by Owen Newkirk || AHL On The Beat Archive Adirondack Phantoms goaltender Johan Backlund does not fit the profile of an American Hockey League rookie getting his feet wet in the professional ranks for the first time. He certainly does not play like a rookie on the ice either. In fact, the 6-foot-2, 198-pound Backlund […]

by Elizabeth Casey || AHL On The Beat Archive When Wendell Young retired from his 18-year professional playing career in 2001, he went to lunch with then-Chicago Wolves general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. “What do you want to do next?” Cheveldayoff asked. “I told him I wanted his job,” Young laughed. “Chevy said, ‘Well it’s not […]

by Dave Sheldon || AHL On The Beat Archive The whirlwind of activity surrounding the Abbotsford Heat continues to spin. Just two weeks into their inaugural season, the players and staff of the AHL’s Pacific coast team can now take a deep breath and begin to evaluate. For many teams in start-up mode, the journey […]

by Jed Lynch || AHL On The Beat Archive “Fall down 8 times, get up 9.” That’s what it reads on the back of Norfolk Admirals rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski’s helmet. “I just saw it somewhere,” said Tokarski. “I put the ‘8’ and ‘9’ in there because I was born in 1989. “It just means […]

by Kim Mueller || AHL On The Beat Archive Do you remember what you were doing on May 30, 1990? What song hit the Billboard No. 1 spot? Which teams were heading to the Calder Cup finals and the Stanley Cup finals? While Madonna’s Vogue was topping the charts on the radio, the Springfield Indians […]

by Randy Rice || AHL On The Beat Archive How many times has it been said, “offense wins games, but defense wins championships”? It’s a common refrain within sports, and it may have been repeating endlessly through Grand Rapids Griffins general manager Bob McNamara’s head during the off-season. Perhaps if the saying were “offense win […]

by Kaitlin Santanna || AHL On The Beat Archive Prior to last season, the prospect of winning a second Calder Cup looked bleak for Hershey defenseman Bryan Helmer. After winning his first championship with the Albany River Rats in 1995, 13 years had trickled by with no repeat. Nearly a decade and a half later, […]