What the New AHL Rules Mean

Tyler Lewington fools around during warm ups

Following the conclusion of the AHL Board of Governors meeting at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the league announced new rules, scheduling, and division alignment.

The four divisions for AHL hockey will look like this next season (NHL Affiliates in parentheses).

ATLANTIC DIVISION
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)
Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)
Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

NORTH DIVISION
Albany Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Binghamton Senators (Ottawa Senators)
Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
St. John’s IceCaps (Montreal Canadiens)
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Ligthning)
Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks)

CENTRAL DIVISION
Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
Chicago Wolves (St. Louis Blues)
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
Lake Erie Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

PACIFIC DIVISION
Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)
Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
San Antonio Rampage (Colorado Avalanche)
San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)
San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)
Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

The regular season will consist of 76 games for every team, with the exception of Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton, and Tucson. Those listed teams will play 68 regular season games.

The best guess on why the California and Arizona teams get to play fewer games is travel. Not sure how happy San Antonio and Texas — who are playing the normal 76 — are about this arrangement, as they are in the same division as the California teams.

Home teams, up until the Christmas break, will wear light colored jerseys like they did this past season. However, after the Christmas break, dark jerseys will be worn at home.

Three major rule changes will go in effect next year; I’ll save the most likely to enrage one for last.

Rule 82, “Icing,” has been changes to read as such: “In addition to not being permitted to make player substitutions, the offending team on an icing violation also may not use its team time-out.” This is likely to increase scoring, but means player injuries are more likely in the plays immediately following icings.

Rule 1.10, “Ice Cleaning,” has been modified as such: “The ice cleaning procedures used during promotional timeouts will also be used prior to overtime during the regular season, replacing the ‘dry scrape.'” Translation: instead of the zamboni cleaning the ice after regulation, the AHL will do what the NHL does and send out the shoveling crew.

And now for Rule 46, “Fighting,” and Rule 23 “Game Misconducts,” violations.

• Starting a fight before, at, or immediately after a faceoff will result in an automatic game misconduct for both combatants.
• During the regular season, after a players 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th fight, he will be suspended automatically for one game. The new rule does not specify what happens if fights 10 and 11, let’s say, occur in the same game.
• From the 14th fight onward, the player will be suspended automatically for two games.
• However, should the opposing player be assessed an instigator penalty, the fighting major will not count toward the player’s total for the previous rule. For the instigator, the fight will count.

According to hockeyfights.com, the AHL had 703 fights during the regular season. 22 players had 10 or more fights, eight of them dropped gloves 14 times or more. This is one way to address the “fighting in hockey” question inundating talk shows and discussion threads; whether it is a plausible solution remains a mystery.

Ryan Warsofsky’s First Order of Business: Player Replacement

Ryan Warsofsky hugging a Stingrays staffer after Game 7 against the Adirondack Thunder (Max Wolpoff)

For weeks, the South Carolina Stingrays were without a head coach or a President of Hockey Operations when Spencer Carbery announced he would join the Saginaw Spirit as head coach. Today, they remedied that by promoting assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky to head coach.

Promoting Warsofsky to head coach does not solve the most pressing issue facing the Lowcountry: replacing players lost to Europe. Six of the Stingrays from last season — Stephan Vigier, Brett Cameron, Spencer Humphries, Brendan Ellis, Nick Jones, and Jared Staal — have signed deals with various European clubs.

Vigier was South Carolina’s second-leading scorer with 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists). Cameron was not too far behind with 48 points (21 goals, 28 assists). Both will join Norwegian club Lillehammer.

Jones will also go to the land of fjords, playing for Stjeren Hockey, based in Fredrikstad, Norway. The defenseman will join a team that was almost relegated in 2013-14, but stayed up in the top league thanks to their first place finish in qualifying. Stjeren has lost in the Quarterfinals each of their last five playoff appearances.

Humphries joined the Rays late in the season; he started the year with the Evansville IceMen and played 54 games with them. He was occasionally scratched during South Carolina’s run in the playoffs. Reigning Norwegian GET-ligaen champion, the Stavanger Oilers, signed Humphries to a contract.

Ellis only played 49 games this season after sitting out the 2014-15 season due to injury, earning six goals and 19 assists. The Merrimack College graduate will join HC Gherdeina valgarden.it of the Alps Hockey League in Italy.

Staal, the youngest of the four Staal brothers and the only one not in the NHL regularly, signed a deal with the Edinbrugh Capitals of the Elite Ice Hockey League. These Capitals finished 10th of the 10 team league with a 10-37-0-5 (W-L-T-OTL) record.

The Rays extended qualifying offers to eight skaters, Cameron and Vigier among them, all of whom have not signed. Derek DeBlois, Joe Devin, Marcus Perrier, Wade Epp, Colton Saucerman, and Steve Wienstein all still have their qualifying offers active.

With the addition of a head coach, free agency signings can officially begin.

Ryan Warsofsky Named Head Coach Of The Stingrays

Via the Stingrays

In a press conference, the South Carolina Stingrays announced they have promoted assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky to head coach following Spencer Carbery`s decision to coach the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

Warsofsky is the seventh coach in the club history. the 28 year old native of North Marshfield, Massachusetts is the first American born coach in Stingrays history. Warsofsky becomes the fifth youngest coach in ECHL history and is the youngest active coach.

Warsofsky spent the last three years as assistant coach and assistant director of hockey operations and in charge of the defense and special teams. This past year, he helped lead the Stingrays to the fewest goals allowed,162, in franchise history. The special teams were top five in the league. The penalty kill ranked first, for the second straight year, at 87.5% and a fourth ranked power play clicking at 19.6%.

“I am extremely excited about this new opportunity in my coaching career,” said Warsofsky. Warsofsky also said this is a “tremendous opportunity” for him and he looks to put together a “team that plays fast and hard, and is a group that our fans can be proud of every single night.”

Former Director of Communications and Broadcasting Joey Zakrzewski told me in an email that Ryan is “great to work with” and that “he will work closely with the players and staff and continue the traditions of an outstanding organization.”

Stingrays President Rob Concannon said it is “The start of a new era for the Stingrays”. This new era will begin on October 22 against the rival Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

 

Stingrays Will Announce New Head Coach

Yeah, I’d say a size 23 hat would fit him

The South Carolina Stingrays will be announcing their new head coach on Wednesday, July 6 at 1:30 in a press conference open to all fans and the public. For those unable to attend, the Stingrays will also be live-streaming the press conference on Facebook.

The press conference will take place in the Montague Terrace of the North Charleston Coliseum. Fans are encouraged to attend and asked to enter through the the Season Ticket Holder/Handicap entrance on the Mantague side of the building.

The search for a new head coach began after Spencer Carbery accepted the job to be the head coach of the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

The new coach will be the seventh head coach in club history. The coach will have no easy role in filling the shoes of Carbery.  Carbery had the most head coaching wins in Stingrays history with a record of 207-115-38. Carbery won the John Brophy Award as the ECHL’s Coach of the Year in 2014, and was the runner-up for the award in 2015 and 2016.

One potential candidate is assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky.  “We believe Assistant Coach Ryan Warsofsky has done a great job over the last three seasons and is a leading candidate for the head coach position.” said Stingrays President Rob Concannon in a June 21 press conference.

Whoever the new coach is, they will look to continue to improve the Stingrays` point totals. The new coach will also be looking to guide the Stingrays to a third consecutive  Eastern Conference Finals appearance and look to capture the fourth Kelly Cup in team history.

Lucas Johansen Not At Day 1 of Caps Development Camp

via the Caps

As the future of the Washington Capitals took the ice this morning at Kettler, there was a player not there. That player was the 28th overall pick in this years draft Lucas Johansen.

Johansen is “under the weather” today. Hopefully he knows enough to stay away from everyone else and comes in tomorrow. Johansen is one of nine players invited to camp who last played in the WHL.

Johansen played for the Kelowna rockets last season. He and Madison Bowey were teammates two years ago when Kelowna won the WHL Championship.

The 6’2″ defenseman will be looking to make an impact and show he can be valuable to the Caps going forward.

UPDATE: He arrived at the 4 pm session in workout clothes and did not participate in any on ice activities.

Chase Priskie and Dmitry Zaitsev round out Caps 2016 Draft Picks

Chase Priskie (@priskie4)

In the final two rounds of the 2016 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Chase Priskie and Dmitry Zaitsev to round out their selections.

Priskie finished his freshman year at Quinnipiac, the ECAC Champions and NCAA runner-ups, with four goals and 22 assists. He grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida, the same hometown of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Priskie plays defense as well, with a right-handed shot and 190 pounds to fill out his six-foot frame.

Priskie has three years of eligibility left with the NCAA. Here is a sample of what he is capable of.

Skilled @QU_MIH dman Chase Priskie goes to @Capitals in the 6th round pic.twitter.com/pPq5edc344

— College Hockey Inc. (@collegehockey) June 25, 2016

With their final pick, Washington selected Russian defenseman Dmitry Zaitsev out of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights of the North American Hockey League. He scored seven goals and 15 assists while tallying 73 penalty minutes over the course of 53 games. The Knights lost to the Aston Rebels in the first round of the NAHL playoffs; Zaitsev did not play.

To review, here are the selections of the Washington Capitals in 2016:

#28: Lucas Johansen, D, Kelowna (WHL)

#87: Garrett Pilon, C, Kamloops (WHL)

#117: Damien Riat, LW, Geneve (Swiss-A)

#145: Beck Malenstyn, LW, Calgary (WHL)

#147: Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW, Djurgarden Jr. (Sweden-Jr.)

#177: Chase Priskie, D, Quinnipiac (NCAA-ECAC)

#207: Dmiitry Zaitsev, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (NAHL)

All their draft picks are expected to be at Development Camp next week. The full roster for that will be announced soon; the first day of camp is Monday, June 27.

Caps Draft Beck Malenstyn and Axel Jonsson Fjällby

via mjtimes

The Caps drafted Beck Malenstyn with the 145th overall pick in the 5th round. This 18 year old is 6’2″ 192 lbs and last played for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL.

Malenstyn had 25 points in 70 games last year for the Hitmen. He also had three points in five games in the playoffs.

At the U-18 championships this left winger had three points in seven games for his native Canada.

He was the third WHLer in four picks for Washington.

via @axelfjallby

Two picks later, the Caps drafted Axel Jonsson Fjällby from Sweden.

This 6’0″ 170 lbs left winger had six points in 16 games while playing with the U-18 Sweden team this year.

Axel was ranked 92 among European Skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Damien Riat Drafted in Fourth Round

With the 117th pick in the NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals went to Geneva, Switzerland to draft Damien Riat. Riat played for Swiss-A league Geneve Servette.

He is 19-years-old, an even six-feet tall, a right-handed shot, and he plays left wing. Riat played 45 games last season, scoring nine goals and 12 assists for Servette, two goals and two assists for Switzerland’s U20 team at the IIHF U20 Championships, coming in fifth in their group.

Riat is set to play another year for Geneve next season. Another Swiss draft pick from last year by the Caps, Jonas Siegenthaler, is expected to arrive at Development Camp this week.

Caps Draft Garrett Pilon

The Caps drafted center Garrett Pilon born in Mineola, NY, in the third round, 87th overall, pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. He is 5’10” and 174 lbs.

Pilon, 18, is the son of former Islander defender Rich Pilon. Unlike his father, Garrett is a center. Last season with the Kamloops Blazers (WHL) he had 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points in 71 games. He also had 3 points in 7 playoff games.

Expect him to spend some time with Kamloops before he heads to Hershey. Both of the Caps picks are from the WHL.

DRAFT RECAP: Lucas Johansen Drafted at #28 by Washington, Lars Eller comes aborad

And the rivalry begins! @LucasJohansen97 @RyanJohansen19 @PredsNHL #CapsDraft pic.twitter.com/I3i3xPLiiF

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 25, 2016

On a night where 12 Americans were taken by NHL teams, a new record for USA Hockey, the Washington Capitals selected Port Moody, British Colombia’s own Lucas Johansen from the Kelowna Rockets (WHL).

But the craziness in Washington started after the Toronto Maple Leafs ended months of speculation and drafted Auston Matthews with the first overall pick. Between that announcement and the selection of Patrick Laine by the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal took the spotlight from their Canadian rivals.

The Canadiens conducted a series of swaps, sending two 2nd Round picks this year to Chicago for Andrew Shaw (an RFA with no guarantee he will sign there) and then shipping out Lars Eller to Washington for 2nd Round picks in 2017 and 2018.

Eller is capped at $3.5 million for the next two years, but General Manager Brian MacLellan jumped at the chance to acquire his thrid-line center of choice, as Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reported on Twitter.

Have you found your third-line center in Lars Eller?

MacLellan: "Yes."

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 25, 2016

The Edmonton Oilers, foreign to not picking first overall after the last few seasons, lucked into picking Jesse Puljujarvi after the Columbus Blue Jackets passed on him in favor of Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Boston University (where this writer attends school) enjoyed a great night for its incoming freshman class, and for one active player. The Arizona Coyotes selected Clayton Keller out of the US National Team Development Program, the Boston Bruins picked Charlie McAvoy (a rising sophomore), Kieffer Bellows went to the New York Islanders, and Dante Fabbro went to the Nashville Predators.

The longest wait of the draft came when Detroit held up the crowd as they negotiated a trade with Arizona. The Red Wings traded the 18th pick and Pavel Datsuyk’s massive cap hit to the Coyotes for the 20th pick (which Arizona got from the New York Rangers).

https://twitter.com/davest4yotes/status/746511725743177728

Lucas is the younger brother of Ryan Johansen, the 2015 NHL All-Star MVP when he played for the Colombus Blue Jackets (who were hosting the event), and current defenseman for the Nashville Predators.

Washington entered the 2016 Draft with the 26th overall pick, a pick they traded to St. Louis to get their 28th pick and the 87th pick (3rd round), which was initially Washington’s but went to the Blues in the T.J. Oshie trade. The Blues selected Tage Thompson out of the University of Connecticut at #26.

Johansen can play the two-way game, much like Madison Bowey, another Kelowna standout that the Caps drafted in 2013. He improved on his meager eight points (one goal, seven assists) from 2014-15 to 49 (10 goals, 39 assists) this past season.

Per Bill Placzekon the site draftsite.com, the younger Johansen has a good point shot, “can move attacker out of the front, get in the lanes and break up passes, and he make that first pass out in transition and jump into the rush.”

The main nock on Johansen is his size. At 6′ 1″, he only fills out 174 pounds. A little more muscle, and the Caps may have found their bruising defenseman of the future.

Johansen will play in Kelowna again next season; he can be seen in a the Hershey Chocoalte and White as early as 2017-18.

Rounds 2-7 will be broadcast on NHL Network starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.