Only four teams remain. The grind that started in October, that was the regular season and the playoff gauntlet that is the Calder Cup Playoffs, is down to four American Hockey League (AHL) teams. The playoffs are fun so far. Last round, three of the four matchups went the distance, with the Texas Stars and Milwaukee Admirals coming down to the wire (with the Stars taking Game 5 with a 3-2 win).
The Eastern Conference Final features the team with the best record in the AHL, the Laval Rocket, against the second seed from the Atlantic Division, the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers are a Florida Panthers affiliate and interestingly enough, the Texas Stars, who face the Abbotsford Canucks in the Western Conference Final, are the affiliates of the Dallas Stars (although that seems rather obvious). So, it’s possible for an organization to win both the Calder Cup and the Stanley Cup in the same season for the first time since 1994-95. With this in mind, let’s dive into the Calder Cup matchups!
Charlotte Checkers vs. Laval Rocket
Checkers Prospect to Watch: Sandis Vilmanis (21-year-old forward with a goal and two assists with a goal and an assist in the series vs the Hershey Bears).
Rocket Prospect to Watch: Joshua Roy (21-year-old forward with three goals and five assists in nine playoff games).
- The Rocket remain the best team in the AHL. The Rochester Americans gave them a fight, yet they were dominant in Game 5 with a 5-0 victory, and their star power from Roy to Logan Mailloux continues to lead them.
- The Checkers proved in their sweep over the Bears that they are built for a playoff run. They score, play physical, speed up the game, and defend well. Moreover, they have no problem generating 40 shots on the net and testing an AHL goaltender out.
- It’s hard to ignore the job Pascal Vincent did this season with the Rocket. Yes, this is a talented team, yet he’s gotten the most out of this group. It makes you wonder if NHL teams, even after his disastrous 2023-24 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, will give him a call.
Abbotsford Canucks vs Texas Stars
Canucks Prospect to Watch: Jonathan Lekkerimaki (20-year-old forward with one goal and four assists in the playoffs)
Stars Prospects to Watch: Justin Hryckowiam (24-year-old forward with seven goals and eight assists in eight playoff games)
- The Canucks are having a surprise run, defeating the back-to-back Western Conference champion Coachella Valley Firebirds and then upsetting the Colorado Eagles. They are getting the job done with great offense but also great play in the net. The 25-year-old Arturs Silovs has a .936 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.73 goals against average (GAA) while also putting together four shutouts. He’s making a great case to join the Vancouver roster next season.
- The Stars have the ideal mix of veterans and young talent needed to win the Cup, and the trio of Hryckowiam, Cameron Hughes, and Kole Lind has allowed the offense to take over games. They’ve combined for 16 goals and 24 assists in the playoffs and led the series upset over the Admirals.
- The Canucks have an absurd penalty kill, which has killed 33 of the 34 penalties in the playoffs. The Stars, meanwhile, have scored six of their 26 opportunities, giving them a 23.1 power play percentage. So, something has to give.
Other Notes From The AHL Calder Cup Playoffs
The previous two rounds were best-of-five matchups. Now that the Calder Cup Playoffs are down to four teams, each series is a best-of-seven. This is also when the travel truly picks up for most AHL teams since most of the season is usually bus rides but the distance from Charlotte to Laval or Abbotsford to Cedar Park, Texas requires a flight.
If either series ends up going the distance, games 6 and 7 will be on back-to-back nights. The Canucks Stars series can have a Game 7 on a Monday night which for a weekend league, is antimactic. On the bright side, the players will have brief flashbacks to the three in three days (which are when teams play three games in three days).
