Wolves and Phantoms win
Published on May 23, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
It would appear that it's a Philadelphia and Chicago world; we're just living in it these days. Both the Phantoms and the Wolves breezed through the first two games of their respective conference finals this past weekend with plenty of dominance to go around. Philadelphia won on Saturday night 3-0 in south Philly with goals from Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and R.J. Umberger while goaltender Antero Niittymaki stopped 33 shots for his second postseason shutout of 2005. Over in the Western Conference, Chicago blanked Manitoba 3-0 as well to take a two games to none lead to Winnipeg for Game 3 tonight at the MTS Centre. It was the first time since March 12 that the Moose had been shutout in a game, as Wolves' backstop Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 shots. On a related note, congratulations to the American Hockey League for eclipsing the seven million mark in attendance for the first time. Saturday's postseason games in Chicago and Philadelphia put the league over the mark. In 1,189 games during the regular season and playoffs in 2004-05, the league is averaging nearly 6,000 fans a game.
As reported here last week, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks asked for and were granted an voluntary suspension by the American Hockey League for the 2005-06 season. Joining the now nameless Cincinnati franchise on the suspended list for next season are the Utah Grizzlies, who now face an uncertain future in Salt Lake. In perhaps the worst kept secret in the American Hockey League today, the Portland Pirates will announce this afternoon a new affiliation with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. They're not really trying to keep it secret anymore, either. Anaheim's mascot, better known in southern California as Wild Wing, will be visiting two Portland elementary schools and a children's hospital today as well. I'm guessing Mr. Wing isn't in Maine just for a vacation. Formal details are expected later today. Also on the subject of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, reports over the weekend in the Los Angeles Times have former Vancouver general manager Brian Burke on the short list to take over the GM duties in southern California. The article also mentioned former Chicago Blackhawks GM Mike Smith as a candidate. The Ducks are in the process of being sold to Henry and Susan Samueli, as they have agreed to purchase the club from Disney.
If you want to get caught up at your own pace on the new entries in the American Hockey League, I recommend checking out www.theahl.com. There are links posted on the left hand side of the home page for the four new teams that will compete in 2005-06. If you need a fix on what's new with the Peoria Rivermen, Iowa Stars, Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and the Toronto Marlies, all the links are up and running from the league's site.
Although the season didn't end the way the Milwaukee Admirals would have liked on the ice, the team from the land of cheese got some very good news off the ice this week. The Admirals have been officially purchased by a local group that includes two high-ranking officials of baseball's Milwaukee Brewers. Brew Crew chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio and assistant GM Gord Ash are now both investors in the Milwaukee ownership group.
Grand Rapids missed the post-season for the first time since 1998-99 when the Griffins were still a member of the IHL, but the team announced last week that they are sticking with current head coach Greg Ireland for next season. Ireland was elevated to the head coaching job on February 10 of this past season when Danton Cole was relieved of his coaching duties. Ireland posted a 17-13-1-1 record after taking over as the Griff's bench boss as Grand Rapids became the first team in AHL history to win 40 games and not make the postseason. He was previously the head coach of the ECHL's Dayton Bombers before landing in Grand Rapids as an assistant coach for the 2003-04 season.
Change is on the landscape in Rochester, where the Amerks were knocked out of the Calder Cup playoffs with a loss to Manitoba in the North Division finals. Kevin Oklobzija in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported last week that Milan Bartovic will not return to play for Rochester next season. (Insert a WOOOOOO from BEARS nation for that one: The BEAR Killer personified won't be back to haunt HERSHEY next season). Bartovic told the paper that if he doesn't play for the Sabres next season, he'll head to either Sweden or Finland for 2005-06. The article also stated that six or seven players on this year's Rochester squad can expect to be in Buffalo in the fall assuming the NHL gets it's act together. For Amerks fans, they have to feel a real chance to win the Calder Cup escaped when this year's team didn't win. There's a real good chance they might not have the caliber of talent together any time soon that they had at Blue Cross Arena in 2004-05.
Mail to get to from all over the country in this week's column....
Hi John:
Since you get e-mails from all over the country---I'm a south Florida resident (Boca Raton) and have lived here 8 years originally from Baltimore. When I came up to Baltimore to visit relatives throughout the winter ,I always made sure I scheduled it knowing there would be a weekend Bears game. I probably saw about 5 home games this year. I would usually do Phantoms on Friday and Hershey on a Saturday...We have the Panthers down here and before Rick Dudley got the ax he formed a team resembling a European team so, thus, no hitting and no excitement. Thank Goodness Mike Keenan is back as GM and will not stand for that type of team. I saw you mentioned Cincinnati and I do business in Cincy and will be disappointed if hockey doesn't come back to the Gardens. Nothing like Skyline Chili after a game, huh?? I'm 43 and go back to the days of the great rivalry between Baltimore and Hershey back in the 70's and 80's. Well, that's it for now and just wanted to say hi and tell you the Bears have fans even in Florida!!!
Sincerely,
Mitch D.
Boca Raton, FL
Mitch, first of all, thanks for the note from south Florida and reminding us that it is truly BEARS nation. Secondly, any reference to Skyline Chili (a.k.a. The World's most perfect food) is a huge bonus. For those of you uneducated on such matters, Skyline Chili is a chain of chili parlors primarily throughout Cincinnati, northern Kentucky and into Columbus, Ohio. Take Cincinnati chili, place it over spaghetti and top it with cheddar cheese, and you have a delicacy fit for kings. I have a reserve I dip into at home that I pick up whenever I return to Ohio. Unreal stuff. I hear there is actually a location in Washington D.C. but I have yet to uncover it. If that's true, that makes our new affiliation with the Capitals all the more important. Anyway, before this turns into the Food Network, I appreciate the note and hope you can make it back to GIANT Center next season.
Dear John,
You were right on the money with your views about Cincinnati. I read they are taking a 1-year leave of absence along with Utah. I didn't know that they were having problems. With the loss of AHL in (the) maritimes, Cincinnati, Worcester, and Utah, where is the league headed ? Hopefully it will not follow the path of the IHL. Iowa is uncharted territory, Omaha has history as you stated. Peoria also has history with their smooth transition from IHL to ECHL and now to AHL. Toronto will be fine because it's the Leafs team. Oilers weren't so lucky there.
Is the league moving away from traditional markets and just looking for bigger revenues? Over the years we have also lost Adirondack, a great little hockey town. Baltimore, the best town to take a road trip to. New Haven, another town with a rich hockey history.
Having lost this past NHL season to labor woes. Seeing the IHL fold completely a couple of years ago. It makes me wonder what direction the AHL is going to go.
Thanks.
Joe N.
Blackwood, NJ
Joe, I think you bring up some important points here. I've had a chance to hear Dave Andrews address a lot of league issues when he spoke to us at a AHL PR conference last September. I am supremely confident he's the man to lead this league into the future. The IHL killed itself because it expanded too quickly. They moved into places like San Antonio and San Francisco at roughly the same time they moved into places like Cincinnati and Cleveland. Travel costs were out of this world, and most teams couldn't make their numbers work. The AHL is still very focused in the northeast where most teams have reasonable travel costs. You can have a few teams other places as long as those teams realize it will cost them a lot more money to operate than a Springfield, Lowell, or Providence. Peoria is a great add because of the history you mentioned. Iowa has a state of the art building and a good record of junior hockey. Dave Andrews has led the league into a period of prosperity that this league has never seen before, with high attendance figures coupled with the most teams the league has ever had. There's no competition now at the "Triple-A" level either with the demise of the IHL. Keep in mind as you talk about Adirondack leaving and the AHL looking at bigger markets, the league also returned to a small market three seasons ago with tremendous success. The Binghamton Senators are drawing as well as any team that came before them in the southern tier, and Bingo is not a big market by any means. Small markets are certainly not excluded in the 21st Century AHL.
Hey John,
I was wondering why the Avalanche didn't affiliate themselves with the Utah Grizzlies. I think that would be a great affiliation considering the location of the two teams. I know that Utah has requested a suspension from the 2005-06 season. Since Hershey and Washington have an affiliation what are the possibilities of seeing Alexander Ovechkin in Chocolatetown next season. I know he's in Europe but if the lock out continues, is there a possibility Washington will give him some AHL experience. Well that's all from me I'll have more questions when I think of them. Thanks for your time and GO BEARS GO!!!!
Travis C.
Lancaster, PA
Timing would be my answer to that one, Travis. Colorado and HERSHEY parted ways in March, and the Avs' search for an affiliate came before Utah's intentions were known. The announcement of Colorado being a secondary affiliate for the Lowell Lock Monsters came before Utah suspended operations last week. Being truthful, it may not have mattered anyway because no franchise suspends if everything is going well. To your other question, I wouldn't expect Mr. Ovechkin in a BEARS uniform next season, since by all reports he can step into the NHL game right now. Stranger things have happened, though.
Hi John:
First, I too was shocked to see the B-Sens dispatched by the Pens. I thought with John Paddock behind the bench, he would've had them focused on the task at hand. Was kinda hoping he could raise the CC as a coach again.
The questions: The goaltending situation as it stands now that the season is over. That young kid the Pirates called up, Max Daigneault, do the Caps have him wrapped up for a few more years contract-wise? Really like to see him play in Hershey for a year or two; read a lot of good things about him.
The "other" Max Ouellet. (Remember him as a Phantom when he broke into the league) Hopefully, the foot injury heals up and he can return 100%?
That leaves the veteran Kirk Daubenspeck they called on last season, all I know about him is that he came on the scene, and with his play, gave the Pirates a playoff glimmer of hope in that red-hot Atlantic Division.
Also, as a veteran (and a goalie) do they count as far as the number of veteran players a team can have in the lineup on a given night? I know the league is trimming that veteran number for the upcoming season.
Lastly, any word on the Charity Golf Outing just before the season starts?
Thanks,
Darin W
Lancaster, PA
Darin, Daigneault has a chance to be here, along with Ouellet. Those decisions are being discussed during the next few weeks with Caps management and Doug Yingst. Once the playoffs wrap up, I'm sure they'll be more news on that front. A veteran goalie does not count against the "veteran" rule, the five veterans that the BEARS can employ in 2005-06 count against the 18 skaters the team can play on any given night. Finally, the third annual HERSHEY BEARS Golf Classic will return in early October. I'll have details on that in the coming weeks.
Send whatever you have (Caps questions, BEARS questions, favorite foods, chili trivia, whatever) to jwalton@hersheypa.com. Have a great week.
American Hockey League Stories from May 23, 2005
- Phantoms lose Game 3 of conference finals 2-1 in OT - Adirondack Phantoms
- Pirates Name Mighty Ducks of Anaheim New NHL Affiliate - Portland Pirates
- Wolves weekly - Chicago Wolves
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Wolves and Phantoms win - Hershey Bears
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
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