AHL American Hockey League

AHL's 70th season set to begin Wednesday

Published on October 4, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League begins its historic 70th season this week as 27 teams begin the road to the 2006 Calder Cup championship. The 2005-06 campaign gets underway on Wednesday night, Oct. 5, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. It is the sixth consecutive time that the Penguins have hosted the AHL's regular-season opener.

The 2005 Calder Cup champion Philadelphia Phantoms drop the puck on their title defense on Saturday night, Oct. 8, when they take on the Binghamton Senators at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Phantoms were a perfect 11-0 at the Center, home of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, during the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Rochester Americans, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this season, host the first-year Toronto Marlies at the Blue Cross Arena on Friday, Oct. 7. Other AHL debuts include the Peoria Rivermen and Iowa Stars meeting at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Thursday, Oct. 6, and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights taking on the defending Western Conference champion Chicago Wolves at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on Oct. 7.

The AHL has added several new rules for the 2005-06 season, including:

>> Permission of "two-line passes"

>> Restoring "touch" icing

>> Returning the blue lines and center red line to 12 inches in width (from 24 inches)

>> Widening the attack zones to 64 feet (from 60 feet) and reducing the neutral zone to 50 feet (from 58 feet)

>> Reducing the maximum dimensions of goaltender equipment

In conjunction with B2 Networks, the American Hockey League will be offering live video broadcasts of nearly every AHL game this season. Any fan worldwide with a high-speed internet connection will be able to watch the action for just $6 (US), while listening to either team's audio feed.

The regular season comprises 1,080 games leading up to the start of the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs in April. On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, the 2006 AHL All-Star Classic will be held at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, 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. More than 80 percent of all players to compete in the NHL in 2003-04 were AHL graduates, and in 2004-05, more than 7.1 million fans - an all-time league record - attended AHL games across North America.

Atlantic Division

Albany River Rats (NHL Affiliate: New Jersey Devils)
Home Rink: Pepsi Arena (cap. 6,982)
2004-05: 29-38-7-6, 71 pts. (DNQ for Calder Cup Playoffs)
Head Coach: Robbie Ftorek (11th year in AHL, 328-258-77; 6th year in Albany, 174-133-41)
Notable Alumni: Steve Sullivan, Patrik Elias, Mike Dunham, John Madden
What to watch: F Aleksander Suglobov and F Ahren Nittel shared the team lead with 25 goals each last season... F Petr Vrana was a second-round pick by the Devils in 2003... The River Rats missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year in 2004-05, but their point total was their highest since 1998-99.

Hartford Wolf Pack (NHL Affiliate: New York Rangers)
Home Rink: Hartford Civic Center (cap. 9,801)
2004-05: 50-24-3-3, 106 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld (2nd year in AHL, 17-6-2; 1st year in Hartford)
Notable Alumni: Dan Cloutier, Marc Savard, Derek Armstrong
What to watch: Rookie G Al Montoya, the sixth overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft, won gold with the U.S. at the 2004 World Junior Championships... F Alexandre Giroux scored a career-best 32 goals for the Wolf Pack in 2004-05... D Bryce Lampman led Hartford in plus/minus rating last season (+19).

Lowell Lock Monsters (NHL Affiliates: Carolina Hurricanes/Colorado Avalanche)
Home Rink: Paul E. Tsongas Arena (cap. 6,400)
2004-05: 47-27-1-5, 100 pts. (lost division final)
Head Coach: Tom Rowe (2nd year in AHL/Lowell, 47-28-5)
Notable Alumni: Roberto Luongo, Eric Brewer, Zdeno Chara
What to watch: Lowell native F Keith Aucoin has recorded 204 points in 260 career AHL games... Rookie F Brad Richardson, a Colorado prospect, led Owen Sound (OHL) in goals (41), assists (56) and points (97) last season... F Colin Forbes had 64 points (27g, 37a) in 76 games for Lowell last year.

Manchester Monarchs (NHL Affiliate: Los Angeles Kings)
Home Rink: Verizon Wireless Arena (cap. 9,916)
2004-05: 51-21-4-4, 110 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Jim Hughes (1st year in AHL/Manchester)
Notable Alumni: Mike Cammalleri, Ted Donato, Joe Corvo
What to watch: G Adam Hauser is 39-26-7 with a 1.93 GAA and 12 shutouts in two seasons with the Monarchs... F Brad Smyth needs eight goals to become the 17th AHL player ever to score 300... Manchester finished second overall in the AHL last season, winning its first division championship.

Portland Pirates (NHL Affiliate: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
Home Rink: Cumberland County Civic Center (cap. 6,733)
2004-05: 34-34-6-6, 80 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Kevin Dineen (1st year in AHL/Portland)
Notable Alumni: Richard Zednik, Andrew Brunette, Olaf Kolzig, Sergei Gonchar
What to watch: D Ladislav Smid was the ninth overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft... F Dustin Penner, who played the 2003-04 season at the nearby University of Maine, is coming off a solid rookie AHL campaign... F Chris Kunitz, a 2004 AHL All-Star, had 22 goals and 39 points in 54 AHL games last year.

Providence Bruins (NHL Affiliate: Boston Bruins)
Home Rink: Dunkin' Donuts Center (cap. 11,909)
2004-05: 40-30-3-7, 90 pts. (lost conference final)
Head Coach: Scott Gordon (4th year in AHL/Providence, 79-70-20)
Notable Alumni: John Grahame, Andrew Raycroft, Glen Murray, Jozef Stumpel
What to watch: G Jordan Sigalet and younger brother D Jonathan Sigalet were teammates at Bowling Green from 2003-05... F Eric Healey led the American Hockey League in goals with 42 in 2002-03... D Jonathan Girard hasn't played since a serious car accident in July 2003.

Springfield Falcons (NHL Affiliate: Tampa Bay Lightning)
Home Rink: MassMutual Center (cap. 6,679)
2004-05: 24-47-6-3, 57 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Dirk Graham (2nd year in AHL/Springfield, 24-53-3)
Notable Alumni: Daniel Briere, Robert Esche, Manny Legace
What to watch: Three-time AHL All-Star D Brad Tiley won the Eddie Shore Award with Springfield in 2000... F Ryan Craig led the Falcons with 27 goals last season... A two-year renovation project has been completed, transforming the Springfield Civic Center into the MassMutual Center.


East Division

Binghamton Senators (NHL Affiliate: Ottawa Senators)
Home Rink: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (cap. 4,710)
2004-05: 47-21-5-7, 106 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Dave Cameron (2nd year in AHL/Binghamton, 47-26-7)
Notable Alumni: Jason Spezza, Brian Pothier, Ray Emery
What to watch: Eleven members of the B-Sens' 2005 East Division championship team are set to start 2005-06 in Ottawa... F Patrick Eaves, a first-round pick by Ottawa in 2003, was a Hobey Baker finalist at Boston College last season... G Billy Thompson was 19-8-2 in 34 outings for Binghamton a year ago.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NHL Affiliate: New York Islanders)
Home Rink: Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard (cap. 8,412)
2004-05: 37-38-4-1, 79 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Dave Baseggio (1st year in AHL/Bridgeport)
Notable Alumni: Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Raffi Torres
What to watch: F Rob Collins led the Sound Tigers in scoring with 62 points last season... D Bruno Gervais and D Ryan Caldwell are back after strong rookie seasons on the Bridgeport blue line... F Sean Bergenheim, G Wade Dubielewicz, F Justin Papineau and D Joel Bouchard are former AHL All-Stars.

Hershey Bears (NHL Affiliate: Washington Capitals)
Home Rink: Giant Center (cap. 10,500)
2004-05: 39-37-2-2, 82 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Bruce Boudreau (7th year in AHL, 237-198-45; 1st year in Hershey)
Notable Alumni: Frank Mathers, Willie Marshall, Ron Hextall, Garnet "Ace" Bailey
What to watch: F Eric Fehr, a first-round pick by Washington in 2003, led the WHL in goals (59) and points (111) and was the league's Player of the Year last season... G Frederic Cassivi ranked first in the AHL with 10 shutouts in 2004-05.

Norfolk Admirals (NHL Affiliate: Chicago Blackhawks)
Home Rink: Norfolk Scope (cap. 8,886)
2004-05: 43-30-1-6, 93 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Mike Haviland (1st year in AHL/Norfolk)
Notable Alumni: Mark Bell, Kyle Calder, Tyler Arnason
What to watch: F Colin Fraser averaged 53 points and 160 PIM per season in four years at Red Deer (WHL)... D James Wisniewski is coming off an impressive rookie season with the Admirals... G Adam Munro was 14-10-2 with four shutouts in spot duty for Norfolk in 2004-05.

Philadelphia Phantoms (NHL Affiliate: Philadelphia Flyers)
Home Rink: Wachovia Spectrum (cap. 17,380)
2004-05: 48-25-3-4, 103 pts. (won Calder Cup championship)
Head Coach: John Stevens (6th year in AHL/Philadelphia, 196-167-37)
Notable Alumni: Brian Boucher, Ruslan Fedotenko, Vaclav Prospal
What to watch: D Freddy Meyer led all AHL blueliners in scoring during the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs... D John Slaney needs 18 points to become the AHL's all-time leading scorer among defensemen... Philly native F Tony Voce scored 22 goals as a rookie in 2004-05.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (NHL Affiliate: Pittsburgh Penguins)
Home Rink: Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (cap. 8,143)
2004-05: 39-27-7-7, 92 pts. (lost division final)
Head Coach: Michel Therrien (7th year in AHL, 188-192-39; 3rd year in Wilkes-Barre, 73-70-17)
Notable Alumni: Andrew Ference, Brooks Orpik, Alexandre Daigle
What to watch: F Michel Ouellet has scored at least 30 goals in each of his first two AHL seasons... G Marc-Andre Fleury was 26-19-4 with five shutouts in 54 outings last year... F Erik Christensen scored 14 goals as a rookie with the Penguins in 2004-05.



North Division

Cleveland Barons (NHL Affiliate: San Jose Sharks)
Home Rink: Quicken Loans Arena (cap. 10,231)
2004-05: 35-37-2-6, 78 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Roy Sommer (8th year in AHL, 251-255-54; 5th year in Cleveland, 123-171-26)
Notable Alumni: Miikka Kiprusoff, Jonathan Cheechoo, Marcel Goc
What to watch: F Steve Bernier, who scored 151 goals in four seasons at Moncton (QMJHL), was a first-round pick by San Jose in 2003; F Josh Hennessy, who scored 128 goals in four years with Quebec (QMJHL), was an '03 second-rounder... F Patrick Rissmiller scored a career-best 21 goals last season.

Grand Rapids Griffins (NHL Affiliate: Detroit Red Wings)
Home Rink: Van Andel Arena (cap. 10,834)
2004-05: 41-35-2-2, 86 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Greg Ireland (2nd year in AHL/Grand Rapids, 17-14-1)
Notable Alumni: Niklas Kronwall, Jason Williams, Dmitry Afanasenkov
What to watch: Still just 21, F Jiri Hudler has registered 83 points in 109 career games with Grand Rapids... F Donald MacLean was the AHL's scoring champion in 2001-02... F Eric Himelfarb scored 19 goals as a rookie last season, good for second on the Griffins.

Hamilton Bulldogs (NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens)
Home Rink: Copps Coliseum (cap. 8,819)
2004-05: 38-29-7-6, 89 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Don Lever (3rd year in AHL, 82-57-21; 1st year in Hamilton)
Notable Alumni: Michael Ryder, Jarret Stoll, Jason Ward
What to watch: F Corey Locke tied for seventh in AHL rookie scoring with 43 points in 2004-05... G Yann Danis won 28 games a year ago, more than any other AHL rookie... D Danny Syvret captained London to a 59-7-2 record and a Memorial Cup championship in 2005... The Bulldogs will have a secondary affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers in 2005-06.

Manitoba Moose (NHL Affiliate: Vancouver Canucks)
Home Rink: MTS Centre (cap. 8,812)
2004-05: 44-26-3-7, 98 pts. (lost conference final)
Head Coach: Alain Vigneault (1st year in AHL/Manitoba)
Notable Alumni: Jason King, Alex Auld, Ryan Kesler
What to watch: D Kevin Bieksa was a member of the AHL's All-Rookie Team in 2004-05... F Craig Darby has played in five AHL All-Star Games... New Moose coach Alain Vigneault guided the Montreal Canadiens from 1997-2000, and skated for the 1984 Calder Cup champion Maine Mariners.

Rochester Americans (NHL Affiliates: Buffalo Sabres/Florida Panthers)
Home Rink: Blue Cross Arena (cap. 11,200)
2004-05: 51-19-4-6, 112 pts. (lost division final)
Head Coach: Randy Cunneyworth (6th year in AHL/Rochester, 197-149-54)
Notable Alumni: Al Arbour, Don Cherry, Gerry Cheevers, Martin Biron
What to watch: F Derek Roy has 87 points in 93 career AHL games with Rochester... F Jason Pominville registered his second straight 30-goal campaign in 2004-05... Rookie F Anthony Stewart scored at least 32 goals in each of his last three junior seasons... The Americans are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2005-06.

Syracuse Crunch (NHL Affiliate: Columbus Blue Jackets)
Home Rink: Onondaga Co. War Memorial at Oncenter (cap. 6,230)
2004-05: 36-33-7-4, 83 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Gary Agnew (6th year in AHL/Syracuse, 173-180-47)
Notable Alumni: Michael Peca, Adrian Aucoin, Jody Shelley, Scott Walker
What to watch: F Alexandre Picard was the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft... F Peter Sarno finished second in the AHL with 66 assists last season... F Tim Jackman played 19 games in Columbus during the 2003-04 season... F Joe Motzko set career bests with 28 goals and 66 points for the Crunch last year.

Toronto Marlies (NHL Affiliate: Toronto Maple Leafs)
Home Rink: Ricoh Coliseum (cap. 8,295)
Head coach: Paul Maurice (1st year in AHL/Toronto)
What to watch: D Staffan Kronwall is the younger brother of 2005 Eddie Shore Award winner Niklas Kronwall... D Ian White had a team-best plus-12 rating as a rookie in St. John's last season... G Jean-Francois Racine was an impressive 10-4-0 in the AHL last year.



West Division

Chicago Wolves (NHL Affiliate: Atlanta Thrashers)
Home Rink: Allstate Arena (cap. 16,692)
2004-05: 49-24-5-2, 105 pts. (lost Calder Cup Final)
Head Coach: John Anderson (5th year in AHL/Chicago, 171-123-26)
Notable Alumni: Kari Lehtonen, Dan Snyder, Patrik Stefan
What to watch: Acquired from Anaheim in the offseason, D Marc Popovic led Cincinnati with a plus-16 rating last season... G Michael Garnett was 18-12-2 as Kari Lehtonen's understudy the past two years...F Guillaume Desbiens scored 27 goals and added 206 PIM for Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) last year.

Houston Aeros (NHL Affiliate: Minnesota Wild)
Home Rink: Toyota Center (cap. 8,939)
2004-05: 40-28-6-6, 92 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Rob Daum (1st year in AHL/Houston)
Notable Alumni: Richard Park, Jamie McLennan, Brent Burns
What to watch: A prolific scorer with Mississauga (OHL), F Patrick O'Sullivan netted the gold-medal-winning goal for the U.S. at the 2004 World Junior Championships... F Kirby Law returns after his fifth career 20-goal season in the AHL... D Curtis Murphy has won the Eddie Shore Award in each of his last two seasons in the AHL (2003, 2004).

Iowa Stars (NHL Affiliate: Dallas Stars)
Home Rink: Wells Fargo Arena (9,359)
Head Coach: Dave Allison (4th year in AHL, 81-82-20; 1st year in Iowa)
What to watch: F Junior Lessard, who won the Hobey Baker Award in 2004, recorded 11 goals and 11 assists as a rookie in Houston last year... Norwegian F Marius Holtet was a second-round draft pick by Dallas in 2002... D Mario Scalzo was a First Team QMJHL All-Star after recording 74 points in 62 games last season... With their debut in the AHL, the Stars are bringing pro hockey to Des Moines for the first time since 1975.

Milwaukee Admirals (NHL Affiliate: Nashville Predators)
Home Rink: Bradley Center (cap. 17,845)
2004-05: 47-24-4-5, 103 pts. (lost division semifinal)
Head Coach: Claude Noel (3rd year in AHL/Milwaukee, 93-55-12)
Notable Alumni: Tomas Vokoun, Adam Hall, Karlis Skrastins
What to watch: F Darren Haydar has been one of Milwaukee's top scorers since 2002, totaling 75 goals and 184 points over the last three seasons... Rookie D Shea Weber was a standout at Kelowna (WHL) for three seasons... G Brian Finley finished third in the AHL with 36 wins last season.

Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (NHL Affiliate: Calgary Flames)
Home Rink: Omaha Civic Auditorium (cap. 7,994)
Head Coach: Ryan McGill (4th year in AHL, 127-86-27; 1st year in Omaha)
What to watch: G Brent Krahn was 20-11-2 with six shutouts for Lowell last year, his first full AHL season... D Richie Regehr's plus-20 rating ranked second among all AHL rookies in 2004-05... F Eric Nystrom, a first-round pick by Calgary in 2002, is the son of four-time Stanley Cup champion Bob Nystrom.

Peoria Rivermen (NHL Affiliate: St. Louis Blues)
Home Rink: Peoria Civic Center - Carver Arena (cap. 9,919)
Head Coach: Steve Pleau (2nd year in AHL, 6-11-1; 1st year in Peoria)
What to watch: 2005 AHL All-Star D Dennis Wideman's 43 points were second among rookie defensemen in the AHL last season... F Jon DiSalvatore led Worcester with 22 goals in 2004-05... G Jason Bacashihua was a first-round draft pick by Dallas in 2001... Rivermen head coach Steve Pleau is the son of Blues senior VP/GM and AHL alumnus Larry Pleau.

San Antonio Rampage (NHL Affiliate: Phoenix Coyotes)
Home Rink: SBC Center (cap. 7,035)
2004-05: 27-45-3-5, 62 pts. (DNQ)
Head Coach: Pat Conacher (2nd year in AHL, 23-52-5; 1st year in San Antonio)
Notable Alumni: Jay Bouwmeester, Stephen Weiss, Mike Van Ryn
What to watch: After three years with Florida, the Rampage are beginning an affiliation with Phoenix in 2005-06... D Matthew Spiller spent 51 games in the NHL as a rookie in 2003-04... D Keith Ballard represented the Coyotes organization at the 2005 AHL All-Star Classic; G David LeNeveu was an AHL All-Star in 2004.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 4, 2005


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