By Paul Gackle | AHL On The Beat Archive   Chris Tierney needed a refresher on why he loves playing hockey after he struggled through the first three months of the 2015-16 season.   On Jan. 3, the Sharks sent Tierney down to the American Hockey League to play with the Barracuda and head coach Roy […]

By Brandon Kisker | AHL On The Beat Archive   On the heels of an NCAA Championship, the Heat would turn to highly touted prospect Jon Gillies for the first game in Heat history back on October 10.   The 22-year-old responded by stopping all 19 shots that Rockford mustered for his first pro win […]

By Todd Crocker | AHL On The Beat Archive   It was pretty clear that the fans at AHL Homecoming or what is commonly referred to as the All-Star Game in Syracuse were very interested in the happenings out west in the new cities that have given the AHL a big hug. There were many […]

By Paul Ryan | AHL On The Beat Archive   When he was 13 years old, Christopher Gibson told his mother he was going to stop taking French in school because he would never use it in his life.   Three years later, the Finnish netminder was drafted by the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the Quebec […]

By Jason Karnosky | AHL On The Beat Archive   On every player’s journey to the National Hockey League, there are few milestones more significant than signing your first player contract.   That is especially true for undrafted players, such as Milwaukee Admirals forward Frederick Gaudreau, who must prove their worth in the American Hockey […]

By Charles Dart | AHL On The Beat Archive   St. John’s IceCaps forward and Montréal Canadiens first-round draft pick Michael McCarron is proving himself a top prospect in his first AHL campaign, playing in his first NHL game in December and being named an AHL All-Star in January.   But the story of success […]

By Nicholas Niedzielski | AHL On The Beat Archive   Charlotte Checkers head coach Mark Morris has carved out quite the career up to this point.   He is currently in his ninth season behind an American Hockey League bench and entered this weekend tied for seventh in AHL history with 362 wins. So what […]

By Warren Kosel | AHL On The Beat Archive   The old adage “I grew up on the ice” seems to be the common retort that runs rampant across hockey players at all levels when asked how they were first introduced to the game they have devoted most of their lives to.   The proverbial […]

By Alec Lessner | AHL On The Beat Archive   Sometimes, hockey appears to be a game that hinges on chance. Contests between well-matched opponents can come down to a single bounce, deflection, or ricochet off a stick, skate, or post.   For those close to the game, a distinct truth is apparent. The most […]

By Lorne Chan | AHL On The Beat Archive   Mikko Rantanen left San Antonio, Texas, to go home to Finland on Dec. 23. In two weeks in Helsinki, he saw family, got some home cooking and became a national hero by helping lead Finland to the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior […]