Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
May 17, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
This past week Ontario Reign forward T.J. Tynan became the fifth player in American Hockey League history to win back-to-back MVP awards, the WNBA learned Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner will spend at least another month in a Russian jail as she awaits trial, and the Chrome Lacrosse Club selected Maryland attackman Logan Wisnauskas with the first overall pick in the 2022 Premier Lacrosse League College Draft. Highlights from this week come from the American Hockey League, North American Hockey League,, Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Premier Lacrosse League, National Lacrosse League, United States Football League, Canadian Football League, Indoor Football League, Fan Controlled Football, National Women's Soccer League, USL Championship, United Soccer League One, Major League Rugby and American Ultimate Disc League.
HOCKEY
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League announced that Ontario Reign forward T.J. Tynan has been voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL's Most Valuable Player for the 2021-22 season. Tynan becomes just the fifth player in league history to win back-to-back MVP awards, joining Paul Gardner (1985-86), Gilles Villemure (1969-70), Johnny Bower (1956-57-58) and Carl Liscombe (1948-49), and the seventh to win at least twice in his career. Tynan won the MVP Award with the Colorado Eagles last season. Tynan recorded 98 points in 62 games for the Reign in 2021-22, an average of 1.58 points per game that is the highest for any skater over a full AHL season in the last 15 years.
American Hockey League President and CEO Scott Howson announced that the Board of Governors has unanimously approved the San Jose Barracuda as hosts of the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. The event will be held at Tech CU Arena, the crown jewel of a 200,000-square-foot expansion of the Sharks Ice at San Jose public skating facility that will become the new home of the Barracuda next season.
The Anaheim Ducks announced that San Diego Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard and assistant coaches Daniel Jacob and Max Talbot have been relieved of their respective duties. Bouchard, Jacob and Talbot joined the Gulls prior to the 2021-22 season. Named head coach on July 9, 2021, Bouchard spent the previous three seasons as the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens' primary development affiliate in Laval.
St. Louis Blues prospect Joel Hofer scored a goalie goal in a playoff game with the Springfield Thunderbirds to contribute to a big victory.
ECHL
The Adirondack Thunder, proud ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils and Utica Comets, announced today that the team will not be renewing the contract of Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Alex Loh. Loh joined the Thunder as an Assistant Coach prior to the inaugural 2015-16 season and was named Head Coach prior to 2018-19.
North American Hockey League
Plays of the Week
Ontario Hockey League
Scope out the top plays of the first round of the 2022 OHL Playoffs, with appearances from Flint's Ethan Keppen, Mississauga's Owen Beck, London's Antonio Stranges, Sault Ste. Marie's Tyler Savard and Hamilton's Avery Hayes.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
2022 NHL Draft Under the Microscope: Moncton Wildcats defenseman Francesco Iasenza
BASKETBALL
Women's National Basketball Association
WNBA star Brittney Griner will spend at least another month in Russian jail as she awaits trial. In February, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for allegedly possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.
2022 WNBA Season Tip-Off Recap
This interaction between Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi
NBA G League
Memphis Hustle's Top 10 Plays of the 2021-22 Season
College Park Skyhawks' Top 10 Plays of the 2021-22 Season
Agua Caliente Clippers' Top 10 Plays of the 2021-22 Season
BIG3
BIG3 Captains and Coaches came out in Vegas for the Draft Lottery. There were a few new faces, NBA legends and plenty of BIG3 favorites. Check out all the exclusive interviews with Coaches and Captains. Coach Nancy Lieberman and Power will have the first overall pick in the 2022 BIG3 Draft on May 25th.
LACROSSE
Premier Lacrosse League
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster has announced the results of the 2022 College Draft fueled by Gatorade. The Chrome selected Maryland attackman Logan Wisnauskas with the first overall pick. During the draft, Atlas LC traded the 11th and 24th overall picks to Cannons LC in exchange for Cannons LC's 2023 first round pick.
ESPN ALL-ACCESS AT THE 2022 PLL COLLEGE DRAFT
Premier Lacrosse League co-founder Paul Rabil joins SportsCenter to discuss partnership with ESPN, plans for expansion & more ahead of the season open next month.
National Lacrosse League
San Diego's Dane Dobbie scored career playoff goals 68, 69 and 70, moving him past Gary Gait for 2nd on the all-time list. Only John Tavares is ahead of him.
Dhane Smith led the Buffalo Bandits with 10 points in game one of the East Conference Final.
Dillon Ward makes an incredible stick save.
FOOTBALL
United States Football League
Top 10 plays from USFL's Week 5
Kyle Sloter has tried out for 26 different NFL teams and talks about what it's actually like inside of NFL camps and takes that knowledge with him to the USFL.
Canadian Football League
It was a year of change in 2021 for Ottawa, and so far in 2022 there has been even more - hopefully for the good. The REDBLACKS have added a new GM, a veteran QB in Jeremiah Masoli and many new faces on both sides of the ball. What will Paul LaPolice's 2nd year as bench boss look like in the Nation's Capital?
Perhaps one of the most intriguing teams in 2022 is the one that resides on the west coast. The Lions have gone all-Canadian at QB and have loaded up their defensive line. Marshall Ferguson looks at all of the off-season moves and how he think they might fare as a result.
XFL
The XFL is pleased to announce that Kerry Gordon has joined the league as Vice President, Health and Safety. Gordon will oversee all health and safety policies, procedures and protocols for the League, focusing on providing premium care and well-being for all XFL athletes, in addition to directing the XFL's eight teams' Athletic Training Departments. Gordon joins the XFL team bringing 21 years of experience as a licensed athletic trainer, including 15 seasons consulting in the NFL (Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams), one season in the NBA (Los Angeles Clippers), and 11 years full-time at Cirque du Soleil. Gordon began her career in 2000 as a Seasonal Intern Athletic Trainer with the Los Angeles Xtreme, one of the eight original teams formed in the XFL's inaugural season and the first XFL Championship team.
Indoor Football League
Week 9 Plays of the Week
Fan Controlled Football
Not Top 5 Plays of Week 4
SOCCER
National Women's Soccer League
Budweiser Player of the Week - Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave FC - 2022 Season - Week 2
Verizon Save of the Week - Phallon Tullis-Joyce, OL Reign - Week 2
2022 Challenge Cup MVP Presented by Budweiser - Debinha, North Carolina Courage
The rating for the NWSL Challenge Cup Championship on CBS between the North Carolina Courage and Washington Spirit had 461,000 viewers.
United Soccer League Championship
The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week for Week 9 of the 2022 regular season, with El Paso Locomotive FC forward Luis Solignac voted the Championship Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball as he scored three goals across a pair of games as Locomotive FC swept to a pair of victories, continuing the club's recent resurgence.
United Soccer League One
HISTORY In Fresno! - Casillas Scores Central Valley's First Ever Home Goal - Goal of the Week Winner
Major Arena Soccer League
The Dallas Sidekicks have announced the naming of Jessie Vilkofsky as the organization's first female General Manager. Vilkofsky will also be joining many established female leaders throughout the MASL, but will be the first female General Manager. Jessie Vilkofsky joined the Sidekicks Front Office in the Summer of 2021 as the Director of Operations and quickly became the Director of Sales and Marketing for the organization. Before joining the Sidekicks, Vilkofsky had experience playing and coaching soccer at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels.
OTHER SPORTS
Major League Rugby
Rugby New York earned the Rhino Rugby USA Try of the Week for an impressive effort down the pitch by Kara Pryor and Jason Emery to Ed Fidow for the try!
MLR Biggest Hits - Week 14
MLR Mental Fitness | Supporting Teammates Off the Pitch
American Ultimate Disc League
The Top 10 plays from Week 2 of the 2022 AUDL regular season!
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
American Hockey League Stories from May 17, 2022
- Comets Double-Up Amerks to Force Decisive Game 5 - Rochester Americans
- Crunch Topped by Rocket, 3-2, in Game 5 - Syracuse Crunch
- Comets Force Deciding Game 5 with Win over Americans - Utica Comets
- The Best Inaugural Season Moments: Diwali Night - Abbotsford Canucks
- Real Seafood Company Dinner to Benefit Griffins Youth Foundation - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Penguins Sign Brooklyn Kalmikov for 2022-23 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Rochester Americans Game Preview: Tuesday, May 17 vs. Utica: North Division Semifinals - Game 4 - Rochester Americans
- Comets Russo Suspended One Game - Utica Comets
- Comets' Russo Suspended for One Game - AHL
- Checkers Eliminate Islanders - Bridgeport Islanders
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
