by Jess Mikula || AHL On The Beat Archive Four banners hang high atop the ice surface of Giant Center — home of the 10-time Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears — which bear the names of seven legendary figures in the franchise’s prolific 72-year history. The banners of Hershey’s four retired numbers represent Chocolatetown royalty. […]

by Edward W. Stanks III || AHL On The Beat Archive The road to the National Hockey League can be an extremely short one for some players. Take Sidney Crosby for example. A phenom since his pre-teen years, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain made the jump right from the junior ranks to the highest level in […]

by Mark Jeanneret || AHL On The Beat Archive Felix Schutz just smiles as he thinks about the possibilities. He’s represented his native Germany on the international ice hockey stage before, but the Olympics are a completely different story. So, as the days move closer to the Olympic roster finalization for each of the participating […]

by Ryan Richards || AHL On The Beat Archive More than two and a half years ago, three teenagers, from three different countries, shared a dream: to play professional ice hockey in North America. Today, Lars Eller, Aaron Palushaj and Brett Sonne are 20 years old and living the dream while becoming a force on […]

by Josh Fisher || AHL On The Beat Archive The Texas Stars are off and running in their inaugural season. Heading into the week, Texas was among the top teams in the AHL for points and wins. The reason for the success is simple; the team has done it with stubborn defense. The goaltenders have […]

by Adam Kaufman || AHL On The Beat Archive   “I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck.” Those were the words of Providence Bruins rookie forward Jeff LoVecchio, thinking back to a scary moment that could have ended his hockey career before it really even started. For that matter, it could have been much worse. Any […]

by Andrew Tressler || AHL On The Beat Archive Professional hockey in Springfield has been a staple in the city since the first pro game played on Dec. 1, 1926, when the Springfield Indians took to the ice. This was the debut of the Canadian American Hockey League, and also the debut of professional hockey […]

by Maggie Walters || AHL On The Beat Archive When Kevin Lalande found out he had been traded from the Calgary Flames organization to the Columbus Blue Jackets, it was just a few minutes before the NHL trade deadline for the 2008-09 season. The call came so late in the day that Lalande began to […]

by Russ Cohen || AHL On The Beat Archive Binghamton Senators forward Josh Hennessy is not yet 25, but some AHL fans might have already branded him as an underachieving former second-round pick. This talented forward has heard the whispers, yet he has forged full-steam ahead knowing that his time will come. The Brockton, Mass., […]

by Kelly Mullen || AHL On The Beat Archive According to newspaper columnist George F. Will, “sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.” An overtime goal, the thrill of a shootout save, helping an opponent off the ice after a hard hit, reading to children after school… One of these is not like […]