BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Hockey is winding down its various level championship series at all levels and the news just keeps flowing.
CALDER CUP FINALS
Both finalists competing for the Calder Cup Championship’s teams, start with the letter C. It’s no great surprise to see the regular season champs, the Charlotte Checkers, in the final dance, but the Rocky Thompson-led, Chicago Wolves, were a surprise despite their very strong AHL record over the years and now as the top farm team of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The two teams kicked off the Calder Cup final in Charlotte on Saturday night with the Wolves taking Game One in overtime, 4-3. Stefan Matteau, the son of former New York Ranger, Stephane Matteau, scored the game-winner from the lower left wing circle to finish off the Wolves three-goal come back.
Matteau was in Wolf Pack training camp three years ago.
Game two went to the residents of the Bojangles Coliseum, as the Checkers evened the series with a 5-3. Game three will be played Wednesday night at Allstate Arena starting at 8 pm.
All seven games can be on the NHL Networks.
Charlotte features a pair of ex-Pack’s from different era’s in defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti, and goalie Dustin Tokarski.
The Chicago Wolves have two players with Connecticut connection. On defense, there’s an ex-Sound Tiger, in Griffin Reinhart, and Jake Leschyshyn, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler Curtis Leschyshyn.
ECHL KELLY CUP FINALS
Toledo got back into the series winning Game 5 at home 3-2 on Saturday night with ex-Yale Bulldog Ryan Obuchowski scoring one of the goals. Game six and maybe a seven are back in St. John’s with Newfoundland up three games to two.
Newfoundland Growlers features former Quinnipiac University Bobcat goalie in Michael Garteig.
Toledo has a pair of ex-Pack defenseman in Matt Register in and Brendan Kotyk
A hilarious side story to the Kelly Cup final straight out of the movie Slapshot.
Turns out the Colorado Eagles, who won the last two Kelly Cup titles before their league upgraded this season, as the new top affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. Turns out they were required to return the trophy back to ECHL by December and failed to do so. It forced the league to go out and get a whole new trophy!
The championship trophy’s namesake, Pat Kelly, 85, gave an interview to a Toledo radio station regarding the Eagles conduct. The Eagles were notorious for skating past the league’s salary cap but were never fined, to the best of our knowledge, the stories regarding the team have been numerous.
Read HERE for a good laugh.
The Nashville Predators announced they have signed a new ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, who switch from the Carolina Hurricanes, who owned the team and building is Estero, FL since its inception. Florida’s new AHL affiliate is the Milwaukee Admirals.
MEMORIAL CUP
Rouyn Noranda Huskies pulled another come-from-behind win to capture the 101st Memorial Cup in Halifax. They knocked off the host Mooseheads 4-2. It was the second time in two weeks as Halifax ice skated around with a championship trophy.
Rouyn Noranda head coach, Mario Pouliot, snagged a second Memorial Cup in a row last season with another small market team, Acadie Bathurst.
Down 2-0 the Huskies made it 2-2 as Felix Bibeau (sixth goal) and tourney MVP Joel Teasdale scored to even things at two.
Then Peter Abbandonnato scored the game-winner in third before an empty netter clinched the championship.
The 2020 Memorial Cup is in Kelowna, BC.
Felix Bibeau is expected to be traded from the Huskies to the Quebec Remparts to play as an over-ager for the 2019-20 Remparts shortly. He is, however, still draft eligible-age for the upcoming NHL Draft in Vancouver in the next three weeks.
SEATTLE MULLING AHL OPTIONS
The yet unnamed 32nd NHL franchise with Dave Tippett in charge has been considering its farm team options and its curveball according to the Seattle Times there are looking at Palm Springs, California or the present ECHL market, Boise, Idaho Steelheads.
When Palm Springs was first leaked it seemed preposterous there is no arena but is geographically close to San Diego and Ontario with zero minor pro hockey history. It does have a 5,185 seat baseball stadium that was called originally called Angels Stadium that hosted a Western Baseball League team (Palm Springs Suns) for two years (1995-1996). Now it’s known as Palm Springs Stadium and is presently home to the Palm Springs Collegiate (Baseball) League.
Needless to say, one of the richest towns in the US, but can the AHL have a Palm Springs in the same league as Utica or Binghamton !?
Boise has had a very strong hockey history over 22 years (six in the defunct WCHL) and 16 in the ECHL) and have made the playoffs every single season of their existence. Two Kelly Cup titles and just one under .500 season and the WCHL three under .500 seasons their first three years and no Taylor Cup titles.
Another positive element is the Boise airport has direct flights to many of the Western and Midwestern AHL markets that makes it highly attractive. Read about it HERE!
