CANTLON’S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES OFF SEASON VOLUME 12 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The world is slowly approaching normalcy. Sports news is becoming more and more prevalent as ALL sports are moving closer and closer towards returning into the daily lives of its fans.

AHL AWARDS

The American Hockey League announced that forward Gerry Mayhew of the Iowa Wild has been voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2019-20 season.

Mayhew scored a league-best 39 goals – the most by an AHL skater since 2011-12 – and finished third with 61 points in 49 games, leading Iowa to the team’s best regular-season record in franchise history.

10 of Mayhew’s goals were game-winners and logging 11 multiple-goal performances, including a natural hat trick in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Gulls on Feb. 14. Mayhew tied a franchise mark with a ten-game scoring streak from December 12th to January 10th.

Mayhew earned CCM/AHL Player-of-the-Month honors for January after he totaled 12 goals and 19 points in 11 contests. Among Mayhew’s 39 tallies were 13 power-play goals and two shorthanded markers.

He also led the Wild in plus/minus rating at plus-16. Iowa was 26-7-1-2 in games when Mayhew registered a point.

Mayhew represented Iowa at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, CA, and was voted a Second Team Left-Wing AHL All-Star for 2019-20. He also made his National Hockey League debut this season, notching two goals in 13 games with Minnesota – including a goal in his first appearance on October 15th in Toronto.

2020-21 SEASON

When it starts, where it starts still remains to be seen at the NHL or AHL level.

The NHL has agreed-upon a framework to return to play, but several major details are still being worked out. While questions remain how it will all play out, signs point to a resumption of hockey sometime this summer.

The AHL season start will not be in October, with the most likely start being some point in November. The October 9th scheduled date for the home opener for the Hartford Wolf Pack is almost certainly going to be rescheduled.

One of the many side issues is the pending expiration of player contracts at the end of June but of the contracts of teams’ hockey staff at the end of the month.

“They’re running out of runway here and a lot of people are in limbo,” one source said. “It isn’t only players, its all the hockey ops people, GM, Assistant GM, Head Coaches, assistants, equipment managers, trainers, and scouts are all sitting around wondering a lot about this. What I’m hearing is the likelihood is that they will slide contracts forward say 60-90 days, then, announce a Draft Day and then a free agency period. The other big issue is, of course, the salary cap and what we’re hearing is a freeze on the cap at this year’s level ($82.1M) for the next two-to-three years until the economy recovers. In principle, both sides are happy. They have areas of interest they want to clarify moving forward, but a ten-year extension for the CBA is being bandied about. It’s in discussion but nothing’s finalized.”

The business of hockey is a large and expansive one with many pieces of the financial puzzle still to be resolved.

PLAYER MOVEMENT

A big coaching opportunity has opened up after the Los Angeles Kings announced on Saturday that they will not renew the contract of Ontario Reign head coach, Mike Stothers, whose contract is set to expire on June 15th.

Stothers has led the Kings’ affiliate for the last six seasons, including five with the Reign (2015-20) where he earned the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s outstanding coach and won a Calder Cup championship with the Manchester Monarchs in 2014-15.

“We appreciate everything Mike has contributed to the organization,” said Rob Blake, Vice President and General Manager of the Kings in a press release. “He has played an important role in helping develop our players and we want to thank him for his years of service and guiding us to a Calder Cup Championship in 2015.”

San Diego’s Chris Wideman heads to the Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) and Frank Corrado of the Belleville Senators signs with MODO (Sweden-Allsvenskan).

Lukáš Radil, who split the year in San Jose between the AHL Barracuda and the NHL Sharks signs with Spartak Moscow (Russia-KHL) while Carter Camper of the Utica Comets has his eyes on Sweden or perhaps Russia for next year.

23 players have now signed in Europe. 16 of the 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player to a European signing.

Ex-Pack, Kodie Curran, turned down a KHL deal with Avangard Omsk (Russia) to sign a two-year, one-way deal at a $1M/year with the Anaheim Ducks. He will likely be in San Diego to start the season. He played with Rogle BK (Sweden-SHL) last year earning high marks as the top defenseman in the SHL and the Golden Helmet Award as the regular season MVP. Nice story on Curran in the Calgary Herald. Read it HERE.

A pair of ex-Wolf Pack players were swapped for one another in a two-for-one deal in Russia. Defenseman, Alexei Bereglazov, winner of two Gagarin Cup titles, and forward, Ilya Kablukov, depart Mettallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL) for Avangard Omsk. Going back the other way in the deal is right-wing, Taylor Beck, an ex-Sound Tiger.

Ryan Verbeek, the nephew of former Hartford Whaler and New York Ranger, and current Detroit Red Wing Assistant GM, Pat Verbeek, returns to France to play with Elite Magnus League HC Briancon next season. He split this season with Pensacola and Huntsville of the SPHL.

Calvon Boots of the American International College (AHA) leaves the Springfield, MA school for the Rochester Institute of Technology (AHA) in the fall. AIC goalie, Zacharias Skog completes his four years and signs a pro deal back home with Vasterviks IK (Sweden-SHL). His movement makes 31 college players signing in Europe.

Goalie, Ryan Edquist, after just 21 games in four years with the Boston College Eagles (HE) has grad transferred back home to the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks (NCHC). He will be the backup to next season’s likely Hobey Baker finalist, Dryden McKay, who had a 1.31 GAA, tops in the nation in his sophomore year. He is the son of one-time Whaler, Ross McKay. Edquist’s transfer makes for 16 Division I grads moving to new schools.

Andrew Mancini, (Canterbury Prep-New Milford) drafted as the first-ever draft pick by the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks in the NAHL Supplemental Draft has opted to sign with the P.A.L. Islanders (NCDC) which is closer to his Long Island home for next season.

Cam MacDonald (Selects Academy of South Kent Prep) who was a Boston College (HE) commit for 2022-23 has elected to head home and signed with the Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL). He spent last season with the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL).

Max Coyle becomes the fourth University of Alabama-Huntsville (WCHA) player to transfer from the program that was slated to be eliminated. He heads to Bowling Green (NCHC). Read that story, next.

TALBOT, A SAVE AND A BEAUTY

The University Alabama-Huntsville Chargers were on the verge of extinction until a former Wolf Pack goaltender got involved.

In just ten days’ time, the Chargers’ program received an astounding $500K in donations allowing the University to continue to have their team play in the WCHA conference. The conference formally reinstated the program on Wednesday.

The conference is losing seven schools after the 2020-21 season as they form the new CCHA conference. UAH may apply so they have a more travel-friendly schedule according to now-former head coach Mike Corbett, who stepped down on Wednesday, along with Assistant Coach, and long time AHL player, Gavin Morgan. The other assistant coach Lance West was named Interim Head Coach.

West played at UA-H in the early 1990s, three-of-the-four years at Division II. He was an assistant coach for ten years after graduating before spending the next eleven seasons at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks (WCHA), the first ten of them as an assistant coach. He returned to the program two years ago.

A fundraising campaign to support the continuation of the Alabama-Huntsville hockey program was successful in raising the critical monetary gifts from numerous individual donors, according to UA-H Athletic Director, Cade Smith in a story on AL.com.

The dollars were matched by two separate gifts of $125,000 each. The gifts came from long-time hockey supporters, Taso Sofikitis, and Sheldon Wolitski, who played on the school’s Division II national championship team.

The total amount of more than $750,000 in private dollars will allow the Chargers to continue to compete at the Division I level during the 2020-21 season. This total philanthropic contribution is the largest athletic campaign contribution in the history of UA-H.

One of the school’s biggest program supporters and who helped spearhead the drive was its most famous former Charger, and current Calgary Flames and ex-Wolf Pack netminder, Cam Talbot. He took to his own Twitter page to express why people should donate to the cause.

“This program gave me a chance that nobody else would. Without my time spent @UAHuntsville, I would not have got the opportunity to be where I am today. I want those opportunities to continue for more young players for years to come!”

Talbot was named to the advisory board.

In addition to the private dollars, UAH president, Darren Dawson, committed money from the university to cover the balance of the hockey team’s operational costs during the upcoming season.

“We are thankful from the loyal support that has been demonstrated this week by the fans and alumni of Charger hockey,” said Dawson in a press release statement. “We are hopeful that this support will translate into a sustainable funding model that will allow the UAH hockey program to rise again to high levels of success,”

“The university is fully committed to the upcoming season,” Smith added. “The university will work with the supporters of the UAH hockey program and a newly formed hockey advisory board to develop a plan that will allow the Chargers to thrive in the 2020-21 season and beyond. UAH is committed to building a world-class Division I hockey program with a permanent conference home that will allow the Chargers to continue past the 2020-21 season.”

The school has already allocated money and cleared space for a brand-new, on-campus arena before the pandemic hit looking to take the Chargers from the larger, off-campus site, the Van Braun Center, which is the home of the local SPHL team, the Huntsville Havoc, to a more manageable facility.

The WCHA conference will be strengthened and could become the first fully functioning West-Coast-based Conference as they are likely to add Arizona State, whose brand new on-campus arena is expected to be ready in 2021.

The two Alaska schools in Fairbanks and Anchorage are likely to merge in the near future because of state budget cuts.

The conference will likely then add other major West Coast Division I colleges and universities such as Los Angeles-based USC, and UCLA, Colorado-based, Air Force, who will likely switch from the AHA conference, and perhaps UNLV, and Utah, who are currently ACHA Division I club programs.

Despite the good financial news, the Chargers program lost another player to transfer when Bailey Newton announced he will leave after his sophomore season and head back to Canada and the University of Western Ontario Mustangs (OUAA)

QMJHL

The last Canadian major junior Draft is this weekend.

The QMJHL Draft will be done remotely for the first time with the first round scheduled for Friday on the league’s YouTube channel. Rounds 2-14 will be on Saturday starting at 9 am with selection results on the league website.

The QMJHL U.S. Draft will be held on Monday, June 8th with results on the league’s website.

The states with eligible players in the US Draft are from are; Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

A strong rumor is that the QMJHL will start it’s 2020-21 season on October 1st, regardless of what the other two major junior leagues, the OHL and WHL, do. In part, it will be because they have no US-based franchises.

The only issue will be European players’ participation based on provincial and directives from Ottawa regarding COVID-19 and the US border for American players which of course by mutual consent is still closed.

“The feeling is they want to get back to a regular order of business starting a month later is OK, but they want to get back on track,” commented a reliable hockey source with knowledge of the situation.

Having fans in the buildings are necessary for franchises to survive, but Health Canada will have the final say on when the puck is dropped.

The NAHL has pushed its Draft Day to July 21st. The CHL Import Draft that normally takes place after the NHL Draft and no date has been set for either.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

The Dartmouth head coaching opening was filled with a familiar name to followers of Connecticut college hockey as Reid Cashman, who spent four years as a defenseman with the Quinnipiac Bobcats (ECACHL) in their rise to national prominence, was named the new head coach for the Dartmouth Big Green (ECACHL) on Monday. He becomes the 22nd coach in school history and replaces the all-time winningest coach, Bob Gaudet, who stepped down after 23 years year in the top spot.

“I feel like I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to be the head coach of the Dartmouth men’s hockey program,” Cashman said in a press release statement. “For 114 years, Dartmouth has competed at the highest level and has produced Olympians, All-Americans, and NHL players. Along with the great history on the ice, Dartmouth College has been one of the finest institutions in the world for more than 250 years. It is truly an honor to be given this prestigious opportunity.”

Cashman has been on a fast track professionally. He was an assistant coach for two years with the Hershey Bears (AHL) and has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals, with his portfolio being the Caps powerplay and defense. He also coordinated their development camps and participation in the Traverse City, MI annual prospects tournament.

He won’t start this new position until the NHL playoffs for the Capitals concludes, whenever that may be.

Cashman played 151 games for the Hamden-based university. In 151 career games, Cashman tallied 23 goals and still holds the school record of 125 assists for 242 total points.

He was an NCAA (East First-Team, All-American in his senior year in 2006-07. He was a second-team honoree in his junior in 2003-2004.

In Quinnipiac’s last season in the AHA conference, he was named to the First Team and led the conference in scoring. He was named Player of the Year. In addition, Cashman was a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist before the Bobcats were elevated to the ECACHL conference.

Cashman played five years of minor professional hockey with his last year in North America winning an ECHL Kelly Cup championship with the Cincinnati Cyclones in 2010.

Cashman’s last pro year was spent in Austria skating for EHC Linz in Erste Bank Eishockey League (EBEL).

The Red Wing, MN native was undrafted but played in the AHL for Toronto, Wilkes Barre/Scranton, and Milwaukee. In the ECHL, he played for Columbia, Wheeling, and Cincinnati

After retiring from active playing, he returned to Quinnipiac and became an assistant coach to Rand Pecknold for five years (2011-2016) and went to two Frozen Four Finals.

Quinnipiac lost to first to their conference, and in-state rival, Yale University, in a 4-0 shutout in 2013 and again in 2016 losing 5-1 to North Dakota.

Thomas Maia is another Division I player heading to the Canadian Junior A ranks while still retaining his NCAA eligibility. Maia, who suffered a broken fibula without playing a game for R.I.T. (AHA), heads to the Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) after he was traded from the Oakville Blades (OJHL).

Speaking of Yale University, they announced its 2020 freshmen class of seven which includes head coach Keith Allain’s son, Nik (North Branford/Taft Prep) from Boston (NCDC). He was a UCONN commit at one point.

Ryan Stevens joins his brother Luke who is already with the Bulldogs. The boys’ father is Kevin Stevens, the former NHL’er with the New York Rangers. Stevens, the elder, won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The other announced players include Reilly Connors (Madison/Loomis Chaffe), and goalie Nathan Reid, from Sioux Falls (USHL).

LIU named its first head coach last week, and this week their first batch of LIU Sharks recruits with the first-ever recruit signed being Jordan DiCicco of the Brooks Bandits (AJHL). He was followed by nine others including, Connor Szmul, from the Chippewa (WI) Steel (NAHL), Daine Dubois of the Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL), Robert McCollum Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL), no relation to ex-Wolf Pack Tom McCollum. Also, Nolan McElhaney, who missed all of last year with an ACL injury, transfers from the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (HE), and a second Division I transfer, Mitch Meek, from Michigan Tech (WCHA). Madoka Suzuki of the Kemptville 73’s (CCHL), Marty Westhaver of the Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL), Aaron White of the Amarillo Bulls (NAHL), and Gustav Muller of the Madison Capitols (USHL).

TRIVIA

What was Wayne Gretzky’s last non-99 uniform number?

He wore number 26 for three games with the Peterborough Petes.

Last month was the 25th anniversary of the Quebec Nordiques’ last game. It was at MSG against the Rangers in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers won the series in six games with the last goal in Nordiques history was scored by Peter Forsberg.

The Nordiques were the first WHA team that merged with the NHL that was moved.