CANTLON’S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES OFF SEASON VOLUME 11 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – With activity in professional hockey picking up momentum almost daily, there is news aplenty starting with the naming of a new AHL team.

In a sleekly produced professional presentation, the AHL’s newest franchise was launched in a 21st century-style. The Henderson (NV) Silver Knights were officially announced at 7:30 pm PT on May 28th in a one-hour presentation on NBC Affiliate, KSNV-TV.

Last season’s San Antonio Rampage was purchased in February and then relocated to Henderson, a nearby suburb of Las Vegas.

The Silver Knights will play their inaugural 2020-21 season at the Orleans Arena, which is located in the Orleans Hotel and Casino, the one time home of the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers (2003-2014). The Silver Knights will play at the Orleans Arena while the brand new, $80 million, 6,100 seat Lifeguard Arena is completed. On May 19, 2020, the City of Henderson approved a project agreement with SK Arena, LLC (SK Arena), an affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas Golden Knights Owner, Chairman, and CEO, Bill Foley, was clearly jovial while explaining the genesis and meaning of the name, “Silver Knights” and the design points of the team logo. “Today is a momentous day for our organization, the City of Henderson, and the entire Southern Nevada community. After years of planning and preparation, we finally get to welcome the Henderson Silver Knights home.”

The logo has a great deep meaning for Foley, a US Army veteran.

“In medieval civilization, the armored warhorse was synonymous with strength, endurance, and fearlessness during battle. The armored warhorse helped establish knights as the undisputed epitome of the warrior class. The knight on horseback is one of the most intimidating symbols of its time. A truly fearsome opponent, the knight on horseback embraced the mentality of always advancing and never retreating.

“The horse played a vital role in a knight’s quest to become elite, assisting in the knight’s training, skill advancement, and overall development. As the primary affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, the Henderson Silver Knights hold an identical position: Assisting in every aspect of the knight’s quest to become an elite warrior.”

Foley discussed the benefit of moving their team from the Chicago Wolves to their new location. “Instead of watching our team streaming in Chicago, I can go to Henderson and see them live. Its gonna be a great building in Henderson.”

The coaching staff in Chicago was led by head coach, Rocky Thompson, who will still be behind the bench for the Silver Knights, who will play a 68 game schedule in the AHL Pacific Division. Ten of those games will be broadcast live on KSNV-TV next season.

Nevada is known as the Silver State and is home to the largest wild horse population in the United States. Both of these facts are referenced on the back of the state quarter.

The three primary colors of the Henderson Silver Knights team will be silver, gold, and black.

AHL AWARD WINNERS

The American Hockey League announced today that Belleville Senators forward Josh Norris has been voted the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding rookie for the 2019-20 season.

Norris, who earned spots on the AHL First All-Star Team and the AHL All-Rookie Team for 2019-20, was the league’s top-scoring rookie with 31 goals and 61 points in 56 games for Belleville.

He finished tied for third in the overall scoring race, the highest finish by an AHL rookie since Cory Conacher placed second in 2011-12, and paced the Senators offense.

Norris had a 13-game scoring streak from December 20 to January 15 – matching the longest by an AHL rookie since 2005 – and was held scoreless in back-to-back games just once from October 19 through the end of the season.

A 21-year-old native of Oxford, Mich., Norris also appeared in three games with the Ottawa Senators this season, making his National Hockey League debut on February 22nd against Montreal.

Then Jake Bean of the Charlotte Checkers was announced the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman.

The 21-year-old Bean led all AHL defensemen in scoring with 48 points in 59 games for the Checkers this season, collecting 10 goals and 38 assists to finish as the leading scorer on Charlotte’s roster.

Bean recorded 21 points on the power play, and his special-teams play helped the Checkers rank third in the league in efficiency both with the man advantage (22.8 percent) and while shorthanded (87.0 percent).

A native of Calgary, Alta., Bean was also a First Team AHL All-Star selection and participated in the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic this season, following a debut 2018-19 campaign that saw him capture AHL All-Rookie honors and a Calder Cup championship with Charlotte.

So far he has totaled 23 goals and 69 assists for 92 points in 129 regular-season games over his two AHL seasons. Bean was the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft and skated in two games with the Canes last year.

Bean is just the third player ever to earn the Eddie Shore Award before his 22nd birthday, joining Sami Niku Manitoba (2018) and Craig Levie Nova Scotia (1981).

Kaapo Kahkonen of the Iowa Wild was named the winner of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender.

Named a 2019-20 First Team AHL All-Star last week, Kahkonen made 34 appearances for the Wild this season, helping the club to the best regular-season record in franchise history. Kahkonen led the AHL in victories (25-6-3) and shutouts (seven) and ranked fourth in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.927) while placing among the top 10 in minutes played and shots faced.

He won the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February, the last full month of AHL play. Kahkonen finished the year with a 10-1-1 record (1.16 GAA, .961 save percentage) and five shutouts in his last 12 starts.

A 23-year-old native of Helsinki, Finland, Kahkonen also made his National Hockey League debut this season, going 3-1-1 with a 2.96 GAA and a .913 save percentage in five appearances with the Minnesota Wild. Kahkonen was Minnesota’s fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft.