AHL Morning Skate: 6.1.19

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s AHL Morning Skate.

Playoff Brackets | Today’s Scoreboard | League Stats

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Game 1 – Tonight, 6:00 ET,
TV: NHL Network (tape delay: Sunday, 2:00 ET), WCIU “The U”
Follow @CheckersHockey Follow @Chicago_Wolves Tweet #CHAvsCHI

The AHL’s 83rd championship series opens tonight as the Eastern Conference champion Checkers host the Western Conference champion Wolves at Bojangles’ Coliseum… This is the Checkers’ first appearance in the Finals, and the first for an affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes since the Springfield Indians won the Calder Cup in 1991… The Wolves are in the Finals for the fourth time in their AHL history (2002, 2005, 2008), and in just the second season affiliated with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights… Andrew Poturalski leads the Checkers in goals (8), assists (10), points (18), and plus/minus (+14) while skating in 13 of the team’s 14 postseason games… Morgan Geekie (7-8-15), who scored the series-clinching double-overtime goal to give Charlotte the Eastern Conference title in Game 6 vs. Toronto, is the AHL’s top-scoring rookie in these playoffs… Captain Patrick Brown (4-4-8) returned from Carolina and led the Checkers in scoring with eight points during the conference finals… Alex Nedeljkovic (8-3, 2.28, .914) is coming off a 43-save effort in Sunday’s clincher against Toronto; it was his most saves in a game since turning aside 51 shots in a 5-OT loss to Lehigh Valley on May 9, 2018… Chicago brings a three-game winning streak into the Finals after coming back from a 2-1 series deficit to eliminate San Diego… The Wolves held the Gulls’ potent offense to four goals over the final three contests, including a double-overtime marathon in Game 4… Tomas Hyka (3-11-14) is Chicago’s leading playoff scorer through three rounds… Curtis McKenzie (8-5-13), who scored twice in the Wolves’ 3-1 clincher over San Diego on Monday night, is making his third career Calder Cup Finals appearance (2014, 2018 with Texas); McKenzie has 6-5-11 in 12 career Finals games… Oscar Dansk (9-5, 2.16, .921) has stopped 69 of 71 shots in his last two starts for Chicago… Daniel Carr (5-5-10) is the 10th AHL MVP in the last 12 years to reach the Calder Cup Finals in the same season… Charlotte leads the AHL in both goals scored (3.93 per game) and goals allowed (2.14) this postseason… The Checkers have scored four shorthanded goals in their last three games; they scored one shorthanded goal in their previous 76 matches… Former Central Division foes, Chicago and Charlotte met in the first round of the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs, with the Wolves winning three games to two… Both teams are 2-1 in Game 1’s this postseason… In Calder Cup Finals history, the Game 1 winner has gone on to win the series 76.8 percent of the time (63 of 82).

2019 Calder Cup Finals (best-of-7)
A1-Charlotte Checkers vs. C1-Chicago Wolves | Series Infographic
Game 1 – Sat., June 1 – Chicago at Charlotte, 6:00, AHLTV, NHL Network**
Game 2 – Sun., June 2 – Chicago at Charlotte, 6:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
Game 3 – Wed., June 5 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
Game 4 – Thu., June 6 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00, AHLTV, NHL Network**
*Game 5 – Sat., June 8 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
*Game 6 – Thu., June 13 – Chicago at Charlotte, 7:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
*Game 7 – Fri., June 14 – Chicago at Charlotte, 7:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
*if necessary… All times Eastern
**delayed broadcast

https://twitter.com/TheAHL/status/1134791706069438464

About the Calder Cup
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 American Hockey League.

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.)

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 62 champions are on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The entire trophy now stands 24 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds. The bowl, made of sterling silver, is 12 inches high and eight inches in diameter; the base is made of Brazilian mahogany.

Calder Cup Finals History
Last 20 Calder Cup Finals results and Jack Butterfield Trophy winners (playoff MVP):

2018 – Toronto Marlies 4, Texas Stars 3 (Andreas Johnsson, TOR)
2017 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2 (Tyler Bertuzzi, GR)
2016 – Lake Erie Monsters 4, Hershey Bears 0 (Oliver Bjorkstrand, LE)
2015 – Manchester Monarchs 4, Utica Comets 1 (Jordan Weal, MCH)
2014 – Texas Stars 4, St. John’s IceCaps 1 (Travis Morin, TEX)
2013 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2 (Tomas Tatar, GR)
2012 – Norfolk Admirals 4, Toronto Marlies 0 (Alexandre Picard, NOR)
2011 – Binghamton Senators 4, Houston Aeros 2 (Robin Lehner, BNG)
2010 – Hershey Bears 4, Texas Stars 2 (Chris Bourque, HER)
2009 – Hershey Bears 4, Manitoba Moose 2 (Michal Neuvirth, HER)
2008 – Chicago Wolves 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (Jason Krog, CHI)
2007 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Hershey Bears 1 (Carey Price, HAM)
2006 – Hershey Bears 4, Milwaukee Admirals 2 (Frederic Cassivi, HER)
2005 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Chicago Wolves 0 (Antero Niittymaki, PHI)
2004 – Milwaukee Admirals 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 0 (Wade Flaherty, MIL)
2003 – Houston Aeros 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3 (Johan Holmqvist, HOU)
2002 – Chicago Wolves 4, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 (Pasi Nurminen, CHI)
2001 – Saint John Flames 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (Steve Begin, SJN)
2000 – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Rochester Americans 2 (Derek Armstrong, HFD)
1999 – Providence Bruins 4, Rochester Americans 1 (Peter Ferraro, PRO)

Official Business
The American Hockey League has named the on-ice officials for the 2019 Calder Cup Finals… Referees working the series will be Mitch Dunning (first Finals), Peter MacDougall (first), Michael Markovic (first), Furman South (second) and Corey Syvret (second)… Linesmen will be Tyson Baker (first), Jesse Marquis (first), Bevan Mills (third) and Jamie Tobias (second).

Alumni Watch
The 2019 Stanley Cup Final is tied at 1-1 after St. Louis’s 3-2 overtime victory in Boston on Wednesday night… Game 3 is this evening at Enterprise Center in St. Louis… In the series opener, Sean Kuraly tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Bruins to a 4-2 win… Connor Clifton, who played 53 AHL games with Providence this season, also scored for Boston… Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who had a stint with the San Antonio Rampage earlier this season, netted the winning goal for the Blues in Game 2.