game without the spotlight of the NHL.
• Anders Bjork and Joey Anderson continue to lead the way on the ice with Brett Seney and David Gust. All four are players to keep an eye on if Chicago decides to bring up some hot hands in Rockford.
• Goaltender Drew Commesso continues to show he is prepared early on in his professional career. Commesso uses his athleticism and his excellent positioning to compete on every shot. With some health and Jaxson Stauber taking a night in net every once in awhile, the former second-round pick should see 50–60 games in net this season, exactly what a 21-year-old goaltender needs in his development.

Upcoming week

The IceHogs take on the Manitoba Moose at home on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. CST puck drop. The Milwaukee Admirals will come skating into Rockford on Friday for a 7 p.m. CST start before traveling up to Milwaukee for a Saturday matchup with the Admirals scheduled for a 6 p.m. CST start.

The post Rockford takes five points in three-game weekend appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Oct. 27 — Rockford 6, Iowa 2

The Rockford IceHogs scored the first five goals of the game and Jaxson Stuaber stopped 22 shots in a contest that saw Rockford dominate the Iowa Wild in all three zones.

In the first period, Dave Gust, Ryder Rolston and Brett Seney all scored to put the game out of reach. Gust opened the scoring with after taking a nice pass and firing a shot past first-round pick Jesper Wallstedt early in the first period.

Bet you didn't see that one coming pic.twitter.com/wTvEWGKYfP

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 28, 2023

After a turnover in the Wild zone, Rolston fired a wrist shot past Wallstedt. Rolston has a nose for the net and can be a sneaky good shot when he has time.

NAILED IT https://t.co/KA5XyiAmZK pic.twitter.com/wsd1o3J9jv

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 28, 2023

Midway through the second period, Logan Nijhoff scored his first AHL career goal, assisted by defenseman Isaak Phillips.

First career AHL goal for Nijhoff

HOGS ARE COOKIN pic.twitter.com/2PKh9MabAY

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 28, 2023

Michal Teply and Joey Anderson would find the back of the net to finish off the IceHogs’ 5–2 victory.

Saturday, Oct. 28 — Rockford 3, Grand Rapids 0

Drew Commesso stopped all 18 shots he faced in the whitewashing of the Griffins in Rockford. Commesso has shown an excellent approach in net in his first three games this season. The former second-round pick is adjusting to the professional game quite well.

Rockford scored twice within a minute in the first period when defenseman Ethan Del Mastro scored his first AHL goal of the season and Seney fired his third of the season past Michael Hutchinson in net.

and what a goal it was https://t.co/HmnC2qW3h6 pic.twitter.com/Rn0FlUxCeX

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 29, 2023

Anderson continued his early-season success after scoring his fourth goal of the season into an empty net to finish off the Griffins 3–0.

High on the Hog

• Drew Commesso has shown a nice calm presence in net early on this season. In his three appearances, he shown an athleticism that not many would notice and an excellent job staying square to pucks.
• Isaak Phillips was recalled to Chicago after Alex Vlasic was sidelined with a concussion issue. Phillips does a nice job controlling the blue line in the AHL but needs to simplify his game at the NHL level, make the simple play and get off the ice.
• Joey Anderson has four goals and five assists in five games and shows the veteran presence along the forward lines.
• Dave Gust has eight points in five games and has shown he could be one of the first players called up from Rockford if the parent club needs some forward depth. Not bad for an undrafted local player.

Upcoming week

Rockford travels to Manitoba to take on the Moose on Saturday at 2 p.m. CDT with the second of the back-to-back on Sunday for another 2 p.m. CDT puck drop.

The post Rockford wins both in dominant weekend appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Oct. 13 — Rockford 7, San Jose 2

Dave Gust scored twice as Drew Commesso earned his first professional victory, stopping 34 San Jose shots. Forward Joey Anderson added three assists on the night. Rockford also received goals from Anders Bjork, Mike Hardman, Michal Teply, Ryder Rolston and Bryce Kindopp.

Rolston, Nolan Allan, Ethan Del Mastro, Jalen Luypen and Antti Saarela made their regular season AHL debuts in Friday night’s victory.

Take a look at all the opening night action while we get ready to do it again tomorrow! https://t.co/Qd11QjgjBT

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 14, 2023

Saturday, Oct. 14 — San Jose 7, Rockford 2

San Jose returned the 7–2 favor on Rockford behind two goals from forward Ryan Carpenter. Carpenter spent three years in the Blackhawks organization. Goaltender Jaxson Stauber surrendered the seven goals while being barraged by 49 shots.

Anderson recorded his fourth point on the weekend after he scored his first of the season early in the second period. Brett Seney scored two minutes later and that would be all the IceHogs could muster on the night.

IBEW Highlights: Next stop home sweet homehttps://t.co/ZhlC65EU7l

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 15, 2023

High on the Hog

Commesso earning the victory on opening night is an excellent start for the former second-round pick out of the U.S. National Team Development Program and Boston University. Commesso also added an assist on the second Gust goal.

Rolston scored his first AHL goal, set up by Luypen’s first AHL point.

RYDER ROLSTON FIRST AHL GOAL
JALEN LUYPEN FIRST AHL POINT pic.twitter.com/xAojWs45d3

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 14, 2023

Gust played an excellent game on opening night after being a late cut by the Blackhawks in training camp. The 29-year-old Orland Park, Illinois, native will bring a ton of respect and leadership to a young Rockford squad.

ANOTHER ONE FOR GUSTY

HOGS UP 5-1 pic.twitter.com/loJ7w3OPWs

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 14, 2023

Upcoming week

The IceHogs welcome the Chicago Wolves to Rockford for their first home game of the season on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT.

The post IceHogs split 7–2 games in San Jose appeared first on The Rink.

The opening night roster is as follows:

Forwards

Joey Anderson
Brandon Baddock
Anders Bjork
Ryan Gagnier
Dave Gust
Mike Hardman
Kale Howarth
Zach Jordan
Bryce Kindopp
Jalen Luypen
Marcel Marcel
Logan Nijhoff
Ryder Rolston
Antti Saarela
Brett Seney
Michal Teply

Defenseman

Nolan Allan
Louis Crevier
Ethan Del Mastro
Josh Healey
Josh Maniscalco
Andrew Perrott
Isaak Phillips
Filip Roos

Goaltenders

Drew Commesso
Jaxson Stauber

The post Rockford IceHogs open the season against San Jose Barracuda appeared first on The Rink.

Schneekloth learned from Cronin in the five years while under his watch.

“Don’t be afraid to coach the player,” Schneekloth said. “There’s always going to be difficult opportunities where you need to be a harder coach and demand more of a player, and honesty is always the best policy and in those situations and I learned a lot from Greg in that department while he was here.”

This was the parting advice that Cronin had for his apprentice. Chris MacFarland, the general manager of the Colorado Avalanche, extolled Schneekloth’s promotion. MacFarland said of Schneekloth, “He has earned this,” and “the more we chatted, all roads just kept leading back to Aaron.”

Schneekloth has earned it.

Martin Lind, the Eagles’ owner, mentioned, “I can’t think of one person who has gone from player, to coach to head coach, to coach and then head coach. All without having to move from the same city.”

Lind was saying this as he fought away tears of his own, looking at Schneekloth’s wife, Kristie, who had turned on the waterworks long before that. A sense of community and family was strong with this promotion. Because you never see someone stick with an organization for so long.

Lind gave the promise that “We are going to win,” with a blushing Schneekloth beside him. They have set the bar high already, because of the history. Schneekloth will now work with the forwards, supported by the Avalanche and Eagles. He will have more talented players this time around, players who are faster and more skilled, especially as the Avalanche build their prospect pool back up after winning a Stanley Cup in 2022.

The post Aaron Schneekloth introduced as Eagles’ head coach appeared first on The Rink.

The Colorado Eagles seek a fresh start after an early elimination in the playoffs by the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Eagles achieved their highest number of wins last season since becoming a part of the American Hockey League.

The Eagles finished with a record of 40–22–7–3, enough for coach Greg Cronin to catch the eyes of the Anaheim Ducks. Assistant coach Aaron Schneekloth has since taken the helm and looks to bring Colorado back to the playoffs this season.

The Eagles will open the season up against the Grand Rapids Griffins with a home-and-home series. This will be the first time that the Eagles will ever face the Griffins in franchise history.

We shall see if the storied rivalry of the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings will make for some violent games in the opening couple of weeks.

Thirteen different opponents visit Loveland:

• Abbotsford Canucks
• Bakersfield Condors
• Calgary Wranglers
• Coachella Valley Firebirds
• Grand Rapids Griffins
• Henderson Silver Knights
• Iowa Wild
• Milwaukee Admirals
• Ontario Reign
• San Diego Gulls
• San Jose Barracuda
• Texas Stars
• Tucson Roadrunners

Colorado will also travel on the road to play the same 13 opponents.

The Eagles have not faced the Admirals since their game in Milwaukee on Feb. 27, 2022. Colorado won that game in overtime and swept the series four games to none that season. Nashville has done a lot of building up in its development, so this could make for a great few games.

Longest home stands:

• Six games (Nov. 24–Dec. 9, Jan. 12–21 and March 15–30)

The Eagles struggled the most on the trips up north to the Canadian teams, so the repeat in the schedule will be interesting.

You can find their schedule on their website here.

The post Colorado Eagles release 2023–24 schedule appeared first on The Rink.

While the play-in round may or may not be referred to as “the playoffs,” the customary ‘Black Aces’ recalls which normally precede teams making the postseason will still be in play. The group of players called up from the AHL or prospect system, as well as injured players working to get back into the NHL, is known as the ‘Black Aces.’

For the Blackhawks, the roster already had a few players coming up from the Rockford IceHogs late in the season to get some NHL ice-time. With injury recovery to consider, the ‘Black Aces’ may just be along for the ride with the Blackhawks as they take on the Oilers.

For a refresher, here is what the Blackhawks roster looked like for their final regular season game back on March 11:

Starting Lineup vs San Jose Sharks on March 11

• Forwards
  • Dominik Kubalik
  • Alex DeBrincat
  • Dylan Strome
  • Jonathan Toews
  • Brandon Saad
  • Ryan Carpenter
  • Matthew Highmore
  • Brandon Hagel
  • David Kampf
  • Kirby Dach
  • Patrick Kane
  • Alexander Nylander
• Defense
  • Duncan Keith
  • Connor Murphy
  • Olli Maata
  • Lucas Carlsson
  • Slater Koekkoek
  • Nicolas Beaudin
• Goaltenders
  • Corey Crawford
  • Malcolm Subban
• Scratches (* Injured Reserve)
  • Zack Smith
  • Adam Boqvist
  • Nick Seeler
  • Drake Caggiula
  • Brent Seabrook *
  • Calvin de Haan *
  • Andrew Shaw *

Players such as Brandon Hagel, Lucas Carlsson, and Nicolas Beaudin found their way to the NHL this season with Chicago after making considerable strides in the AHL with the IceHogs. But, their time with the club likely will not translate into much, if any, ice-time during the play-in round or beyond barring any injury.

Considering Drake Caggiula is recovered from his hand injury from March 9 against the St. Louis Blues and Adam Boqvist is cleared from being placed in concussion protocol after the same game against the Blues on March 9, those two players will likely rejoin the Blackhawks’ regular lineup.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 13: Calvin de Haan #44 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on November 13, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images)

One of the major comebacks for the Blackhawks lineup would be the return of defenseman Calvin de Haan. After undergoing shoulder surgery in late December, de Haan was given a four-to-five month timetable for a full recovery. While the NHL doesn’t have a firm timetable for when the league will get back into action, they announced that they do not believe that team training camps prior to the play-in round will begin before mid-July.

A mid-July training camp start gives de Haan ample time to be fully ready to return to the Blackhawks, a team that will need all the help they can get heading into a best-of-five series against the Oilers led by Leon Draisaitl, the league-leader in points for the 2019-20 season, and arguably the league’s most talented player in Connor McDavid.

Photo courtesy of NBC Sports

As for the other two players on the Blackhawks injured-reserve list, Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw, the outlook for their return to the lineup isn’t as clear. For Shaw, he was placed in concussion protocol in late-November and wasn’t given a timetable for return in the 2019-20 season. In February, it was announced that he would for sure not be returning before the end of the year and was hopeful to be ready to play in the 2020-21 season.

The case for Seabrook to be ready by the time the Blackhawks and Oilers drop the puck is tricky. In December, he was shut down for the rest of the 2019-20 season and underwent shoulder surgery. It was also revealed that he would need surgery on both hips, having the procedures done in February. After getting the surgeries, Seabrook was given a five-to-six month timetable for recovery, which would land him right about late-July/early-August to likely be cleared for action.

Post-injury recovery is always tricky and given that Seabrook isn’t under the constant supervision and care of the Blackhawks medical staff during his recovery, it’s hard to gauge exactly where he may be in his process for returning to the ice. One also has to ask the question: How much does a post-double hip surgery Brent Seabrook bring to Chicago? For the time being, we’ll consider Seabrook still sidelined.

With all that said, the Blackhawks lineup with most players back to full health is pretty much cut and dry heading into their play-in round against the Oilers. With maybe one or two spots up for grabs, it’s hard to imagine any of the prospects or IceHogs call-ups to push for real ice-time with a spot in the REAL Stanley Cup Playoffs on the line. That doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it though.

‘Black Ace’ Considerations

The Rockford IceHogs saw their 2019-20 season cut short as well due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AHL canceled the rest of the 2019-20 regular season and the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs on May 11, ending the IceHogs’ postseason hopes, as they were tied for the final Central Division playoff spot with the Chicago Wolves when the season ended.

Although the ending was not what anyone could have expected, the IceHogs saw a number of young players take important strides through the 2019-20 campaign. In his end of season conference call, IceHogs head coach Derek King gave praise to a number of rookies from the IceHogs this season, “You’ll get a chance to see guys who were up there when the season was put on hold like Brandon Hagel (and) Lucas Carlsson,” King said. “You have Dylan Sikura that could still go up and MacKenzie Entwistle, too, that played big roles for us this year. Defensively, you can look at a guy like Dennis Gilbert. There’s plenty of bodies available for (Chicago), but who they might take, I’m not sure.”

With the assumed returns of Adam Boqvist, Calvin de Haan, and Drake Caggiula, the Blackhawks are already looking at a 25-man roster heading into the play-in round. With rosters opened up to a maximum of 30 players, there’s not a ton of room for all of the budding young players from the prospect system to fit. Here’s who should be in top consideration for Chicago’s ‘Black Aces.’

Brandon Hagel

Hagel made the jump from juniors to the professional game late in the 2018-19 season with the IceHogs, playing in a handful of games before making his full season debut this year. In his first year with the IceHogs, Hagel led the team with 19 goals and ranked third in scoring with 31 points. He also led all IceHogs rookies in points and ranked in the top-15 in the AHL for points and goals for all rookies.

Brandon Hagel of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins)

Hagel earned a couple of call-ups to the Blackhawks this season but only played in one game in the NHL this year, playing 11:48 minutes against the Sharks in what ended up being the final game of the 2019-20 regular season. He recorded four shots on goal in his only game with the Blackhawks. Hagel has a combination of speed and bite to his game that the Blackhawks like in him. Adding his scoring touch he showcased with the IceHogs as a rookie, Hagel could benefit from being around a playoff-type atmosphere as he tries to factor into Chicago’s near-future plans.

Philipp Kurashev

When healthy for the IceHogs this season, Philipp Kurashev finished third in scoring for rookies with 19 points in 36 games and was one of eight players to finish the year with Rockford scoring above a half-point per game pace (0.53). His highlight of the season came in a 12-game span from November 29 to December 27, where he tallied 11 points, including a three-point night against the Toronto Marlies on December 15.

Philipp Kurashev of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Kurashev didn’t get a chance to play with the Blackhawks this season, but he figures to be pushing for NHL ice-time soon. Kurashev received high-praise from IceHogs head coach Derek King on his year-end conference call, and rightfully so. King noted that he feels like a healthy Kurashev can be an NHL player in one or two years. “He acts like a pro, he plays like a pro, handles himself like one,” King said. “He has a chance to be a special player.”

Dylan Sikura

One of the more “veteran” of the ‘Black Ace’ options for the Blackhawks, Sikura has skated in 47 career NHL games with Chicago, tallying 14 points. This season with the IceHogs, Sikura skated in 45 games and recorded 33 points, ranking second in points and finishing the season with the team’s highest point per game pace (0.73).

Dylan Sikura #95 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period at the United Center on January 5, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Sikura skated in nine games this season with the Blackhawks from early-December to mid-January, notching three points and scoring his first NHL goal against the Detroit Red Wings on January 5. He averaged 9:54 minutes of ice-time per game this season.

John Quenneville

Another option for the Blackhawks with some previous NHL experience, John Quenneville was a leader for the IceHogs this season, when healthy. In 36 AHL games this season, Quenneville scored 13 goals and 22 points, ranking third on the team in goals and finishing second on the team with a 0.61 points per game pace.

John Quenneville of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs) : Christian Bonin/TSGphoto.com)

Quenneville has 42 NHL games under his belt, playing in nine games with the Blackhawks in his first year with the organization after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils. He averaged 11:03 minutes of ice-time with Chicago this season but didn’t record any points.

MacKenzie Entwistle

Another IceHogs rookie to make a significant impact in his first professional season, MacKenzie Entwistle doesn’t hold as much flash in his game as Hagel or Kurashev but is just as effective offensively as he is defensively. Entwistle finished the season with 11 goals and 26 points, good for fourth on the team in scoring and second in goals and points for all Rockford rookies behind Hagel.

MacKenzie Entwistle of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Possessing a two-way style of play that translates well to the NHL level, Entwistle has time to grow from his productive rookie year into a fully well-rounded player. Consistently utilized in key moments and on special teams for the IceHogs, Entwistle could be another rookie who is on the cusp of making his way to the NHL with the Blackhawks and could benefit from being around players like Jonathan Toews, Ryan Carpenter, and Brandon Saad in a playoff-like setting.

Ian Mitchell

Will he or won’t he…be eligible to play this season? The question that still has no definitive answer for the Blackhawks yet is whether or not newly signed Ian Mitchell will be available to play in the play-in series against Edmonton. Mitchell signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on April 13, while the league was already on hold. The deal wouldn’t kick-in until either the 2019-20 season resumed or until the beginning of the 2020-21 season. But with the league resuming with the 24-team playoff format, players like Mitchell who signed contracts while the league has been paused are still unsure if they’ll be available to play.

Highly touted defensive prospect Ian Mitchell has reportedly agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photograph courtesy of Denver University)

If Mitchell is allowed to play, he’ll surely be brought to Chicago to get on the ice, even if just to practice. He figures to be in the mix defensively for the Blackhawks as soon as next season and being around the team in a playoff atmosphere can serve as a jumping-off point for his professional career. Mitchell played in 116 games at the University of Denver, tallying 89 points in his NCAA career. He was named to the NCHC All-Rookie team as a freshman, second team NCHC All-Star as a sophomore, and a first team NCHC All-Star this season as a junior. Mitchell also played with Team Canada at this past December’s Spengler Cup, winning the tournament.

Lucas Carlsson

Carlsson led the IceHogs in points as a defenseman for the second-straight year this season with 26 points in 48 AHL games. He led IceHogs defensemen last season with 33 points in 69 games as a rookie. Carlsson was rewarded at the end of the regular season with the Blackhawks, skating in six games for Chicago and tallying his first NHL assist against the Anaheim Ducks on March 3.

Lucas Carlsson of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

An offensive threat from the blue-line, Carlsson averaged 14:08 minutes of ice-time with the Blackhawks in his six games. With players like Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, and Nicolas Beaudin all in the fold defensively for the Blackhawks, Carlsson may find it difficult to carve his way into the regular NHL-fold with Chicago. For now, he’d figure to hold his roster spot into the play-in round.

Nicolas Beaudin

Speaking of Beaudin, he was another rookie to make his NHL debut with the Blackhawks this season. Playing in the final regular season game of the 2019-20 season, Beaudin skated for 17:01 minutes for Chicago in a 6-2 win over the Sharks. Beaudin registered two shots on net in his only NHL start.

Nicolas Beaudin of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

After a slow start out of the gate as a rookie for the IceHogs, Beaudin found his stride later in the year and became the second-leading point producer from the blue-line for Rockford. He skated in 59 AHL games and tallied 15 points. Although selected 19 picks after Adam Boqvist in the 2018 NHL Draft, Beaudin’s trajectory after just one full season looks a bit different than Boqvist’s as he will more than likely play next season back with the IceHogs full-time. He might end up being an odd-man-out when the cuts for ‘Black Aces’ are made, depending on the status of Ian Mitchell.

Dennis Gilbert

Looking for something different than a puck-moving defenseman who is under six-foot tall? Enter Dennis Gilbert. Not an analytics darling, Gilbert has made incremental impacts for the Blackhawks physically from the blue-line over the past two seasons. He has skated in 22 NHL games for Chicago, averaging 15:42 minutes per game with a goal and two assists all coming this past season. Since making the jump to the professional level last season, Gilbert has appeared in 93 AHL games with the IceHogs, recording 21 points and amassing a reputation of physical play.

Dennis Gilbert of the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo Courtesy: Chicago Blackhawks.)

Gilbert made vast improvements to his skating and offensive confidence late last season with Rockford and it translated to getting more opportunities with Chicago this year. With the Blackhawks investing time in defensemen like Mitchell, Boqvist, and Carlsson, the six-foot-two, 220-pound Gilbert would be a contrast in style and could provide Chicago with a much-need physical edge in a playoff setting.

Collin Delia

The Blackhawks already have Corey Crawford and Malcolm Subban in net at the NHL level, but carrying a third goaltender in these playoff-type settings isn’t a bad idea. Collin Delia is the clear choice. With Kevin Lankinen recovering from shoulder surgery, Delia and Matt Tomkins are the remaining goaltenders from the IceHogs, and Delia is the one with NHL experience and realistic aspirations. He made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in the 2017-18 season and has appeared in 18 games with a 7-5-2 record, 3.65 GAA and a .906 save percentage for Chicago.

Collin Delia makes a save for the Rockford IceHogs against the Chicago Wolves. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Delia has 76 games under his belt with the IceHogs in his career, leading Rockford in net for the past three seasons. With Crawford and Subban set to be free agents in the upcoming offseason, Delia, along with Tomkins and Lankinen are the only goaltenders with NHL contracts with the Blackhawks currently. With Chicago trading Robin Lehner, more than likely not re-signing Subban, and more than likely planning to re-sign Crawford, Delia’s path to the NHL next season is in his reach. Playing alongside a two-time Stanley Cup winner like Crawford during the play-in round, and potentially beyond, could do wonders for Delia’s development.

To reiterate, it seems unlikely that any of the players brought in by the Blackhawks as their ‘Black Aces’ would get into any games during the play-in series against the Oilers or beyond if Chicago were to advance, barring injury of course. But having those players around a postseason environment and playing alongside their NHL cohorts, helping prepare for meaningful games, can go far when attempting to set up a positive culture for a Blackhawks organization that needs some direction, something to point to as a success.

Stay Smart. Stay Safe. Stay Well.

The post ‘Black Aces’ considerations for the Chicago Blackhawks appeared first on The Rink.

On Tuesday, IceHogs head coach Derek King and team captain Tyler Sikura addressed the cancellation of the season and the outlook for the league and the team ahead in dual conference calls.

For King, the finish to his first full season as a head coach was a disappointment.

“I liked where we were at coming down the stretch,” King said. “We had our heads above water and I felt like a playoff spot was in our reach. Overall, I’m upset the way things ended, but I’m really happy with the way we played this year and really proud of our guys.”

After taking over the reigns of the IceHogs last season after the firing of Joel Quenneville and promotion of Jeremy Colliton, King was able to have a full offseason at the helm this past summer and came into the year with high hopes for the IceHogs.

As the year progressed, injuries to key players like Philipp Kurahsev and the departure of veterans Philip Holm and Kris Versteeg gave the IceHogs some roster adversities to overcome.

“We dealt with a lot of injuries this season, I don’t know why,” King said. “But, I liked the way our guys battled through those all year. I said this year that our team was too dumb to quit. We just kept battling. I’m proud of our guys and when we get to doing these exit interviews, everything is going very positive from me to them.”

Derek King gives instruction during a Rockford IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Texas Stars)

With the NHL season still potentially resuming, King spoke about which players surprised him this season, and who he believed might make a rumored expanded 30-man NHL roster for the Chicago Blackhawks if or when the season begins again.

“You’ll get a chance to see guys who were up there when the season was put on hold like Brandon Hagel (and) Lucas Carlsson,” King said. “You have Dylan Sikura that could still go up and MacKenzie Entwistle, too, that played big roles for us this year. Defensively, you can look at a guy like Dennis Gilbert. There’s plenty of bodies available for (Chicago), but who they might take, I’m not sure.”

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate Philip Kurashev’s (center, 25) goal. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

King went on to mention a number of rookies who stood out to him this season, including Entwistle, Hagel and Kurashev.

King noted that he feels like a healthy Kurashev can be an NHL player in one or two years.

“He acts like a pro, he plays like a pro, handles himself like one,” King said. “He has a chance to be a special player.”

One of the more interesting storylines for the IceHogs this season was carrying three healthy goalies on the active roster for most of the season.

Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins split ice time three-ways this year for the IceHogs in net up until a season-ending injury to Lankinen late in the year.

“We were skeptical early on whether we could pull off a three-goalie rotation,” King said of the trio of netminders. “We felt it was the right thing to do for our team, though. We felt all three guys deserved to be playing in the AHL and be getting that level of competition.”

As far as the rotation of the goalies, King said he left that fully up to goaltending coach Peter Aubry.

“Pete did a great job with them all season,” King said. “We would talk about who’s ready to go and hash it out; I don’t think once this season we had a time where I said, ‘Let’s go back to another guy,’ that we weren’t planning on going back with. For the most part, Pete had his hands on the whole thing and he did a great job with them.”

Collin Delia (left) celebrates with Kevin Lankinen (right) after a win over the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

The IceHogs were able to benefit early on in the season from the trio of goalies. When Delia was off to a slow start, Lankinen and Tomkins were able to hold their own. When Delia re-emerged at the top of the depth chart, and Lankinen went down with injury, Tomkins stepped in again and found success behind Delia.

The IceHogs went through a number of roster changes this season, but none may have been a bigger blow than the early retirement of Versteeg. Coming back to the Blackhawks organization after reviving his career in Europe, Versteeg joined the IceHogs on an AHL contract and looked like he was back to his prior NHL form as he played through Chicago’s training camp.

Versteeg was named Rockford’s team captain prior to the beginning of the season and was poised to be a veteran mentor and possibly lead the IceHogs’ offensive attack. Six games into the season, Versteeg aggravated a lower-body injury, missed games and eventually came to the decision that he could no longer perform to the level that was expected of him, choosing to leave the team in November.

Stepping up in the role of team captain was veteran winger Tyler Sikura. On and off the ice, Sikura led the young IceHogs roster and enjoyed a bounce-back year on the ice.

“The situation with Kris wasn’t easy and making the move on from him being part of the team was unexpected,” King said. “It was a little unfair to Tyler, too. Here we were saying, ‘No, you’re not going to be the captain,’ to, ‘You’re the guy now.’ It wasn’t easy for him at first. But, wearing a letter or not, (Tyler) was always a leader for us and a mentor to the younger guys. It was a no-brainer at that point to make Tyler the captain.”

Sikura ended the 2019–20 season as the IceHogs’ team leader in points, tallying 14 goals and 20 assists while playing in all 63 games.

Though proving to be a bounce-back year for Sikura, it ended without the full realization of a season and team that could have had something special.

“As a player, you still held out hope that something could have been done to finish the season,” Sakura said. “You want to see a finish to what you put so much hard work into, but there are bigger things than hockey right now. We felt like we had a team that could go on a nice run late in the year—we were getting healthy and getting guys back at the right time—just unfortunate to not have a chance to see what we could have done.”

After dealing with injuries in the 2018–19 season, Sikura put together a solid season with the IceHogs in 2019–20, making the end to the year easier to handle for him personally.

“It’s a bit easier to swallow knowing that I was able to have the kind of year that I did,” Sikura said. “Last year, I wasn’t able to find a groove and wasn’t able to be the player that I know I could be. I have confidence in myself and this year proved to me that I know what I am capable of. It was encouraging for myself.”

Tyler Sikura and Ian McCoshen talk during a stoppage of play. (Photograph courtesy of the Laval Rocket)

Speaking from a player’s perspective, Sikura is in the boat of wanting to get back to the ice as soon as possible and would have been in favor of finishing the season over the summer if the AHL had come to that decision.

But, now officially in offseason mode, Sikura is like many players, displaced from their team facilities and trying to piece together a summer workout routine at home.

“I haven’t been able to skate since the season was put on hold,” Sikura said. “This time has to be up there with the longest I’ve gone without being on the ice. Luckily, most everyone is in the same boat, so you just have to navigate how your workouts are going to look.”

Sikura added the biggest thing for him is being creative with workouts and being able to do a little bit every day just to keep his sanity while waiting to get back on the ice.

Off the ice, Sikura has been a leader for the team and for the local Rockford community. He led a team-orchestrated GoFundMe campaign for Rockford-area healthcare workers to help them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It wasn’t surprising to see the response from the community to the GoFundMe,” Sikura said. “The fans are very loyal to their community and we are very happy and grateful to those who have donated. It helps with the sense of helplessness that I’ve felt at times during this, and, even if it’s just online, it’s important to help people who need it the most.”

This season, Sikura has been a standout in the Rockford community and a leader in the IceHogs’ locker room. But, with an AHL contract expiring this summer, the future is not as clear of a picture for Sikura as in past years.

“This time away from the game has given me some perspective on my career and my life as a hockey player,” Sikura said. “I know the 2020–21 season will happen at some point, so knowing that I will get to play hockey for a living again is something I am grateful for. I don’t know where that will be at this time, (but) that is something I’ve been dealing with year-to-year being on one-year contracts. But, you just have to tune those things out and control what you can control.”

Sikura has been a key player in the IceHogs’ successes over the last three seasons, and was rewarded heading into the 2018–19 season with an NHL contract.

Sikura has yet to make his NHL debut in his career and says his goal is still to make the NHL with whichever team can give him that opportunity.

“Rockford has been great to me over these last three years,” Sikura said. “It’s a first-class organization and you get treated like you are an NHL team. I’m still looking to make the NHL and I want to play where I have the opportunity to do that. I would love for it to be with Chicago, but that is a decision I’ll have to make when it is time. Right now, I’m just hanging tight and focusing on what I can control.”

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a win over the Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 10, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Even with his future up in the air, Sikura is staying vocal with teammates and staying in contact while they have been away during the season stoppage.

Sikura talked about players staying in touch through social media and through team group chats over text messaging, saying that team massage therapist Mike Harling continues to send the team riddles over the group chats, much like he does during the season on his whiteboard in his therapy room.

“It’s hard when everyone is spread out,” Sikura said. “You don’t feel like you got the chance to maybe say goodbye to guys who you might not get a chance to play with again.”

The AHL faces an unclear future ahead. The COVID-19 virus continues to halt all major professional sports for the time being, with leagues like the MLB, NBA and NHL trying to piece together options and plans to start or finish their seasons in some capacity.

For the AHL, dropping the hammer on the remaining 2019–20 season and 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs was a tough, but necessary, decision, given the logistics of the league. The possibility of returning in October is still on the table for the AHL, but seems unlikely that fans will be allowed to attend sporting events by that time.

“If that’s what we have to do, it’s what we have to do to get back,” King said of playing in an empty BMO Harris Bank Center if play resumes without fans. “Hopefully it’s not long before fans could make their way back into the arenas, but it will be weird, very weird.”

The Rockford IceHogs stand for the National Anthem before a game against the Chicago Wolves. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

In a league where ticket sales and fans in the building means so much to each organization’s bottom line, it seems unlikely the AHL will be able to come back to action, at full capacity, until fans are able to attend games again. The league is working toward options to begin as early as October, but is also preparing for a start to the 2020–21 season as late as December according to league President and CEO Dave Andrews, who is retiring this summer.

However and whenever the AHL, and sports in general, are able to come back, there needs to be a semblance of safety for the health of the players, coaches, team officials and event staff alike before anyone can envision returning to “normal.” While that return seems to be getting closer, it is still anyone’s guess.

Until then, stay home, stay safe, stay well.

The post IceHogs head coach Derek King, captain Tyler Sikura recap 2019–20 season appeared first on The Rink.

In a statement released Monday morning, the league announced its decision to end the season and not move on with the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs. Following a Board of Governors meeting held on Friday, the league gave teams time over the weekend to handle business with team sponsors and staff prior to the official announcement being made.

From the AHL:

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 cancellation of the remainder of the season and the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs marks the first time in the league’s history that a Calder Cup winner will not be decided and the Calder Cup will not be handed out. Every season since the 1937 postseason. the Calder Cup has been handed to the league champion, an 83-season run that today comes to an end.

Additionally, the AHL standings will be 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.

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a win over the Milwaukee Admirals on December 10, 2019. (Photo Courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

For the Rockford IceHogs, a team on the cusp of a postseason berth, the cancellation of the season is a bitter end to 2019-20. With a 29-30-4 record through 63 games, the IceHogs sat in a tie for fourth place with the Chicago Wolves with 62 points. The Wolves having the advantage based on points percentage means Rockford finishes its season in fifth place in the AHL Central Division.

Tyler Sikura ends the year as the team’s leading scorer (34 points). Brandon Hagel led all rookies in scoring (31 points). Lucas Carlsson led all defensemen in scoring (26 points) for the second-straight season. Collin Delia was the team-leading goaltender in games (32), wins (16), save percentage (.912), and goals against average (2.66).

With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of the 2019-20 NHL season still being figured out, the AHL could not hold out any longer to make their announcement to end the season. Every day that passed was more money lost for the league and the teams, which already is not a league built to generate the type of revenue seen by the major North American professional leagues.

League President and CEO Dave Andrews spoke on SIRIUSXM Radio two weeks ago and gave a soft-layout for what the future could hold for the AHL, citing that the league does not generate a lot of money from TV contract, but instead is a gate-driven league. Teams make the majority of their money off ticket sales and with the future of sports, at least in the next year or two, looking like they will have to operate behind closed doors with no fans, the league wouldn’t be able operate successfully.

Following the cancellation of the 2019-20 season and 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs, Andrews wrote a letter addressing the league’s decision:

Letter from AHL President and CEO Dave Andrews folling the cancellation of the 2019-20 AHL Season and 2020 postseason.

Beyond the 2019-20 season and 2020 Calder Cup playoffs is still a mystery. Andrews said that the league is trying to plan for every scenario, “Let’s all hope there is some opportunity to do that [return] in October, but we also have to look at operating models beginning in November, December, and January.” Andrews continued with optimism, “I’m pretty confident that we are going to play with some critical mass of teams and with everybody as we head toward December. But again, we’ll be ready to play in October, if we can.”

Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay well, and we will see you next AHL season.

The post AHL announces cancellation of 2019-20 season and playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Sikura announced the fund on his Twitter account on Tuesday evening.

(2/2) with childcare, groceries, etc. I have collected $1000 in donations from the players and we are asking you, the best fans in the AHL, to match it to support the frontline workers who are putting themselves and their families at risk to save lives https://t.co/NADogRHdU6

— Tyler Sikura (@Sikkypedia) May 5, 2020

The fund, named “IceHogs Players’ Fund for Health Care Workers,” has a goal of $2,000 and was given a head start by the IceHogs players pooling together the first $1,000. Their hope is to have fans match their donation, and then some. As of writing this, the fund is less than $300 shy of reaching the $2,000 goal in less than 24 hours.

If you would like to donate to the fund, you can do so through the GoFundMe page here.

Stay Safe. Stay Home. Stay Well.

The post Sikura, IceHogs start fund for healthcare workers during COVID-19 appeared first on The Rink.

Finishing this season is looking bleak for the American Hockey League as spring rolls around. The above quote came from AHL President and CEO Dave Andrews in an interview on SiriusXM Radio with Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin on Friday. Andrews called the possibility of the Calder Cup Playoffs happening this summer, alongside a possible NHL resumption of play, “very, very unlikely.”

The NHL is still holding out hope that the 2019–20 season can be salvaged sometime this summer, or, at the very least, the league could hold the Stanley Cup Playoffs or an altered version of the playoffs. But, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues with stay-at-home orders and social distancing in place, the ability to safely return to real hockey games before the fall seems unlikely for all North American leagues.

With the AHL 2019–20 season all but canceled, the Rockford IceHogs would fall short of finishing the year in what would have been a Calder Cup Playoff spot in the Central Division. But, the season was not a waste. First-year head coach Derek King led a young roster in Rockford through an up-and-down year and had the IceHogs fighting down the stretch of the season. Riding the successes from a trio of goaltenders, the Sikura brothers and a number of emerging rookies to name a few, the IceHogs took a step forward from the underwhelming finish of the 2018–19 season.

With that in mind and the 2019–20 season all but put to bed, let’s take a look at the postseason IceHogs team awards as voted on by me, myself and I.

Preseason predictions

Heading into the 2019–20 season, the Rockford IceHogs’ lineup was a promising mixture of veterans and high-end prospects turned professional rookies. Add in Kirby Dach for three games and the beginning of the year was an exciting time. And, it feels like a lifetime ago that these were the Rockford lines and pairings:

#IceHogs lines vs #Griffins tonight:
Versteeg (C)-Nilsson (A)-Wedin
Highmore-TSikura-DSikura
Saarela-Entwistle-Quenneville
Moutrey-Dach-Hagel

Gilbert (A)-Boqvist
Beaudin-Tuulola
Carlsson-Holm

Delia
Tomkins#RFDvsGR #AHL

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) October 12, 2019

Obviously in the AHL, things change nearly every day with recalls, assignments and injuries. But, heading into the season back in October, here’s how I thought the season would play out by this time of year, and who would be the postseason award winners.

• Most Valuable Player: Matthew Highmore (Dark-horse picks: Collin Delia, Kris Versteeg)
• Rookie of the Year: Adam Boqvist (Dark-horse picks: Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev)
• Defenseman of the Year: Adam Boqvist (Dark-horse picks: Chad Krys, Dennis Gilbert)
• Unsung Hero: Jacob Nilsson (Dark-horse picks: MacKenzie Entwistle, Tyler Sikura)
• Heavy Hitter Award: Dennis Gilbert (Dark-horse picks: Reese Johnson, Joni Tuulola)
• Most Improved Player: Kevin Lankinen (Dark-horse picks: Alexandre Fortin, Nick Moutrey)

I was right on zero of these predictions.

My “dark-horse” picks gave me a bit of saving grace. But, with Adam Boqvist emerging as an NHL-ready defenseman in his rookie season, Kris Versteeg leaving the team and eventually retiring and a three-quarters-of-a-season recall for Matthew Highmore, my “locks,” if you will, were way off.

2019–20 Rockford IceHogs postseason awards

So, how did things actually fare and who were the true standouts from the 2019–20 AHL season for the IceHogs?

Most Improved Player: Tyler Sikura

Tyler Sikura carries the puck up the ice. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

After breaking out for the IceHogs in the 2017–18 season, his first full season in the AHL, Tyler Sikura had high expectations last year to be a major contributor for Rockford and, albeit a long shot, could have pushed for a shot at the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. Those things did not happen last season for the elder Sikura brother. Coming into this season, Tyler needed to return to the form he saw in 2017–18, where he was one of the top point producers on the team.

He enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2019–20, leading the team in points (34) and ranking second in goals (14), tied with his brother, Dylan Sikura. After Versteeg left the team in November, Tyler was named the IceHogs’ new team captain and played a major role as part of Rockford’s penalty kill this season. Sikura’s AHL contract with the organization ends this summer.

Heavy Hitter: Joseph Cramarossa

Joseph Cramarossa winds up the crowd after a fight. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs.)

Acquired in late November, Joseph Cramarossa came into the IceHogs’ lineup and was a mainstay when healthy. An energy forward and not afraid to mix it up physically, Cramarossa led Rockford with 110 penalty minutes this season with a team-high six fighting majors. The IceHogs as a team registered 24 team fighting majors in 2019–20, the most fighting majors since the 2015–16 season when they registered 39 fights. Cramarossa had 12 points in 42 games with the IceHogs this season and is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Unsung Hero: Gabriel Gagne

Gabriel Gagne (center, 32) celebrates a goal for the Rockford IceHogs against the Texas Stars. (Photograph courtesy of the Texas Stars)

Another in-season acquisition for the IceHogs that made an impact was Gabriel Gagne. Acquired on loan from the Allen Americans in the ECHL in January, Gagne quickly showed the scoring ability along with physical presence that made him a second-round pick for the Ottawa Sentors back at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. In 21 games with Rockford, Gagne tallied 12 points and was given top-six minutes and power play opportunities down the back half of the schedule. Prior to the season being put on hold, Gagne signed a one-year AHL contract with the IceHogs for the 2020–21 season.

Defenseman of the Year: Lucas Carlsson

Lucas Carlsson looks to make a pass. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

For the second straight season, Lucas Carlsson led the Rockford IceHogs in scoring for defensemen. The second-year player from Sweden finished the season with 26 points in 48 games for Rockford, good for a tie for fourth on the team in scoring with MacKenzie Entwistle. Carlsson’s 26 points was 11 more than the next-highest defenseman this season, ahead of rookie Nicolas Beaudin.

When healthy this season, Carlsson was a regular for head coach Derek King in his defensive rotation and was regularly used on the power play. Carlsson’s confidence this season was evident, as he began to take more chances offensively and earned himself his first NHL call up to the Chicago Blackhawks. The former fourth-round pick played in six games for Chicago and recorded one assist, averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time.

Rookie of the Year: Brandon Hagel

Brandon Hagel eyes the play during a shift against the San Antonio Rampage. (Photograph courtesy of the San Antonio Rampage)

On a team that at one point this season boasted top-end rookie prospects Adam Boqvist, MacKenzie Entwistle, Nicolas Beaudin and Philipp Kurashev, none were more impactful for the IceHogs than Brandon Hagel. The former sixth-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres signed an entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of the 2018–19 season, skating in the final eight games of the AHL season with the IceHogs and notching one assist.

In the 2019–20 season, his first full professional season, Hagel led the IceHogs in goals with 19, finished third on the team with 31 points in 59 games played and his 126 shots on goal were second on the team behind Dylan Sikura. In the Blackhawks’ development camp, Hagel showed a high motor and ability to get to the net to create scoring chances and those skills translated to the ice at the AHL level. Hagel earned three recalls to the Chicago Blackhawks this season, but was only able to get into one game at the NHL level before the season was paused.

Most Valuable Player: Collin Delia

Collin Delia makes a save for the Rockford IceHogs against the Chicago Wolves. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

About a month into the season, calling Collin Delia an IceHogs Team MVP candidate was a bit of a long shot. Delia started the season off on the wrong foot, dropping five of his first seven starts of the season and posting a sub-.900 save percentage. After sitting behind Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins for a three-week stretch from mid-November to the beginning of December, Delia turned both his and the IceHogs’ season around.

Going 14–8–1 from Dec. 3 to the end of the season, Delia was the backbone of Rockford’s push in the second half of the season to get into the Calder Cup Playoff picture. He finished the year with a 16–13–1 record on the year with a career-high three shutouts. The IceHogs rolled a healthy three-goalie rotation this season for most of the year, up until Lankinen’s season was ended due to a shoulder injury, and Delia was the season leader in net with the highest marks in save percentage (.912) and goals against average (2.66). The California native ranked in the top 10 of the AHL for qualified goaltenders in shutouts (three), wins (16) and shootout save percentage (.875, 14/16).

2019–20 epilogue

It truly is a shame that the Rockford IceHogs’ season was cut short during the Calder Cup Playoff push. With 62 points in 63 games, the IceHogs were tied for fourth in the Central Division with the Chicago Wolves, only they would be on the outside of the postseason due to points percentage. But, with nine games remaining, who is to say that the IceHogs could not have had one hot streak left in them to make it into the playoffs?

There are plenty of questions, both on and off the ice, facing the IceHogs and the American Hockey League heading into the 2020–21 season. But, when we do eventually get back to regular games, whenever that may be, there is certainty that the IceHogs can be contenders. Given the talent that will return next season, Rockford is set up to be a team to keep on the radar.

I will leave you with a final quote from Andrews’ interview on Sirius XM radio: “Despite the uncertainty, we’ll be okay.”

Stay safe. Stay home. Stay well.

The post Rockford IceHogs postseason awards (if this is the end) appeared first on The Rink.

Nilsson leaving IceHogs, heads back to Sweden

Nilsson played for Mora IK under head coach Jeremy Colliton from 2015–17 in the Allsvenskan league. After helping Mora earn promotion to the SHL for the 2017–18 season, Nilsson came overseas to join the Chicago Blackhawks’ organization and be rejoined with Colliton with the IceHogs.

Jacob Nilsson skates during a Rockford IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

In his first season with the IceHogs, Nilsson skated in 61 games and tallied 32 points and was named the team MVP for the season. He also skated in his only two NHL games during the 2018–19 season with the Blackhawks. This past season, Nilsson skated in 62 games with the IceHogs, tallying 21 points and serving as an alternate captain.

The 26-year-old said in a statement he is looking forward to being part of a top team in the SHL. Färjestad BK finished first in the SHL in 2018–19 and second in the 2019–20 regular seasons. He also hopes to rejoin the Swedish national team program. Nilsson will be reunited with former IceHogs teammate Victor Ejdsell with Färjestad BK after Ejdsell left Rockford following the 2018–19 season.

The post Jacob Nilsson signs two-year contract with Färjestad BK appeared first on The Rink.

On Tuesday, Versteeg announced his retirement and released a personal statement along with it:

Statement from Kris Versteeg:

“What a run it was. A kid from North Lethbridge who played on the streets every day, dreaming of playing in the NHL. I took a lot for granted in my time in the NHL. But the one thing I never took for granted were the relationships I made with my teammates and staff of the hockey clubs I played for. A bunch of people have made huge impacts on my life. There was one guy who took a kid with a different personality and a massive chip on his shoulder and helped give him hope, and that was Scott Gordon. Dale Tallon also took a chance on me and gave me multiple opportunities throughout my career. I know I wasn’t always the easiest to deal with. Without people like Scott and Dale, the road to today would not be what it was.

Thanks to my agent Dave Kaye, and my finance advisor Chris Moynes for the last 15 years.  Thank you to every organization I was able to play for. I didn’t realize it then, but I certainly appreciate now how amazing it was to play in the NHL. I want to thank the Chicago Blackhawks’ entire organization, from top to bottom, especially including the fans. The 2010 Championship was the highlight of my career. I also want to thank Brad Treliving for letting me come home to finish my NHL career. As a person and a GM, he made a huge impact on me.

My grandparents Morris and Joanne helped pay for skates and equipment, while feeding us when we couldn’t afford it. They are my real heroes for keeping me and my brothers in the rinks and off the streets. I’m both nervous and excited for what comes next. I have a wife who has supported me endlessly, two boys and a daughter who all have their journeys ahead of them, and I’m excited to see where those might lead. Lastly, a special thanks to my Mom and Dad. I could thank you guys for a thousand things, but it all leads back to saying thank you for the hockey stick. It may be going on the rack, but the endless amount of amazing memories it gave our entire family will be etched in our minds forever.”

Kris Versteeg passes the puck in the first period of game five of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. (Photograph courtesy of Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports)

Versteeg made his professional debut with the Providence Bruins in 2006 in the AHL before being traded to the Blackhawks’ organization. He played for the Norfolk Admirals and Rockford IceHogs from 2006–08, making his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in November of 2007. He played his first full season in the NHL during the 2008–09 season, where he tallied 53 points in 78 games and was a Calder Trophy finalist, finishing third behind Bobby Ryan and award winner Steve Mason.

The Alberta native was a key piece during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Blackhawks, scoring six goals and 14 points in 22 games, as the 49-year Stanley Cup drought was put to an end in Chicago and a modern-era dynasty was born. Unfortunately for Versteeg and many other key players from the 2010 Stanley Cup team, the Blackhawks could not keep him around and he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs that summer.

Kris Versteeg awaits a face off against the San Jose Sharks during the 2017–18 season, Versteeg’s last in the NHL. (Photograph courtesy of Sergei Belski / USA TODAY Sports)

From the 2010–11 season to early in the 2013–14 season, Versteeg bounced from the Maple Leafs to the Philadelphia Flyers and then to the Florida Panthers before making his way back to Chicago in November of 2013. During that span, Versteeg was limited to 10 games in the shortened 2013 season due to rib and groin injuries, followed by season-ending knee surgery while with the Panthers.

He stayed with the Blackhawks through the rest of the 2013–14 season, totaling 36 points in 81 games played between Chicago and Florida. Versteeg played in 61 games with the Blackhawks during the 2014–15 season the next year and skated in 12 games in the postseason as the Blackhawks would go on to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history and third over a six-year span, marking the second Stanley Cup of his career.

Following that season, Versteeg was again traded away from Chicago and landed with the Carolina Hurricanes. From the 2015–16 season to the 2017–18 season, Versteeg played for the Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames before leaving the NHL after the 2017–18 season. Injuries began to take a toll on his body, including a hip injury that caused him to miss half of the 2017–18 season in Calgary. He was near retirement at that point, but returned to professional hockey during the 2018–19 season, playing parts in the SHL with Växjö Lakers and with Avangard Omsk in the KHL.

Kris Versteeg skates during pregame warmup prior to a Rockford IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Versteeg returned to North America at the beginning of the 2019–20 season, joining the Blackhawks’ organization for the third time in his career after signing an AHL contract with the IceHogs. Prior to the season beginning, Versteeg was named the captain of the IceHogs in his second go-around with Rockford. But the honeymoon was short lived in Versteeg’s re-return to the organization as he re-aggravated his prior hip injury after just six games with the IceHogs, ultimately ending his time with the organization in November of 2019, citing his struggles to fully commit to the level of play that was expected of him.

Looking to not end his career on a sour note, Versteeg made one last attempt to get on the ice and taste success, as he was able to play for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland this past December. Playing alongside his younger brother, Mitch Versteeg, as well as Blackhawks prospects Ian Mitchell and Matt Tomkins, Kris was able to help Canada win its 16th Spengler Cup, tallying five points in four games, including a goal and assist in the Spengler Cup Final.

Kris Versteeg celebrates a goal in the Spengler Cup Final in Switzerland. (Photograph courtesy of KEYSTONE-SDA / Gian Ehrenzeller / Melanie Duchene)

Versteeg’s career will be remembered in two ways: one, as a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, and the other as a promising player cut down by injuries. Now officially retired, Versteeg has mentioned his desire to move into broadcasting. He was part of the NHL Trade Deadline coverage this past February with Sportsnet in Canada.

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From the Wolves’ organization:

Oscar has done his utmost to emulate Snyder throughout the 2019-20 season, his third with the organization. In addition to maintaining his tradition of being a positive presence at all Wolves fundraisers and community events, he organized half the team for an outing to Ronald McDonald House in downtown Chicago. Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to call home so they can stay close to their hospitalized loved ones at no cost. Oscar and the rest of the Wolves not only prepared dinner for all of these families one night, they spent the afternoon engaged with the children – playing basketball, signing autographs, working on their TikTok dance moves and more.

On top of that, Dansk formed a special bond with a 17-year-old boy named Angelo. Angelo is a frequent visitor at Lurie’s Children’s Hospital as he fights bone cancer.

Over the course of a month, Oscar hosted the Daichendt family for two Wolves games — Angelo’s first professional sporting events — and visited their home twice. On his first visit, they spent hours talking and playing video games and enjoyed a meal together.

“Oscar was just the nicest guy,” Denise (Daichendt) said. “I’ve been with Make-A-Wish for 17 or 18 years and I’ve seen a lot of wishes, but he really took such a sincere interest in Angelo and all of us. It was like he was part of the family. He just fit right in. I looked at my husband and said, ‘I think we found our eighth child!’ I couldn’t believe he came to our house. He went above and above and beyond. We had had such a rough few weeks and it was a great break. He really, really brought a lot of joy for us. We just love him to death.”

Dansk is in his third season with the organization. Over three years with the team, Dansk has accumulated 58 wins, a 2.49 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. This season, before the stoppage, Dansk had 18 wins, a 2.57 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

The post Oscar Dansk named Chicago Wolves IOA/American Speciality AHL Man of the Year for 2019–20 appeared first on The Rink.

From the Rockford IceHogs:

Over the course of the 2019-20 campaign, the Rancho Cucamonga, California, native helped raise over $3,700 for The Autism Program of Easterseals and the Fatherhood Encouragement Project while also donating his time and influence to see these community initiatives succeed in their mission.

With a passion for LEGO since he was a child and close connection with the Autism Program of Easterseals in Rockford, Delia took personal interest in this season’s Autism Awareness Night and LEGO Night on Jan. 25, donating over $550 worth of LEGO playsets to the program and enjoyed an afternoon building with the children in the program. He also completed a two-hour build of a two-foot tall, 1,767-piece LEGO Empire State Building set and contributed the sculpture and an autograph stick to the night’s auction, generating $600 for the Easterseals program.

During the Holiday season, Delia and his teammates joined the Fatherhood Encouragement Project for a Holiday shopping spree for underprivileged children and families in the Stateline community. Alongside the IceHogs Charitable Foundation, Delia and the team combined to donate over $2,600 to the program.

You can watch Delia’s work with the Autism Program of Easterseals here, along with he and his teammates’ work with the Fatherhood Encouragement Project here.

Delia made the most appearances in net for the IceHogs this season with 32. He amassed a record of 16–13–1, with a 2.66 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. Delia notched career-best marks in minutes played (1,824), save percentage (.912) and shutouts (three) in the 2019–20 season.

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Both Highmore and Lankinen signed two-year contract extensions, with year one (2020–21) being two-way deals and year two (2021–22) transitioning into one-way deals. Highmore’s deal comes with a $725,000 AAV ($700,000 NHL/$450,000 AHL in year one, $750,000 in year two), while Lankinen’s deal holds an $800,000 AAV ($750,000 NHL/$500,000 AHL in year one, $850,000 in year two).

Kevin Lankinen moves across the crease to stop a shot. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

This season, Highmore played in 21 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs, tallying 12 points, as well as playing in 36 NHL games with the Blackhawks and notching six points. He has 49 career NHL games with the Blackhawks and was named an AHL All-Star in 2017–18 with the IceHogs.

Lankinen made 21 appearances with the IceHogs this season, holding a record of 8–10–2 with a 3.03 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. He was also recalled to the Blackhawks this season, but has yet to make his NHL debut. Lankinen has played in 40 career AHL games with the IceHogs, was named an AHL All-Star this season and helped Team Finland win the 2019 World Championship gold medal last summer.

The Blackhawks signed entry-level deals with two of their 2017 NHL Entry Draft picks, giving Penn State standout Evan Barratt a three-year deal and Russian prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan a two-year deal. Barratt’s contract holds an $870,000 AAV, while Altybarmakyan’s deal is worth $817,500 annually.

Evan Barratt skates in a game for Penn State during the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Heather Weikel)

Barratt was the 90th overall selection in 2017 by Chicago and has spent the last three years playing at Penn State. In 98 career NCAA games, Barratt scored 39 goals and totaled 95 points. He was part of Team USA’s U18 World Junior Championship gold medal team in 2017, took home a silver medal with Team USA at the 2019 World Junior Championships and was named to the First Team All-Big 10 list as a sophomore in the 2018–19 season.

Altybarmakyan was selected 70th overall by the Blackhawks in 2017 and has played in Russia his whole career. He has spent the majority of the last two seasons with HK Sochi in the KHL. He tallied six goals and 17 points this year with HK Sochi and has 23 points in 101 career KHL games.

Both Barratt’s and Altybarmakyan’s deals begin next season.

The post Blackhawks agree to extensions with Highmore and Lankinen, sign Barratt and Altybarmakyan appeared first on The Rink.

For the Rockford IceHogs, the suspension of play puts their season on hold right in the thick of a Calder Cup Playoffs push. Through 63 games, the IceHogs are tied for fourth place in the AHL Central Division with the Chicago Wolves at 62 points. Thirteen games remain on the schedule, but with the further announcement from the AHL on March 16 that the suspension of play would not be lifted until at least May 1, there is a wide range of information, planning and just plain old waiting that will need to unfold before any teams get back on the ice.

So how is the team handling the stoppage of play? Without workouts, access to team facilities and with players being given the green light to return to their homes outside of Rockford, there is a lot of down time facing the players and coaches. They are all in the same boat as most of the world right now, stuck at home.

“It’s way easier to keep your body physically ready than your mind,” said IceHogs defenseman Joni Tuulola. “I don’t really know what is going to happen in the next couple of weeks, so it’s just a pain in the a** to have to wait.”

Tuulola, like many of his AHL counterparts, is heading home to Finland until the future of the 2019–20 season is more clear.

“Of course I was very sad about the suspension, but I feel that was the right thing to do,” Tuulola said. “I like to say I hope the season will continue. We will see what’s going to happen, but I think the right people are making the decision on how we are going to end the season.”

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a goal against the San Antonio Rampage. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

The MLB, MLS, NBA and NHL are all on pins and needles at this point in time, their seasons either put on hold or facing major alterations to their schedules. The NFL offseason is being affected, too, with changes being made to the NFL draft and potentially changing the timing of preseason workouts. The NCAA canceled all winter and spring postseason tournaments, including the men’s and women’s Frozen Four and the men’s and women’s “March Madness” tournaments. In North America and across the world, essentially all sports have been put on hold until further notice.

For the IceHogs, this means getting creative to keep their fans engaged when they are craving hockey content. First, it started with players and coaches checking in and making sure the fans and their families are doing well in this crazy time.

"Wanted to reach out and let you guys know that we are thinking about ya. Thank you for supporting us all year and making the BMO an awesome place to play." – IceHogs forward Dylan Sikura pic.twitter.com/p30VoXD8sX

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 18, 2020

Team points leaders Dylan Sikura (33) and Tyler Sikura (34) both chimed in on the IceHogs’ social media pages to thank fans for their support and to remind everyone to listen to the guidelines that the global medical community has put forth to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Our captain. #leadership

"This is bigger than hockey. I encourage you to stay inside, stay safe and stay healthy." pic.twitter.com/94QpfVJwlv

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 17, 2020

Head coach Derek King also gave his update to the Rockford fan community, as the self-quarantining, social distancing and time working from home becomes the new normal for the majority of folks.

The checks in.

"Stay safe, be good, stay out trouble and go, Hogs go!" pic.twitter.com/sQXvoaC2H0

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 16, 2020

On Tuesday, the IceHogs and San Jose Barracuda played a best-of-three series on EA Sports NHL20 and live streamed the online game on Twitch. They even cut a highlights package from the virtual series.

Highlights: We come from behind in game one and cruise to a win in game two to sweep San Jose in our first-ever video game series!

Check it out: https://t.co/F1o9a6i7Nl

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 17, 2020

Other IceHogs have used the new-found down time in a number of ways, and one shared how not to use it.

“Definitely don’t watch ‘Contagion’ or ‘Outbreak,'” joked IceHogs goaltender Collin Delia.

Watching movies and TV shows, reading new and old books and video games are popular ways for those stuck indoors to pass the time.

For Delia, he is getting the opportunity to focus on his life away from the rink at a pivotal time for his family.

“My go-to way to pass the time is to work on some leather projects with my girlfriend, Ava,” Delia said. “Our business (Portiere Leather Company) is in the Chicago area and we’ve been busy catching up on orders and making new projects.”

Delia and his girlfriend announced on their company’s Instagram account a few months back that they were expecting their first child, and the father-to-be is getting an unexpected chance to be home at an important time.

“We’ve been enjoying spending time together,” Delia said. “Ava is seven months pregnant, so it’s been great to be able to support her and watch our baby develop in light of the season being suspended.”

Collin Delia makes a save for the Rockford IceHogs against Laval Rocket on Dec. 17, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of the Laval Rocket)

Delia expressed his hope for the 2019–20 season to be finished, but understands that very well may never come to fruition.

“I am optimistic that the season will resume,” Delia said. “However, there is a part of me that doesn’t think the season will start again because every day the situation is seemingly more dire. It seems like we won’t have any form of hockey until May 1, which is a long ways away.”

Like Tuulola said, this time in limbo will be a pain in the a**. But, we are in this together to get through this turbulent time in human history.

“Spend time with your family,” Tuulola said. “Times like these, the people around you are the most important. Keep your family close and have some good time with those who are closest to you.”

We at The Rink echo Tuulola’s message. Let those who you love and care about know you are thinking of them during this weird time in the world. Be safe, be well, be smart and be kind. We will get back to the rink and back on the ice soon enough.

The post Rockford IceHogs living in limbo during AHL season suspension appeared first on The Rink.

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks held practice as usual, but the post-practice locker room access was changed to a podium-style press conference for players and coaches with media members kept at least six feet away.

Dylan Strome making his lectern debut: "This is new. Feels like I just got traded." pic.twitter.com/u1NggjcplM

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 10, 2020

It will take both the team and media members some time to get used to the new, temporary measures. The limit of access to the locker room is nothing new for the media covering the Rockford IceHogs. The typical procedure for most of the AHL involves having coaches and players brought to a backdrop outside of the locker room with media scrums happening there. On Tuesday, the IceHogs canceled their sponsored “Hog Talk” event along with all other team-related community events.

UPDATE: In response to the NHL’s updated media policy and reflecting procedures established by the Chicago Blackhawks, tonight's IceHogs Bud Light Hog Talk and other team-related community events have been cancelled. https://t.co/jMOo3TvyO9

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 10, 2020

The hope is these measures will be temporary and will not escalate in North America the way they have in European countries like Switzerland and Italy, where hockey and soccer leagues have canceled or postponed all games and events until further developments are available.

In San Jose, the Sharks and Barracuda will adhere to a Santa Clara County ban on all mass gatherings through the end of March. The teams and leagues are working on the options for the three home games on the schedule for the Sharks (March 19, 21 and 29) and the Barracuda (March 17 and 22). Playing the games with the arena closed off to the fans, postponing the games or playing them at a neutral site are all options on the table while the ban is in action.

For now, the Blackhawks and IceHogs will hold games at the United Center and BMO Harris Bank Center as normal, with only locker room access changes being made.

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With just 13 games remaining on the schedule, the IceHogs currently sit in a tie for fourth place in the AHL Central Division with 62 points. They are tied with the Chicago Wolves, who hold the higher position currently on points percentage, but the Central Division doesn’t adhere to that like the Pacific Division does.

After taking three points out of a possible six against the Grand Rapids Griffins and Chicago Wolves over the weekend, a three games in three days set, the IceHogs will have six days off to rest and hopefully get some healthy bodies back in the lineup. The six days off will also give Rockford a more clear picture of the Calder Cup playoff race, once the rest of the Central Division catches up in games played.

It’s a long way to the top…

Rockford has been working with a depleted roster for a large portion of this season due to injuries. It’s constant of one player comes back, one player goes out. It’s a tough situation to jumble lines and pairings on a consistent basis, but head coach Derek King has done as best a job as he could given then cards he is dealt on a nightly basis. Philipp Kurashev has returned in a major way for the IceHogs, scoring three points in his last six games, but shortly after his return, Rockford is now feeling the loss of John Quenneville.

In net, the IceHogs are riding Collin Delia heavily into the postseason push, making 13 appearances in the last 17 games for Rockford since February 1. He’s performed admirably over that stretch, going 8-4-0 with two shutout performances and a .909 save percentage. But the IceHogs’ depth in net, once their biggest strength, has taken a hit as Kevin Lankinen‘s season ended due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. Matt Tomkins assumed the backup role behind Delia, and the IceHogs added Russian prospect Ivan Nalimov over the weekend, so the three-goalie rotation will live on.

Peter Quenneville of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

The question is if that performance in net will be enough to propel the IceHogs into the Calder Cup playoffs.

Here are the full standings entering Tuesday, March 10:

1. Milwaukee Admirals (62 games played): 40-14-8, 88 points
2. Iowa Wild (62 games played): 37-17-8, 82 points
3. Grand Rapids Griffins (62 games played): 28-27-7, 63 points
4. Chicago Wolves (61 games played): 27-26-8, 62 points
5. Rockford IceHogs (63 games played): 29-30-4, 62 points
6. San Antonio Rampage (60 games played): 24-24-12, 60 points
7. Texas Stars (60 games played): 26-27-7, 59 points
8. Manitoba Moose (61 games played): 27-33-1, 55 points

The IceHogs have the fewest games remaining of any team in the Central Division as of Tuesday, March 10. Rockford is off until Saturday, March 14 when they take on the Chicago Wolves. In the meantime, the rest of the Central Division will catch up in games played, more than likely putting the IceHogs further outside the Calder Cup playoff chase by week’s end, but hopefully not.

Here is how the final 13 games for the IceHogs will be spread out over the final month of the regular season and Rockford’s record against their opponent this season:

• Zero vs. Manitoba (4-3-1)
• Zero vs. Grand Rapids (5-5-0)
• One vs. San Antonio (4-3-0)
• Two vs. Texas (4-1-1)
• Three vs. Milwaukee (1-7-1)
• Three vs. Chicago (6-2-1)
• Four vs. Iowa (1-3-0)

One glaring number that will have to improve if the IceHogs are going to find success down the final stretch of the season is 1-for-38. That is the IceHogs powerplay success rate since February 18.

The lone tally came from Gabriel Gagne in Friday’s contest against the Grand Rapids Griffins. It is an abysmal number on the man-advantage, which ranks 29th in the AHL, a tie for second-to-last in the league with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. While Rockford ranks in the bottom-three on success rate, they are sixth in the AHL in powerplay opportunities with 254. They are the only team in the top eight of opportunities in the league without a success-rate in the teens or higher.

The penalty-kill is even worse at 76.2% this season, last in the AHL. Rockford will need to either play entire games at even-strength down the stretch, or something is going to have to give over the final 13 games of the regular season.

Roster moves

The AHL transaction page was pretty active this week for the IceHogs. First, the team signed Gabriel Gagne and Dmitry Osipov to AHL contracts through the 2020-21 season.

Osipov had signed a one-year AHL deal with the IceHogs last spring, and has seen significant time with Rockford after the loss of Philip Holm and various recalls of Dennis Gilbert and Lucas Carlsson. The 23-year-old defenseman has one goal and 44 PIM in 28 games with the IceHogs this season.

For Gagne, the former Ottawa Senators second-round pick has found it difficult to get his footing in the professional game. Playing for Binghamton/Belleville Senators, Toronto Marlies, Ontario Reign, Wichita Thunder, Newfoundland Growlers, and Allen Americans all before landing with the IceHogs this season, Gagne had shown highly inconsistent flashes of his offensive skill and high-end shooting ability. Prior to joining the IceHogs on a PTO in mid-January, Gagne had 38 points in 36 games with the Allen Americans in the ECHL.

Gabriel Gagne scores on the powerplay late in the 3rd to give the #IceHogs a 4-0 lead #RFDvsGR #AHL pic.twitter.com/VeHcbF4Rzy

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) March 7, 2020

Since joining the IceHogs, Gagne has seen significant ice-time on the powerplay and top-line groupings. In 21 games, Gagne has six goals and six assists with Rockford. He figures to continue to have the elevated role as the Calder Cup playoff push continues for the IceHogs.

Also coming down the wire over the weekend, the IceHogs signed Russian prospect goaltender Ivan Nalimov to a PTO contract. Nalimov, a former sixth-round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, has been playing the last six seasons as a regular in the KHL. Nalimov has been with seven different teams in the KHL. He has a 58-62-12 record with 14 shutouts, a 2.61 GAA, and a .912 save-percentage in his KHL career.

Among the more intriguing prospects in the Blackhawks’ system, Ivan Nalimov will join his sixth team in the KHL for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Kunlun Redstar)

Nalimov joins the IceHogs goaltending rotation after the loss of Kevin Lankinen and figures to see action as the regular season comes to a close. How much action remains to be seen as head coach Derek King has placed a great deal of trust in Collin Delia to be the regular starter during the team’s Calder Cup Playoff push.

Finally, the weekend closed with Brandon Hagel receiving his third recall to the Chicago Blackhawks this season. Hagel has yet to make his NHL debut with Chicago, though that seems like it will not be the case much longer as the Blackhawks lost forward Drake Caggiula to a hand/wrist injury against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. At the very least, Hagel’s third recall to the Blackhawks should go better than his previous recall, which lasted less than eight hours. At practice today, Hagel was on the third line with Dominik Kubalik on left wing and Kirby Dach at center.

Brandon Hagel of the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo Courtesy: Chicago Blackhawks.)

This season with the IceHogs, Hagel has been one of the key offensive components of the Rockford attack. In his first professional season, Hagel has 31 points in 59 games played. He leads the IceHogs in goals with 19 and is third on the team in points. For the sake of the IceHogs, they will hope that Hagel returns before Saturday’s game against the Chicago Wolves and not have to play without one of their main offensive outlets.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Saturday, March 14 as they take on the Chicago Wolves. Puck drop for Saturday’s contest is set for 7 p.m. CDT at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. The IceHogs hold a 6-2-1 record against the Wolves this season, but have dropped three of their last four games against Chicago. There is more than just Calder Cup playoff points on the line on Saturday as the IceHogs could clinch their fourth Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry title in club history with at least a point against Chicago.

Following Saturday’s contest, the IceHogs return home to take on the AHL Central Division-leading Milwaukee Admirals. Puck drop on Wednesday, March 18 is set for 7 p.m. CDT at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. The IceHogs hold a 1-7-1 record against the Admirals this season, being outscored 40-14 this season and having dropped their last seven games against Milwaukee.

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After taking two of three games in Texas over the past five days, they improved to a 6-4-0 mark over their last ten games and have worked themselves into a three-way tie for fourth place in the AHL Central Division with 59 points and 16 games left to play. While the IceHogs have the fewest games remaining of any Central Division team (16), they are continuing a slightly positive stretch of play that could see them hang around well enough to have a fighting chance at the organization’s seventh postseason berth in AHL history.

Texas Two-Step

Wrapping up a five-game road trip with three contests in Texas, the IceHogs were able to take both games against the Texas Stars before falling to the San Antonio Rampage in the team’s final trip to San Antonio before they are relocated to Nevada.

Collin Delia backstopped the IceHogs in both wins over the Stars, making 30 saves on 32 shots in 65 minutes of work and making all four stops in the shootout before Dylan Sikura eventually scored the shootout winner on Wednesday night. Gabriel Gagne led the IceHogs attack with both Rockford goals in Wednesday night’s win.

On Friday night, the IceHogs jumped all over the Stars early and often, running out to a 5-1 lead midway through the third period. Goals coming from Philipp Kurashev and Garrett Mitchell in the first period and from Tyler Sikura and Alexandre Fortin in the second period. Brandon Hagel scored his team-leading 19th goal of the season make it a 5-1 game in the third period, but it would shortly turn sour for the IceHogs as the Stars rattled off two goals less than two minutes later to cut the lead to 5-3. Texas’ Joel L’Esperance scored his 21st goal of the season late in the period to make it 5-4, but Delia and the IceHogs were able to fend off a furious comeback effort by the Stars as the final moments ticked away. Delia made 30 saves on 34 shots and improved his record to 15-12-1 on the season with both wins.

The Rockford IceHogs scramble to keep the puck out of their net against the Texas Stars. (Photo Courtesy of the Texas Stars)

Rockford had a chance for a Texas-sized sweep on Sunday afternoon as they traveled to face the Rampage in San Antonio. A tightly contested game that was scoreless into the third period was finally broken with two goals just 31 seconds apart for the Rampage. Austin Poganski and Jordan Nolan both scored their tenth goals of the season to give San Antonio the 2-0 lead and Dakota Joshua potted an empty-net goal to seal a 3-0 win. Matt Tomkins had the start for the IceHogs on Sunday, making 26 saves on 28 shots, but dropping his fifth-straight start and sixth loss in seven starts since December 13. The shutout loss for Rockford marked the sixth time they have been held scoreless this season.

Stayin’ Alive

Rockford had a chance to take sole possession of third place in the AHL Central Division were they to win on Sunday. But with the win, it was San Antonio who would leap-frog their way from tied for fifth-place into third-place by themselves with 60 points on the season. Rockford now sits in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Division, the final Calder Cup playoff spot in the Central.

Here are the full standings entering Tuesday, March 3:

1. Milwaukee Admirals (59 games played): 38-13-8, 84 points
2. Iowa Wild (59 games played): 36-16-7, 79 points
3. San Antonio Rampage (57 games played): 24-21-12, 60 points
4. Chicago Wolves (58 games played): 26-25-7, 59 points
5. Grand Rapids Griffins (59 games played): 26-26-7, 59 points
6. Rockford IceHogs (60 games played): 28-29-3, 59 points
7. Texas Stars (56 games played): 24-26-6, 54 points
8. Manitoba Moose (59 games played): 26-32-1, 53 points

As mentioned prior, the IceHogs have the fewest games remaining of any team in the Central Division as of Tuesday, March 3. But with Rockford off until Friday, March 6, the rest of the Central Division will catch up, more than likely putting the IceHogs further outside the Calder Cup playoff chase by week’s end, but hopefully not.

Here is how the final 16 games for the IceHogs will be spread out over the final five weeks of the regular season and Rockford’s record against their opponent this season:

• Zero vs Manitoba (4-3-1)
• One vs San Antonio (4-3-0)
• Two vs Grand Rapids (3-4-1)
• Two vs Texas (4-1-1)
• Three vs Milwaukee (1-6-1)
• Four vs Chicago (6-2-0)
• Four vs Iowa (1-3-0)

Fairly respectable marks for the IceHogs against the Division this season, aside from the top two teams in the Central (Milwaukee and Iowa), Rockford has seen decent success against their most important opposition this year. If they can continue their ways against Texas and Chicago and steal a game or two against the Admirals and Wild, their postseason hopes should be in good standing. If all goes according to plan, that is.

Brennan’s Back

During last week’s NHL Trade Deadline, the Blackhawks made one minor-league move that affected the Rockford IceHogs, trading forward Nathan Noel to the Philadelphia Flyers organization and acquiring defenseman T.J. Brennan in return. Noel had played eight games for the IceHogs this season with zero points Noel also skated in 39 ECHL games with the Indy Fuel this season, tallying 17 points prior to the trade. Brennan returns to the IceHogs, having played 54 games with Rockford in the 2014-15 season.

T.J. Brennan of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the Texas Stars)

Brennan, a former five-time AHL All-Star and two-time AHL Defenseman of the Year winner, played in 28 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, recording eight points. He had been out of the Phantoms lineup since January 10. In his career, Brennan is a veteran of 53 NHL games and 676 AHL games. In his first game with the IceHogs on Wednesday, he tallied a secondary assist.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Friday, March 6, as they take on the Grand Rapids Griffins. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST on Friday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. It is the ninth of ten meetings between the teams this season, with Rockford holding a 3-4-1 record against the Griffins this year. Grand Rapids and Rockford are currently tied for fourth place in the AHL Central Division.

The post War Pigs Report: IceHogs sticking around in Calder Cup playoff hunt appeared first on The Rink.

What We Know

We know that the as-yet-unnamed NHL team in Seattle will be implementing a new AHL team in Palm Springs, California to serve as their affiliate beginning in 2021. The AHL Board of Governors also approved the purchase of the San Antonio Rampage by the Vegas Golden Knights. The team will relocate to Nevada after the current season and begin playing at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas in the fall of 2020. There are also rumors of yet another AHL team moving to Colorado, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Here’s how the league looks right now.

Eastern Conference:

Western Conference (the one I’ll be talking about):

Here’s a lovely color-coded map showing the location of the teams, courtesy of the AHL mobile app. Blue stars are the Central Division, yellow are the Pacific. (Green are Atlantic and red are North, but those divisions don’t come into play in all of this.)

Notice that three of the four divisions have eight teams, but the Pacific Division only has seven. The divisions were realigned in 2018 when the Colorado Eagles moved from the ECHL to the AHL. At that point, the San Antonio Rampage and Texas Stars were moved from the Pacific to the Central, and Colorado was added to the Pacific.

With Palm Springs joining the league in 2021, the obvious solution was to put them into the Pacific Division, which made all the divisions equal with eight teams each. Colorado remained the geographical outlier, but so be it. That left the Western Conference looking like this:

But then the Vegas Golden Knights announced their intention to move the Rampage to Nevada. Go back up to that map above and mentally move one of those stars in Texas to Las Vegas. They’ll be a lot closer to California than Colorado. So a lot of people assumed these two teams would swap places — put the Rampage into the Pacific, and move the Eagles to the Central. That makes the Western Conference fall like this:

Perfect! But only until…

A couple of weeks ago, news outlets started reporting that Colorado Springs was in the process of securing an AHL franchise of their own. Rumor has it the Stockton Heat will move to Colorado, starting in the 2021-22 season. All of a sudden, those nice, neat divisions don’t look so nice and neat.

So what might things look like?

Obviously this is anybody’s guess, but there is no simple way to keep all divisions equal at eight teams each without leaving one Colorado team in the Pacific. Colorado will likely have two AHL teams, roughly 130 miles apart, but in separate divisions. In the hockey world, that’s pretty much unheard of. On the bright side, leaving the Heat in the Pacific would allow them to retain their existing rivalries.

The only problem with that scenario is the timing. San Antonio will be moving to Nevada effective next year. They could immediately move to the Pacific, becoming the eighth team and leaving the Central one team short, or they could stay where they are.

If they move next season, the Eagles could move to the Central at the same time, or they could wait. Either way, one division will still be one team short until 2021, when the Palm Springs team begins and the Heat (theoretically) move to Colorado.

It’s confusing, I know. I had to resort to pencil and paper to keep all this straight. But assuming that a) Stockton moves to Colorado Springs, and b) Palm Springs ends up in the Pacific (which is all but guaranteed), these are the four most likely scenarios:

1. Nevada moves to the Pacific and one of the Colorado teams moves to the Central. Each division would have eight teams, but one Pacific team in Colorado would be a geographical outlier. (Image 1 below)
2. Nevada moves to the Pacific, and both Colorado teams move to the Central. This would put the Central at nine teams and leave the Pacific with only seven, but all teams would be roughly in the correct geographical area. (Image 2 below)
3. Nobody changes divisions at all. This leaves all divisions with eight teams (once Palm Springs joins), but also makes three teams geographical outliers who have to travel long distances for the majority of their away games. In my opinion, this is the least likely scenario.
4. Both Colorado teams move to the Central and both the Rampage and the Texas Stars return to the Pacific. This keeps all divisions at eight and leaves Texas as the one big geographical outlier. Personally, this is my favorite scenario, but I doubt they would move the Stars just to make life easier for a team in Colorado.

Image 1

Image 2

Conclusion

Obviously, anything can happen. Maybe we’ll find out tomorrow that another team is moving. But based on what we know right now, it’s not unreasonable to assume the Colorado Eagles will end up in the Central Division in the next two years.

The post Will the Colorado Eagles move to the Central Division? appeared first on The Rink.

Brennan returns to Rockford

It was a rather interesting NHL trade deadline for the IceHogs this year. The NHL and AHL use the same deadline to make trades and make players available to move along the waiver wire once trade deadline day passes. As of nearly two hours after said deadline, no players where moved between the Blackhawks and IceHogs as “paper transactions,” which would make those players eligible to be sent from the NHL to the AHL, were the IceHogs to make the Calder Cup playoffs this season.

But alas, in a world of instant gratification, the Blackhawks paper transactions did finally come through the AHL wire as Lucas Carlsson and Matthew Highmore were assigned to and recalled from the IceHogs later Monday evening.

To the trade and a welcome back to the IceHogs for T.J. Brennan.

T.J. Brennan played for the #IceHogs in the 2014-15 season (36pts in 54 GM). He has 475pts in 673 #AHL games. 5x AHL All-Star, 2x AHL Best Defesneman, 3x AHL defenseman points leader#Blackhawks #NHL #NHLTradeDeadline

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) February 24, 2020

Brennan is a seasoned veteran in professional hockey with 53 NHL games and 673 AHL games under his belt, including 63 AHL playoff games. His accolades at the AHL level make for a highly impressive resume, being named an AHL All-Star five times, leading the league in scoring for defensemen three times, and twice being named the Eddie Shore Award winner as the AHL’s best defenseman in 2014 and 2016.

In his last four seasons in the AHL, Brennan has been playing with the Philadelphia Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He has just eight points in 28 games this season for the Phantoms after scoring 40-plus points in his last three years. Brennan has not dressed for the Phantoms since January 10.

His addition fills a gap in the Rockford defensive core with Carlsson in Chicago currently, but the move does little, if anything, to help the Blackhawks or IceHogs moving forward. If a fresh start for this season is what Brennan needed, hopefully he can find it in a familiar IceHogs setting.

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Wednesday against the Texas Stars. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. in Cedar Park, Texas. The IceHogs begin a three-game road trip in Texas, as they will face the Stars again on Friday night and then wrapping up with a Sunday afternoon contest against the San Antonio Rampage.

Rockford currently sits two points outside of the Calder Cup Playoff picture in fifth-place in the Central Division standings. They are three points ahead of the Stars and one point ahead of the Rampage in the division.

The post Blackhawks acquire T.J. Brennan, will report to IceHogs appeared first on The Rink.

“In the infamous words of Michael Scott: “It’s over. We are screwed.”

Well, not quite yet, but it’s looking pretty grim for the Rockford IceHogs Calder Cup Playoff chances as the season heads into February.”

– Opening line of February 3 ‘War Pigs Report’

About that.

The Rockford IceHogs have officially dug themselves out of their winter hibernation hole and have crawled their way back into real Calder Cup Playoff contention with four wins in their last five games, all against Central Division opponents. While health remains a major issue plaguing the IceHogs this season, there is hope that key players will be returning to the lineup just in time for the final 24 games of the season.

Back in the hunt

After a stretch of the schedule from Dec. 21 to Feb. 1 where the IceHogs went a staggering 3–14–2 and fell from second to sixth in the Central Division, Rockford has climbed back into the Calder Cup Playoff hunt with four wins in their last five games, three coming in regulation and all four against Central Division opponents. Most recently, the IceHogs took back-to-back games on the road against the Manitoba Moose.

Coming into the final 24 games of the season for Rockford, here are the Central Division standings:

1. Milwaukee Admirals (51 games played): 34–10–7, 75 points
2. Iowa Wild (51 games played): 31–14–6, 68 points
3. Chicago Wolves (50 games played): 24–21–5, 53 points
4. Grand Rapids Griffins (51 games played): 22–22–7, 51 points
5. Rockford IceHogs (52 games played): 24–25–3, 51 points
6. Texas Stars (50 games played): 23–23–4, 50 points
7. San Antonio Rampage (49 games played): 17–20–12, 46 points
8. Manitoba Moose (52 games played): 22–30–0, 44 points

Following the IceHogs’ upcoming game on Saturday night against the Cleveland Monsters, Rockford will only face Central Division opponents to close out the season. Of those remaining 23 games against divisional foes, only nine will be at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. From Feb. 22 to March 14, the IceHogs will play seven of eight games on the road. Rockford holds a 10–12–2 record away from home this season with 57 goals scored on the road, tied for the fourth-fewest in the AHL.

John Quenneville carries the puck during a game in the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs / Christian Bonin / TSGphoto.com)

While it has been tough sledding to provide offense on the road this season for the IceHogs, their goal production has increased over their last nine games overall and last four games away from home. In the last four road games for Rockford, they are scoring 3.25 goals per game and are 3–1–0. Since Jan. 24, the IceHogs are averaging 2.77 goals per game.

It might not seem like a drastic amount, but compare that to the 1.46 goals per game that Rockford averaged from Dec. 21 to Jan. 22, including being shut out three times over that span, and the offense is clicking just at the right time for a postseason push.

We’re going streaking!

Two players that have been pushing the IceHogs back up the standings have been forward Dylan Sikura and defenseman Lucas Carlsson. Both players are riding impressive scoring streaks and have played major roles in the recent offensive upswing for the IceHogs.

For Sikura, his short stint with the Blackhawks gave him confidence in his game and he is working to get himself back up to the Chicago in the NHL and make sure he sticks if given the opportunity. Currently, Sikura is on a professional career-long nine-game point streak, tallying 12 points over that timeframe with three goals and nine assists.

Dylan Sikura skates with the puck during a contest in the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Since returning to the IceHogs on Jan. 19, Sikura has 13 points in 12 games and ranks third on the team with 29 points in 34 games. His 0.85 point-per-game pace also leads the team by a wide margin over players who have played at least 30 games this season for Rockford, as John Quenneville‘s 0.68 point-per-game pace comes in second.

Lucas Carlsson has been one of the under-the-radar defensive prospects in the Blackhawks’ system for the last two years. While players like Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin and Dennis Gilbert have grabbed headlines as future pieces, Carlsson has quietly gone out and produced for the IceHogs as one of their most reliable go-to defensemen.

Lucas Carlsson holds the puck in at the blue line. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs.)

Last season, Carlsson led all Rockford defenders with 33 points in 69 games, finishing fourth on the IceHogs in scoring among players with more than 30 games played with Rockford. This season, Carlsson is again at the top of the list for production, leading defensemen in points with 24 in 45 games and leading all IceHogs in assists with 20 this season.

It is likely safe to say Carlsson will again finish the season as the IceHogs’ leading scoring defenseman, as Beaudin is second among defensemen in points with 13. Like Sikura, Carlsson is also on an impressive point streak for Rockford, riding a five-game streak in which he has tallied seven assists. Carlsson leads the IceHogs this season with six multi-point games.

I have the power!

Keeping with the theme of offensive upswing for the IceHogs, the power play has been hot as of late. Although spending all season at or near the bottom of the league in power play conversion rate, the IceHogs have scored nine power play goals in their last nine games, converting on nine of 37 chances over that span for a 24.3% success rate.

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a goal against the San Antonio Rampage. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Rockford’s power play still ranks near the bottom of the AHL with a 12.7% success rate, good for 29th in the league, but their current form is promising with the expectation that more players that will see power play time will be coming back to the lineup, such as Philipp Kurashev.

It is encouraging to see the conversion rate increasing over their last nine games since the IceHogs have been one of the best teams in the league at drawing penalties on their opponents. Rockford is one of 10 teams to reach the 200-mark for power play opportunities at this point of the season, and rank sixth overall in power play opportunities in the AHL with 212, averaging 4.07 power plays per game this season.

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Saturday at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford as they take on the Cleveland Monsters. Puck drop on Saturday is set for 6 p.m. CST. It is the final game for the IceHogs this season that will come against an opponent outside of the Central Divison. Rockford is 0–3–0 against the Monsters this season, being outscored 15–3 in the previous three matchups. It is also Collin Delia bobblehead night for the IceHogs on Saturday.

Get your cheeks in the seats tomorrow and you’ll get a FREE Collin Delia bobblehead!

Details and : https://t.co/h78RytQ9CR pic.twitter.com/nvtY1RZser

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 14, 2020

Following Saturday’s game, the IceHogs stay at home when they host the Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday. Puck drop on Tuesday is set for 7 p.m. CST. Rockford is currently tied with the Griffins in fourth place in the Central Division with 51 points, with the Griffins currently holding the tiebreaker in regulation wins. Rockford holds a 4–3–0 record over Grand Rapids this season.

The post War Pigs report: IceHogs climb back into the playoff hunt appeared first on The Rink.

In his final season with Red Deer, Hagel tallied 41 goals and 102 points to finish fourth in points in the WHL. Since then, the Alberta native has worked his way into the forefront of the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect system, as he is on pace for one of the most prolific rookie scoring seasons in Rockford IceHogs AHL franchise history.

Hagel’s stock on the rise with IceHogs

This should come as no surprise to those that know Hagel’s game. After finishing with 279 points in 259 WHL games, Hagel was expected to produce points at the professional level.

“Coming in last year for eight games and getting some touches in was good for me,” Hagel said about joining the IceHogs last season. “Got to come here and get used to the people and the players, so when I came back this year, I knew more of what to expect and that allows me to play the way I need to play.”

Hagel’s comfort level with the IceHogs has translated into a high-energy style of play that has been rewarded by head coach Derek King this season, affording Hagel meaningful ice time and opportunities on both the power play and the penalty kill.

For a rookie coming into the professional ranks, the transition from junior hockey can take a physical toll on a young player. But, with his style of play, Hagel has found it easier than most to make the jump to the next level.

“There’s a lot of new things you learn through recovery and nutrition and how important that is,” Hagel said. “As a rookie, you’re kind of on your own now, living on your own, so you have to figure things out now for yourself. We have a great leadership group on this team that is really on top of those things, so that has made my transition as easy as it can be.”

Only 3 #IceHogs have scored 20+ goals in their rookie season since 07-08:
Matthew Highmore (24)
Tyler Sikura (23)
Tanner Kero (20)
Brandon Hagel has 17 goals through 45 games this season. He is on pace for 28 goals, which would be the highest total since 2012-13 (30, Morin) #AHL https://t.co/3f8FPZ6vLa

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) February 5, 2020

What may be a surprise to IceHogs and Blackhawks fans alike are both Hagel’s work ethic and skills away from the puck.

His ability to put up points, as well as apply pressure defensively, kill penalties and play with an edge has allowed him to separate himself from the pack in the Blackhawks’ prospect system. His work this season did not go unnoticed by the parent club and Hagel received his first NHL recall in January.

“I don’t feel like my work away from the puck is underrated,” Hagel said. “People notice that and it’s continued to be a part of my game as a whole. My work ethic is the No. 1 thing that I have to focus on. Obviously, people notice it and I’m putting up numbers, too, so that always helps.”

While he did not get to make his full NHL debut during his first NHL recall, Hagel still took away a vote of confidence from the Blackhawks organization after getting the opportunity to learn from the pros in Chicago.

“It was nice just to even go up there and just get comfortable around the guys and staff,” Hagel said. “Everyone was so welcoming and that made it easier for me to do what I needed when I was up there, especially when it’s your first time up and you don’t really know what to expect. It’s just good to know what I have to do to get back there and hopefully get that opportunity again.”

Brandon Hagel skates against the San Antonio Rampage during the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of the San Antonio Rampage)

On a roster that began the season so inexperienced, and has endured a heavy amount of turnover due to injuries and recalls, Hagel has been one of the most consistent offensive factors for the IceHogs.

“There’s always going to be change,” Hagel said. “We’ve been through a lot of it this year and it’s just one of those things that you have to let it roll. Can’t think about it too much and stick to your game.”

Hagel and the IceHogs went through a difficult month of January, which snowballed from an equally difficult end of December. Going 3–14–2 from Dec. 21 to Feb. 1, the IceHogs have fallen from second in the AHL Central Division to sixth. While somehow keeping within striking distance of a Calder Cup Playoff spot through that stretch, the IceHogs have won back-to-back games heading into their next contest on Saturday and regained their confidence.

Rockford will need to continue to lean on Hagel’s offensive production, which has him third on the team with 25 points and leading the way with 17 goals this season. Hagel’s 17 tallies rank in a tie for fourth among rookies scorers and he is on pace for 28 goals this season, which would set the IceHogs’ AHL franchise record for rookies.

The post Brandon Hagel on historic rookie pace for IceHogs appeared first on The Rink.

Well, not quite yet, but it’s looking pretty grim for the Rockford IceHogs Calder Cup Playoff chances as the season heads into February.

For the IceHogs, the month of January could not end soon enough. Aside from a better than anticipated showing during the AHL All-Star weekend from goaltender Kevin Lankinen, the IceHogs had a dismal month of January. Which isn’t surprising given the state of the team and the level of play that the team has exhibited since the third week of December.

Rockford is in a bad spot. With not much hope on the horizon when it comes to injuries, the IceHogs are icing a lineup that would be particularly competitive in the ECHL, but is doing them less favors at the AHL level. If something doesn’t change for the better soon, the 2019-20 season could be written off in Rockford as a lost cause.

IceHogs’ winter blues continue

The benchmark for when things began to go south for Rockford continues to be December 21. Since that game, a 3-2 loss at home to the Cleveland Monsters, the IceHogs have mustered up just three wins. They have a 3-14-2 record over that stretch and have fallen from second-place in the AHL Central Division to seventh-place in the Division.

The lost points and the drop in the standings hurts, but the slim silver-lining is that the gap between the third-place Chicago Wolves and the San Antonio Rampage at the bottom of the Division is just seven points. Rockford, with 43 points, sits just three points out of the final Calder Cup Playoff spot in the Central, currently held by the Texas Stars and Grand Rapids Griffins with 46 points.

But the slide down the standings since before the Christmas break has been highlighted by some spectacular losses. They have given up five or more goals in five of those losses, three against the league-leading Milwaukee Admirals alone. Rockford has been shutout in three of those losses. They are averaging just 1.68 goals per game during this 19-game stretch.

Derek King is entering his first full season as the Rockford IceHogs’ head coach. (Photograph courtesy of the Texas Stars)

The offensive spark has not been there on a consistent basis for the IceHogs this season, especially as of late. Their 116 goals scored this year ranks 29th in the AHL, and their -31 goal differential also ranks 29th in the league. Only the Ontario Reign (-40) and Bridgeport Sound Tigers (-51) have worse differentials this season. And while getting powerplays has not been a problem for Rockford this season, ranking eighth in the league in opportunities (193), they sit in 30th in the league in powerplay percentage at 11.9%, only Bridgeport has been worse on the man-advantage this season.

Rockford ranks third in the Central Division based on team save percentage this season, with Kevin Lankinen, Collin Delia, and Matt Tomkins combining for a .905 marker. Tomkins and Delia are tied for the team-leading save percentage at .906, with Lankinen not far off with a .904. All three goaltenders have had their ups and downs this season, but their downs have never overlapped as Tomkins and Lankinen shined during Delia’s early-season slump and Delia has been playing considerably better as of late while Lankinen has dropped his last eight starts in net.

The walking wounded

The roster is not built the way that the team would have anticipated at the beginning of the season. Kris Versteeg and Philip Holm both left the team unexpectedly, early-season top contributors like Matthew Highmore, Dylan Sikura, Adam Boqvist, and Dennis Gilbert have seen significant time with the Chicago Blackhawks this season, and injuries upon injuries have taken their toll on the IceHogs ability to field a competent AHL roster. In January alone, the IceHogs went through 28 roster transactions across the NHL, AHL, and ECHL levels.

Philipp Kurashev of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Most notably for Rockford has been the loss of offensive production from Philipp Kurashev and Anton Wedin. Both players are still in the top ten in scoring for the IceHogs, despite missing nearly half of the season due to injuries. Kurashev ranks third on the team in rookie scoring with 16 points this season and both he and Wedin ranked inside the top five for the IceHogs in points prior to their injuries.

Wedin had four points over this last four games with the IceHogs from December 15-31, including a two-point night on December 31, but that would be his last game with Rockford before heading to the injury list.

Kurashev saw a major turn for the better in his on-ice production prior to leaving the IceHogs roster. In his last 13 games from November 29 to December 29, Kurashev tallied 11 points including a three-point night against the Toronto Marlies on December 15.

Add to the list the games missed by Tim Soderlund and Mikael Hakkarinen, as well as the fact that both Nick Moutrey and Jacob Nilsson have now been bitten by the injury bug, and the IceHogs are having a hard time seeing light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the health of the squad.

Hot Hagel

One of the few positives that has been consistent for the IceHogs this season has been the emergence of Brandon Hagel. Currently sitting second on the team in scoring behind Tyler Sikura (26), Hagel leads all IceHogs rookies in points (24), goals (16), and shots on goal (95). He has also skated in the most games of any rookie this season with 44 appearances and his .55 points per game pace is fourth among active skaters for the IceHogs.

Brandon Hagel’s team-leading 15th goal this season ties the game at 3-3#IceHogs #RFDvsMB #AHL pic.twitter.com/UBVsafk74b

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) February 1, 2020

In the AHL for rookie ranks, Hagel is tied for 11th in the league in points and fifth in goal scoring. An impressive rookie season for Hagel has been bolstered by a couple stretches of quality play. From October 30 to December 10, Hagel did not go more than a game between tallying points with 12 points over a 17-game stretch. He quickly followed that up with an eight point run over a ten-game stretch from December 20 to January 11 and currently has goals in back to back games as a part of a three goals in four games stretch from January 24 to February 1.

Brandon Hagel’s team-leading 16th goal of the season #IceHogs #RFDvsMIL #AHL pic.twitter.com/AEVcyXaT7C

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) February 2, 2020

He also received his first call-up to the NHL in his career, joining the Blackhawks for a two-game stint from January 16-20. Although he didn’t get to dress for his first career NHL game, the recall shows that the Blackhawks have Hagel on their radar, as he should be. Given the state of the roster with players missing significant time due to injuries and recalls, Hagel has been thrust into a top-line role for the IceHogs in his first full season as a professional and has answered the bell continuously for Rockford.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs get back in action on Tuesday, February 4 as they take on the Texas Stars at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. Puck drop on Tuesday night is set for 7 p.m. CST. It is the fourth game of a six-game homestand and the eighth game of a ten-game stretch where the IceHogs haven’t had to travel more than 90 minutes to play.

Rockford is 0-2-1 in their last three home games and 2-7-1 over their last ten games. The IceHogs hold a 1-1-1 record against the Stars the season and sit three points behind the Stars in the Central Division standings.

The post War Pigs report: IceHogs season slipping away appeared first on The Rink.

The second game went differently, with the Eagles falling to the Rampage for the first time in team history in a 4-2 loss. They now have a 6-1-0 all-time record against the Rampage and sit at third in the Pacific Division going into the break.

Weekend Takeaways

Inconsistency seems to be the fatal flaw for the Eagles at present, with the team alternately dominating offensively and then giving up scoring opportunities they could have locked down. Even in the dominating win on Friday, only one goal was scored through the first two periods. The play through the second period was far messier than it needed to be and the score only stayed at 1-0 due to Adam Werner having an outstanding night.

Then the Eagles exploded with four goals in the third period. It was a night and day difference from their performance in the third. They controlled the zones. They were passing intelligently in the offensive zone. They scored twice in 31 seconds. If the team finds a way to play with that level of jump more often, they have the chance to absolutely dominate the standings in the second half of the season.

The Eagles certainly perform better playing ahead than from behind, as they’re far more suited for extending a lead than trying to create one. Chatting with defenseman Conor Timmins after the game, he credited the excellent goaltending the Eagles have been receiving this year for that. “We know they’re gonna be strong back there no matter what we do, so it gives us a little more freedom in the third period to continue to push and continue to play our game, as opposed to just sitting back.”

Special teams were another stand-out from the weekend, with the Eagles going 5 for 5 on the penalty kill. The Eagles have a unique penalty kill, in that it’s possible to forget they’re playing shorthanded. They simply don’t give the opposition time to set up.

T.J. Tynan actually netted a shorthanded goal on Friday night, in one of the strangest plays I’ve ever seen – Who pulls the goalie with seven minutes remaining in the third? The Rampage, apparently. Tynan immediately made them regret that decision, racing for the puck and showcasing the speed and skill that sent him to the AHL All Star Game this year:

Our #AHLAllStar

ENG short-handed goal with 7:30 left in the 3rd period#EaglesCountry pic.twitter.com/ptzLC93GwW

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 25, 2020

Conor Timmins makes his return

Yes, it’s true – After missing yet more time with a lower-body injury, Conor Timmins finally returned to play on Friday night against the Rampage. The much-beloved Avalanche prospect is no stranger to rehabilitating injuries, as he missed what should have been his first professional season due to a lengthy battle with concussion symptoms. This injury, however, was much less harrowing than the last, as Timmins only missed a little over a month of play.

Any concerns about him being rusty after missing time were put to rest on Friday night, as he had himself a two-point night, including a beautiful outlet pass to Jayson Megna that ended in the first goal of the evening.

The pass the goal #EaglesCountry pic.twitter.com/W52NW2C9Ud

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 25, 2020

Offense aside, there weren’t too many glaring gaps in Timmins’ defensive ability. He just wasn’t a noticeable force on the ice. Returning from such a prolonged time away from the ice, he looked to play a safer game, chipping in defensively in areas that wouldn’t expose any of that post-injury rust.

“Especially coming off the injury, I’m just trying to find my game,” he explained, rather matter-of-factly. “Obviously I need to get stronger off the ice, that’ll help with a lot of the on-ice issues. I’ve just been focused on working on my defensive game. The offense is gonna come from me, but being reliable is something that’s gonna get me to the next level.”

There’s no doubt that Timmins is going to find a place on the Avalanche blue line at some point in the near future. He has the right idea about where his development needs to go to get there. Reliability is key, as can be seen from the other Eagles players that have made the jump to the NHL for good. For now, though, he’s going to continue to be an important piece for the Eagles as they finish off the second half of the season and look to make another playoffs run.

The post Timmins returns in Eagles Fight Cancer weekend appeared first on The Rink.

Last weekend was my first trip up to Loveland to see the Eagles play and I will admit I did have my reservations.  I’ve been to a few AHL games before and, at the time, it seemed like they were trying too hard to keep fans interested.  There were pyrotechnics, over-the-top fan contests, and carnival food, all things that don’t really scream hockey.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not above cheap beer and dollar hot dogs, but the experience never wowed me.

We left Denver on Friday around 4:30 PM to head up to Loveland.  I told a coworker I was going north on I-25 after work and he immediately laughed and said, “Good luck with that.”  He went to college in Fort Collins at Colorado State University so I figured there was some truth to why he scoffed.  The traffic wasn’t so bad, but it still took us about an hour to get there.

As we pulled off exit 259, there were a handful of restaurants and bars that we were desperate to check out.  To our surprise, every place was packed with Eagles fans.  I knew right away that there was a strong following for this hockey club.

After we found something to eat, we drove towards the Budweiser Event Center.  I knew the Eagles games could seat just under six thousand people so I was excited to see the inside.  Walking through the front doors, you were greeted by security and ticket takers who were moving at a decent pace.  Eagles cheerleaders were handing fans the giveaway of the night, which was a poster of Logan O’Connor, the former Denver Pioneer.

Well, hi there #EaglesCountry

Ready to do that hockey? pic.twitter.com/StJsSRmX2a

— The Rink — Colorado Avalanche (@TheRinkColorado) January 25, 2020

I sat down in my seat in section L and noticed something right away.  I heard the sound of cowbells, a tradition that I’ve seen at other AHL arenas.  I looked around and didn’t see a bad seat in the house.  You really felt like you were on top of the players when they came out for warmups.  Fans ranged from kids all the way to seniors, many of whom I was told have been season ticket holders since the inaugural season 16 years ago!  As I looked up, banners lined the rafters featured by two Kelly Cup Championships in 2017 and 2018.  Some really special hockey has been played on the ice at the Budweiser Events Center and you could really feel it.

The game got started and I immediately felt nostalgic.  It wasn’t because of the old-time hockey vibes either.  It was because of the heckling!  Right from the start fans laid into San Antonio Rampage goaltender Adam Wilcox who didn’t have a great night in net, so the insults came pretty easily.  Going to games in Chicago as a kid, I always felt at home sitting in the cheap seats barking at the opposing team’s players.  The jokes never crossed the casual “you suck,” however there were some creative ones.

Overall the game was exciting.  The Eagles were well-coached and very disciplined.  There was a solid pace too as both teams got up and down the ice lightning fast.  I assumed there would be more roughhousing since it was the AHL, but it seemed like that kind of behavior is being cleaned up outside of the NHL too.  I think my favorite part was getting to see guys like T.J. Tynan and Jason Megna perform so well.  A lot of people want to hear about Conor Timmins and Shane Bowers, but there are other players providing a spark for the Eagles too.  It was a pleasure getting to see Logan O’Connor play at the next level, yet still doing all the things that made him successful in college.

If someone asked me about my experience in Loveland with the Colorado Eagles, I’d probably tell them to definitely give it a try.  They check all the boxes of having a good time, plus the team is playing well.  They don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but what they do offer they seem to get right.  And when all you want is a cold beer and a great view of some good hockey, you couldn’t ask for more from the Eagles.

The post Colorado Eagles: True hockey culture evident in Loveland appeared first on The Rink.

Delia overcoming rough beginning to 2019–20 season

The season did not start the way he had planned. Coming in as the theoretical third-in-line goaltender, Delia started the year with a poor 2–5–0 record, a goals against average over four and a sub-.900 save percentage. The IceHogs have carried three healthy goaltenders all season and after just a month and a half, Delia took a backseat to Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins.

“I was frustrated because I want to play,” Delia said of his time off the ice in November. “I think I deserve to play. I work hard and prepare the right ways. Just wasn’t the decisions that were made and sometimes you don’t agree with them but you respect what the coaching staff says. Just use it to energize your efforts moving forward because if you come to the rink with a negative attitude, you’re only hurting your team and yourself.”

Over his last 10 appearances, Delia holds a 6–3–0 record with a 1.59 goals against average and a .946 save percentage. He also recorded his second career AHL shutout in his last start, making 34 saves against the Chicago Wolves on Jan. 19. It also was the second appearance of the year for Delia where he did not allow a goal, having made all 20 saves in relief of Lankinen on Dec. 31 against the Manitoba Moose.

“I’ve been practicing, playing and preparing the right way,” Delia said. “I had some things that were affecting me off the ice that I was able to get in check and that allowed me to do my job more effectively on the ice. That’s all it comes down to.”

Collin Delia makes a save for the Rockford IceHogs against Laval Rocket on Dec. 17, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of the Laval Rocket)

One thing going for Delia this season is that he has been able to settle into one organization, so to say. Delia began his professional career with the Indy Fuel in the ECHL, but was recalled to the IceHogs near the midway point of the 2017–18 season. He would work his way into a regular role with the IceHogs that year and was a key player during their 2018 Calder Cup Playoff run. Last season, Delia moved up and down from the IceHogs to the Blackhawks throughout the year, ultimately finishing the year as one of the top netminders in the AHL.

“It allows me to be with the guys more,” Delia said. “You get more one-on-one time with specific guys and as a team as a whole. That’s important for a goalie. You get to know where certain guys like to play and where they go and you can find your spots. It’s a big part of reading the play and the guys around you.”

While he hasn’t moved around the organization, neither have Lankinen or Tomkins, leaving the IceHogs with a rare trio of healthy goalies on the roster for the entire season so far.

“I don’t think it’s ideal long-term,” Delia said of Rockford’s three-goalie system. “It’s hard for everybody to get enough reps. It’s interesting because I don’t think you’ll see a lot of teams do that. You just have to use it and make the most of each moment in practice and each game you get into.”

Eye on the future?

While Delia has not been needed in Chicago yet this year, given the quality of play and health of Crawford and Lehner, he is the only goaltender with the Blackhawks or IceHogs that has a contract beyond this season.

Collin Delia makes a play on the puck during a Chicago Blackhawks game against the Nashville Predators in the 2018–19 season. (Photograph courtesy of Chase Agnello-Dean / NHLI via Getty Images)

If his recent play is any indication, Delia may have played his way back into that No. 3 spot on the organizational depth chart. But as the NHL trade deadline approaches, and the Blackhawks have a number of questions to address regarding their future in net, Delia finds himself in a precarious position.

“I envision myself being there (in Chicago) permanently one day,” Delia said. “You notice things, but you don’t give too much attention to them because it’s not as important as being here and winning games here. I know when I’m called upon, I’ll use what I’ve worked on here and make sure they translate up there.You have to focus on having success here and now, because if you have it here, it’s easier to have it when you’re up there.”

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Collin Delia celebrates a shootout win over the Chicago Wolves. (Photograph courtesy of Brad Repplinger)

Keeping his focus on the present with the IceHogs has paid off for Collin, his last outing was a shutout. Delia has been one of, if not the only bright spot on the ice for Rockford as they have just three wins since Dec. 21. Over that time, the IceHogs are averaging just 1.47 goals per game and have been shut out three times.

“We’re not going to make the playoffs with a .500 winning percentage,” Delia said. “We have to be higher than that and that’s my focus. Keep the puck out of the net so we can win some games. Being one-track minded for me is good because it allows the other guys to focus on their jobs if I’m doing my job.”

The IceHogs currently sit in sixth place in the Central Division with a 20–21–2 record. They are two points behind the Texas Stars and Grand Rapids Griffins, who are tied for fourth place and three points behind the Chicago Wolves in third place.

Delia ranks 16th in the AHL in goals against average (2.66), is tied for 11th in save percentage (.913) and is one of 39 players to record a shutout this season among goalies who have played over 780 minutes in net this season.

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Friday, as they take on the Milwaukee Admirals. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST at the Panther Arena in Milwaukee.

Following Friday’s contest, the teams will run it back on Saturday back in Rockford. Puck drop on Saturday is set for 6 p.m. CST at the BMO Harris Bank Center. It will be the final game for the IceHogs before the AHL All Star break.

The IceHogs hold a 1–3–1 record against the league-leading Admirals this season and face Milwaukee three times over their next four games.

The post Collin Delia focusing on the “here and now” with IceHogs appeared first on The Rink.

Consistency in the roster and on the ice have led the IceHogs into a weird roller-coaster type of month where they surely won’t lose grip on their season, but they are in danger of falling into a hole that could be too deep to dig out of once March and April roll around.

Rockford currently sits in a three-way tie for fourth-place in the AHL Central Division with 42 points in the standings through 42 games with a 20-20-2 record. They are on par with the Texas Stars and Grand Rapids Griffins, having played one more game than Texas (41) and one fewer than the Griffins (43) at this point in the season. Looking with a broader scope, the third-place Chicago Wolves and the last-place San Antonio Rampage are only separated by seven points in the Central Division standings. It’s going to be a classic divisional slug-fest the rest of the season for the IceHogs as they navigate their Calder Cup Playoff push.

A Tale of Two Tendys

The roster has been influx with injuries and recalls/re-assignments, yes. But what was once the biggest strength of the IceHogs this season has turned into a question-mark. Goaltending was the key for the IceHogs last season with Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia leading the way. Coming into the 2019-20 season, it looked as if Delia and Kevin Lankinen were in prime position to once again be a deadly one-two combo in net.

While Lankinen came out of the gate with a great start to the season, Delia struggled. Add into the mix the IceHogs willingly carrying three healthy goaltenders all season with Matt Tomkins also in the fold and ice-time for Rockford goalies was at a premium.

• IceHogs goalie stats through the end of November
  • Kevin Lankinen: 5-2-1, 2.45 GAA, .926 save percentage
  • Matt Tomkins: 4-1-0, 2.39 GAA, .924 save percentage
  • Collin Delia: 2-5-0, 4.08 GAA, .855 save percentage

Kevin Lankinen of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Lankinen and Tomkins became the one-two punch early in the season, and Delia was relegated to healthy scratches to get more work in practice without taking away from the goalies who were playing reliably during that time. But since then, there has been a shift in control of the IceHogs’ net as Tomkins has seen less ice, as well as taking a trip to the Spengler Cup with Team Canada, and Delia has returned to the form that the Blackhawks organization was used to seeing from him starting late in the 2017-18 season and beyond.

• IceHogs goalie stats since December 1, 2019
  • Kevin Lankinen: 2-7-1, 3.89 GAA, .879 save percentage
  • Matt Tomkins: 1-2-0, 3.03 GAA, .894 save percentage
  • Collin Delia: 6-3-0, 1.59 GAA, .946 save percentage (ten appearances and one shutout)

Peter Quenneville of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Delia recorded the first shutout of the season for the IceHogs by blanking the Chicago Wolves for 34 saves on January 19. His second career shutout in the AHL, Delia also recorded a goalless appearance in relief of Lankinen against the Manitoba Moose, making 20 saves in Manitoba on December 31, 2019.

While IceHogs head coach Derek King might be reluctant to flat-out name a starter when the team is carrying three healthy goalies that have all shown the capability of being a solid goaltender at the AHL level, it’s almost looking like the WRONG move right now to not be giving Delia the heavy workload while the teams roster continues to be ever-changing on a nightly basis.

Roller-coaster Ride

Up and down the organization is not a fun or mentally-healthy way to play a career. But, such are the perils of the IceHogs these days. With so many injuries both in Rockford and Chicago this season, the IceHogs and Blackhawks have not been strangers to the NHL and AHL transactions pages. No two players know how hectic it has been this season than Brandon Hagel and Dennis Gilbert this last week.

First, Hagel receives his first recall to the NHL in his young career with the Blackhawks on January 16. He joins the Blackhawks on their Canadian road trip, but doesn’t get into a game. He is then sent down back to the IceHogs on the night of January 19. He plays in the IceHogs’ game at home against the Belleville Senators on January 20, a 3-0 loss for Rockford, and then hops right back on the bus back to Chicago as the Blackhawks again recall him to the NHL that night as the Blackhawks prepare for their final game before the NHL All-Star break.

Brandon Hagel of the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo Courtesy: Chicago Blackhawks.)

On top of that, there is a more than likely chance Hagel will once more be sent back to the IceHogs as they play four games between January 22-31. The Blackhawks are off after their game on January 21 against the Florida Panthers (the return of former head coach Joel Quenneville to Chicago) until February 1. Hagel has been one of the top point-producers for the IceHogs this season and has been thrust into a top-role with Rockford during their injury-riddle stretch of this season. Hagel leads all Rockford rookies in points (21) and leads the team in goals (13) in 39 games this season.

On the defensive side of the roster, the Blackhawks have been hurting, literally, with season-ending injuries to Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan and have been forced into playing young defensemen Adam Boqvist and Dennis Gilbert in regular roles in the lineup. Unlike Hagel, Gilbert has been used by the Blackhawks in his time being called up to the roster. But with the extended break coming for Chicago, Gilbert is also being subjected to the up and down riding of the transaction wire between the Blackhawks and IceHogs. Gilbert came back to the IceHogs with Hagel on the night of January 19 and was in the Rockford lineup against the Senators on January 20. He also rode the bus back to Chicago that night with Hagel to be on the Blackhawks roster, but not in the lineup for the January 21 contest against the Panthers.

Dennis Gilbert of the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo Courtesy: Chicago Blackhawks.)

It won’t end there for Gilbert as it is highly likely he joins Hagel back down to Rockford for the four-game stretch with the IceHogs where they will play three home games and a road game only 90 minutes away against the Milwaukee Admirals. Gilbert has skated more for the Blackhawks than the IceHogs this season with 20 NHL games played, compared to his 12 AHL games. He has a goal and two assists with Chicago this season and two assists with Rockford in his 12 games.

Getting the extra work will be good to keep Gilbert active during the Blackhawks’ layoff, especially since he hasn’t seen ice-time over the last few games for Chicago. He’ll be relied upon for significant minutes if and when he joins the IceHogs again to end the month. As for Hagel, his quick stint with the Blackhawks will most likely be more of a learning experience as he will not factor into the lineup and may not return to Chicago as February begins. It looks likely that Dylan Strome will return to health for the Blackhawks when they get back to games on February 1 or very soon after that.

*UPDATE: Both Hagel and Gilbert were re-assigned to the IceHogs late on January 21*

IceHogs Face Familiar Foes

The Rockford IceHogs are in a Calder Cup Playoff push. Not doubt about it. As mentioned before, the race for playoff positioning in the AHL Central Division is tight and will likely come down to the final week of the season. With 34 games remaining, the IceHogs play just one more game that will not be against a Central Division opponent as they host the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday, February 15. That leaves 33 contests against rivals heading down the stretch of the season.

Nick Moutrey (left) fights with Jermaine Loewen of the Chicago Wolves. (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Here’s how those remaining 33 contests break down:

• Three games vs Manitoba Moose (two home; one away)
• Three games vs Grand Rapids Griffins (one home; two away)
• Four games vs Iowa Wild (two home; two away)
• Five games vs San Antonio Rampage (two home; three away)
• Five games vs Chicago Wolves (two home; three away)
• Six games vs Texas Stars (three home; three away)
• Seven games vs Milwaukee Admirals (three home; four away)

Rockford has had their rival Chicago Wolves’ number this season in their previous seven matchups this season, holding a 6-1-0 marker. The biggest takeaways are the remaining seven games that come against the league-leading Milwaukee Admirals and the six games against the Texas Stars, a team the IceHogs are currently tied with in the Divisional standings.

While every game and every point is and will continue to be right up to the season finale on April 11 against the Iowa Wild, it begins now for the IceHogs to stay in the Calder Cup Playoff hunt. Getting healthy will be the biggest key for Rockford as they look to build momentum. If the Blackhawks can return healthy players to their lineup consistently, then Rockford will likely enjoy another reinforcement player (Matthew Highmore, probably) returning to their lineup.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Wednesday, January 22 as they take on the Texas Stars. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford on Wednesday night. The IceHogs hold a 1-0-1 record against the Stars this season.

Wednesday night’s game will be game three of a ten-game stretch where the IceHogs do not have to travel more than a 90-minute drive to play. From January 19 to February 8, Rockford enjoys eight home games and one road game each in Chicago and Milwaukee. The IceHogs are 1-1-0 to begin said ten-game stretch.

The post War Pigs Report: IceHogs experiencing The Perils appeared first on The Rink.

Wolves silence the Admirals

The Wolves powered through their game on Saturday night, capturing a massive win over the Milwaukee Admirals, who just days before, beat the Wolves in a shootout. The win allowed the Wolves to inch closer to second place behind the Iowa Wild in the Central Division standings.

After going toe to toe with the Admirals on Wednesday, the Wolves took advantage of some home cooking and beat the Admirals at Allstate Arena. The Wolves jumped out to an early lead and made sure they hung on to it. About two and a half minutes into the game, Gage Quinney struck with his ninth goal of the year and gave the Wolves the early 1–0 lead.

After the Wolves’ first goal on Saturday, teddy bears were tossed onto the ice to be donated to charity. Photo: Chicago Wolves

There was no more scoring in the first, but the Wolves added in the second with a Jake Bischoff tally. Just two minutes and forty seconds into the middle frame, the Wolves found themselves with a two-goal lead.

With roughly six minutes having bled off the clock, the Wolves found themselves up four goals thanks to Gage Quinney’s second and third tallies of the game. The second goal and hat trick tally came just 45 seconds apart.

With 12:46 left on the clock, the Admirals finally found the back of the net. Eeli Tolvanen scored to put the Admirals on the board and ultimately ruin Oscar Dansk’s chance at a shutout. Despite the disappointment of losing the shutout, Dansk was excellent, and the Wolves captured a coveted 4–1 victory over a very good Admirals team.

IceHogs blank the Wolves

Riding high after a massive win on Saturday, the Wolves welcomed the Rockford IceHogs to the Allstate Arena and hoped to take both games over the weekend.

The first period was full of action but lacked scoring. The IceHogs had a number of solid opportunities on the power play, but Sparks and the Wolves’ penalty kill were able to nullify any momentum. The best chance for the Wolves came via a Brandon Pirri crossbar. Pirri nearly went bar down on Collin Delia but he couldn’t beat the goalie’s best friend.

The IceHogs wasted no time however in the middle frame. Just 29 seconds into the period, a puck found its way through Garrett Sparks and into the blue paint. Tyler Sikura was there to tap home the puck and give the visitors the 1–0 lead.

The second period did not yield much for the Wolves. Brandon Pirri had a few solid chances once again, but the rest of the team was kept in check by the IceHogs’ team defense. Late in the period, Gage Quinney took a monster hit from Dmitry Osipov and was slow to get up. He made it back to the bench under his own power but was visibly in pain.

Not too soon after the Quinney injury, the IceHogs struck to double their lead. Gabriel Gagne scored his first goal as a member of the IceHogs and gave the visitors the additional cushion. The goal was the first chance from the slot that beat Sparks all afternoon.

Despite the outcome Sunday, Garett Sparks was excellent. Photo: Chicago Wolves

The Wolves attempted a comeback. The home team found themselves controlling play as they were heading into the final period. However, it was all for not as Collin Delia made a few major saves and captured the shutout against their cross-state rival.

One notable frustration during Sunday’s game was the Wolves’ reliance on the stretch pass. Every quality chance during the first two and a half periods came via the stretch pass. They only hit on about 10% of the passes they tried, and the best opportunity was denied by the crossbar on Pirri’s earlier bid.

Aside from the Pirri line, the best line for the Wolves on Sunday was the fourth line, comprised of Paul Cotter, Jermaine Loewen, and Cam Maclise. They were forechecking machines all game and Loewen had a solid bout with Nick Moutrey early in the game. They brought great energy when it seemed like other lines were flat. Was it easy to overlook Rockford after defeating the mighty Admrials the night before? Possibly. However, the Wolves missed a golden opportunity to get two critical wins to help their position in the standings.

Weekly Preview

The Wolves are off until Friday, January 24 when they will travel to Texas to play the Stars for a two-game set. Games are both scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST on Friday and Saturday. The Stars are currently tied with the IceHogs for fourth place in the Central Division by points but have a game in hand. Every divisional game is key for the Wolves from here on out but creating some more distance between the Wolves and the rest of the pack is important as the schedule quickly approaches February.

In the meantime, the Wolves are doing some pretty cool things in the community. On Tuesday, January 21, ten Wolves players are heading to Lurie’s Children’s Hospital downtown to visit with the kids and brighten their days.

Our guys can't wait to get out to see people all over the Chicago area Tuesday.

There's a visit to Ronald McDonald House. A Read To Succeed appearance. Three youth hockey practices.

All of this and more in this week's Wolves Insider: https://t.co/So316FioPg#WeAreTheWolves pic.twitter.com/DC1N3jKEUu

— Chicago Wolves (@Chicago_Wolves) January 21, 2020

Pretty cool for the kids and players to spend some time together and interact on a cold Tuesday in January.

Until next time, enjoy your week. We’ll see you at the Wolves’ den.

The post From the Wolves Den: Wolves split home weekend appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs hold playoff position…for now

Technically, the IceHogs are in a playoff position in the Central Division. Tied for fourth with the Texas Stars with 40 points, the IceHogs and Stars have played the fewest games in the Division with 39 games played. The San Antonio Rampage, who sit in last-place, have also played 39 games. The IceHogs’ focus can only be to take care of their own business and not have to rely on any other team to help them in the standings as they try to begin their Calder Cup Playoff push.

Collin Delia in net for the Rockford IceHogs against the Chicago Wolves. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Rockford has the worst stretch of any Central Division team over their last ten games with a 2-7-1 mark. But a positive spin on their recent slump is that things are beginning to trend back in the right direction. The IceHogs have a 2-2-1 mark over their last five games, including wins over the Manitoba Moose and Grand Rapids Griffins, two teams sitting directly behind them in the Division standings.

Six of the next seven games for Rockford are against Central Division opponents to close the month of January and they only face two non-Central Division teams the rest of the season. Every game and point matters now for Rockford as they sit in a tie for fourth-place with only 11 points separating the second-place Iowa Wild (49 points) from the seventh-place Manitoba Moose (38 points).

Not-so-special teams

Woof.

The Rockford IceHogs have been struggling on the special teams end of the game this season. Both the powerplay and the penalty-kill rank at the bottom of the AHL this season and it’s a trend that the IceHogs have seen under head coach Derek King. This season, the IceHogs rank 30th in the AHL on the powerplay with a 11.1 percent success rate with the league’s 10th-most powerplay opportunities with 162. On the other end, Rockford ranks 29th on the penalty-kill with a 77.7 percent kill-rate with 157 times short-handed, 16th in the AHL.

Tyler Sikura of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of Laval Rocket)

Under head coach Derek King, the IceHogs ranked 29th on the powerplay last season, but had an impressive 10th-ranked penalty-kill. One driving factor last season on the successful penalty-kill was the goaltending duo of Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia as both finished near the top of the AHL in save percentage in the 2018-19 season. This season, the goaltending trio of Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins have not been as consistent in net, but that is not the end-all-be-all of killing penalties. On the bright side, the IceHogs are tied for the fourth-most short-handed goals this season with seven tallies by seven different players.

The more concerning number is the discrepancy on the powerplay. Only the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have a worse powerplay in the AHL (9.9%) with nearly as many powerplay opportunities (161). Rockford has been depleted of their offensive point-producing players for a big chunk of the season now, but still a team creating as many man-advantage chances, shouldn’t be at the bottom of the league in conversion. One would think the numbers game would just figure itself out and a bounce here or there on the powerplay would boost the IceHogs numbers, but it hasn’t come about yet this season.

Walking wounded

As just mentioned, the IceHogs have been depleted on their roster this season for a decent portion of the schedule. Between injuries and call-ups to the Chicago Blackhawks, the IceHogs have had to piece together a healthy roster relying on a heavy rotation of rookies, ECHL Indy Fuel call-ups and PTO signings.

Gonna Slytherin to Grand Rapids tonight! pic.twitter.com/X2NM8eA0Qw

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 15, 2020

The most recent lineup for Rockford in their game against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday night is a testament to how much Derek King has had to piece together a roster. Peter Quenneville, older brother of John Quenneville, signed a PTO and found himself on the top line in his first two games with the IceHogs.

While having Alexandre Fortin return to health was a positive, the IceHogs still went with just 11 forwards against the Griffins, playing Ben Youds as a seventh defenseman. Youds has played in 11 games for Rockford on a PTO contract and it seems like half of those starts have been as a seventh dressed defenseman or lining up as a forward.

Anton Wedin of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Along with Peter Quenneville and Youds on PTO contracts, the IceHogs have also had to have Josh Winquist and Spencer Watson sign PTO deals to join the team and recalled Dmitry Osipov, Dylan McLaughlin, Nathan Noel, and Mathew Thompson from the Indy Fuel in the ECHL all since December 1.

With injuries and call-ups, the IceHogs are having to replace players like Dylan Sikura, Matthew Highmore, Dennis Gilbert, and Adam Boqvist as they have spent a good amount of time with the Blackhawks and players like Anton Wedin, Philipp Kurashev, Tim Soderlund, and Mikael Hakkarainen have missed significant time due to injury this year. Not to mention losing Kris Versteeg and Philip Holm before the mid-way point of the season as both have left the team.

It’s slim-picking for Rockford right now, but they are making due and not making excuses.

Help on the way?

The good news for the IceHogs is that help may be on the way. (Cue the Rise Against song!)
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting healthy in their own right as Drake Caggiula returned to the team recently and both Dylan Strome and Brandon Saad could be returning to the lineup soon.

Colliton didn't rule out Strome or Saad joining the team in Toronto, though he wasn't exactly saying it will happen, either.

Said they would have to take part in practice Friday in order to play Saturday.

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 16, 2020

Those are three major players coming back into the fold for Chicago and with Andrew Shaw‘s return also a possibility still this season, the IceHogs could see major players coming back down. John Quenneville had a stint with the Blackhawks in the last few weeks, playing nine games with 14 shots on goal and no points, but had since returned to Rockford and has two assists in his last two games. The younger Quenneville on the roster has 15 points in 21 games with the IceHogs this season, including ten points in his last seven games played in the AHL.

With Quenneville already returning, the IceHogs could also see familiar faces like Dylan Sikura and/or Matthew Highmore return as well once the Blackhawks get their forwards healthy again. Sikura hasn’t played with the IceHogs since December 7 and still ranks fourth on the team in points (16) and first in shots on goal (99). He finally broke through and scored his first NHL goal back on January 5 against the Detroit Red Wings. In nine games with the Blackhawks this season, Sikura has three points and ten shots on goal.

Dylan Sikura #95 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period at the United Center on January 5, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Rockford could see Sikura return, but if the Blackhawks decide to hold onto him, it could be Matthew Highmore returning to the IceHogs. Highmore has been with the Blackhawks fro 16 games also since December 7 like Sikura, and has one goal and one assist in his 18 total games with Chicago this season. In his time with Rockford this season, Highmore has tallied 12 points in 21 games coming back healthy from an injury-riddled 2018-19 season. One or both of those players coming back to the IceHogs could very well turn the season back in Rockford’s favor and give the powerplay and penalty-kill some key players back into the fold.

Hagel, Nilsson leading offensive charge

The IceHogs have not been making excuses during this adverse stretch of the season. It’s the life of an AHL team to deal with injuries of their own and to their NHL affiliate club and the ever-changing make-up of the roster. Rockford has had to rely on a few veterans and a lot of rookies to shoulder the load with a good portion of their top players missing. Two players who have stayed healthy (knock on wood) and kept up with the production are last year’s Team MVP Jacob Nilsson and rookie Brandon Hagel.

Brandon Hagel of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the San Antonio Rampage)

Hagel has come into his own this season as a go-to player for Derek King. Playing on the powerplay and getting significant minutes in a top-line role, Hagel has responded with eight points in his last 12 games and sits in second-place on the team in scoring with 21 points, trailing only Tyler Sikura with 23 points. Hagel leads all IceHogs rookies in points (21) and goals (13), ranking tenth and tied for fifth in the same categories for rookies in the AHL.

Jacob Nilsson of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Along with Tyler Sikura as a veteran point-producer (six points in last ten games), Jacob Nilsson has been pacing the Rockford offense during what I am calling “The Great Exodus” for the IceHogs. With six points in his last six games, Nilsson ranks third on the IceHogs in scoring behind Sikura and Hagel with 18 points in 39 games this season. His 12 assists this year are second on the team behind the elder Sikura and both are the only two players on the Rockford roster to not miss a game yet this season for the IceHogs.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Friday night as they take on the Grand Rapids Griffins for the second time in as many games. Rockford took the most recent meeting in Grand Rapids, 2-1 in the shootout. The IceHogs hold a 4-2-0 record over the Griffins this season. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. CST on Friday night at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

The IceHogs return to the Central time zone and take on the Chicago Wolves on Sunday, January 19 at the Allstate Arena in another edition of the Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry. The IceHogs hold a 5-1-0 record over the Wolves this season with Chicago winning the most recent matchup back on January 5. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. CST on Sunday afternoon.

The post War Pigs Report: IceHogs at the mid-season mark appeared first on The Rink.

The mid-season drag of the schedule hits you and you’re stuck in a middle-limbo state where the excitement of a fresh new season has worn off, but the prospect of a playoff push hasn’t truly set in yet. The mantra of every game and every point matter can get stale, but its truth doesn’t change.

For the Rockford IceHogs, the mid-season winter blues are hitting hard. Following a loss to the Chicago Wolves on Sunday night, the first loss to the rival Wolves this season, the IceHogs are still looking for their first win since before the Christmas holiday break and have tied their longest losing streak since late 2017.

Depleted IceHogs hitting slump

Rockford has dropped their last six games in a row, all in regulation. Once sitting in second-place in the AHL Central Division, the IceHogs have stayed stagnant at 35 points in the standings since December 21 and have fallen into fifth-place in the Division. Although based on points-percentage, the IceHogs still sit in third with 35 points in 34 games played, the fewest games played in the Central Division. But sugar-coating it does no one any service. The IceHogs need points.

Four of the six-straight regulation losses for the IceHogs have all been one-goal games. This season, Rockford holds a 4-6-2 record in one-goal games, excluding shootouts. Being able to close the deal on close games could be a learning opportunity for a young IceHogs roster, but it would be good for head coach Derek King to have a just a few more veteran players who know the drill to be able to lead the rookies both on and off the ice in tight situations.

Philipp Kurashev of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

The IceHogs have had their hand forced this season by injuries and call-ups to play their young players more consistently and have to dig deep into the organization to fill roster spots. Missing from the IceHogs lineup for a significant amount of time already this season, either due to injury or being recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks include Adam Boqvist, Dennis Gilbert, John Quenneville, Dylan Sikura, Matthew Highmore, Anton Wedin and Alexandre Fortin. It appears as though Gilbert and Boqvist will not be re-joining the IceHogs this season after season-ending injuries to Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook. Highmore and Sikura continue to draw into the Blackhawks roster and could also make the decision to send them back to Rockford difficult for the Blackhawks management if/when Drake Caggiula and Andrew Shaw return to health.

That’s a large chunk of the IceHogs’ early season production gone from the current roster. Players who were either producing points or playing significant minutes gone during a pivotal point of the season. It’s no excuse though, as such is life in the AHL as injuries and call-ups are dealt with league-wide.

Brandon Hagel of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

It’s now on the IceHogs remaining in Rockford to step up to the plate and fill those voids. Captain Tyler Sikura leads the team in points (21) and has been moved around the lineup all season, but hasn’t seen his game change. Rookies Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev have stepped up their production with their new roles on the current roster, ranking second and tied for third on the team in scoring this season.

The depth of the Blackhawks organization is being tested. The IceHogs are relying on a hefty amount of rookies and Indy Fuel call-ups to fill their lineup and fill the score-sheet, trying not to lose too much footing in the standings and have to play catch up late in the season.

Hey now, you’re an All-Star…

The AHL All-Star game is being held in Ontario, California on January 26-27. Kevin Lankinen will be the only Rockford IceHogs player heading to the All-Star game this season after being named to the Central Division roster late last week.

Kevin Lankinen of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Lankinen, currently with the Chicago Blackhawks on an emergency basis, got off to a hot-start with the IceHogs this season, but has cooled in his last few starts for Rockford. Lankinen holds a 7-7-1 record this season, with a 3.17 GAA and a .905 save percentage. He has dropped his last four starts for the IceHogs, including being pulled in the first period against the Manitoba Moose on December 31, a 4-3 loss for the IceHogs.

Daddy Delia

Some off-ice news for the IceHogs as Collin Delia and his partner Ava announced on Instagram over the weekend that they are expecting their first child. The couple made the announcement through their leather company’s social media account.

Collin Delia of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Delia has been trending up for the IceHogs after a slow start to the season. He holds a 6-7-0 record on the year, with a 3.04 GAA and a .901 save percentage. After starting the year 2-5-0, Delia has won four of his last six starts and has a .939 save percentage over his last seven appearances for Rockford.

Cup check

Even more news for the IceHogs goaltending trio as Matt Tomkins returned to Rockford after playing for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland from December 26-31. Tomkins played in one game for Canada, a 5-1 win over HC Davos during the group round, making 22 saves on 23 shots faced. Canada would eventually go on to win their fourth Spengler Cup in-a-row and their 16th Spengler Cup.

Matt Tomkins of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Tomkins has been splitting time in net for the IceHogs along with Lankinen and Delia and has been much more than just a third goalie. Tomkins has a 4-2-0 record this season and holds the best numbers of the trio with a 2.66 GAA and a .912 save percentage in six starts this year. Tomkins’ last start came on December 13, a 5-2 loss to the Belleville Senators.

Holm terminates contract

Over the weekend, the Chicago Blackhawks organization and Philip Holm came to an agreement to terminate the defenseman’s contract with the club. Holm signed a one-year deal with the organization this summer after playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL and being named a KHL All-Star last season. Holm’s agent cited that Philip was unhappy with not being called up to the Blackhawks this season and had decided to return to playing in Europe. According to reports, Holm is set to join Lausanne HC in Switzerland.

Philip Holm of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

In his time with the IceHogs, Holm was a consistent defenseman and produced decently from the blue-line. He played in 30 games for Rockford, scoring 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) and was a plus-four rating.

First of many?

It finally happened. Dylan Sikura, playing in his sixth game with the Blackhawks this season and 44th career NHL game with Chicago, finally scored his first NHL goal.

The FIRST NHL goal for Dylan Sikura! @NHLBlackhawks | #DETvsCHI pic.twitter.com/XnXB79KirK

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) January 6, 2020

The younger Sikura brother has been a focal-point in the Blackhawks’ farm system for a few years now. He was labeled as the next big prospect to jump into the NHL system for Chicago when he signed his professional contract after a successful NCAA career at Northeastern University. Sikura showed his skill in the AHL, but had difficulty translating it fully to the NHL level. He has slotted into the Chicago lineup this season, at the expense of Alexander Nylander as of late, and has made the most of his opportunity. If he continues to improve and produce, he likely will not re-join the IceHogs this season. He has 16 points in 22 games for Rockford this season.

Turn down for Wat-son

As mentioned before, the IceHogs are dealing with a hefty amount of injuries and call-ups that have plucked top players from the roster in the last month or so. With that comes call-ups for the IceHogs and one player that could make a significant impact while in Rockford is Spencer Watson. A former seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings, Watson has been a prolific scorer in the ECHL, but has not been able to translate that success into the AHL ranks. Watson has 131 points in 131 career ECHL games, but only five points in 24 career AHL games.

Spencer Watson of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs.)

Watson joined the IceHogs and Fuel last season after the Blackhawks acquired him from the Kings for Matheson Iacopelli. Watson skated in 10 games for the IceHogs last year, tallying three points. This season with the Indy Fuel, Watson has 39 points in 33 games played. He ranks in a tie for third in the ECHL in points and is second in the league with 20 goals this season. Watson was named an ECHL All-Star on Monday afternoon.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Wednesday, January 8 as they host the Manitoba Moose. Wednesday night’s puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. The IceHogs hold a 1-2-0 record over the Moose this season.

Following Wednesday night’s contest, the IceHogs travel North to Milwaukee to take on the Milwaukee Admirals for back to back road games on Friday and Saturday night at the Panther Arena in Milwaukee. Friday night’s puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST, while Saturday’s game starts at 6 p.m. CST. The IceHogs hold a 1-1-0 record against the Admirals this season. Five of the next 12 games for the IceHogs come against the Admirals, who lead the AHL Central Division with 54 points.

The post War Pigs Report: IceHogs feeling winter blues appeared first on The Rink.

Great White North

The IceHogs faced a tough and historic Canadian road trip that started back on Friday when Rockford took on the Belleville Senators for the first time in AHL franchise history. It would mark the first of three games for the IceHogs against Canadian opponents on the road over the next five days. Rockford got off to a slow start against the Senators on Friday, falling behind 1–0 on a shorthanded goal in the first period and down 2–0 just 28 seconds into the second period.

Brandon Hagel (left) and Philipp Kurashev (right) try to take the puck away from Alex Formenton of the Belleville Senators on Dec. 13, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of the Belleville Senators)

The IceHogs were able to swing the game’s momentum back in their favor in the second period with Nicolas Beaudin scoring his first professional goal to make it a 2–1 game heading into the third period.

Just as the Senators opened the second period with a fast goal, the IceHogs returned the favor as John Quenneville scored his fifth goal of the season to tie the game 2–2 early in the third period. Belleville battled back though, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 5–2 win over the IceHogs in the first-ever meeting between the teams. Matt Tomkins was in net for the IceHogs, making 26 saves on 30 shots faced, seeing his record fall to 4–2–0 on the year.

Dmitry Osipov (center) protects the net for Kevin Lankinen (right) against the Toronto Marlies on Dec. 15, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of Christian Bonin / TSGphoto.com)

Following the loss in Belleville, the IceHogs remained in Ontario to take on the Toronto Marlies on Sunday. The second of two meetings between the clubs this season, the IceHogs were able to take the game on Sunday and sweep the season two-game mini series.

Rockford was backstopped by Kevin Lankinen against the Marlies. Lankinen’s last performance was a record-setting 55-save effort against the Milwaukee Admirals in a 2–1 overtime win. His action on Sunday against Toronto was much different, only facing 13 shots and making 11 saves in the 4–2 win. Lankinen’s record on the season improved to 7–3–1, as he was helped offensively by Quenneville (two goals, one assist) and Philipp Kurashev (one goal, two assists), both with three points on the night.

Collin Delia makes a save for the Rockford IceHogs against Laval Rocket on Dec. 17, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of the Laval Rocket)

Wrapping up the Canadian road trip for the IceHogs would be another two-game mini-series finale game, this time against Laval Rocket in Laval, Quebec, Canada. Unlike against the Marlies, the IceHogs dropped the first meeting this season against the Rocket back in Rockford. Looking to split the mini series, the IceHogs were quickly down in a 2–0 hole against the Rocket in the first period.

Collin Delia got the start in net against Laval, coming off back-to-back wins in his last two starts. After giving up only 13 total shots against the Marlies, the IceHogs gave up 16 shots in the first period against the Rocket, with Delia making 14 saves. Battling back, the IceHogs cut into the Rocket lead in the second period thanks to a shorthanded goal from Joseph Cramarossa, his first with the IceHogs this season.

Trailing 2–1 heading into the third period, Rockford would benefit from another player scoring their first goal with the team this season, as Dmitry Osipov tied the game with his first career AHL goal. Knotted up at 2–2, the IceHogs forced overtime and eventually went to the shootout. Delia stood tall again for the IceHogs, making stops on all five shooters he faced in the shootout, leading to Anton Wedin getting the eventual winner for Rockford.

Going 2–1–0 on the road trip, the IceHogs record improves to 16–10–1 on the year. They sit in second place in the AHL Central Division with 33 points in 27 games played, 12 points behind the first place Milwaukee Admirals. Rockford’s 27 games played are the fewest in the Central Division.

Killer pigs

The IceHogs current run since Oct. 30 has been impressive. A 14–5–1 record over their last 20 games has helped propel Rockford into their current second-place standing in the Central Division. A major component to their success, surprisingly, has been the IceHogs’ special-teams work on the penalty kill.

Collin Delia (1) celebrates with Kevin Lankinen (30) after a win over the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Once the worst unit in the AHL, the IceHogs now possess the league’s 25th-ranked penalty kill. While that is still far from stellar, Rockford been great over its last 20 games while playing a man down. The IceHogs have killed 31 of their last 33 penalties against them, including 18 straight heading into their game against Laval on Tuesday night. Paired with above-average goaltending across the board in net for the IceHogs, facing a man advantage has not been a struggle during their recent run. Rockford also sits in a tie for third in the AHL with seven shorthanded goals for this season.

And the beat goes on

While the improvements to the penalty kill have helped keep opponents off the board against the IceHogs, the loss of a few key players for Rockford has created a hole offensively. With injuries to the Chicago Blackhawks, the IceHogs have seen top minute eaters and point producers be recalled to the NHL. Losing Adam Boqvist, Dennis Gilbert, Matthew Highmore and Dylan Sikura in the last two weeks has provided a tough obstacle for the IceHogs to handle. Those four players account for a major chunk of production for Rockford and have forced head coach Derek King to play players in roles they have not been exposed to at this point in the season.

Tyler Sikura talks with Ian McCoshen during Rockford’s game against the Laval Rocket on Dec. 17, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of the Laval Rocket)

To the benefit of the IceHogs, those players have stepped up and filled the holes left by the major four players being recalled to Chicago. With an already young roster, the IceHogs’ rookie class has been on full display over the last handful of games. Players like Nicolas Beaudin, MacKenzie Entwistle, Brandon Hagel and Kurashev have seen their roles in the lineup and minutes played increase and they have responded well to those assignments.

Along with increasing the minutes and responsibilities for the rookies, the IceHogs have also benefited from recalls themselves. Adding Dylan McLaughlin, Osipov, Mathew Thompson and Ben Youds from the ECHL’s Indy Fuel, the IceHogs are seeing value form the depth of the Chicago Blackhawks’ organization. Youds has four assists in four games since signing a PTO with Rockford, while Osipov has played significant minutes in the defensive lineup and tallied his first AHL goal on Tuesday night.

Colliton: "We do feel that both Boqvist and Gilbert have earned the chance to continue to take steps forward. So they need opportunity to do it."

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 18, 2019

Opportunities continue to loom large for the young IceHogs, as it looks like the Blackhawks may not be ready to let go of Boqvist and Gilbert from their defensive rotation anytime soon. Rockford will look for continued growth from their rookie class to continue their current run of success.

Hot Hogs

As their current form continues to push them toward the top of the AHL Central Division, the IceHogs are riding a few hot streaks along the way.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen warms up prior to facing against the Toronto Marlies on Dec. 15, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of Christian Bonin / TSGphoto.com)

Rockford’s recent hot streaks start in net with Kevin Lankinen, who has won three of his last four starts, including setting the IceHogs’ AHL franchise record with 55 saves against the Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 10. Lankinen leads the IceHogs with a .924 save percentage this season, which ranks seventh in the AHL. He has allowed two or fewer goals in seven of his 11 starts this season, all victories.

Philipp Kurashev of the Rockford IceHogs skates during a game in the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

As mentioned before, the IceHogs are currently leaning heavily on rookie production to keep their current pace alive. One of the rookies that has stepped up into a major role is forward Philipp Kurashev. After a slow start to the season, much like most of the Rockford rookies, Kurashev has turned a corner and is now playing top-line minutes and in all situations for the IceHogs. Kurashev has eight points in his last nine games, including a three-point night against the Toronto Marlies on Sunday. He ranks in a four-way tie for second on the team in scoring and is tied for the team lead with Brandon Hagel for rookie scoring with 13 points in 25 games played.

John Quenneville of the Rockford IceHogs carries the puck up ice during the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

But it is not all rookies, all the time for the IceHogs. Veteran leadership has played a key role in their recent successful stretch of play. Leading the way is one of the young vets of the team in John Quenneville. After missing a portion of the season early with an injury, Quenneville has slotted into a top role offensively for the IceHogs. He has 10 points in 17 games played this season and ranks third on the team in goals with seven. In his last 13 games, Quenneville has tallied nine points and is currently is riding a three-game point streak with five points over that span.

Collin Delia makes a save against the Manitoba Moose. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Finally, returning to the net, the IceHogs were hoping Collin Delia would be their sure-fire No. 1 starter from day one of the season. He was given that role but did not play up to it early on in the year. After losing ice time to Lankinen and Matt Tomkins, Delia has rebounded from his sub-par start to the year. Delia is 3–0–0 in his last three starts, having allowed just five goals over that span and stopping 96 of 101 shots faced (.951 save percentage) during that span. His record this season is 5–5–0 through 10 starts with a .892 save percentage and a 3.30 goals against average.

One last note from the vaunted Rockford IceHogs fun fact department: The IceHogs have not lost back-to-back games over their last 20 contests.

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Friday, as they take on the Texas Stars in a home divisional matchup. Rockford lost the only matchup between the teams this season, a 7–6 shootout loss on Nov. 23 in Cedar Park, Texas. Friday’s contest is set for a 7 p.m. CST puck drop at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford.

Following Friday, the IceHogs turn around for another home game on Saturday night, hosting the Cleveland Monsters. The third of four meetings between the teams this season, Rockford dropped the first two meetings with back-to-back losses in Cleveland on Oct. 25–26. Saturday’s puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST in Rockford.

The post War Pigs report: IceHogs take two of three on Canadian road trip appeared first on The Rink.