Latest news with #AHL
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Watch: Jackson high jumper Taylor Brownsword competes at the Hoover district meet
Amerks Eliminated By Laval In Five Games The Rochester Americans hoped to build off the momentum of a 5-1 victory in Game 4 against the Laval Rocket on Friday in a fifth and deciding game, but the Amerks fell behind early and could not catch up to the North Division champs, losing 5-0 at Place Bell on Sunday. 2:06 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Spartan and brother of MSU head coach lands AHL head coaching job
Former Spartan and brother of MSU head coach lands AHL head coaching job A former Spartan, and brother of head coach Adam Nightingale, is getting his shot at a professional hockey head coaching job. Jared Nightingale spent 2002-2006 patrolling the blue line in East Lansing, before going on to have a 13-year professional playing career. Now, at 41-years-old, he is following in his older brother's footsteps as a coach in the sport. Nightingale has now been hired by the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate for the Chicago Blackhawks, propelling his career in a very favorable motion forward. In his coaching career, Nightingale has served as an assistant coach for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, the OHL's Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit, and the IceHogs. He got his first taste of a head coaching gig in the 2024-25 season, running the bench for the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays, where he won the Brabham Cup and was South Division champions with a 52-15-3 record. Having the opportunity to head coach in the AHL will be massive for Nightingale, who will most likely be able to parlay that into an NHL or NCAA gig, if he chooses to do so. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner
CTV News
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Laval Rocket down 0-2 in Eastern Association final after loss to Charlotte Checkers
Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent watches play during third period AHL hockey action in Laval, Que., on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) Trevor Carrick had a goal and two assists, leading the Charlotte Checkers to an easy 5-2 victory over the Laval Rocket on Thursday night at Place Bell. For the second game in a row, the Montreal Canadiens' farm team was unable to battle what a much more experienced and structured team had to offer. The Checkers scored one power-play goal, one shorthanded goal and three even-strength goals, and they physically dominated the Laval team without any real consequences. The best example came when Marek Alscher knocked Laurent Dauphin out with a late check about six feet from the Rocket bench. Dauphin did not return to the game. The Checkers did their job by taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Association final. They will return home for at least the next two games -- three if they suffer a setback. John Leonard, Michael Benning, Will Lockwood, and Riley Bezeau found the back of the net for the visitors. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 22 shots. Noel Hoefenmayer and David Reinbacher replied for the Rocket, who seem to be learning the hard way the basics of the game in the American Hockey League's final four. Cayden Primeau allowed four goals on 18 shots and was replaced by Jacob Fowler in the second period. The 20-year-old goaltender allowed one goal on 12 shots. Talk is cheap Hostilities began well before the opening face-off. During warm-ups, several players from both teams exchanged heated words in the middle of the rink, and a few minor stick checks were exchanged. When the game got underway, the Rocket didn't miss a chance to throw checks, each time raising the decibel level in the arena. However, indiscipline crept into the conversation, and the Checkers didn't need much more to seize the momentum. The Laval team killed off the first two minutes of a four-minute penalty to Joshua Roy for high sticking, but Primeau couldn't see anything when Carrick's point shot changed direction off Dauphin's stick. Both teams exchanged golden scoring opportunities early in the second period. Kahkonen stood tall against Jared Davidson, while Primeau shut the door on MacKenzie Entwistle. The Rocket had a chance to tie the game on the power play, but as was the case the night before, the five-on-five attack did more harm than good. Logan Mailloux attempted a deke at the point of entry, but ended up turning the puck over, sending Leonard on a breakaway. Leonard made a deke to beat Primeau and score his second shorthanded goal in 24 hours. That's when it felt like the Checkers had lost all respect for their opponents. Benning dealt a heavy blow to Laval by playing around in the enemy zone before beating Primeau. Just 44 seconds later, Lockwood fired a shot from the right circle and found the back of the net, sending the Rocket goalie out of the game. The North Carolina squad also continued to impose themselves physically, notably with a check on Alscher. Tempers flared and several skirmishes broke out before the end of the second period. The Rocket had a glimmer of hope in the final period when Hoefenmayer fired a shot from the point that slipped past Kahkonen, but Bezeau completed the humiliation by beating Fowler on the blocker side with less than seven minutes remaining. Reinbacher sparked the final celebrations with 59.3 seconds left on the clock. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 30, 2025.
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
What we saw from the Sabres' prospects during Rochester's AHL playoff run
Rochester Americans coach Michael Leone knows the Sabres' organization took a chance on him a year ago. He was 36 years old and had just two years of head coaching experience in the USHL. But after his first season in Rochester, it's clear Leone was up to the task. The Amerks lost to the Laval Rocket in Game 5 of the North Division Finals in the Calder Cup playoffs, but it was another strong season for Buffalo's AHL affiliate. Advertisement Leone picked up where Seth Appert left off. But he also put his stamp on this team. 'You have to coach what you believe in,' Leone said in April. For Leone, that was about defensive details and puck pressure. During his end-of-season news conference, Leone spoke about the Florida Panthers and the simple but hard way they play. Rochester gave up 191 goals this season after allowing 239 a year ago. Part of that was having Devon Levi in net for a long stretch of the year, but it's also evident players bought in to playing a certain way. 'Winning drives development,' Leone said at the end of the regular season. 'When you're around a lot of winning and understand what that looks like, there's no better form of development.' That's particularly important in the Sabres' organization, considering the NHL team hasn't played in the postseason since 2011. The winning environment in Rochester is critical for Buffalo's young prospects. That's why Jiri Kulich came down to play in the AHL playoffs after spending most of the season in the NHL. And it was a valuable tool for Levi, who is still trying to establish himself as a goalie capable of playing a full season in the NHL. Here are some thoughts on how Buffalo's prospects performed in Rochester this season after Leone and Amerks general manager Jason Karmanos addressed the media at the end of the season. Buffalo's front office has been a topic of discussion early in the offseason. Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams added Eric Staal as a special assistant, and the team has also been searching for a senior adviser. That's led to some speculation about what the future holds for Karmanos, who has been the team's associate general manager since 2021. 'I'm thankfully not on social media of any kind, so one of my daughters informed me of my 'uncertain status' a few weeks ago or whatever,' Karmanos said. 'I'm under contract and I'm here. So yeah, no change.' After dominating during a 3-0 series sweep against the Syracuse Crunch in the first round, Devon Levi wasn't as sharp against Laval. In four of the five games, Levi's save percentage was below .900. He allowed five goals on 29 shots in the decisive game five. Prior to the start of the AHL playoffs, Adams expressed some optimism that Levi could get a jump start on winning an NHL job with a strong postseason. Instead, these two series were a mixed bag. Are the Sabres ready to bank on a bounce-back season from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and a strong rookie season from Levi to solve their goalie problem next year? Advertisement When the Sabres signed Levi out of college, he jumped right into the NHL at the end of the 2022-23 season. The Sabres started him on opening night in 2023-24 and had him on their opening-day roster again in 2024-25. But he played 81 games in the AHL over the last two seasons, including playoffs. Karmanos noted that Levi still doesn't need waivers to go to Rochester and added that the decision on where Levi plays will likely be determined by what else the Sabres do to their roster this summer. 'It's not something that can be committed to right at this point, in my opinion, because there's a lot of other things we need to explore and understand in terms of our ability to improve in other areas,' Karmanos said. 'I don't want to put words into Devon's mouth, but he wants to play hockey, he wants to play a lot of games, he wants to develop. He wants to be the best goalie he can be. Obviously we're interested in that as well.' Levi is a restricted free agent this summer, but he shouldn't command a ton of money. The free-agent goalie market isn't particularly strong, and most options carry some degree of risk. There's always the option of bringing back James Reimer, who just turned 37 but had a terrific run to end the season. Right now, though, nothing is set in stone. Karmanos emphasized that goalies take a while to develop, so the door is at least open for Levi to return to Rochester next season. Jiri Kulich was not expected to grab hold of an NHL job the way he did in Buffalo this season. He earned Lindy Ruff's trust with his ability to play away from the puck and ended up centering the top line toward the end of the season. The Sabres still decided to send him back to Rochester for the AHL playoffs, and it was worthwhile. He was a point-per-game player during the postseason and handled the toughest minutes and assignments for Rochester. He said the areas of his game he wants to focus on this offseason are the defensive zone, getting to the net and being more physical. The AHL playoffs were the right environment for him to start that offseason work. If the Sabres' season started tomorrow, Kulich would likely be a top-six center on the depth chart. Whether that remains the case in October depends as much on what the Sabres do this offseason as it does on Kulich's offseason work. It's a risk trusting a 21-year-old who had 24 points as a rookie to handle such a big role. But this season was a big one for Kulich's development. Advertisement Early in the season, Leone said he saw Konsta Helenius cheating for offense, as many young players do. By the end of the year, Helenius was someone who stepped up in the playoffs. He was playing with a nastiness and physicality that are necessary in the postseason. Laval was a team that wanted to play with an edge, and Helenius was up to the challenge. 'I thought he rose to the occasion,' Leone said. 'The bigger the moment, the better he played. I thought he played with a level of physicality. Ultimately, when you get to this time of year, you find out who you are as a player … I thought (Helenius) played a lot of winning hockey for us.' This ended up as a productive first season in North America for Helenius. He played both wing and center and bought in to how Leone wanted the team to play. His tenacity stood out during his draft year, and it's encouraging to see that translate at the AHL level. His skill set will make him a versatile NHL player when the time comes. Anton Wahlberg didn't have a point and was minus-4 during the AHL playoffs. Playing his first full season in North America, Wahlberg got a real taste of the grind that the AHL season is. His size and playing style stand out in Buffalo's prospect pool. No other forward the Sabres have drafted in the last few years has Wahlberg's size. He fills an organizational need, but still has work to do to become NHL-ready. 'Wahly self-admitted that he could have been better,' Leone said. 'I don't disagree. I don't think he was bad. I just think it was probably eye-opening. His skill traits and his identity piece that he's going to have to be good at are things you're going to want in a playoff series. The physicality, relentless on pucks, being a really good forechecker, getting to the net front. If you look at him and his game and his development, where he could be better, it's scoring five to seven goals in front of the net.' Wahlberg looks like an important part of Buffalo's future. Getting him experience in the playoff environment is part of why winning matters to development. Noah Ostlund had zero goals and two assists in eight playoff games. It was a quiet end to an otherwise productive rookie season for Ostlund in the AHL. His main focus this summer, like a lot of young prospects, is on getting stronger. He's going to be training back home in Sweden with the Nylander brothers, Jesper Bratt and other NHLers. Making the Sabres next season might be a stretch, but that could depend on what roster moves the Sabres make this summer. Advertisement We've written about Buffalo's need for more nastiness on the blue line. And while they still need some seasoning, Nikita Novikov and Vsevolod Komarov both look like they have that bite to their game. It showed up more in the playoffs. Skating will be the question for both players, but Leone singled out both as players who elevated their games as the season went on. They'll be fun to watch at the rookie tournament in the fall. A few players I'll be curious to watch come training camp are forwards Isak Rosen and Tyson Kozak as well as defenseman Ryan Johnson. All three are reaching a point in their development where the team would love to see them break through and steal a job. Rosen, a 2021 first-round pick, just turned 22. He's rounded out his game nicely in the AHL. He led the Amerks with 55 points this season and also showed the requisite defensive skills and competitiveness to find a role as a third-line winger in the NHL. But every time he has been called up, Rosen hasn't stood out. It might be hard for him to win a job out of camp, but it would be great to see Rosen add more strength and make the Sabres' decision difficult in the fall. Kozak, who suffered a concussion against Laval, proved that he could be the organization's future No. 4 center when he was called up this season. Ruff trusts him to make good puck decisions and be responsible in his own end. He turned 22 this season, so he's getting closer to being a regular in the NHL. The same should be true for Johnson, who turns 24 this summer. He's also a restricted free agent. His path to the roster is trickier with Jacob Bryson under contract. And while Johnson isn't the most physical defenseman, his skating helps him be effective while breaking the puck out. There's a decisive and direct nature to his game that should translate to the NHL. Lukas Rousek officially left the Sabres' organization to sign in Sweden. The 26-year-old had a difficult journey with injuries early in his career, but carved out a big role in Rochester. He played through a torn meniscus in his knee during the playoffs despite knowing he'd be leaving the organization. While he got just 17 NHL games and didn't play any of them this season, Rousek was an important mentor for Kulich and other young players in Rochester.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Canadian announcer said he was hit with a chair during a minor league hockey game in Colorado
American Hockey League announcer Brandon Astle said he was hit by a chair by a fan while calling a Colorado Eagles playoff game in Loveland. His call was caught during the broadcast of the Eagles and Abbotsford Canucks game on Monday night at Blue Arena. Astle is the play-by-play voice of the Abbotsford Canucks. After a thud is heard, Astle said "got some yahoo chirping at me from behind. Get out of here! What was he doing? Security! Try that again ... I'm fired up. He threw my chair at me, hit me right in the back of the leg. Like, what was he doing here? Unreal. Have another beer." The Eagles would go on to lose the game 5-0 and the Pacific Division Finals series of the Calder Cup playoffs to Abbotsford on Monday. The Colorado Eagles are a professional minor league hockey team. They were founded in 2003. Since 2018, they've been an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. That's also when the team moved to the AHL from the ECHL. The Eagles have yet to win the Calder Cup since making that move.
