
Calder Cup Finals: Who were gritty, grinding 2015 Utica Comets? Where are they now?
Article content
The Comets simply ran out of gas against the juggernaut Manchester Monarchs in five games of the 2015 championship series. However, their long slog of five playoff overtime outings — including a four-overtime marathon in a seven-game Western Conference final series — is not forgotten.
Ten members of the Monarchs advanced to the NHL, while just five from the Comets made it to and stayed in The Show. Maybe that's why Comets fans couldn't contain themselves from what was happening in 2015. There was a frenzy in upstate New York.
'It's kind of a legacy how the Utica Auditorium turned into a place,' then-Comets bench boss Travis Green told Postmedia. 'When we landed after clinching the conference final against Grand Rapids, we had a police escort, and fans waiting for us at the Aud.
'Pretty special in that league.'
That Comets roster also included Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen, Alex Biega, Brendan Gaunce, Alexandre Grenier, Frankie Corrado, Nicklaus Jensen, Andrey Pedan, Adam Clendinning and Jacob Markstrom. Some advanced to the NHL, but many only had a cup of coffee.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Lauren Kyle McDavid shares superstitions, how she'll be watching Game 6
Connor McDavid (97) pets his dog as he is honoured for his 1000 points along with family members, including wife Lauren Kyle McDavid, before taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets in Edmonton on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Lauren Kyle McDavid plans to stand by the fireplace in her downtown Edmonton bar while watching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. It's the same spot where she watched her husband — Edmonton Oilers captain and superstar Connor McDavid — stickhandle a puck into a net in Game 5. 'It's a feeling and, if anything positive happens, you got to stay in that position,' Kyle McDavid said with a laugh during an interview at her business on Monday. 'It's really silly, but everyone has superstitions.' The 28-year-old interior designer and business owner says ensuring she's in the same position when the Oilers are playing, and wearing the same heels with the same red handbag, is a silly thing. But it goes to show how invested she is in the games, she said. So is her husband. '(Connor) does a lot of things before a game. He is extremely, extremely ritual based. But I'm going to actually leave that as a secret.' The Oilers play the Florida Panthers in a make-or-break Game 6 on Tuesday. The Panthers, leading the series 3-2, could clinch the Cup on home ice, or the Oilers could push it to Game 7 in Edmonton on Friday. The Oilers lost to the Panthers in Game 7 during the Stanley Cup Final in 2024. 'Now we're in the same position we are in last year, so there's more pressure around it,' said Kyle McDavid. 'At that same time, we've been here before ... and we know what to do and we're prepared for this.' She said wives and girlfriends of other Oilers players will be joining her in watching Tuesday's game projected up on a wall at Bar Trove, which she opened earlier this month. She also owns an interior design firm, a furniture showroom and designs clothing for the Oilers. She also plans to release a cookbook this summer. Kyle McDavid said watching Oilers games with her girlfriends and generally spending time with them helps her get through the pressure of being in the limelight. 'There's misconceptions around being a hockey wife and that's just an easy narrative for people to chime into. People assume that it's really easy. Our husbands are playing hockey, making money,' she said. 'But it's actually very difficult. There's a lot of stress. There is such a strain on your family. People don't know about the struggles that are on the inside ... I just quiet that noise, because there's a lot more positivity than negativity out there.' Born in Sudbury, Ont., she said she grew up with two brothers but was never interested in hockey. 'They both played hockey, when they were younger. So I had a little knowledge, but I wasn't really a fan.' Her main interests have been painting, photography, interior design and architecture. 'I grew up always rearranging my room, since I was like five years old.' She names her mother and Martha Stewart as her role models. She studied fine arts at the University of British Columbia then interior design at Ontario's Toronto Metropolitan University. It was around the same time, she said, she was introduced to Connor McDavid by her cousin. She travelled to Edmonton for the first time to watch him play against the Philadelphia Flyers after he recovered from a fractured collarbone. She didn't know he was 'famous,' she added. As he went on to become the team's captain, she grew her own career. 'I always knew I was going to be an entrepreneur before I even met Connor,' she said. She also became a bigger Oilers fan. 'Watching the person you love play every night ... you become a very passionate fan.' She said it has been great to see Edmonton identify around the sport and rally around the team. 'There's a sense of Canadian pride.' After Tuesday's game, she plans to go on a walk with her husband and their dog, Leonard, in the city's lush river valley, like usual. 'We'll usually do a loop around the neighbourhood after games. And then we usually watch a show and we chat.' They talk about their day, the game, what went right and what went wrong. They like to focus on ways of improving, she said, following a piece of advice they were once given. '(We were told) don't be afraid of a massive mistake ... just lean into it,'' she said. 'We both are leaders in a sense. He's a captain on his team. I manage different employees. And although our careers are so different, the principles are the same ... Mistakes are great. They expose gaps. And then you work on constantly improving and finding gaps.' After the series, the couple plans to spend the summer doing what they usually do: attending weddings, spending time at their cottage in Muskoka, Ont., hosting parties, and playing pickball, cards and trivia games. 'I'm super competitive. Anyone who knows me would say that about me and Connor,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025. Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press


CBC
6 hours ago
- CBC
Edmonton Oilers could join elite NHL teams who rallied in Game 6 to win Stanley Cup
Eight teams in NHL history have won Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final to force a seventh game and gone on to win the championship. The Edmonton Oilers are aiming to become the ninth after falling behind 3-2 to the Florida Panthers. Game 6 is Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla. Here's a look at the teams that have completed the comeback: 1942 — Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs trailed the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 before winning four straight to claim the Cup. They remain the only team in NHL history to erase a three-game deficit in the final. Toronto took Game 6 by a score of 3-0 and won Game 7 at Maple Leaf Gardens, 3-1. 1950 — Detroit Red Wings The Red Wings stayed alive with a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers in Game 6, then captured the Cup with a 4-3 double-overtime victory in Game 7. Pete Babando scored the winner. 1964 — Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto stayed alive with a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit in Game 6, then secured a third straight championship with a 4-0 win in Game 7 on the road. 1971 — Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens forced Game 7 with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, then captured the Cup with a 3-2 win at Chicago Stadium. Rookie goaltender Ken Dryden was named playoff MVP. 2001 — Colorado Avalanche The Avalanche responded to a Game 5 loss by shutting out the New Jersey Devils 4-0 in Game 6. They clinched the title with a 3-1 win in Game 7 in Denver. 2004 — Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay kept its season alive with a 3-2 double-overtime win over the Calgary Flames in Game 6, with Martin St. Louis scoring the winner. The Lightning went on to win their first Cup with a 2-1 victory in Game 7. 2009 — Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 6, then won the Cup with another 2-1 victory in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena. Max Talbot scored both goals in the deciding game. 2011 — Boston Bruins The Bruins forced Game 7 with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, then clinched the series with a 4-0 shutout at Rogers Arena. Boston goaltender Tim Thomas made 37 saves in the deciding game.


Edmonton Journal
7 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Calder Cup Finals: Who were gritty, grinding 2015 Utica Comets? Where are they now?
Article content The Comets simply ran out of gas against the juggernaut Manchester Monarchs in five games of the 2015 championship series. However, their long slog of five playoff overtime outings — including a four-overtime marathon in a seven-game Western Conference final series — is not forgotten. Ten members of the Monarchs advanced to the NHL, while just five from the Comets made it to and stayed in The Show. Maybe that's why Comets fans couldn't contain themselves from what was happening in 2015. There was a frenzy in upstate New York. 'It's kind of a legacy how the Utica Auditorium turned into a place,' then-Comets bench boss Travis Green told Postmedia. 'When we landed after clinching the conference final against Grand Rapids, we had a police escort, and fans waiting for us at the Aud. 'Pretty special in that league.' That Comets roster also included Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen, Alex Biega, Brendan Gaunce, Alexandre Grenier, Frankie Corrado, Nicklaus Jensen, Andrey Pedan, Adam Clendinning and Jacob Markstrom. Some advanced to the NHL, but many only had a cup of coffee.