Latest news with #ECHL
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dallas Stars Loan Alex Petrovic And Ben Kraws To Texas Stars
The Texas Stars have received some reinforcements for their Western Conference Finals showdown as defenseman Alexander Petrovic and goaltender Ben Kraws have been returned to the team by the Dallas Stars. Petrovic recorded 25 points in 55 games for Texas this season and appeared in five regular season NHL games before playing a sizeable role in 17 playoff games for Dallas due to various injuries. Advertisement The 33-year-old will add stability to Texas' blueline as they look to dig out of the 2-0 hole they find themselves in against the Abbotsford Canucks. Kraws appeared in three games for Texas this season but spent the majority of his time with the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads where he had a 23-12-5 record with a 2.88 GAA, .910 SP and five shutouts. The 24-year-old was serving as the third goalie for the Dallas Stars during their playoff run. Check out The Hockey News' Dallas Stars team site. Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Photo Credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former IceHogs player and assistant coach Jared Nightingale named Hogs' head coach
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Chicago Blackhawks recently got their new head coach for next season, now the Rockford IceHogs have their new head coach. He is former IceHogs' assistant coach Jared was on the IceHogs' coaching staff from 2021-2024. He also played for the IceHogs as a defenseman for one season in 2013-14. He was the team's season, Nightingale had his first head coaching job in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. He guided them to the best record in the league (52-15-5). He was named the ECHL's Coach of the Year earning the John Brophy general manager Kyle Davidson, in a statement released by the Blackhawks, called Nightingale a natural leader. 'Jared's confidence and direction behind the bench has produced a coaching style that is perfectly suited to help develop and advance our young prospects in Rockford. His familiarity with the organization and our players is an incomparable asset, and we're excited to see Jared succeed in this role moving forward.'Nightingale is 42 years old. During his player career he played in 472 AHL games over 12 seasons. He also played in 202 ECHL games over eight Blackhawks have also announced that IceHogs assistant coaches Rob Klinkhammer and Josh MacNevin will remain on the coaching staff to assist Nightingale. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Edmonton Journal
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Does Abbotsford's success mean Malhotra will outskate the Canucks?
Article content In a league where your lineup is in flux nearly every night because of call-ups to the big club, where talent varies greatly from player to player — you have grinding ECHL call-ups playing alongside future NHL snipers — putting together the kind of consistency that Malhotra's team has can be elusive. Leave no doubt: What Malhotra has done with the Baby Canucks, landing them in the final four of the American Hockey League playoffs, has drawn notice around the NHL. Under the former Canucks centre, Abbotsford had a 13-game win streak late in the regular season, even while missing a number of the team's stars to NHL call-ups and injury. And in the playoffs, his team has only got better — after their 44-24-2-2 regular season, Malhotra's crew is 8-4 in the playoffs, having dismissed Tucson, Coachella Valley and Colorado. Game 1 of the Western Conference final against the Texas Stars begins Thursday at the Abbotsford Centre.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flyers Offseason: Who Are the Best (or Worst) Candidates to Replace Ian Laperriere?
According to multiple reports, the Philadelphia Flyers are moving on from Ian Laperriere as the head coach of their farm team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. But how do they plan on replacing him? And with who? Laperriere, 51, had spent the last four years at the helm of the Phantoms, guiding them to three consecutive playoff appearances, but blowing a 2-1 series lead to the Hershey Bears in this year's Calder Cup playoffs. Notably, when starting goalie Parker Gahagen went down with an injury, Laperriere rolled with exiled journeyman Cal Petersen ahead of promising prospect Carson Bjarnason not once, but twice, losing the series 3-2 and failing to get one of his best youngsters a taste of playoff action. Not to mention that prospects like Massimo Rizzo and Alex Ciernik, two forwards the Flyers have varying degrees of investment in, didn't even play a playoff game for Laperriere. Everything the Flyers have said and done this offseason, especially as it relates to the hiring of Rick Tocchet, has pointed towards player development being of the utmost importance now and in the future. Laperriere couldn't get the job done, at least not consistently enough, and it is now apparently time for a change behind the bench in Allentown. If the Flyers have reason to believe looking internally is a good option, one candidate who could stand out is Phantoms assistant coach John Snowden, who just completed his second season in Lehigh Valley. Snowden, 44, coached his way up from the ECHL ranks, starting his coaching career as an assistant coach of the Orlando Solar Bears back in 2015-16. Snowden served as the head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers for parts of two seasons between 2018-19 and 2019-20, and later took over as their president of hockey operations for the 2020-21 season. For those curious, Flyers GM Danny Briere was the vice president of hockey operations for the ECHL's Maine Mariners at the same time. Report: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus Ristolainen According to a new report, the Philadelphia Flyers received a massive trade offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs for veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. GM Danny Briere and Co. didn't budge. Snowden's Growlers won the Kelly Cup in 2019 and went 42-17-1 in 60 games under his watch before the 2019-20 season was cancelled, so there's a history of success there, and Briere has gone up against him in the ECHL before. Indeed, Snowden is not the sexiest name or the most well-traveled option, but there's reason to believe he could do the job if called upon. One name that Flyers fans might be more familiar with is Jay McKee, a former Buffalo Sabres first-round pick who was teammates with Briere for parts of three seasons. Oh, and McKee was linked to the Flyers' head coaching job on more than one occasion, though some chalked it up to Briere trying to juice his old pal's name in coaching circles. Even if that was true, I don't think Briere does something like that without truly, honestly believing McKee can coach, and coach well, at that. And, suddenly, Briere has a job opening that makes a lot more sense than a leap from the OHL to the NHL. McKee, 47, has been an OHL head coach since the 2016-17 season, sitting out the 2020-21 season after getting fired by the Kitchener Rangers the year prior. Since then, McKee has spent the last four years in charge of the Hamilton (now Brantford) Bulldogs, coaching talents like Mason McTavish, Arber Xhekaj, Jorian Donovan, Jan Mysak, Artem Grushnikov, Ryan Winterton, Marek Vanacker, Florian Xhekaj, Nick Lardis, Adam Jiricek, and potential Flyers 2025 first-round pick Jake O'Brien. Flyers GM Teases Potential Top Pick Ahead of 2025 NHL Draft Philadelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere is not ignoring the possibility of selecting Caleb Desnoyers sixth overall at the 2025 NHL Draft in June. In fact, he's embracing it. And for those who might not be aware, Lardis, a 19-year-old Chicago Blackhawks prospect, just exploded for 71 goals, 46 assists, and 117 points in 65 games this year. Lardis' 71 goals rank 11th all-time in single-season OHL history, trailing some guys named Eric Lindros, John Tavares, and Dino Ciccarelli. Ever heard of them? Oh, and a 19-year-old Doug Gilmour 'only' managed 70 goals in an OHL season at the peak of his powers. So, needless to say, McKee is a perfectly capable leader of men who can get the best out of his players. We don't need to go further down the list to prove that. I'd be stunned if McKee is not the clubhouse favorite to replace Laperriere. Taking the next step and joining Briere's Flyers with the Phantoms makes too much sense. Another name to watch, be it at the NHL level or the AHL level, is Cory Stillman. Most Flyers fans probably know Stillman as Jett Luchanko's head coach with the Guelph Storm this past season, but Stillman also has four years of experience as an NHL assistant coach, including as part of Tocchet's Arizona Coyotes staff in 2020-21. The 51-year-old has never coached at the AHL level before, but if Tocchet and/or the Flyers want continuity between the AHL and NHL systems and what is being asked of the young players, hiring Stillman could make perfect sense. This season, Stillman also served as the head coach of Canada's U-18s, which boasted star prospects like Keaton Verhoeff (2026), Brady Martin, Jack Nesbitt, Cole Reschny, Braeden Cootes, and Jack Ivankovic, among many others. If you've paid any attention to national draft coverage lately, you'll know that Martin has been mocked to the Flyers at No. 6 by Craig Button, and Button successfully mocked Luchanko, also coached by Stillman, to the Flyers (with their top draft pick) last year. Those connections, especially with important draft picks, matter. So, while McKee may appear to be the leader for now, watch out for Stillman. The Flyers love their connections, and McKee is not the only one who has them.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Should Penguins Offer Sheet An RFA Goalie?
The Pittsburgh Penguins employ Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic as their goalie tandem. However, the duo and Joel Blomqvist (15 games) combined to give up the third-most goals in the NHL in 2024-25. Jarry is under contract for three more seasons with a $5.375 million cap hit, while Nedeljkovic will enter the final year of his deal, valued at $2.5 million. Meanwhile, in the system, Joel Blomqvist is an RFA in 2026-27 and will make $886,667 next season. Tristan Jarry - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images After the Finnish netminder on the depth chart is Filip Larsson ($775,000) and Russian phenom Sergei Murashov ($861,110). Murashov finished his first season in North America in the ECHL with some time in the AHL, compiling a 19-10-1 record between the two leagues. Finally, Taylor Gauthier, who had an outstanding season in the ECHL, is an RFA. Advertisement Ultimately, the Penguins' future goal is to turn Murashov into their franchise netminder. At 21, he's still not ready to compete in the NHL, unless the organization decides to throw in the towel in 2025-26 in hopes of landing Gavin McKenna. Realistically, Captain Sidney Crosby would not buy into that plan, which means Pittsburgh should consider revamping its goalie platoon for better success next season. Considering the shallow depth of available free agent goalies, some intriguing RFA names are in the pool. If the Penguins decide to move on from Jarry, whose buyout would save up to $3.6 million next year, his future is a hot-button topic amongst the fanbase; his potential buyout would free up some cap space to take a flyer on an RFA goalie. When looking at the list of RFA goalies, the Penguins would have to take a number if they wanted to offer sheet the Anaheim Ducks' young goalie Lukas Dostal. According to he's projected to get a salary increase to over $5 million. Lukas Dostal - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Although he's young and talented, Dostal could be looking for a starting role. Despite decent numbers on a bottom team, he may not be the answer, especially if someone wants to offer him an eight-year contract. Advertisement After Dostal, there are a handful of potential candidates, like Arvid Soderblom (Chicago), Cayden Primeau (Montreal), Jakub Dobes (Montreal), and Danill Tarasov (Columbus). Still, the best option may be Joel Hofer of the St. Louis Blues. If anyone remembers, the Blues stirred the pot last summer by acquiring Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers via an offer sheet, which means someone will be out to return the favor. Furthermore, Jordan Binnington is the starter in St. Louis, carrying the team to their 2019 Stanley Cup title. He recently reestablished himself at the 4 Nations Face-off, leading Canada to the championship. So, Hofer becomes expandable with Binnington between the pipes at the right price. projects Hofer could ink a two-year extension at $2.8 million. As mentioned, if Jarry is bought out, the Penguins would save roughly $3.6 million next season, which is more than enough to get Hofer into black and gold and still have some money left over. Especially with Nedeljkovic potentially coming off the books after next season, his spot can go to Blomqvist or Larsson, who is ready to be a 20-25-game backup. Advertisement Meanwhile, at 24, the Penguins could offer him a four-year deal, giving the organization plenty of time to let Murashov mature in the ECHL and AHL without suffering any significant setbacks at the NHL level. Although some in the fanbase may think that another few seasons in the minors will "hold Murashov back," the New York Rangers did not let Igor Shesterkin see any NHL action until he was 24, and at 26, he won the Vezina Trophy. Goalies develop at a different pace. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules, like Andrei Vasilevskiy, who started to play 50 games at 22, and Connor Hellebuyck, who skated over 50 games at 23. Joel Hofer - Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images At this point, the Penguins need a goalie tandem they can rely on night in and night out. Hofer debuted in 2021-22 and played two games (1-1) before playing in six (3-1-1) in 2022-23. For the past two seasons, he's played 61 games, compiling a 31-20-4 record with a 2.65 GAA, .909 SV%, and two shutouts. Advertisement Outside of his first two games, Hofer has yet to record a sub .900 SV% in any season and continues to lower his GAA from a career-high 3.22 in 2022-23. Hofer won't be the long-term solution in the net and does not need a lengthy contract offer, especially since Jarry's five-year deal hasn't aged well. But suppose the goal is to get Murashov ready to take the baton in a couple of seasons. Why not put the Blues in an uncomfortable position with an offer sheet for their number two goalie, giving him a chance to become an NHL starter on a team with a new head coach and a burning desire to return to the postseason?
