The Hockey News: On The 'A'

This week on The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams:

- The Coachella Valley Firebirds are up 2-1 over the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup final. Jacob and Patrick recap the beginning of the series while Patrick tells us about what he saw in Coachella Valley.

- AHL alumni took center stage in the Stanley Cup final. A whopping 24 of 25 players to play for the Vegas Golden Knights in the final have played in the AHL before.

- Who could be the next Jonathan Marchessault? The undrafted winger — who worked his way up from an AHL contract out of junior — won the Conn Smythe for the NHL's playoff MVP. Jacob lists two players that could end up becoming the next late-blooming gem for an NHL team.

- The Chicago Wolves hired Bob Nardella as their new coach. The former assistant coach will run the bench for the AHL's first independently run team since 1994-95, which Patrick discusses at length on the show. 

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The Calder Cup was first awarded in 1937. One year later, the Hershey Bears joined the league, and they've won 11 Calder Cup championships since. They now take on the newest AHL team in the anticipated final round of the 2022-23 playoffs, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams preview the series on this episode of The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast. They also discuss Greg Cronin becoming the new coach of the Anaheim Ducks and the AHL's first-ever all-prospects team.

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On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams:

- The Hershey Bears are one win away from punching their ticket to the Calder Cup final. After losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final to the Rochester Americans, Hershey won three straight games. What changed?

- Joakim Kemell is our prospect of the week. The 19-year-old, ranked 24th in THN's Future Watch Issue, has raised his stock immensely since coming over to North America once his Liiga season ended.

- Yaroslav Askarov lost his starting job for the Milwaukee Admirals. After combining for a .873 save percentage in the first two games of the series, Askarov was yanked in favor of Devin Cooley. 

- Will Dan Bylsma ever coach in the NHL again? The Stanley Cup-winning coach could be due for some consideration, given how well he's done with this Coachella Valley team. 

And more!

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This week on The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast, Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams discuss:

- The AHL conference finals are getting underway. The Rochester Americans and Hershey Bears face off in the East, with the former leading the series 1-0 after winning 5-1 on Tuesday night. The Milwaukee Admirals and Coachella Valley Firebirds make up the Western Conference final, which starts Thursday night.

- Luke Evangelista is our prospect of the week. The 21-year-old right winger has recorded 13 points in 10 games, which is tied for third in AHL playoff scoring.

- The Toronto Marlies made changes to their coaching staff. Despite leading the Toronto Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate to a North Division title this season, coach Greg Moore and assistants A.J. MacLean and John Snowden will not return.

- Why Mitch Love, Spencer Carbery and Karl Taylor could become NHL head coaches. Patrick and Jacob dish their insight on three hot coaching prospects who have shined in the AHL over the past few years. 

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Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams dive right into what's happening in the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs on The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast.

- After both teams swept their respective opponents, the Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans are slated to battle in the Eastern Conference final. The guys discuss the keys to each team's respective sweep and what a matchup between the two teams will look like.

- Hershey, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, is our team of the week. Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre highlight a cast of young guns that have played big roles on what is a largely veteran-led Hershey team.

- The Western Conference final is far from being determined. The Texas Stars and Milwaukee Admirals head into Game 4 with the Admirals having a chance to close out the series. The guys discuss how the series has shaken out so far.

- The Coachella Valley Firebirds and Calgary Wranglers are heading to Game 5. The AHL's two best teams have been close all series long. Pat and Jacob give their series picks.

- Ryker Evans of the Firebirds is the prospect of the week. Evans leads all AHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 12 points in 12 games. Pat and Jacob discuss how far the 2021 second-round pick is from being an NHL regular.

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The elite eight of the AHL playoffs is upon us. Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams preview the action on The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast.

- The Central Division final features the Milwaukee Admirals against the Texas Stars, the team of the week. The guys discuss Milwaukee's personnel, Texas' consistency all year long and how the two teams size up to one another.

- The North Division final has the Rochester Americans taking on the Toronto Marlies. If Toronto gets Joseph Woll soon, they could quickly become a Calder Cup favorite.

- Topi Niemela of the Toronto Marlies is the prospect of the week. The 2020 third-round pick has top-four defenseman written all over him.

- In the Pacific Division final, it's the Coachella Valley Firebirds versus the Calgary Wranglers. The AHL's two best regular season teams are meeting in the second round of the playoffs.

- It's the Hartford Wolf Pack taking on the Hershey Bears in the Atlantic Division final. Through six AHL playoff games, Hartford goalie Dylan Garand has posted a .954 save percentage.

Check out the full episode on your preferred platform.

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This week on The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams:

- The Coachella Valley Firebirds and Providence Bruins are on the brink of elimination. The Firebirds, who finished second in AHL standings this year, are headed to a Game 5 versus Colorado. The Bruins, third in the AHL, are down 2-1 in their best-of-five series against Hartford.

- Dylan Garand is the prospect of the week. The 20-year-old rookie goalie is the reigning CHL goalie of the year and posted a .941 SP in five playoff games this year for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He recorded a .894 SP in 32 AHL regular season games during the 2022-23 season.

- Calgary and Abbotsford have been much closer than we anticipated. The Wranglers, the AHL's best team, have been getting quite the challenge from Abbotsford. Pat and Jacob discuss why and how Calgary can overcome this hurdle.

- The Manitoba Moose are the team of the week. A heavy underdog heading into their series against Milwaukee, Manitoba is currently up 2-1 and one win away from upsetting the Admirals. The Moose won Game 2 and Game 3 in OT. Patrick and Jacob may have been underselling the Moose for far too long.

- Jiri Kulich continues to shine for Rochester. After recording 46 points in 62 AHL games, the Sabers; 2022 first-round pick has recorded three points in two playoff games (including the Game 2-winner). Pat and Jacob discuss Kulich's evolution and how he appears closer to NHL action than many initially thought. 

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Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams are back for another episode of The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast. On this episode:

- Patrick and Jacob discuss Tye Kartye's NHL debut. Kartye recorded 57 points in 72 games and won the AHL's rookie of the year this season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. An injury to Jared McCann saw Kartye get inserted into the playoff lineup Wednesday, and he scored his first career NHL goal.

- The Sweet 16: Patrick and Jacob go over the 16 teams remaining in the Calder Cup playoffs. Now that the play-in round is done and these matchups are solidified, it feels like the playoffs are really starting to begin.

- Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov is the prospect of the week. After recording a .903 SP through his first 24 games, Askarov has posted a .917 SP in his last 24 appearances. As electric and eccentric as any goalie prospect you'll find, he's often worth the price of admission alone. But how far away is he from becoming an NHL regular? 

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On this episode of The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams:

- Jacob and Patrick piggyback off the AHL Awards and name their picks for each award, plus sprinkle in their own awards that they created. Check out who they chose for the MVP, top goalie, top defenseman, top forward, prospect of the year, breakout player of the year and veteran of the year.

- Simon Nemec and David Jiricek excelled in the AHL, just one year removed from being drafted in the top 10 of the 2022 NHL draft.

- In the AHL coaching carousel, Belleville, Henderson, San Diego and Grand Rapids have openings. 

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On this week's episode of The Hockey News On The 'A' Podcast with Jacob Stoller and Patrick Williams, it's our AHL Calder Cup preview show.

- But first... Shane Wright is our prospect of the week. Wright, who was with Coachella Valley on a conditioning loan before going to the world juniors, returns to the AHL after his Windsor Spitfires were swept in the first round of the OHL playoffs. The 2022 fourth overall pick has recorded five points in six AHL games this season.

- Atlantic Division: The Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins are duking it out for first place in the division and conference. The Charlotte Checkers, Springfield Thunderbirds, Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Hartford Wolf Pack have clinched their spots, too.

- North Division: The Toronto Marlies have clinched first in the North Division, though they've gone 1-6-2-1 in their last 10. The Cleveland Monsters and Laval Rocket are competing for the final playoff spot. Those are two legitimate sleepers.

- Central Division: Will the Milwaukee Admirals prevail? Or will the Texas Stars continue their hold on first in the Central? The Manitoba Moose, Iowa Wild and Rockford IceHogs highlight the other three teams in the mix.

- Pacific Division: The AHL's two best teams, the Calgary Wranglers and Coachella Valley Firebirds, are in the same division. One of the two will have to punch their ticket to the Division semifinal via the best-of-three play-in round. 

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