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Edmonton Journal
12 hours ago
- Sport
- 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.
National Post
13 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Calder Cup Finals: Who were gritty, grinding 2015 Utica Comets? Where are they now?
Article content For Baertschi, it was the culmination of a season started with requesting a trade from the Calgary Flames that came to fruition in March. He played three games with the Canucks, and was dispatched to Utica, where he racked up 15 points (8-7) in 21 memorable postseason games. Article content Article content 'It had a lot to do with our leadership group,' Baertschi told Postmedia on Monday. 'Guys like Carter Bancks and (captain) Cal O'Reilly. He led with calmness in games, a really determined guy and it led to a lot of success. It was a the way we were built. Article content 'We had a lot of heart-and-soul guys and the right scoring and that's not easy to do in the AHL. We had the combination. You're never going to have that again based on the wide age in guys we had. You always remember good playoff runs. Article content 'It brings out the best. So many guys, who you wouldn't expect, elevated their games. That's hard because playoffs are a different animal and Manchester just had four really solid lines. That's why I'm super proud of those guys I played with. It was a grind. Article content 'Abbotsford is having the same feeling and tasting victories.' Article content Baertschi's history with Green dates back to junior in Portland and he reached out to his former coach before taking the coaching leap. Article content 'He's been a really important person in my life and always been a mentor,' said Baertschi. 'Obviously, coaching is different than a player. I've been in their shoes and can help them mature.' Article content The Winterhawks advanced to the Western Conference final this season before swept by powerhouse Spokane Chiefs. For the 32-year-old Baertschi, it was the right time to pivot to behind the bench and run the power play.. Article content 'It got to the point where I was done as a player and it doesn't matter why or how,' stressed Baertschi. 'I'm happy where I'm at and in a good place in my life. I get to touch the ice every day as a coach, which is the greatest thing, and I can share my experiences.' Article content Article content Article content Hunter Shinkaruk: 24th overall, 2013 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 11 NHL games. Played four games for Cardiff Devils of Elite Hockey League in Britain this season. Article content Jake Virtanen: 6th overall, 2014 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 317 NHL games. Played 46 games this season with Iserlohn Roosters in German pro loop. Six goals. Article content Alexandre Grenier, 90th overall, 2011 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 9 NHL games. Had 42 points (17-25) in 41 games the season with the Cologne Sharks of DEL. Article content Nicklas Jensen, 29th overall pick, 2011 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 31 NHL games. Had 29 points (16-13) in 48 games this season with Rapperswil-Jona (Swiss-A). Article content Alex Friesen, 172nd overall pick, 2010 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 1 NHL game. Had 15 points (6-9) in 38 games this season with Bremerhaven Penguins (DEL). Article content Article content
The Province
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Province
Calder Cup Finals: Who were gritty, grinding 2015 Utica Comets? Where are they now?
'We had a lot of heart-and-soul guys and the right scoring and that's not easy to do in the AHL. We had the combination.' — 2015 Utica Comets winger Sven Baertschi. Get the latest from Ben Kuzma straight to your inbox Hard-luck winger Sven Baertschi had his NHL moments with the Vancouver Canucks, but fondly recalls the 2015 Calder Cup Finals with the upstart AHL Utica Comets. Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images files Wide-eyed rookie Hunter Shinkaruk was 19 years old. Grizzled veteran Kent Huskins was 35. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors They were roster bookends for the gritty and grinding 2015 Utica Comets, the first AHL affiliate of the parent Vancouver Canucks to advance to the Calder Cup Finals. The Abbotsford Canucks are the second, in 2025, and currently deadlocked at one win apiece against the Charlotte Checkers. 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. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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.' Utica winger Ronalds Kenins moves around Connor Brown of the Toronto Marlies during AHL game Dec. 12, 2014, in Utica. 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. 'It wasn't a star-studded group,' admitted Green, who moved from the Comets to run NHL benches in Vancouver, New Jersey and now Ottawa. 'A team that really rallied around playing the game hard and playing to win with a lot of will. We believed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Getting a lot of buy-in from your team can go a long way. Manchester had a lot of good, young players and could really skate. We didn't get to our heavy game enough to slow them down and they deserved to win. But it doesn't take away how proud I was of the players and the city that rallied around.' Hard-luck winger Baertschi retired in 2023 because of repeated concussions. However, he turned a love of the game into an WHL assistant coaching position with the Portland Winterhawks last summer. It has created new memories to add to those that last. It includes those crazy Comets, who kept defying playoff odds after an impressive 47-20-0-9 regular season. Nobody scored more than the 21 goals that journeyman Brandon DeFazio managed, but he never played an NHL game. It was that kind of team. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For Baertschi, it was the culmination of a season started with requesting a trade from the Calgary Flames that came to fruition in March. He played three games with the Canucks, and was dispatched to Utica, where he racked up 15 points (8-7) in 21 memorable postseason games. Sven Baertschi was acquired in a March 2015 trade by the Vancouver Canucks and then sent to the Utica Comets. 'It had a lot to do with our leadership group,' Baertschi told Postmedia on Monday. 'Guys like Carter Bancks and (captain) Cal O'Reilly. He led with calmness in games, a really determined guy and it led to a lot of success. It was a the way we were built. 'We had a lot of heart-and-soul guys and the right scoring and that's not easy to do in the AHL. We had the combination. You're never going to have that again based on the wide age in guys we had. You always remember good playoff runs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It brings out the best. So many guys, who you wouldn't expect, elevated their games. That's hard because playoffs are a different animal and Manchester just had four really solid lines. That's why I'm super proud of those guys I played with. It was a grind. 'Abbotsford is having the same feeling and tasting victories.' Baertschi's history with Green dates back to junior in Portland and he reached out to his former coach before taking the coaching leap. 'He's been a really important person in my life and always been a mentor,' said Baertschi. 'Obviously, coaching is different than a player. I've been in their shoes and can help them mature.' The Winterhawks advanced to the Western Conference final this season before swept by powerhouse Spokane Chiefs. For the 32-year-old Baertschi, it was the right time to pivot to behind the bench and run the power play.. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It got to the point where I was done as a player and it doesn't matter why or how,' stressed Baertschi. 'I'm happy where I'm at and in a good place in my life. I get to touch the ice every day as a coach, which is the greatest thing, and I can share my experiences.' Where are they now? Not everybody on that Utica roster used the AHL as a springboard to the NHL. Here's a look: Hunter Shinkaruk: 24th overall, 2013 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 11 NHL games. Played four games for Cardiff Devils of Elite Hockey League in Britain this season. Jake Virtanen: 6th overall, 2014 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 317 NHL games. Played 46 games this season with Iserlohn Roosters in German pro loop. Six goals. Alexandre Grenier, 90th overall, 2011 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 9 NHL games. Had 42 points (17-25) in 41 games the season with the Cologne Sharks of DEL. Nicklas Jensen, 29th overall pick, 2011 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 31 NHL games. Had 29 points (16-13) in 48 games this season with Rapperswil-Jona (Swiss-A). Alex Friesen, 172nd overall pick, 2010 NHL Draft, Vancouver, 1 NHL game. Had 15 points (6-9) in 38 games this season with Bremerhaven Penguins (DEL). bkuzma@ Read More National Vancouver Canucks Sports NHL Vancouver Canucks
