2003-04 AHL season preview
October 7, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, MA ... The American Hockey League begins its 68th season later this week as 28 teams begin the road to the Calder Cup 2004 championship.
The 2003-04 campaign gets underway on Wednesday night (Oct. 8) when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins host the Norfolk Admirals at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza, where the Pens have recorded an AHL-record 100 consecutive regular-season sellouts since December 2000.
The Toronto Roadrunners begin a new era of pro hockey in Canada's largest city when they begin their inaugural season on Friday night (Oct. 10) with a road contest against the Milwaukee Admirals. The Roadrunners open the year with a nine-game road swing before their home opener in the newly renovated Ricoh Coliseum on Nov. 1.
The Calder Cup 2003 champion Houston Aeros drop the puck on their title defense on Oct. 17 when they visit Milwaukee. One week later, the Aeros open the new Toyota Center in downtown Houston with a banner-raising home opener against the Cleveland Barons.
The 28-team league features seven rookie AHL head coaches in 2003-04, including Bridgeport's Greg Cronin, Hamilton's Doug Jarvis (who coached 24 games in Binghamton in 1987-88), Hershey's Paul Fixter, Milwaukee's Claude Noel, Providence's Scott Gordon (who coached the Bruins for nine games last year), San Antonio's Steve Ludzik and Doug Shedden of St. John's. Michel Therrien is back behind an AHL bench as head coach in Wilkes-Barre, and Geoff Ward, who led Hamilton to the Eastern Conference championship in 2003, is now the bench boss in Toronto.
The regular season comprises 1,120 games leading up to the start of the Calder Cup 2004 Playoffs in April. On Feb. 8-9, the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic will be held at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., featuring the top talent in the AHL competing in both the Skills Competition and the All-Star Game.
Established in 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the exclusive top development league for all 30 NHL teams. The 2002-03 season saw an all-time high of 28 teams competing for the prestigious Calder Cup, and more than 6.7 million fans attending games across North America, a league record for the 15th consecutive year. Over 78 percent of all players to compete in the NHL in 2002-03 were AHL graduates, and more than 380 players took the ice in both leagues last year alone.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Hartford Wolf Pack (N.Y. Rangers)
Hartford Civic Center (9,819)
02-03: 33-27-12-8, 86 pts. (lost qualifier)
Head coach: Ryan McGill (2nd yr. in AHL, 33-35-12)
Notable alumni: Dan Cloutier, Marc Savard, P.J. Stock
One to watch: 20-year-old rookie D Fedor Tjutin has impressed New York in camp, but could still wind up in Hartford.
Lowell Lock Monsters (Carolina/Calgary)
Tsongas Arena (6,400)
02-03: 19-51-7-3, 48 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Ron Smith (5th year, 129-117-32)
Notable alumni: Roberto Luongo, Eric Brewer, Zdeno Chara
One to watch: Mike Zigomanis, 22, appeared in 19 NHL games with the Hurricanes a year ago.
Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles)
Verizon Wireless Arena (9,916)
02-03: 40-23-11-6, 97 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Bruce Boudreau (5th year, 146-140-34)
Notable alumni: Jaroslav Bednar, Cristobal Huet, Adam Mair
One to watch: Rookie LW Noah Clarke finished third in the nation in scoring (70 pts.) at Colorado College last season.
Portland Pirates (Washington)
Cumberland County Civic Center (6,733)
02-03: 33-28-13-6, 85 pts. (lost qualifier)
Head coach: Tim Army (2nd year, 33-34-13)
Notable alumni: Jason Allison, Olaf Kolzig, Anson Carter
One to watch: Third-year D Nolan Yonkman, 6-foot-6 and 238 lbs., is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued sophomore season.
Providence Bruins (Boston)
Dunkin' Donuts Center (11,909)
02-03: 44-20-11-5, 104 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Scott Gordon (1st year, 3-4-2)
Notable alumni: Nick Boynton, John Grahame, Glen Murray
One to watch: 2002 first-round draft pick G Hannu Toivonen, 19, went 16-2-4 in the Finnish league last year.
Springfield Falcons (Phoenix)
Springfield Civic Center (5,300 â temporary)
02-03: 34-38-7-1, 76 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Marty McSorley (2nd year, 34-39-7)
Notable alumni: Daniel Briere, Shane Doan, Nikolai Khabibulin
One to watch: 20-year-old RW Fredrik Sjostrom made his pro debut in April and helped the Falcons to their first playoff series win in six years.
Worcester IceCats (St. Louis)
Centrum Centre (12,316)
02-03: 35-27-15-3, 88 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Don Granato (4th year, 122-87-31)
Notable alumni: Michal Handzus, Tyson Nash, Dwayne Roloson
One to watch: C Johnny Pohl averaged a point per game as a rookie in 2002-03, tying a team rookie record with 26 goals.
East Division
Albany River Rats (New Jersey)
Pepsi Arena (13,941)
02-03: 25-37-11-7, 68 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Red Gendron (2nd year, 25-44-11)
Notable alumni: Mike Dunham, Patrik Elias, John Madden
One to watch: After missing 248 games over four seasons due to an abdominal injury, C Adrian Foster, 21, scored three goals in nine games for the Rats last year.
Binghamton Senators (Ottawa)
Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (4,727)
02-03: 43-26-9-2, 97 pts. (lost conf. final)
Head coach: John Paddock (12th year, 451-329-77)
Notable alumni: Jason Spezza
One to watch: C Brooks Laich recorded 94 points in 60 games for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds last season.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (N.Y. Islanders)
Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard (8,412)
02-03: 40-26-11-3, 94 pts. (lost conf. semifinal)
Head coach: Greg Cronin (1st year)
Notable alumni: Rick DiPietro, Jason Krog
One to watch: D Tomi Pettinen was a solid member of the Sound Tigers' blue line in 2002-03, and also cracked the lineup of the parent N.Y. Islanders.
Hershey Bears (Colorado)
GIANT Center (10,500)
02-03: 36-27-14-3, 89 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Paul Fixter (1st year)
Notable alumni: Don Cherry, Ron Hextall, Dan Hinote
One to watch: D John-Michael Liles led Michigan State last season with 50 points, tops among all CCHA backliners.
Norfolk Admirals (Chicago)
Norfolk Scope (8,855)
02-03: 37-26-12-5, 91 pts. (lost conf. semifinal)
Head coach: Trent Yawney (4th year, 111-92-37)
Notable alumni: Tyler Arnason, Mark Bell, Kyle Calder
One to watch: Ukrainian D Anton Babchuk, 19, makes his North American debut after going 21st overall in the 2002 draft.
Philadelphia Phantoms (Philadelphia)
Wachovia Spectrum (17,380)
02-03: 33-33-6-8, 80 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: John Stevens (4th year, 102-112-26)
Notable alumni: Brian Boucher, Andy Delmore, Vaclav Prospal
One to watch: After two seasons at the University of Vermont, C Patrick Sharp had a solid rookie season last year, finishing fourth on the Phantoms in goals.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh)
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (8,143)
02-03: 36-32-7-5, 84 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Michel Therrien (5th year, 115-122-22)
Notable alumni: Andrew Ference, Milan Kraft, Toby Petersen
One to watch: LW Matt Murley, 23, tied for fourth among all AHL rookies with 58 points for the Penguins in 2002-03.
Western Conference
North Division
Cleveland Barons (San Jose)
Gund Arena (10,231)
02-03: 22-48-5-5, 54 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Roy Sommer (6th year, 179-181-40)
Notable alumni: Jonathan Cheechoo, Jim Fahey, Jeff Jillson
One to watch: C Brad Boyes, 21, scored 30 goals and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2002-03.
Atlantic Division
Hartford Wolf Pack (N.Y. Rangers)
Hartford Civic Center (9,819)
02-03: 33-27-12-8, 86 pts. (lost qualifier)
Head coach: Ryan McGill (2nd yr. in AHL, 33-35-12)
Notable alumni: Dan Cloutier, Marc Savard, P.J. Stock
One to watch: 20-year-old rookie D Fedor Tjutin has impressed New York in camp, but could still wind up in Hartford.
Lowell Lock Monsters (Carolina/Calgary)
Tsongas Arena (6,400)
02-03: 19-51-7-3, 48 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Ron Smith (5th year, 129-117-32)
Notable alumni: Roberto Luongo, Eric Brewer, Zdeno Chara
One to watch: Mike Zigomanis, 22, appeared in 19 NHL games with the Hurricanes a year ago.
Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles)
Verizon Wireless Arena (9,916)
02-03: 40-23-11-6, 97 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Bruce Boudreau (5th year, 146-140-34)
Notable alumni: Jaroslav Bednar, Cristobal Huet, Adam Mair
One to watch: Rookie LW Noah Clarke finished third in the nation in scoring (70 pts.) at Colorado College last season.
Portland Pirates (Washington)
Cumberland County Civic Center (6,733)
02-03: 33-28-13-6, 85 pts. (lost qualifier)
Head coach: Tim Army (2nd year, 33-34-13)
Notable alumni: Jason Allison, Olaf Kolzig, Anson Carter
One to watch: Third-year D Nolan Yonkman, 6-foot-6 and 238 lbs., is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued sophomore season.
Providence Bruins (Boston)
Dunkin' Donuts Center (11,909)
02-03: 44-20-11-5, 104 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Scott Gordon (1st year, 3-4-2)
Notable alumni: Nick Boynton, John Grahame, Glen Murray
One to watch: 2002 first-round draft pick G Hannu Toivonen, 19, went 16-2-4 in the Finnish league last year.
Springfield Falcons (Phoenix)
Springfield Civic Center (5,300 â temporary)
02-03: 34-38-7-1, 76 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Marty McSorley (2nd year, 34-39-7)
Notable alumni: Daniel Briere, Shane Doan, Nikolai Khabibulin
One to watch: 20-year-old RW Fredrik Sjostrom made his pro debut in April and helped the Falcons to their first playoff series win in six years.
Worcester IceCats (St. Louis)
Centrum Centre (12,316)
02-03: 35-27-15-3, 88 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Don Granato (4th year, 122-87-31)
Notable alumni: Michal Handzus, Tyson Nash, Dwayne Roloson
One to watch: C Johnny Pohl averaged a point per game as a rookie in 2002-03, tying a team rookie record with 26 goals.
East Division
Albany River Rats (New Jersey)
Pepsi Arena (13,941)
02-03: 25-37-11-7, 68 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Red Gendron (2nd year, 25-44-11)
Notable alumni: Mike Dunham, Patrik Elias, John Madden
One to watch: After missing 248 games over four seasons due to an abdominal injury, C Adrian Foster, 21, scored three goals in nine games for the Rats last year.
Binghamton Senators (Ottawa)
Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (4,727)
02-03: 43-26-9-2, 97 pts. (lost conf. final)
Head coach: John Paddock (12th year, 451-329-77)
Notable alumni: Jason Spezza
One to watch: C Brooks Laich recorded 94 points in 60 games for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds last season.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (N.Y. Islanders)
Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard (8,412)
02-03: 40-26-11-3, 94 pts. (lost conf. semifinal)
Head coach: Greg Cronin (1st year)
Notable alumni: Rick DiPietro, Jason Krog
One to watch: D Tomi Pettinen was a solid member of the Sound Tigers' blue line in 2002-03, and also cracked the lineup of the parent N.Y. Islanders.
Hershey Bears (Colorado)
GIANT Center (10,500)
02-03: 36-27-14-3, 89 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Paul Fixter (1st year)
Notable alumni: Don Cherry, Ron Hextall, Dan Hinote
One to watch: D John-Michael Liles led Michigan State last season with 50 points, tops among all CCHA backliners.
Norfolk Admirals (Chicago)
Norfolk Scope (8,855)
02-03: 37-26-12-5, 91 pts. (lost conf. semifinal)
Head coach: Trent Yawney (4th year, 111-92-37)
Notable alumni: Tyler Arnason, Mark Bell, Kyle Calder
One to watch: Ukrainian D Anton Babchuk, 19, makes his North American debut after going 21st overall in the 2002 draft.
Philadelphia Phantoms (Philadelphia)
Wachovia Spectrum (17,380)
02-03: 33-33-6-8, 80 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: John Stevens (4th year, 102-112-26)
Notable alumni: Brian Boucher, Andy Delmore, Vaclav Prospal
One to watch: After two seasons at the University of Vermont, C Patrick Sharp had a solid rookie season last year, finishing fourth on the Phantoms in goals.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh)
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (8,143)
02-03: 36-32-7-5, 84 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Michel Therrien (5th year, 115-122-22)
Notable alumni: Andrew Ference, Milan Kraft, Toby Petersen
One to watch: LW Matt Murley, 23, tied for fourth among all AHL rookies with 58 points for the Penguins in 2002-03.
Western Conference
North Division
Cleveland Barons (San Jose)
Gund Arena (10,231)
02-03: 22-48-5-5, 54 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Roy Sommer (6th year, 179-181-40)
Notable alumni: Jonathan Cheechoo, Jim Fahey, Jeff Jillson
One to watch: C Brad Boyes, 21, scored 30 goals and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2002-03.
Hamilton Bulldogs (Montreal)
Copps Coliseum (8,819)
02-03: 49-19-8-4, 110 pts. (lost final)
Head coach: Doug Jarvis (1st year, 11-10-3)
Notable alumni: Jason Chimera, Greg de Vries, Georges Laraque
One to watch: D Francois Beauchemin recorded 28 points and a plus-25 rating last season, and made his NHL debut with the Canadiens.
Manitoba Moose (Vancouver)
Winnipeg Arena (9,777)
02-03: 37-33-8-2, 84 pts. (lost conf. semifinal)
Head coach: Stan Smyl (4th year, 111-108-21)
Notable alumni: Philippe Boucher, Johan Hedberg, Jason King
One to watch: 19-year-old C Ryan Kesler, Vancouver's first-round draft pick in 2003, turns pro after one season at Ohio State University, where he had 31 points in 40 games.
Rochester Americans (Buffalo)
Blue Cross Arena (11,200)
02-03: 31-30-14-5, 81 pts. (lost qualifier)
Head coach: Randy Cunneyworth (4th yr., 109-93-38)
Notable alumni: Al Arbour, Gerry Cheevers, Jody Gage
One to watch: C Derek Roy captained Kitchener to the Memorial Cup title in '03, winning tournament MVP honors.
St. John's Maple Leafs (Toronto)
Mile One Stadium (5,813)
02-03: 32-40-6-2, 72 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Doug Shedden (1st year)
Notable alumni: Yanic Perreault, Felix Potvin, Joel Quenneville
One to watch: D Carlo Colaiacovo was twice an OHL Second Team All-Star at Erie, and was named to the all-tournament team at the 2003 World Junior Championships.
Syracuse Crunch (Columbus)
War Memorial at Oncenter (6,230)
02-03: 27-41-8-4, 66 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Gary Agnew (4th year, 99-108-33)
Notable alumni: Michael Peca, Dave Scatchard, Scott Walker
One to watch: RW Tim Jackman appeared in 77 games as a rookie last year, and tied for the team lead with three game-winning goals.
Toronto Roadrunners (Edmonton)
Ricoh Coliseum (9,500)
Head coach: Geoff Ward (2nd year, 16-14-5)
One to watch: Finnish F Tony Salemelainen, 22, tied for the AHL plus/minus lead during the Calder Cup 2003 Playoffs (+11).
West Division
Chicago Wolves (Atlanta)
Allstate Arena (16,692)
02-03: 43-25-8-4, 98 pts. (lost conf. semifinal)
Head coach: John Anderson (3rd year, 80-65-15)
Notable alumni: J.P. Dumont, Pasi Nurminen, Brian Pothier
One to watch: 19-year-old G Kari Lehtonen was the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, and had a 1.98 GAA in 45 games for Jokerit Helsinki last season.
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (Anaheim)
Cincinnati Gardens (10,326)
02-03: 26-35-13-6, 71 pts. (DNQ)
Head coach: Brad Shaw (2nd year, 26-41-13)
Notable alumni: Matt Cullen, J-S. Giguere, Andy McDonald
One to watch: D Mark Popovic was one of the top rookie defensemen in the AHL last year, tallying 24 points and a team-leading plus-8 rating.
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit)
Van Andel Arena (10,834)
02-03: 48-22-8-2, 106 pts. (lost conf. final)
Head coach: Danton Cole (2nd year, 48-24-8)
Notable alumni: Pavol Demitra, Kip Miller, Todd White
One to watch: C Tomas Kopecky, 21, was the AHL's Rookie of the Month in February and finished sixth on the Griffins in scoring.
Houston Aeros (Minnesota)
Toyota Center (17,800)
02-03: 47-23-7-3, 104 pts. (won Calder Cup)
Head coach: Todd McLellan (3rd year, 86-57-17)
Notable alumni: Kevin Dineen, Manny Fernandez, Jeremy Stevenson
One to watch: C Mark Cullen tallied 22 goals in his rookie season, and added 10 points in 15 playoff matches before being injured.
Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville)
Bradley Center (17,845)
02-03: 32-27-14-7, 85 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Claude Noel (1st year)
Notable alumni: Adam Hall, Darren Pang, Vitali Yachmenev
One to watch: RW Darren Haydar was named the AHL's top rookie in 2002-03, recording 75 points in 75 games and leading the Admirals to their first Calder Cup Playoff berth.
San Antonio Rampage (Florida)
SBC Center (13,400)
02-03: 36-29-11-4, 87 pts. (lost conf. quarterfinal)
Head coach: Steve Ludzik (1st year)
One to watch: F Stephen Weiss, 20, was the fourth overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft and spent his entire rookie season in Florida.
Utah Grizzlies (Dallas)
The "E" Center (10,207)
02-03: 37-34-4-5, 83 pts. (lost qualifier)
Head coach: Don Hay (3rd year, 77-73-10)
Notable alumni: Tommy Salo, Jon Sim, Ray Whitney
One to watch: D Trevor Daley, a second-round draft pick in 2002, scored 59 goals in four seasons at Sault Ste. Marie (OHL).
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