AHL Morning Skate: June 11

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from
the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s Morning Skate.

Complete Schedule || Playoff Brackets || Today’s Scoreboard || League Leaders

   
Game 4 – 7:00 ET, NHL Network Radio, AHL Live free-view 
(Lake Erie leads series, 3-0)
Infographic: Series Snapshot
| Game 4 Media Kit
  

The Calder Cup will be in the house tonight as the Lake Erie Monsters look to close out their first title and bring an AHL championship to Cleveland for the first time since 1964… The Monsters are up 3-0 in the Calder Cup Finals as they host Hershey in Game 4 — the fourth consecutive series in which they have won the first three games… Lake Erie is 14-2 this postseason and has won 23 of 27 overall after a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 3 back on Monday… Oliver Bjorkstrand (9-6-15) scored twice in Game 3, including the deciding goal 1:20 into OT… The rookie has four goals in his last two games and five game-winners this postseason… Daniel Zaar (7-5-12) scored his fourth goal of the series in Game 3, and now has 4-1-5 in the Finals after being held without a point in the Monsters’ four-game sweep of Ontario in the conference finals… Anton Forsberg (8-0, 1.55, .944) made 17 saves in Game 3, his — and the Monsters’ — eighth win in a row… Forsberg has allowed 13 goals on 232 shots this postseason… Ryan Stanton (3-2-5) and Dustin Gazley (4-5-9) scored for the Bears, and Justin Peters (11-8, 2.22, .919) finished with 25 saves… The Monsters are now 4-0 in overtime during the playoffs; the Bears dropped to 2-3… Lake Erie is 3-for-6 on the power play in the series; Hershey is 1-for-6… The Bears are 3-0 this postseason when facing elimination, defeating Portland twice and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton once… The Monsters’ only two playoff losses came after they took a 3-0 series lead over Grand Rapids in the second round… Tonight’s Game 4 will be televised live on Sportsnet ONE and can be heard on NHL Network Radio (SiriusXM 91).

2016 Calder Cup Finals – Series “O” (best-of-7)
A1-Hershey Bears vs. C2-Lake Erie Monsters
Game 1 – Wed., June 1 – Lake Erie 4, HERSHEY 1 | Recap | Highlights
Game 2 – Fri., June 3 – Lake Erie 5, HERSHEY 3 | RecapHighlights
Game 3 – Mon., June 6 – LAKE ERIE 3, Hershey 2 (OT) | Recap | Highlights
Game 4 – Sat., June 11 – Hershey at Lake Erie, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sun., June 12 – Hershey at Lake Erie, 6:00
*Game 6 – Tue., June 14 – Lake Erie at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 – Fri., June 17 – Lake Erie at Hershey, 7:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

Historical Rivals
In a fitting end to the AHL’s 80th-anniversary season, the Calder Cup Finals are taking place in two of the league’s most historic cities… The Hershey Bears are playing in their 23rd Finals, while Cleveland is hosting the championship series for the first time in 50 years, since the last of the Cleveland Barons’ 14 trips to the Finals in 1966… The Barons and Bears met in the Finals three times, with Cleveland winning all three series (1941, 1945, 1954).
Family Ties
With the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals this week, Cleveland becomes the first city to host the championship series of the NBA and the AHL in the same season… The relationship between the two leagues can be traced all the way back to 1936, when Maurice Podoloff was one of the founding fathers of the American Hockey League… Podoloff served as the AHL’s first president until 1952, bringing stability during the difficult years during World War II and helping modernize the league through rules modifications and innovations… In 1946, Podoloff was named the first president of the National Basketball Association, and actually ran both leagues concurrently for six years… Podoloff was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974, and the Maurice Podoloff Trophy is awarded each year to the NBA’s most valuable player… Podoloff is also a member of the AHL Hall of Fame.
Top of the Charts
A win tonight would be the 15th in 17 playoff games for Lake Erie, securing the best record of any AHL team playing four postseason rounds:

.875 – 1993 Cape Breton Oilers (14-2)
.833 – 2012 Norfolk Admirals (15-3)
.789 – 2015 Manchester Monarchs (15-4)
.789 – 2001 Saint John Flames (15-4)
.789 – 1999 Providence Bruins (15-4)
.789 – 1996 Rochester Americans (15-4)

Packed Houses
A list of the 10 largest crowds in Calder Cup Playoffs history:

20,103 – Wachovia Center, Philadelphia – Philadelphia vs. Chicago (June 10, 2005)
17,428 – Copps Coliseum, Hamilton – Hamilton vs. Houston (June 12, 2003)
17,380 – Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia – Philadelphia vs. Saint John (June 10, 1998)
15,132 – Allstate Arena, Rosemont – Chicago vs. Bridgeport (June 3, 2002)
15,019 – Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo – Cincinnati vs. Nova Scotia (May 15, 1973)
15,015 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg – Manitoba vs. Rochester (May 13, 2005)
15,003 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg – Manitoba vs. Hershey (June 12, 2009)
15,003 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg – Manitoba vs. Hershey (May 30, 2009)
14,737 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg – Manitobs vs. Hershey (June 2, 2009)
14,208 – Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia – Philadelphia vs. Hershey (May 10, 1997)

MVP Performances
The Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, named for the Hockey Hall of Famer and former President of the American Hockey League (1966-94), is awarded to the most valuable player of the Calder Cup Playoffs each year.

2015 – Jordan Weal, Manchester Monarchs
2014 – Travis Morin, Texas Stars
2013 – Tomas Tatar, Grand Rapids Griffins
2012 – Alexandre Picard, Norfolk Admirals
2011 – Robin Lehner, Binghamton Senators
2010 – Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears
2009 – Michal Neuvirth, Hershey Bears
2008 – Jason Krog, Chicago Wolves
2007 – Carey Price, Hamilton Bulldogs
2006 – Frederic Cassivi, Hershey Bears
2005 – Antero Niittymaki, Philadelphia Phantoms
2004 – Wade Flaherty, Milwaukee Admirals
2003 – Johan Holmqvist, Houston Aeros
2002 – Pasi Nurminen, Chicago Wolves
2001 – Steve Begin, Saint John Flames
2000 – Derek Armstrong, Hartford Wolf Pack
1999 – Peter Ferraro, Providence Bruins
1998 – Mike Maneluk, Philadelphia Phantoms
1997 – Mike McHugh, Hershey Bears
1996 – Dixon Ward, Rochester Americans
1995 – Mike Dunham and Corey Schwab, Albany River Rats
1994 – Olaf Kolzig, Portland Pirates
1993 – Bill McDougall, Cape Breton Oilers
1992 – Allan Bester, Adirondack Red Wings
1991 – Kay Whitmore, Springfield Indians
1990 – Jeff Hackett, Springfield Indians
1989 – Sam St. Laurent, Adirondack Red Wings
1988 – Wendell Young, Hershey Bears
1987 – Dave Fenyves, Rochester Americans
1986 – Tim Tookey, Hershey Bears*
1985 – Brian Skrudland, Sherbrooke Canadiens
1984 – Bud Stefanski, Maine Mariners
   *losing finalist

Working Overtime
There have been 15 overtime games played in the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs so far… Home teams are 10-5: 

June 6 – LAKE ERIE 3, Hershey 2 (Oliver Bjorkstrand, 1:20)
*May 26 – LAKE ERIE 2, Ontario 1 (Lukas Sedlak, 26:25)
May 21 – HERSHEY 3, Toronto 2 (Carter Camper, 9:09)
*May 16 – Lake Erie 4, GRAND RAPIDS 3 (Zach Werenski, 12:32)
*May 15 – HERSHEY 3, W-B/Scranton 2 (Travis Boyd, 10:57)
May 13 – Ontario 4, SAN DIEGO 3 (Mike Amadio, 6:29)
May 9 – W-B/SCRANTON 2, Hershey 1 (Kael Mouillierat, 2:31)
May 8 – ALBANY 3, Toronto 2 (Nick Lappin, 18:40)
May 7 – Ontario 2, SAN DIEGO 1 (Justin Auger, 11:55)
May 5 – LAKE ERIE 3, Grand Rapids 2 (Oliver Bjorkstrand, 12:23)
Apr. 28 – Portland 2, HERSHEY 1 (Rob Flick, 43:10)
Apr. 26 – UTICA 2, Albany 1 (Alexandre Grenier, 9:13)
*Apr. 23 – W-B/Scranton 5, PROVIDENCE 4 (Jake Guentzel, 33:52)
Apr. 21 – W-B/SCRANTON 4, Providence 3 (Daniel Sprong, 5:13) 
Apr. 20 – W-B/SCRANTON 3, Providence 2 (Carter Rowney, 1:09)
  *series clincher

Calder Cup Finals History
Results of the last 25 Calder Cup Finals series:

2015 – Manchester Monarchs 4, Utica Comets 1
2014 – Texas Stars 4, St. John’s IceCaps 1
2013 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2
2012 – Norfolk Admirals 4, Toronto Marlies 0
2011 – Binghamton Senators 4, Houston Aeros 2
2010 – Hershey Bears 4, Texas Stars 2
2009 – Hershey Bears 4, Manitoba Moose 2
2008 – Chicago Wolves 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2
2007 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Hershey Bears 1
2006 – Hershey Bears 4, Milwaukee Admirals 2
2005 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Chicago Wolves 0
2004 – Milwaukee Admirals 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 0
2003 – Houston Aeros 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3
2002 – Chicago Wolves 4, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1
2001 – Saint John Flames 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2
2000 – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Rochester Americans 2
1999 – Providence Bruins 4, Rochester Americans 1
1998 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Saint John Flames 2
1997 – Hershey Bears 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 1
1996 – Rochester Americans 4, Portland Pirates 3
1995 – Albany River Rats 4, Fredericton Canadiens 0
1994 – Portland Pirates 4, Moncton Hawks 2
1993 – Cape Breton Oilers 4, Rochester Americans 1
1992 – Adirondack Red Wings 4, St. John’s Maple Leafs 3
1991 – Springfield Indians 4, Rochester Americans 2

About the Calder Cup
While the AHL’s history dates back to the fall of 1936, the Calder Cup trophy was first awarded in 1938 to the Providence Reds for winning the second International-American Hockey League championship. (In 1996, George Parsons of the Syracuse Stars was presented the Calder Cup in a ceremony at the Onondaga County War Memorial; it is believed the Stars never received a trophy for their 1937 championship.) The Calder Cup is named for Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL (1917-43) and one of the driving forces behind the formation of the AHL.

In 2001, the trophy’s base was changed to include two tiers of plaques, which feature the rosters of each of the last 20 Calder Cup champions; the plaques from the first 59 champions are on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The entire trophy now stands 24 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds. The bowl, made of sterling silver, is 12 inches high and eight inches in diameter; the base is made of Brazilian mahogany.

Alumni Watch
In Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night, 2011 AHL All-Star Martin Jones made 44 saves as San Jose staved off elimination with a 4-2 win in Pittsburgh… 2010 AHL All-Star Logan Couture notched a goal and two assists for the Sharks, while Melker Karlsson added a goal and an assist and Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski also scored… Carl Hagelin scored his sixth goal of the playoffs for the Penguins.

Calder Cup Finals on Sportsnet ONE
The AHL announced that Games 3-7 of the Calder Cup Finals will air live across Canada on Sportsnet ONE.

Calder Cup Finals on AHL Live
As a thanks to the AHL’s loyal and dedicated fans, the American Hockey League and NeuLion, Inc., are making video streaming of all seven games of the 2016 Calder Cup Finals available for viewing at no charge from AHL Live via desktop, laptop, mobile device or tablet… To watch free on AHL Live, simply visit ahllive.com from any desktop computer, log in with your AHL Live account (or create a new one), select the Finals All-Access Pass and enter the promo code CALDERCUP2016 to access all of the action of the AHL’s championship series featuring the calls of the Bears’ Scott Stuccio and the Monsters’ Tony Brown… You can watch on your desktop or laptop through ahllive.com, or download the official AHL Live app from iTunes or Google Play to watch on your mobile device or tablet.