AHL ON THE ROAD: Long term fidelity in the AHL
Each Thursday, EP Rinkside brings thoughts, observations, issues, and a few opinions on and around the NHL’s top developmental league.
This week brings a look at the a couple of the long-time marriages in the AHL affiliation business, a few head-scratchers, and the playoff races.
A LONG-TERM MARRIAGE
Long before geography took top priority in establishing NHL-AHL affiliations, the Boston Bruins had already built a model player-development operation an hour south in Rhode Island.
That is why it came as no surprise when Boston and the Providence Bruins announced last week that they will be together for at least another 10 years. Now in its 27th season, the Boston-Providence affiliation precedes even the AHL president and chief executive officer Dave Andrews’ time leading the NHL’s top development league. Andrews took that position in 1994.
Few things in hockey are as reliable as the Boston-Providence relationship. In a league that has seen tremendous change and growth since Andrews took the helm, Providence has been one of its few consistent presences. The AHL’s longest-running affiliation started in 1992-93 with a team that featured Peter Laviolette manning the blue line in Providence. The Providence alumni list is a who’s-who of household names in Boston like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, among many others.
One could not ask for more from either side of this affiliation. It provides Boston an AHL affiliate an hour away, close enough that they could even put a player on a Boston-bound commuter train from Providence in a pinch and have him avoid rush-hour traffic altogether. After an extensive renovation a decade ago, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center is one of the AHL’s top facilities.
Fan support in Providence annually ranks in the AHL’s top tier, and the marketing tie-ins are a natural in Boston sports-crazed New England. The Boston Red Sox have had their Triple-A affiliation in Pawtucket, located just outside of Providence, since 1973. However, the Red Sox will be moving that affiliate to Worcester, Massachusetts in 2021 after ballpark talks broke down in Rhode Island.
But in hockey circles, long-term relationships are increasingly becoming the norm in the AHL after a long period of franchise and affiliation shuffling. The New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack established their affiliation in 1997. The Nashville Predators-Milwaukee Admirals affiliation dates back to 1998 when Milwaukee was still in the now-defunct International Hockey League. The Dallas Stars bounced around the map for years before finding a long-term home just outside of Austin, Texas. There, the AHL Stars are now in their 10th season and play in a first-class facility in suburban Cedar Park.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT GREEN GRASS
Much like Providence, the Hershey Bears know something about long-term relationships.
Affiliated with the nearby Washington Capitals since 2005, the Bears and Capitals have built one of the most successful affiliations in AHL history. Hershey has sent a parade of polished talent on to Washington in those 14 seasons, including John Carlson and Braden Holtby. Washington had 14 Hershey alumni on last season’s Stanley Cup roster, and there are former Bears scattered across the rest of the NHL as well. In AHL terms, the Washington-Hershey tandem has produced three Calder Cup championships, two more trips to the Calder Cup final, five regular-season division titles, and the second-best regular season in AHL history (123 points along with a league-record 60 wins in 2009-10).
So, after 81 seasons of high-level hockey, Hershey fans maintain high-level expectations for the on-ice product in the 10,500-seat Giant Center.
Positioned in Central Pennsylvania and marketed regionally, the Bears are in a bit of a unique geographic area in regard to sports allegiances. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington sports fandoms converge in Central Pennsylvania. The Bears themselves have their own hard-core fan base, regardless of NHL affiliation. The team’s long-time relationship with the Capitals also has built something of a secondary loyalty to the NHL team in Hershey. Popular Bears players brought some of that Hershey following with them after graduating to the Capitals.
Still, there had been some rumblings of discontent in certain restless quarters of the Hershey fan base regarding the team’s affiliation with the Capitals. The four-year affiliation agreement is set to expire after next season. Hershey missed the Calder Cup Playoffs last season, albeit for only the second time since 2005. Washington has also taken a more hands-on approach with the Bears, making player development the top priority.
However, if you are a Hershey fan paying good money for tickets, your priority may well be winning games, not player development. Balancing these two objectives can be a major challenge for independently owned AHL clubs like the Bears.
But when the various parties sit down to map out at the affiliation’s future, this season may well reinforce that it is an affiliation worth extending.
Hershey’s second-half tear should go a long way toward keeping the Capitals-Bears relationship intact. After extensive offseason changes at the AHL level, Washington had to cycle in a young, unproven group that needed time. But those players have started to deliver on some of that potential and have given Bears fans a shot at another spring with playoff hockey. Hershey crawled out of last place in the Atlantic Division in mid-January, posted a franchise-record 17-game point streak (16-0-0-1), is on track to lock down a playoff spot shortly, and could be a dangerous first-round opponent for either the Charlotte Checkers or Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Hershey’s second-half run this season certainly will not hurt the affiliation’s chances.
As well, there are not any particularly good alternatives for either side.
Hershey-wise, the on-ice results speak to the talent base that the Capitals have put in place in Chocolatetown, both present and past.
Geography is another limitation.
NHL clubs prioritize geography more than ever before when choosing where to locate their AHL affiliate, which reduces the number of available options (for example, Hershey had an affiliation with the geographically distant Colorado Avalanche between 1996 and 2005). But the Philadelphia Flyers are in a long-term deal with Lehigh Valley, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to renew their cross-state affiliation that would enter its 21st season in 2019-20.
From a Washington standpoint, Hershey’s advantages are plentiful, starting with geography. The Capitals and Bears are a little more than two hours apart. If a Capitals defenseman tweaks something at the morning skate, they can put a call into Hershey and have a player recalled and in downtown Washington by mid-afternoon.
Hershey also offers a first-class facility that is best described as simply an AHL-sized NHL-caliber building. Hershey brings stable front office and a passionate fan base. There are no other available markets even remotely near Washington that can offer a comparable set-up. None.
Any better options out there for Washington? Any better options out there for Hershey?
Not likely.
PUCKS TO THE NET
An already painful season would become that much crueler for the Ottawa Senators if the Belleville Senators are not able to nail down a playoff spot. After Ottawa management cleaned house at the NHL Trade Deadline, the thought that the organization’s deep group of prospects would have an opportunity to experience AHL playoff hockey provided at least a bit of optimism. At the time, Belleville had moved well into what would eventually become a 16-game point streak (11-0-1-4) that put the B-Sens into the North Division playoff picture. However, Belleville has cooled off (5-4-0-1) in the past five weeks while the Cleveland Monsters have roared back into contention. Cleveland now holds a one-point lead and a game in hand on Belleville for fourth in the North Division. The teams will meet in Belleville on Saturday night. Belleville has been hit hard by NHL recalls as well as injuries, including the injuries to defensemen Erik Brännström and Cody Goloubef.
What a poor finish for Lehigh Valley, who survived the parent Philadelphia Flyers’ organizational chaos in the first half to become a strong contender. Since February 15th, the Phantoms has lost 12 of 19 games (7-10-1-1). After taking two of three games to open a crucial five-game road trip, Charlotte wiped out the Phantoms in back-to-back games this week. Yes, Charlotte has blown out plenty of teams this season, but the Phantoms looked badly outmatched in both games. They have sunk to six points out of an Atlantic Division playoff spot and could be facing elimination as soon as this weekend.
Are the Iowa Wild going to cough up another promising season? Last season Iowa held a Central Division playoff spot deep into late March before a nine-game losing streak (0-8-0-1) finished off the season, causing the Wild to miss the Calder Cup Playoffs by six points. This season is unfolding – and unraveling – in an eerily similar fashion. Iowa was in a second-place tie in the Central Division on March 15th and sat only three points out of the division lead. But seven consecutive defeats (0-6-1-0) have left the Wild in a very precarious position. They still hold that third spot, but first place is now 11 points in the distance and no longer mathematically possible. Worse for the Wild, who have 81 points, they have the Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose fighting for fourth place at 79 points. With those clubs now only two points shy of third place and each holding a game in hand on Iowa, the Wild also have the Texas Stars (77 points) and Rockford IceHogs (76) breathing down their neck. On Wednesday night, the Wild gave up a 3-1 third-period lead to the Tucson Roadrunners and lost in overtime, 4-3. That gave the Wild one of a possible 10 points on their now-completed five-game homestand that featured them being swept in back-to-back two-game sets by both the Stars and Roadrunners.
With the parent Minnesota Wild failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Iowa could benefit from that. Minnesota made forwards Ryan Donato, Jordan Greenway, and Luke Kunin eligible for assignment to Iowa, which would give the AHL affiliate an immediate infusion of top-end talent.
Manitoba head coach Pascal Vincent’s work last season attracted plenty of attention. Manitoba finished three points off the Western Conference lead last season and went to the second round before Rockford ended their season. But Vincent’s performance this season may well outshine that. On December 29th, Manitoba had sunk to last in the AHL at 11-16-2-0 (.414), one point behind the Ontario Reign and 14 points south of the Central Division playoff line. Since then, they have torn through their competition, going 25-12-3-2 (.655). It started by sweeping the visiting Colorado Eagles in back-to-back games to close out the calendar year, and now they are fresh off taking back-to-back home wins against the powerful Bakersfield Condors to start this week. Even with that run, the Moose have been close to falling out of contention. But they followed three consecutive late-February losses with an 11-3-2-0 run. Through that push up the standings, they have been mostly without workhorse goaltender Eric Comrie, who remains on recall to the Winnipeg Jets. However, rookie Mikhail Berdin has excelled with Comrie gone, and he stopped the Condors with 40- and 29-save nights in the sweep. Manitoba can put a tighter grip on a playoff spot with a strong performance this weekend when the Stockton Heat visit for two games.
Vincent’s roster had been pounded by personnel losses all season even before Comrie’s recall. Top forward prospect Kristian Vesalainen went to the KHL in late-November and spent nearly four months with Jokerit before returning earlier this month. Dennis Everberg, a key offseason signing, struggled before departing for the KHL after 11 games. Another offseason addition, forward Nic Kerdiles, has been out of the line-up since the second weekend of the season. Standout defenseman Sami Niku played only 20 games before sticking with the Jets, and forward Mason Appleton had an extended stay on the NHL roster as well.
Look out for the San Diego Gulls when the Anaheim Ducks’ season comes to a merciful end this week. Anaheim made rookie forwards Max Jones and Sam Steel eligible for re-assignment to the Gulls. The San Diego blue line is also in position to add Brendan Guhle, Jacob Larsson, Jaycob Megna, and Andy Welinski from the Ducks. Standout rookie forward Troy Terry would have been another potential addition for San Diego, but he broke his leg last week while with the Ducks. San Diego would also be able to add another top prospect in Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Max Comtois if his QMJHL postseason ends. Drummondville has advanced to the second round. Comtois played 10 games for the Ducks and another four with San Diego before returning to the QMJHL. He also captained Canada at the IIIHF World Junior Championship earlier this season.
First, however, the Gulls have to take down a Pacific Division playoff spot. San Diego is sandwiched third in the division at 75 points between the San Jose Barracuda (77 points) and Tucson (74 points), but the Gulls are only two points above the divisional playoff line. Since March 1, the Gulls have gone 5-7-1-0 thanks in part to recalls to Anaheim. They host Ontario on Friday night and also finish their season with back-to-back games in Tucson.
