#SpringfieldIndians

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Andy Aitkenhead.

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CHAIMOVITCH: CHARLOTTE CHECKERS’ JAKE BEAN VOTED WINNER OF EDDIE SHORE AWARD AS AHL’S OUTSTANDING DEFENSEMAN

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Jake Bean of the Charlotte Checkers is the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman for the 2019-20 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. The 21-year-old Bean led all AHL defensemen in scoring with 48 points in 59 games for the Checkers this season, collecting 10 goals and 38 assists to finish as the leading scorer on Charlotte’s roster. Bean recorded 21 points on the power play, and his special-teams play helped the Checkers rank third in the league in efficiency both with the man advantage (22.8 percent) and while shorthanded (87.0 percent). A native of Calgary, Alta., Bean was also a First Team AHL All-Star selection and participated in the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic this season, following a debut 2018-19 campaign that saw him capture AHL All-Rookie honors and a Calder Cup championship with Charlotte. He has totaled 23 goals and 69 assists for 92 points in 129 regular-season games over his two AHL seasons. Bean was the Carolina Hurricanes��� first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft and skated in two games with the Canes last year. Bean is just the third player ever to earn the Eddie Shore Award before his 22nd birthday, joining Sami Niku (2018) and Craig Levie (1981). This award was first presented by the AHL in 1958-59 in honor of the late Eddie Shore, a member of both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the American Hockey League Hall of Fame who is widely regarded as one of hockey’s greatest defensemen. Shore won a total of seven Calder Cups in his career, including two as the general manager of the Buffalo Bisons and five as the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians. Previous recipients of the Eddie Shore Award include Steve Kraftcheck (1959), Bob McCord (1961, ’67), Al Arbour (1965), Jim Morrison (1966), Noel Price (1970, ’72, ’76), Brian Engblom (1977), Terry Murray (1978, ’79), Dave Farrish (1982), Brad Shaw (1987), Dave Fenyves (1988, ’89), Eric Weinrich (1990), Darren Rumble (1997), John Slaney (2001, ’02), Niklas Kronwall (2005), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Mark Barberio (2012), Justin Schultz (2013), T.J. Brennan (2014, ’16), Sami Niku (2018) and Zach Redmond (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The winner of the 2019-20 Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award (outstanding rookie) will be announced Thursday. Read the full article

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CHAIMOVITCH: SCOTT HOWSON ELECTED PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors has unanimously elected Scott Howson as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2020. Howson will become the tenth President since the league’s formation in 1936 and will succeed the retiring David Andrews, who will continue as Chairman of the Board of Governors after his 26-year tenure as President and CEO concludes on June 30. A Toronto native, Howson has spent the last 26 years as an executive with the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations, with wide-ranging responsibilities including hockey operations and administration, player development, salary cap compliance, contract negotiations, scouting and evaluation, and business operations. Currently the director of player development for the Oilers, Howson has served in various roles since rejoining Edmonton in 2013, including hockey operations, pro scouting and player personnel responsibilities. He was named general manager of the Blue Jackets in 2007 and spent six seasons in that role, guiding the franchise to its first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2009. Howson first joined the Edmonton organization in 1994 as general manager of their AHL affiliates in Cape Breton and later Hamilton. He was named assistant to the general manager of the Oilers in 2000 and served as assistant GM of the NHL club from 2001-07. Howson’s AHL clubs reached the Calder Cup Finals in 1997 and 2003, and as a member of the AHL Board of Governors, he served on the league’s competition committee from 1996-2002 and on its executive committee from 2003-07. A prolific scorer as a junior player with Kingston (OHL), Howson played five seasons of pro hockey from 1981-86, including 110 games in the AHL with the Springfield Indians and 18 contests with the NHL’s New York Islanders. He skated on championship teams in both the International Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. Howson, 59, holds a bachelor’s degree from York University and is a graduate of York’s Osgoode Hall Law School. He and his wife, Antoinette, have three children: son Max and daughters Rebekah and Joanna. Read the full article

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CANTLON: (FRI) PACK KICK OFF THREE STRAIGHT AGAINST SPRINGFIELD

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Two-thirds of the victorious Atlantic Division All-Star champions made it back to Hartford. Head coach Kris Knoblauch was still stuck at Ontario International Airport (All-Star Classic title sponsor) trying to negotiate his way back leaving Gord Murphy to run practice in his absence. For Vinni Lettieri, the team top scorer and 20th best in the AHL with 18 goals and 37 points, the unexpected All-Star invite was a great experience “It was great to share with Keaner and Knobber out there and it was nice to win a championship,“ remarked Lettieri with a laugh and smile “its always nice winning and get a chance to see other guys on the West Coast to connect with you.” What was your first thought? “You don’t want to lose the puck right off the bat and let somebody score or miss a shot, I might get benched.”  Lettieri with a laugh and he had space and plenty of ice on his first goal, ”that was good to get the breakaway right off the bat, but never want to miss on those.” The Toyota Center blew him away for an AHL arena. “If I didn’t know it was an AHL building you would have thought it was an NHL building. Everything was beautiful inside, it was amazing. one of the best places I have ever played in (college or pro) you had no idea it was an AHL rink. Ontario (Reign) did a great job hosting us. The setup was fantastic, everything was so well presented. It was seamless very easy for us. Considering all the people coming at different times, from different places and some whose flights were late, not getting a lot of sleep it was very well done they did everything to help us out. I want to thank them and all the fans that came out.” There were a few drawbacks. “All told it was 20 hours of travel there and back it was pretty tough on that end, but it was worth it.” He and Keane got the flight out of LA and made it back, but Knoblauch might be courting a team fine for missing practice !! For defenseman Joey Keane, the whole scene was something he still has to take it all in. “it was great, a lot of travel, a great experience. Did well on the individual puck weave and the fastest skater competition and my parents made it out there, so it was a  very cool time,” said Keane. Playing with guys you compete against in the division is quite a bit different. “For sure it takes getting use to it was nice to get to play with them and see guys from out West (you don’t see at all,” said Keane who assisted on Providence’s Paul Carey’s (Salisbury Prep) goal “I actually sat next to him in the locker room it was a lot fun meeting so many other players.” On Thursday, it was back to work for associate head coach Gord Murphy, Vinni’s game which is goal scoring there is also an intangible he really likes in him, is his competitiveness. “He really works with the puck and in getting pucks back. He sticks his body in there and shields the puck from people. His competitiveness is a big part of his game. Lots of goal scorers can get so focused on just goal scoring and don’t pay attention to other aspects of their games. That really stands out about him, he’s not just the typical goal scorer standing out on the perimeter. He competes for the pucks and that’s what gives him those opportunities,” Now all the energy is to complete the final games secure first place and the team's first playoff berth in more than five years. The Wolf Pack (25-10-4-50) for 59 points tied with Hershey, but are in first by mere percentage points play Springfield three in a row over the next six days even unique by AHL standards starting with this weekend's home and home. The Thunderbirds went 7-3 over their last 10 before the All-Star break and have climbed into third place in the Atlantic Division will look to keep their streak going and snap the Wolf Pack currently modest three-game winning streak. “Now its time for us get back and to continue what we have been doing that got us to the top of the division. We have to stay balance working with each player individually to keep their game where it needs to be. The other thing you want to do is keeping your fingers and toes crossed that we stay healthy. Stay off the IR and avoid the injury bug and make that push towards the end of the season.” Murphy sounded a note of caution as well. “You don’t want to look to far ahead and its cliché I know, but you have to just look at the game in front of you and go forward from there. We’re coming out of break here and you have to be focused on the first 10 minutes of the game making sure they have their skating legs under them and the timing is where it should be. Do all the little things we’ve been doing and keep the good habits we have developed. That’s out focus point right now.” 32 games to go, the push for the postseason is on. NOTES: -Pack defenseman Nick Ebert is nursing a lower-body injury didn’t finish practice today and is out for the weekend. There is a hope he might be available on Wednesday. -Murphy wasn’t able to announce tomorrow’s starting goalie with Knoblauch’s absence. “I really wish I could tell you because I really don’t know. I’m not hiding anything, that’s Kris’s call. He was going to be in touch with both of them (Adam Huska and Tom McCollum) this afternoon about the weekend. Right now he is trying to get a flight and get back here.” -The Pack’s Ryan Gropp was awarded the assist last week against Bridgeport initially credited to Mason Geersten the correction was asked for and granted by the AHL and he now has four points in his last four games. -Springfield is a little thin and inexperienced at goalie for the time being. Samuel Montembeault, the second-year goaltender from Quebec City was recalled today by Florida. Chris Driedger was in Florida has suffered a severe upper-body injury and a Springfield source says it's likely he could be gone for the season. He was undergoing further medical evaluation. That leaves two rookies at the helm of the goalie ship. Philippe Desrosiers with 19 games of AHL experience and Ryan Bednard who has played just two games with Springfield who has spent most of the season thus far in Greenville (ECHL). -The Thunderbirds feature some familiar names in ex-Pack Ryan Haggerty (Stamford) acquired from Wilkes Barre/Scranton last month as was ex-Pack defenseman Rob O’Gara (Yale University) who was the assistant captain last season till back surgery ended his season prematurely, Defenseman Tommy Cross (Simsbury/Westminster Prep) is the third player with CT ties. Joining Montembeault going to Florida is defenseman Riley Stillman grandson of ex-New Haven Nighthawk and Springfield Indians, Bud Stefanski. The Thunderbirds recalled Adam Rockwell and Will Lochead from Greenville. -Sebastien Aho was recalled from Bridgeport by the Islanders as was goalie Alex Lyon (Yale University) was recalled by the Flyers from Lehigh Valley. -Detroit recalled a trio from Grand Rapids in Filip Zadina, Givani Smith, and Dennis Cholowski. Read the full article

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CANTLON'S CORNER: GORD MURPHY IS HERE IN HARTFORD

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - As the Hartford Wolf Pack gets set for their first three-games-in-three-days this weekend with the Laval Rocket coming to Hartford on Friday night at the XL Center. Then the Pack plays a home-and-home with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday and then on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm at the Webster Bank Arena. Pack Associate Head Coach, Gord Murphy’s hiring in the off-season, where he was accompanying his last year's fellow Philadelphia Flyers assistant, Kris Knoblauch, who were both relieved at the end of last season, coming to the AHL was a new interesting option. “I really like it so far. When I was researching the position, I talked to a number of former and current AHL coachers, and the one thing they all said was, 'You will like the time you have to really teach and develop.' In the NHL you don’t have all the time to practice. In fact, you're manufacturing time to talk to a player about certain things. "I really appreciate the time so far where a player can learn, process, and prepare for a game at the American (Hockey) League level,” Murphy, who spent 17 years as an assistant coach after retiring from playing, said. Murphy recognizes there's a learning curve. “I know this isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes time to set up and implement procedures and the structure the organization is looking for. We're all new (the coaching staff) and many new players with a lot of skills with leadership and veterans added to the mix.” One of the big mantras is defense-first. “I don’t care what level of hockey you're at, you have defense first, and that’s just not your defensemen. The goal is to keep the puck out of the net. That gives you a chance to win the game. If you don’t have the defense, it's not a recipe for success.” The team saw its shootout loss last Sunday against Rochester in which the Americans scored late to force overtime, and then the team defensive core held against the Springfield Thunderbirds in a 1-0 shutout win. The six-on-five is a part of a defensive strategy that all teams work at as the season starts to progress especially with the Wolf Pack heading into its first heavy dose of games with six games over the next eleven days. “It’s a learning experience. It’s an area we haven’t really touched on yet, only briefly. We obviously have had talks now about what our setups should be. We have been practicing this, and like everything else, it takes time.” The changes in defensive combinations last weekend is all part of the plan to build a stronger team defensively. “Changes are inevitable in this game, especially on defense. There will be injuries and call ups at some point, so it's better we learn, so we'll know how the players work together, finding the strengths and weaknesses will make the team and the player better.” The sport that he mastered playing in 735 NHL games has changed, especially from his early days with the Hershey Bears back in 1987-88. “There weren’t the skills coaches, the nutrition aspect, or the systems that we have today. Back then, we were taught certain positioning, but we were left on our own to use our skills all that we had. The dynamics now is the players are simply so much faster than in our day. We might have had three or four really top skaters, today is like closer to 15. The skill sets are far different today in what goes into making a 'player.'” Among Murphy's teammates were ex-Hartford Whalers, Kevin Maxwell, Don Nachbaur, Ray Allison, Kevin McCarthy, Nick Kypreos, and John Stevens. He also played with ex-New Haven Nighthawks, Brian Dobbin, and Mark Lofthouse, and former Wolf Pack assistant coach, JJ Daigneault. Teaching the new generation trust is an important component. “I’m trying to help them, and I can relate my experiences. The kids can Google about my past and that’s what is the past. Now I can share my knowledge. The kids have been very receptive and have worked very hard, but at the end of the day I have to earn their trust and respect.” For Murphy, the relationship with his troops now is akin to a parent-child relationship, in some ways. “Its like when they’re riding a bike learning that they’ll fall and skin their knee, but you get right back at it. We're helping to shape them, not only as players but as young men. Many are out on their own for the first time and learning to make good decisions on-and-off ice is a part of the equation of their professional growth and development.” Murphy’s experience is hopefully going to produce up top in New York for the Rangers and hopefully for Hartford when next April rolls around. NOTES: The Rangers recalled Ty Ronning to Hartford from the team's ECHL affiliates, the Maine Mariners. Ronning had five points in four games. Laval will be without Michael McCarron who is serving the second of his two-game suspension for a major interference penalty in Providence. He missed Wednesday’s game in Belleville. Not only are the Lindgren brothers, Ryan (Hartford) and Charles (Laval), playing against each other tonight, but two former members of the St. Cloud Huskies (NCHC) who were college teammates will be facing each other, in Patrick Newell (Hartford) and Ryan Poehling (Laval). In addition, ex-Pack/CT Whale, Dale Weise, makes his first appearance back in Hartford since 2010-11. Bridgeport has recalled highly-regarded Czech-born netminder, Jakub Sharek from the Worcester Railers. Sharek posted a 1.42 GAA in two games. The team reassigned another European goalie they like in Swedish Linus Soderstrom to Worcester. Riley Stillman, the grandson of ex-Nighthawks and Springfield Indians player, Bud Stefanski, was recalled from Springfield by Florida. Ex-Pack, Daniel Walcott, is assigned to Syracuse by Tampa Bay. Mitch Eliot, the son of former Nighthawk, Daren Eliot, is reassigned from Utica to Kalamazoo (ECHL). Ex-Pack, and Sound Tiger, Jack Combs signs a deal with Wichita (ECHL). Ex-Pack, and Ranger, Connor Brickley, signed a deal today with EC Salzburg (Austria-EBEL) for the rest of the season. He will report to the Red Bulls next week. Brickley played 13 games in Hartford last year after being acquired. Josh Primeau, the nephew of ex-Whaler, Keith Primeau, signs with HC Sierre (Switzerland-LNB) his eighth Swiss team in his career, all spent in Switzerland. Read the full article