The four hosts are back in episode 70 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, The Holy GrAHL. Join your hosts Zack Power, Andrew Rinaldi, Deana Weinheimer and Corey Swartz as they open the doors to the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.

But before we dive into the first three games of the series between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Hershey Bears, it’s time to talk about all the recent news across the AHL.

From Dan Watson getting a promotion from the Toledo Walleye to the Grand Rapids Griffins to a long list of AHL graduates that lifted the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights, your hosts break it all down.

From zero to hero, The Hershey Bears put a patch in a series that was skidding backward. The hosts discussed how Ethen Frank may have changed the momentum for the Hershey Bears midway through the Calder Cup Finals.

Plus, say hello to Joey Daccord, who has seen almost 90 shots thrown his way through nearly 10 periods. Have the Bears found a chink in the armour of the goaltender who shut them out in games one and two?

Andrew dials back the clock to a series between Calgary and Coachella Valley in the third round. Game three has struck a cord of similarities with the host as the Firebirds look for momentum on the road.

Finally, the four look into what could be the series defining moment and who may have the edge going forward. While Hershey looks to continue their momentum at home, the Firebirds look to advance on the little victories in game three.

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

Download the Field Pass Hockey app from the iTunes or Google Play stores or follow  @FieldPassHockey on Twitter for the latest news on the AHL, ECHL, and SPHL throughout the 2022-23 season!

Chapters:

00:05:57 – Breaking News: AHL Signings and Departures, including Noah Philip and Josh Dunne

00:08:53 – Coaching Changes and New Faces in the AHL

00:14:48 – The Newly Independent Chicago Wolves Start Filling Out Their Roster

00:17:46 – Stanley Cup Champions with AHL Roots

00:20:52 – Affiliation Change in the Central Division

00:23:57 – Cleveland Monsters Host the NHL United by Hockey Mobile Museum

00:26:49 – Unlikely Heroes and High-Scoring Games in the Calder Cup Playoffs Between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears

00:29:06 – Ethan Frank vs. Riley Sutter: Who is More Clutch?

00:31:59 – Finding a Different Formula for Success

00:34:49 – Playoff Perspective and Honorable Mentions

00:40:00 – Hershey Bears Respond to Challenges in Game 3

00:42:41 – A Daunting Task to Come Back from a Two-Goal Deficit

00:45:06 – Relentlessness in Playoff Hockey

00:47:52 – The Importance of Hunter Shepard‘s Early Save in Game Three

00:50:35 – Precision and Lethality in Playoff Hockey

00:52:55 – Kole Lind and Cameron Hughes‘ Impressive Playoff Performances

00:58:05 – Challenges faced by young players in the AHL

01:00:45 – Reflection on the Series So Far

01:06:27 – Hershey Ties the Series Up

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The Holy GrAHL is back in episode 69 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast. Join your hosts, Zack Power and Corey Swartz, as they bring you news from the heart of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs.

From the passing of Willie Marshall, perhaps the greatest player to ever skate on AHL ice, to the signing of Curtis McKenzie to a new two-year AHL deal with the Texas Stars- Zack and Corey cover it all.

Your hosts then preview the 2023 Calder Cup Finals between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears. How’d they get here? Who do you need to watch? Which team has what it takes to take home the Calder Cup? Corey and Zack share their thoughts.

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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The Holy GrAHL is back in episode 68 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast. Join your hosts Andrew Rinaldi and Corey Swartz as they bring you news from the heart of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs.

The ripple effects of moves made by the Maple Leafs made their way down to the AHL earlier this week as Marlies head coach Greg Moore and his assistants were let go by the organization. Andrew and Corey discuss the implications of this move and whether or not coach Moore got the short end of the stick.

The boys get right into the thick of it with a recap of the division finals. Starting off with the Atlantic, the boys discuss how Hershey was able to turn Hartford’s carriage back into a pumpkin.

Who will the Bears be seeing in the Eastern Conference Final? That would be the Rochester Americans, who’ve buzz-sawed their way through the Toronto Marlies en route to a date with Hershey. Corey breaks down the matchups to watch for in this battle of the AHL’s two most storied franchises.

Over in the West, the Milwaukee Admirals provided to be too much for the Texas Stars. Andrew analyzes where the Admirals took advantage in their game as champions of the heartland.

On the coast, the Pacific Division Final lived up to its billing as the top two teams of the league in the Calgary Wranglers and Coachella Valley Firebirds went to battle over five games. The crew invites the Game 5 hero Andrew Poturalski onto the show to discuss the series and his incredible battle to return from a long-term injury to get back on the ice when the Firebirds needed him most.

The boys wrap up the show by previewing a Western Conference Finals matchup of two heavy, deep teams in a collision course with one another. Andrew and Corey analyze the makeup of Milwaukee and Coachella Valley and ask – where can you even find the advantage? Can you bet against Poturalski?

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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The Holy GrAHL is back in episode 67 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, The Holy GrAHL. Join your hosts, Zack Power, Andrew Rinaldi, and Corey Swartz, as they bring you news from the heart of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs.

Join the crew as they break down the week in action and news. Zack gets us going with news of Milwaukee’s affiliation, while Andrew congratulates Jimmy Oligny as the 2023 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award winner. Corey talks about a big scorer for Hershey coming back in Mike Sgarbossa, while the Wolves send a late-night text to the Hurricanes: “You up?”

As the crew dives into postseason action, the Hartford WolfPack are the talk of the town with their second-round upset of the Providence Bruins. Another shutout has the crew asking once again: is Dylan Garand “him”?

Hershey is pulling out all the stops this postseason, and the Bears’ play-by-play broadcaster Zack Fisch joins the crew to talk some postseason Chocolate.

Looking in the North, the Toronto Marlies are both top-seeded favorites and surprise underdogs in their Calder Cup run. The Rochester Americans stand in their way, fresh off a 2-0 comeback and their sights on the Eastern Conference Final.

A heavyweight showdown coming together in the continent’s heartland: the Texas Stars and Milwaukee Admirals set things up for the Central Division. Who has the advantage? Andrew has an idea.

On the west coast, it’s the fight of the century – two 100-point teams in Calgary and Coachella Valley go head to head for the Pacific Division crown.

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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The Holy GrAHL is back in episode 66 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, The Holy GrAHL. Join your hosts, Deana Weinheimer, Andrew Rinaldi, and Corey Swartz, as they bring you news from the AHL’s second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Before the crew jumps on playoff action, there is news to be discussed! Our hosts bring up the AHL’s Man of the Year awards. Names like Dillon Simpson and Max Lajoie take the spotlight for their contributions to the community off the ice.

The AHL playoffs aren’t all that’s on our minds – the crew takes some time to talk about how AHL grads are making an impact in the chase for the Stanley Cup in the NHL. Tye Kartye, Zac Dalpe, and Alex Lyon, among others, are making noise on the big stage and aren’t missing a beat.

Jumping into the playoffs, the Hartford WolfPack have the surprise stranglehold on their series with Providence that all of us surely, most definitely saw coming. Is Dylan Garand “him?”

The Hershey Bears swipe two out of Charlotte – they’re on the brink of the Atlantic Division Finals. Do you think Corey’s pumped?

Further North (Division), the Toronto Marlies and Utica Comets are deadlocked at a game apiece. Is there cause for panic, or has a new era of playoff fortunes dawned in Toronto?

Syracuse and Rochester seesaw back and forth – two games one way, two games the other. Who has the advantage in Game 5?

For the Texas Stars, it’s business as usual over the Rockford IceHogs. Two games to none and heading back to Texas for the series wrap-up, does Rockford have a chance or is their bacon cooked?

A heavyweight matchup between Milwaukee and Manitoba is seeing haymakers being thrown. Andrew dives into this one to see who has the advantage as the matchup turns to Wisconsin.

On the west coast, the Abbotsford Canucks have given the Calgary Wranglers all they can handle but find themselves down two games to none. How can David take down Goliath?

Finally – the Battle of the Birds. Colorado’s turned the tables on Coachella Valley and put them on the brink of elimination. How can the Firebirds respond?

To finish up – Corey’s got a bonus round of Charlotte (but also Bears) trivia for Deana and Andrew!

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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Welcome back to Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, The Holy GrAHL, where your hosts, Andrew Rinaldi, Zack Power, and Corey Swartz, are back to get you set for the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs! Episode 65 takes you around the league with a special look at each of the upcoming series, plus a special guest to help put a bow on some of the action from the first round. What knowledge helps Zack sleep at night? Does Tucson stand a chance at beating Coachella Valley (spoilers: they don’t)? The answers to all that and more this week.

First, the crew looks at the news recap of the week, which saw the Minnesota Wild announce that they will not renew the contracts of head coach Tim Army and assistant coaches Nate DiCasmirro and Nolan Yonkman. The announcement happened shortly after Iowa’s loss to the Rockford IceHogs in the first round of the postseason. The organization will go in a different direction, joining San Diego, Grand Rapids, and Henderson as teams needing new bench bosses before the puck drops in the fall.

Next, a very special guest Sam Wismer from Flyers Knitty Gritty joins the show to talk about the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and their loss in the first round to the Charlotte Checkers. Sam talks about what went right and what didn’t, as the Phantoms fell short in three games, and about the Hartford Wolf Pack dropping the Springfield Thunderbirds. The crew looks ahead to the series between the Hershey Bears and the Charlotte Checkers, as well as the Providence Bruins taking on Hartford.

After that, we take a spin around the rest of the league for a comprehensive look at the other series taking place. The crew recaps the action from the North, Central, and Pacific while previewing the series coming later in the second round. It’ll get you set for action in the second round as the series shift to a best-of-five. The previews include important questions to be answered when the puck drops about each team if they plan to contend for the Calder Cup.

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Here lies the death of eight once-great AHL teams. Teams that came into the league with poise, dignity and a will to win…unless you’re San Diego, of course. Zack Power, Andrew Rinaldi, and Corey Swartz are your pall bearers in this sad, unfortunate and, at times, gory ride in describing the deaths of the eight.

Simply put, it wasn’t Wilkes-Barre Scranton’s year. A team that no doubt had the firepower was melted away by the bad offense. Corey gives us insight into their season.

Death, taxes, and Grand Rapids with no hope for the 2022-23 regular season. Yes, they didn’t look good to start but look on the bright side; they’re now taking resumes. Apply within.

Lizz Child joins the podcast to give her thoughts on the Pacific Division and recaps the season for San Jose, who was tied for the final playoff spot at the end of the season.

Finally, to save on burial costs, Zack and Andrew host the funeral for the 2023-24 Chicago Wolves, with early predictions for the upcoming season.

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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The Holy GrAHL is back in episode 63 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, The Holy GrAHL. Join your hosts Zack Power, Andrew Rinaldi, and Corey Swartz as they open the doors to the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

24 teams have entered contention for the AHL’s top prize, and with matchups already underway, the hosts tell us who to watch out for in each division. The crew will tell us about each matchup and key storylines.

The age-old question of who’s going to take it all has the three look into their respective crystal ball to show the fortunes of teams that you may not expect.

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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The Holy GrAHL is back in episode 62 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, The Holy GrAHL. Join your hosts Zack Power, Andrew Rinaldi, and Corey Swartz as they bring you news from the AHL from April 6 2023, through April 13, 2023.

First, days before his callup to the NHL, the three chat about Dustin Wolf, who joined an elite AHL club with a victory against a divisional rival

Speaking of an elite, we also award our AHL Elite Prospect of the Week to Ryan Suzuki. Just what made him stand out? Andrew fills us in as the Wolves head for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Things have never been closer in the North Division, as key points are on the line in games this weekend. It’s the last chance to make the playoffs, and it’s anybody’s game. But who has the leading edge? That is answered by the three.

Zack is ringing up the final purchases in the Pacific Division, and it looks like one team came to the plate short-changed. Did the Gulls forget their wallet in the Calder Cup store?

There are some Chicago games to be looked at in Andrews’s game of the week as the playoffs come crashing together in the final stretch.

Andrew also leads up off in the bonus round, and Corey and Zack are on a hitch for finding bingo.

The Holy GrAHL, Field Pass Hockey’s flagship American Hockey League Podcast. Each week, we look into the biggest stories out of the AHL, its players, and their teams.

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Welcome to episode 61 of Field Pass Hockey’s American Hockey League podcast, the Holy GrAHL, where your hosts Zack Power, Corey Swartz, andAndrew Rinaldi break down the last week of March and early April. This week’s episode is no joke as although the hosts are a man down without Deana Weinheimer, there’s no shortage of hot takes starting with which defunct AHL team the crew would bring back.

The show segues into the latest news and recapping the Elite Prospects Player of the Week with the nod going to Belleville Senators goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, who earned a shutout in his first AHL game and was given a recall to the Ottawa Senators in short order.

Next up, get your controllers and whatever friendships you want to have ruined as Corey compares the Atlantic Division race to that of a game of Mario Kart. The Atlantic is more of a Rainbow Road than what you might expect, with several teams hitting banana peels and the latest blue shell upsetting the leaders of the pack, but each team is one good item box away from taking it all back.

It’s a North Division roundtable discussion as the crew breaks down the race and which club could make a surprise push to make the dance. The Laval Rocket are hot and both the Cleveland Monsters and the Belleville Senators have been not, with concerns about the leaders in Toronto despite being the first team to clinch their division.

After that, it’s time to get the party started in the Central Division as Andrew is taking you on a tour of the house party in the midwest, as he introduces you to the hosts, the VIPs, and even those who aren’t handling their liquor so well over the long party that is the AHL schedule.

Speaking of complete tours, Zack is up next with the good, the bad, and the ugly in the Pacific Division as the guys lament what could have been with a traditional playoff format as the discussion piece. Who’s a sleeper pick to make some damage in the postseason, and whose goose is cooked going into the postseason? All will be revealed.

Finally, the guys give their picks for games to watch out for and what action you can sample for no extra charge, and Corey wraps up the episode with the bonus round that sees some obscure Hershey Bears trivia. Who will emerge the victor? It comes down to the wire to cap off the episode.

https://audio.fieldpasshockey.com/podcasts/the-holy-grahl/2023/The_Holy_GrAHL_Podcast_Episode_61_FINAL.mp3

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