Just as the NHL heads to the Olympic break, the American Hockey League (AHL) pauses its action as they head to the All-Star break. It’s not the halfway point in the 2025-26 season, yet it’s a good checkpoint to look back on how things have gone so far.
1. Providence, Not Grand Rapids, is The League’s Best
A 10-game winning streak for the Providence Bruins has them boasting a 28-35-8-1 record. The Grand Rapids Griffins have the best record in the league but they’ve plateaued lately, while the Bruins, who also got off to a hot start, are playing their best hockey.
It’s not a matter of what stands out for the Bruins as much as what they are lacking, and the answer is not much. Their offense has been great all season with a mix of veterans and prospects providing a great balance, while the defense, which doesn’t have a playmaker at the point, has shutdown options. Then there’s the goaltending tandem with Michael DiPietro and Simon Zajicek giving the Bruins great starts every night.
The credit goes to the culture the Bruins have instilled from the top down. Evan Gold is their general manager (GM), who bought in on young borderline NHLers when the rest of the league was giving up on them, notably Matej Blumel and Riley Tufte. Ryan Mougenel has the team playing a unique North-South style but one that works and gets the most out of the roster. It makes the Bruins the team in the AHL to watch down the stretch and the team that is best positioned to win the Calder Cup, at least for now.
2. Is Goaltending Up? Maybe
It will be a tight race for the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, handed to the best goaltender in the AHL every year. DiPietro leads the pack with a .943 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.62 goals-against average (GAA) but Sebastian Cossa (.928 SV% & a 1.99 GAA) and Sergei Murashov (.924 SV% & 2.11 GAA) aren’t far behind.
It’s not just the top of the league either. Goaltending, at least from an eye test standpoint, is up around the AHL, with multiple teams receiving great play in the net. There are a few theories as to why teams value possession over shot volume, and with fewer shots, goaltenders aren’t asked to do as much, plus teams are playing tighter and more physical games. The cynics would say that skill is down, so goaltending is up but the game, even with the mass exodus of players heading overseas, is more skilled than ever, something multiple coaches have noted this season.
So, maybe goaltending is better around the league. It’s possible that the goaltenders have adapted to the skill in the AHL and have a better understanding of the angles and positioning to stop offenses. It’s certainly noticeable so far and should stand out down the stretch as well.
3. Coaches Value Possession When High-Volume is Winning
When a coach is asked whether they prefer quality shots or quantity, most will prefer the former. They’ll note that a shot that’s taken from a bad angle and isn’t recovered is essentially a turnover and a wasted scoring chance. It’s why most teams look for chances between the dots or in the high-danger ice.
It’s why the Charlotte Checkers are a fascinating team, as are the Bridgeport Islanders, to a lesser degree. They don’t care about quality. Instead, it’s all about pressure and forcing a goaltender to reach a breaking point. Geordie Kinnear noted that it’s not an easy style to buy into but once the team does, it’s a hard offense to stop. It explains how the Checker got off to a slow start but has won eight of their last 11 games to move comfortably into third place in the Atlantic Division.
It makes you wonder why other teams aren’t following suit. In a league where teams like to mirror the best, why not copy the team that made it to the Calder Cup Final a season back? The first issue is that teams need the players to play that way but also, it’s hard to get them to buy in since playing fast and generating pressure at a high-volume is exhausting.
4. Where Are Great Coaches Coming From?
The AHL can put the great coaches on display but also expose the frauds. The players can tell when a coach won’t succeed, and they check out faster than a beat writer staying at a one-star motel. This season has already seen two coaching changes, with the Belleville Senators moving on from David Bell and the Springfield Thunderbirds firing Steve Konowalchuk.
Konowalchuk came from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and his junior background put him at a disadvantage. He noted how the age gap in the AHL is tougher to navigate, with players coming from all backgrounds, while coaches in general, who come from juniors or a college background, struggle with the turnover. Conversely, coaches who were assistants in the AHL for a few seasons end up being well-prepared for the head coaching role.
Another fascinating background is the coach who comes from the NHL to the AHL, something Greg Cronin, Derek King, John Gruden, and Pascal Vincent have done. These coaches struggle with the turnover as well but have a different perspective. Vincent talked about how his time in the NHL gave him a better understanding of what it takes to make it at the next level, while Gruden and King have noted that they are more patient now than they have been previously. It’s made the above-mentioned coaches among the names to consider for NHL jobs when the coaching cycle picks up in the offseason.
5. The Talent Drain Hit Some Teams Harder Than Others
The rosters that start the season are far different from the ones heading into the break and noticeably different from the ones that enter the playoffs. The teams that get off to hot starts often fall apart because their prospects are called up to the NHL, and only a few teams are prepared for that talent drain.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms haven’t been the same team since Carl Grundstrom and Denver Barkey were called up. The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins have also struggled with multiple players moving up and down throughout the season. It’s why their ability to remain in second place is all the more impressive. Likewise, the job that Gruden has done with the Toronto Marlies stands out since, at times, he was icing a team with ECHL-caliber goaltending, yet they remain at the top of the North Division.
6. The Wide-Open Division Races
Usually, there is one team or two that are well ahead of everyone else. Then there’s a second tier of teams that could get hot but aren’t built to win it all. This season, the North and Pacific divisions are tight at the top, and it will make for a fun finish.
Even the Atlantic Division is right because after the Bruins, there’s a fight in the middle. The Phantoms have fallen apart lately but it’s easy to see them turning a corner, especially if Alex Bump returns following the break. The Bears have also struggled but are turning a corner, and even the Bridgeport Islanders, who were a bottom-feeder for most of the season, are playing their best at the moment. The push for the playoffs will be fascinating, and then the playoffs themselves will be a gauntlet.
7. Bridgeport Will Face Relocation Pressure, So How Will They Handle It?
It’s the worst-kept secret in the AHL this season. Everyone knows that the Islanders are moving to Hamilton, Ontario, yet nobody has made an announcement. There’s a good chance that the league wants this under wraps until the All-Star break ends but it won’t be long until Hamilton makes an announcement and then Bridgeport puts out a statement (season tickets must be sold, and the Canadian market will be eager to buy tickets once they are available).
Related: Bridgeport Silence Amid Relocation Rumor Displays Fan Mistreatment
The key for the Islanders is handling the noise when everything is announced. Historically, teams have fallen apart once the announcement of relocation became public, like the 1995 Cleveland Browns or the 2023-24 Arizona Coyotes. The Islanders are playing their best right now and look like a team that can go on a run. Yet, everyone is expecting the shoe to drop. So, the key for the Rocky Thompson-led group is to handle the outside noise and allow them to go out with a bang (and not a whimper).
8. Lehigh Valley Must Lean Into Their Identity
The Phantoms mirror the Philadelphia Flyers; it’s what John Snowden noted after he was hired that his style and Rick Tocchet’s align. The problem is that both teams are simultaneously playing poorly at the same time, and it’s in part because they have their way of doing things and aren’t pivoting. For the Phantoms, they must lean into their strengths to win games and turn around a season that has fallen apart.
Lately, Snowden has done that, leaning into the forecheck and heavier game with a bigger-bodied forward unit. The Phantoms must play that way for the time being and rely on their defense to win games. Eventually, they can pivot back to a speed-based game with a healthy Bump and prospects joining the team from college or junior hockey but for now, it’s about leaning into that heaviness.
9. Wilkes-Barre Scranton is Good But How Good Are They?
They have the second-best record in the Atlantic Division but at times, they are carried by their goaltending. Specifically, the elite play from Sergei Murashov masks some of the issues, whether it’s a defense that gives up too many scoring chances or an offense that can’t go toe to toe with other teams in high-scoring games. The good thing for the Penguins is that this shouldn’t be an issue since Murashov will presumably stay with the AHL team at least until the season ends.
10. Ryan Martin Must Turn Around Hartford Before He’s Considered a Serious GM Candidate
With Barry Trotz’s retirement early in the week, many have wondered who the next up-and-coming GM is who can possibly become the next Nashville Predators GM. Ryan Martin’s name has floated around, which, from an outsider’s perspective, makes sense but from the AHL side of things, especially after this season, doesn’t.
The job he’s done with the Hartford Wolf Pack, to put it mildly, has been awful. Many of the prospects have stagnated or taken steps back this season in their development. The veterans Martin brought in have disappointed, aside from Try Fix-Wolansky (who, many scouts have noted, has played poorly by his standards). On top of that, the coach Martin hired, Grant Potulny, has looked overwhelmed in the role.
All three things are red flags against Martin for any team considering him as their GM. He’s one of the most respected minds in the AHL, and his time with the Griffins and Detroit Red Wings is impressive. That said, he must prove he can build the Wolf Pack, a team that’s going nowhere, into a contender before NHL teams consider him.
11. Hershey’s Road Back to Calder Cup Contention is a Long One
The standard for the Hershey Bears is a Calder Cup, and anything short of that is a failure. The Bears won 13 titles in their franchise’s history, including two in the last three seasons. When King was hired, the expectation was that he’d keep them at the top of the AHL.
Dive Deeper: Hershey Bears Are Still a Tier Below AHL’s Top Teams
The Bears sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division. While the roster is taking shape, notably with the skill in the top six standing out, they still have their issues weighing them down, notably, the mistakes and penalties costing them. King knows it as well, so it will be interesting to see what type of team the Bears are down the stretch.
12. College vs Juniors: Which Route Develops Prospects Best?
When Gavin McKenna joined Penn State, it looked like college hockey was having a breakthrough moment. The money being poured into it meant that prospects could spend a season in college developing while getting paid in the process, and junior hockey would slowly become irrelevant.
The AHL has shown the deficiencies of the college route compared to juniors. College only plays a few games every season, something Snowden talked about at the 26-game mark for the Phantoms but juniors play a similarly rigid schedule. It’s what gives the league an advantage despite being younger and less developed.
Some prospects are making the most of their time in college. Porter Martone is built for the heavier game and has developed in those circumstances while James Hagens is becoming a top-tier center. But in the big picture, colleges must pivot if they want to win over prospects, and the big way to do so is by adding more games to the schedule and condensing things in general.
