by Kyle Kujawa || AHL On The Beat Archive When Jeff Hoggan arrived in Grand Rapids for his first day of training camp, he was armed with nothing more than a tryout agreement and a spot in the visiting team’s dressing room, where half the team had to change due to space availability in […]
by Doug Plagens || AHL On The Beat Archive Some players are playmakers. Some are two-way forwards, some are grinders, and some are offensive dynamos. And, of course, every player is either a forward, defenseman, or goaltender. But every player is trying to be a winner, regardless of the level. Some have already been to […]
by Anthony Laurendi || AHL On The Beat Archive The Rochester Americans were looking for a leader who could fill the role of captain as the organization embarked on its 57th season in the American Hockey League. The captaincy, in an organization with such a rich history, is an elite club filled with talented […]
by Jim Charshafian || AHL On The Beat Archive There is an old hockey adage that states you can throw all stats out the window when the playoffs start. That statement could not ring any truer for the San Antonio Rampage and their power play. After finishing 28th in the AHL during the regular season […]
by Jim Charshafian || AHL On The Beat Archive After eliminating the Chicago Wolves in a grueling five-game first-round playoff series last week, the San Antonio Rampage have now set their sights on their next opponent, the Oklahoma City Barons. The puck drops on San Antonio’s Western Conference semifinal series against Oklahoma City on Thursday, […]
by Jonathan Bombulie || AHL On The Beat Archive Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo knows now is not the time to get sentimental. It’s the playoffs. Physicality and intensity are ramped up exponentially. If a player takes time to stop and smell the roses, he will probably get helped off the ice by the trainer. […]
by Jason Karnosky || AHL On The Beat Archive The Milwaukee Admirals know what it feels like to be counted out. For a stretch of nearly two and a half months — Jan. 28 through Apr. 8 — Milwaukee sat on the outside of the AHL playoffs, staring up at its rival Western Conference contenders. […]
by Andrew J. Ferraro || AHL On The Beat Archive The Houston Aeros, the defending Western Conference champions, sneaked into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. They did so on the back of second-year goalie Matt Hackett, and because they were able to win their last two home games against the […]
by Amy Spivey || AHL On The Beat Archive Peter LeBlanc couldn’t have had a much better start to his second year of playing professional hockey as he entered the 2011 preseason this past September. The center participated in the Chicago Blackhawks training camp as an invitee on an AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs […]
by Jamie Palatini || AHL On The Beat Archive The path to professional hockey is never the same for any two players. In October, defenseman Steve Oleksy found himself with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Just six months later, the rookie defenseman found himself with an American Hockey League contract and wearing the "A" for the […]
